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Can we have different beliefs and still have peace.

loverofhumanity

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Carlita said:
I agree with you completely. Believe me, I agree..... :(

:confused: Maybe you've answered this, on a different note.

Why don't you take the consideration of the people who follow the religion and their interpretations of scripture (Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, etc) and ask them how they see one truth rather than Bahaullah?
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We know how they see their truth or truths and we see it the same way they do even believe more strongly than they do. Here's an example of what we say about Christ and Christianity.

"“As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended."'(Shoghi Effendi)
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
loverofhumanity said:
We know how they see their truth or truths and we see it the same way they do even believe more strongly than they do. Here's an example of what we say about Christ and Christianity.
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:confused: "We see it the same way they do even believe more strongly than they do"???????

Pretend I am Christian. You are saying that you believe in the Bible more strongly than I do even though I believe in Christ only and call myself a Christian and you believe in Christ and Muhammad and call yourself Bahai?

How do you believe more strongly than I do?
In this analogy, logically, how do you know this?
Logically, how can you speak for Christ himself?
Who is Shoghi Effendi? He isn't in the Bible. What are you basing your beliefs in Christ on?

These are the type of questions that may be running through Christians minds as they read this. I know many people disagree with me but their disagreements make sense. This has literally and I mean literally got me tilting my head in confusion.
 
loverofhumanity

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Carlita said:
:confused: "We see it the same way they do even believe more strongly than they do"???????

Pretend I am Christian. You are saying that you believe in the Bible more strongly than I do even though I believe in Christ only and call myself a Christian and you believe in Christ and Muhammad and call yourself Bahai?

How do you believe more strongly than I do?
In this analogy, logically, how do you know this?
Logically, how can you speak for Christ himself?
Who is Shoghi Effendi? He isn't in the Bible. What are you basing your beliefs in Christ on?

These are the type of questions that may be running through Christians minds as they read this. I know many people disagree with me but their disagreements make sense. This has literally and I mean literally got me tilting my head in confusion.
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It's only my personal opinion. Just stressing we do love Christ and the Bible.

The statement is the official Bahá'í view on Christianity written by Shoghi Effendi who was the appointed Guardian of the Baha'i Faith appointed in the Will of Abdul-Baha, the Son of Baha'u'llah.
 
loverofhumanity

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Carlita said:
I disagree. I guess to compare, I believe one truth has no favorites. Christians are not gradually agreeing with Bah'a'llah anymore than a Christian saying one day every Bahai's will come to Christ.

Once we understand truth has no favorites, then we are one step to having different beliefs and still have peace.

Take Bahaullah, Christ, Muhammad, and Moses out of it, then you will find the message behind all faiths. However, because each faith depends on their practice for the message to exist, peace isn't possible until we accept that, give other religions their own space, without claiming them as part of our own.

That is what I believe. I understand Christian and Muslim belief. I disagree with it and it's logical. I understand what you are saying linguistically. Logically, it's not computing. Until other religious agree with you, I don't see how peace can happen through Bahai' eyes.
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We are not claiming other religions are part of our own, we are claiming that we are the fulfillment of the prophecies of other religions about the return of their Messenger.

We do not destroy or take away but fulfill.
 
loverofhumanity

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Carlita said:
What's confusing me is, their religions do not believe that. If you are part of other religions, would you not take their disagreement as the truth before your own opinion?
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Let me take a step back then and say they have prophecies of the second coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God and we also believe in the Second Coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God.
 
Aupmanyav

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
loverofhumanity said:
Could you accept all humanity as your equal? Sounds easy doesn't it? But in practice we have been unable to do it without allowing our nationality, race, religion or culture to interfere causing further conflict.
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Why go into denials? Even with all our differences we can be equals.
loverofhumanity said:
Let me take a step back then and say they have prophecies of the second coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God and we also believe in the Second Coming of Christ and the Kingdom of God.
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That is nice. Could you keep it to yourself or do you think it is necessary to advertise that? Are you selling something?
 
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loverofhumanity

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Aupmanyav said:
Why go into denials? Even with all our differences we can be equals.That is nice. Could you keep it to yourself or do you think it is necessary to advertise that? Are you selling something?
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I would like to see a just world where everyone is accorded their human rights and we have world peace.
 
Aupmanyav

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Nice sentiment. I fully endorse it. But do we have to accept Bahai religion as a condition? Can't we have peace as Hindus or Buddhists? Or even Christian or Muslim?
 
loverofhumanity

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Aupmanyav said:
Nice sentiment. I fully endorse it. But do we have to accept Bahai religion as a condition? Can't we have peace as Hindus or Buddhists? Or even Christian or Muslim?
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Of course. I never said we must be Baha'is. That is not necessary.

All that is necessary is we accept all humanity as one and put humanity as a whole above other interests.

So as a Hindu or a Buddhist all are my family. And the Syrians are our fellow human beings? How can we allow them to suffer like they do? It's not up to the politicians it's up to humanity to watch each other's back and are we?

The war and bloodshed is allowed to continue because of 'otherness'. The 'us and them' mentality. This is what we are trying to change heart by heart. We are all one human family.
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
The_Fisher_King said:
Islaam had its beginnings in Saudi Arabia. The Baha'i Faith in Iraq and the Ottoman Empire (although Baha'u'llah was born in Iran).
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I stand corrected :oops: but can you explain how a Bahai view of jesus is correct or logical given followers of jesus make up the body and beliefs and disagree if not contradict the teachings of Bahai itself? It's very confusing.
 
The_Fisher_King

The_Fisher_King

Trying to bring myself ever closer to Allah
Premium Member
Carlita said:
I stand corrected :oops: but can you explain how a Bahai view of jesus is correct or logical given followers of jesus make up the body and beliefs and disagree if not contradict the teachings of Bahai itself? It's very confusing.
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Well, I'm not a Baha'i. But I don't see a fundamental problem with this Baha'i claim (even if I disagree with it to some extent). It's a claim, based on a belief in Baha'u'llah as the current Manifestation of God. If one believes that Baha'u'llah is in fact the current Manifestation of God, the Educator for our times, then it stands to reason that one would believe that what he has to say about past religions and their founders/prominent figures must be the correct view, even if it appears to be contradicted by what the followers of those previous religions today/in the past say (because of course a Manifestation of God, the current one for our times no less, has greater access to the truth about these things than 'ordinary' followers of religions). As I said, I'm not a Baha'i (so I obviously don't accept Baha'u'llah's claim to be a Manifestation of God). But I can see the logic of the Baha'i argument.

I should say, I can also completely see where you are coming from. :)
 
U

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
The_Fisher_King said:
Well, I'm not a Baha'i. But I don't see a fundamental problem with this Baha'i claim (even if I disagree with it to some extent). It's a claim, based on a belief in Baha'u'llah as the current Manifestation of God. If one believes that Baha'u'llah is in fact the current Manifestation of God, the Educator for our times, then it stands to reason that one would believe that what he has to say about past religions and their founders/prominent figures must be the correct view, even if it appears to be contradicted by what the followers of those previous religions today/in the past say (because of course a Manifestation of God, the current one for our times no less, has greater access to the truth about these things than 'ordinary' followers of religions). As I said, I'm not a Baha'i (so I obviously don't accept Baha'u'llah's claim to be a Manifestation of God). But I can see the logic of the Baha'i argument.

I should say, I can also completely see where you are coming from. :)
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I question it for me since I can't see the logic in it. I guess I feel if someone was the claim jesus is part of their faith, they should accept how the followers and their interpretation of doctrine see it rather than through the eyes of Bahaullah. Although their belief, so far I understand it, I cant make sense of it logically. But, then, how much can you really ask before the conversation is cut short. /shrugs/
 
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