Sure, but now you seem to have decided that it all logically fits together and can't seem to step outside of the narrative.
Why would I want to, if it all logically fits together?
Well, for example, the Roman gods had quite a good innings and let's not forget that the Bahá'í faith hasn't been around all that long yet.
But do those mythical Gods have great world religions they are based upon?
You cannot expect the Baha’i Faith to have what the older religions have because it is only about 150 years old. It takes time for any new religion to become known and established.
Perhaps you misunderstand. I'm saying that the world's faiths are all exactly in their original form, as their founders intended, what I'm questioning is your claims about what the original forms were like (not contradictory and shouldn't have led to all the bad consequences that they did lead to).
None of the originally revealed religions contradicted each other, since they all had the same spiritual verities. The social teachings and laws were different because society changes over time and needs new social teachings and laws. Each new Messenger revealed a new message that was pertinent to the age in which it was revealed, and it was the remedy that was needed for that age, which can never be the same as was needed in a previous age. The message changes over time because humanity needs a new message in every age.
The message of Baha’u’llah was the oneness of mankind and world unity. That message would not have been appropriate for former ages because humanity was not spiritually mature enough for world unity and there would have been no way to have world unity back then because the world did not have mass communications as we do now.
Jesus foresaw and predicted that in the future all of humanity would be brought into one fold; this verse refers to the oneness of mankind.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
But Jesus knew that humanity was
not yet ready to hear about the oneness of mankind and world unity and that is why He said:
John 16:12-13 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Baha’u’llah was the Spirit of truth who came to establish the oneness of mankind and world unity.
I have two main problems with what you say.
The first is common to all theistic beliefs and is just the lack of any objective reason to take the idea of any sort of god seriously. This doesn't mean that there cannot possibly be any sort of god, but it does mean that it is more rational to assume that there isn't.
What do you mean by “objective reason?” Do you mean objective proof that God exists such as being able to locate God with a GPS tracker, or for God to show up on earth and reveal Himself? If so, I can give you explanations as to why that is not possible, but for now, onto your second point...
The second is that I can see no way to reconcile the idea of a just and fair (omnipotent, omniscient) god, who has an important, if not vital, message for its creation, with the world as it is. The world is full of squabbling religions and there seems to be nothing much to make one stand out as authentic. Your only answers to this seem to be, that god knows best (which presupposes there is a god), it has something with free will (which I don't think stands up to logic), or that we are required to go looking in detail at them all (which doesn't seem consistent with fairness and rationality).
You can only understand why the world is the way it is if to accept that we have free will, so people
choose to hang onto their older religions and reject the new religion that has the answers, the religion which explains why all the squabbling has existed and still exists.
I understand that from your perspective you have no reason to look at just one religion and not the others, but the fact remains that this is your best course of action. Of course, I am going to say this because I am a Baha’i, but I am trying to save you a lot of unnecessary work. Baha’u’llah did not enjoin us to look at all the older religions because that would have been too much for most people to do, given the time constraints of modern society, but also He said not to for two reasons. First, we would never be able to sort them all out because the messages were never clear in the first place.
Secondly, the older religions have all been corrupted my man, so they are no longer the original Truth from God:
“This is the Day when the loved ones of God should keep their eyes directed towards His Manifestation, and fasten them upon whatsoever that Manifestation may be pleased to reveal. Certain traditions of bygone ages rest on no foundations whatever, while the notions entertained by past generations, and which they have recorded in their books, have, for the most part, been influenced by the desires of a corrupt inclination. Thou dost witness how most of the commentaries and interpretations of the words of God, now current amongst men, are devoid of truth. Their falsity hath, in some cases, been exposed when the intervening veils were rent asunder. They themselves have acknowledged their failure in apprehending the meaning of any of the words of God.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 171-172
The idea of trying to unify most of the religions is obviously attractive but nothing you've said seems to be more than wishful thinking.
It seems like wishful thinking to most people because it is a long way off into the future, but if you really understood the Baha’i Faith you would know why it is not only
possible but
inevitable. Moreover religious unity was prophesied in the Bible and other religions, so it fits together with the Baha’i Faith hand in glove. Isaiah foresaw it in Isaiah 11:6-9 and Jesus predicted it in
John 10:16:
Isaiah 11:6-9 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
What this means to a Baha’i is that In the future diverse religions and races will become comrades, friends and companions. The contentions of races, the differences of religions, and the barriers between nations will be completely removed, and all will attain perfect union and reconciliation. Eventually, there will be only one religion, the religion of God.
The idea that there were pristine versions that have been corrupted seems based on faith rather than evidence or reasoning (unless you assume a god to begin with).
We do have to accept on faith that there were pristine versions, but there is some evidence that supports this because some of the pristine versions do exist in the form of scriptures, even though their authenticity cannot be verified, as is the case for the scriptures of Baha’u’llah and to a lesser extent Muhammad. Yes, you do have to assume a God exists, at least as a premise even if you do not yet accept it as a conclusion.
I don't know exactly what would convince me to change my mind, however, if there is an omnipotent and omniscient god, then one has to assume that it does know but is choosing not to convince me of its authenticity and hence is denying me a free choice as to my reaction to it...
You are right that God knows exactly what is in your mind, but God never tries to convince anyone of anything because God wants us to use our innate abilities to discover His Truth for ourselves and our free will to decide to accept it or not. That might not
seem fair to you but that does not mean it is not fair; only if you understand why God works this way will you understand why it is fair.
I do not want to overload you with any more information right now, but if you want to hang in here I can explain anything to you want to know. I have been explaining these things to atheists for five years so I pretty much know how to explain them. I have also been getting the same objections from atheists for five years so I understand how they feel and why they feel that way.
Because of these objections most atheists will not become believers but that is not true across the board, because some Baha’is were formerly atheists. But the one thing all of them had in common was sincerity and a desire to believe in God; without that motivation there is no reason why they would make the necessary effort. Another thing they had in common was a sense of humility because without that you are dead in the water. It is just my sense about you that you have these characteristics, which I have not encountered very often. I have to say it is quite refreshing.
