In response, do I not have the right to experience Christ and believe in Him as a Baha'i? Why do I need permission from Christians to determine what I can and can't believe in? I call myself a Baha'i.
Christianity is a communal faith as many older faiths are. The younger the denomination, the less traditional, I guess, they are. I notice the older one goes back, in Pagan religions included, there are always initiations and cultural things involved with believing in god(s) and so forth. It wasn't an isolated thing "believe in god and christ message" and boom! You're saved. I mean, JW probably don't admit it like this but they have a community unit to with history and culture that defines what they do as witnesses for god.
In
my opinion you only need permission to "enter someone's home" if you are agreeing to eat with them at the same table. If you're just friends on the street and like the way they see things, that's all good. But as a communal religion, baptist included-believe me, I don't know who is more communal that I've experienced, catholic (epis/presy/etc), southern baptist, or JW.
But all churches seem to have a thing about "the body" of christ. Scripture always refers to The Body. Chosen People. things like that. It's always a group not individual.
So, yeah, in my opinion, if you're going full blown christian-practicing with the body-then yes, they need your permission and you need theirs.
It's a family.
However I am clear that I believe in the same God, Jesus, and Bible as the Christians. I believe Jesus spoke of His return and that Baha'u'llah is the Return of Christ.That is who I am. I may be right or wrong, but I am sincere in my belief and I have the right to be a Baha'i just as you have the right to define your beliefs and values. I am very clear about my beliefs and where the boundaries lie.
Not talking about you
It isn't about you. It's about others. Christianity: brothers and sisters as a service to humanity in communion with god by practicing and
being the message/body/passion of his son.
It's a family unit. So, I would only consider you Bahai. I mean, I have a lot of Catholic beliefs but I personally will not say I am Spiritualist, Buddhist, and Catholic. I put Catholic aside because I am not part of the body. I will be disrespecting
them to place myself in the body when I sinned. Spiritualist just means someone who believes in family in spirit after death and healing and mediumship. The Dhamma is what I believe in internally in full. If I get initiated this September 3 (met a monk who invited me to make the jump just totally out of the blue), then I won't say I'm Spiritualist because I don't have that connection with the other people.
I'm all about connection with others. It's no about me. I have values outside of these darn labels they have on this website; but, beyond the labels, I'm just me: a lover. a dreamer. and me.
I appreciate that you have a different relationship with the catholic church but I do not identify with any church or Christian denomination. I simply share many mainstream Christian beliefs with my Christian brothers and sisters, but am clear about the differences too, such as the divinity of Christ and His resurrection..
Shrugs. The Church changes ya' (for better or for worse I guess)