Two Quick Questions!

[RF User]

Dear forum members,

Two quick questions, I would really appreciate if someone can provide the answers!

First, we are 165 years into the Baha'i dispensation, with an estimated six million believers worldwide. Does anyone have any statistics as to the number of Christians or Muslims after this approximate amount of time of their respective dispensations? I am asking this question to gain some perspective on the growth of the Faith.

Secondly, as the Bab was Baha'u'llah's forerunner, who were the forerunner's to the other major world religions? I seem to remember John the Baptist, was the one who proclaimed Christ's arrival, is this correct? What about for Muhammad, Zoroaster, Buddha, and so on?

Thanks in advance,

[mod edit]

 

[arthra]

Hello Ben!

RF User writes:

Dear forum members,

Two quick questions, I would really appreciate if someone can provide the answers!

First, we are 165 years into the Baha'i dispensation, with an estimated six million believers worldwide. Does anyone have any statistics as to the number of Christians or Muslims after this approximate amount of time of their respective dispensations? I am asking this question to gain some perspective on the growth of the Faith.

My reply:

The World Center has I believe estimated there are about six and a half million Baha'is.. Other sources have listed seven millions or so. It depends how they're counted. We don't really know how many Baha'is are in Iran as the Faith there is more or less suppressed. I would say that if you look at Baha'i history there were periods in some countries when the growth appears stagnant but these are sometimes followed by exponential growth later so it's a guessing game I suppose. As far as growth of Islam and Christianity you could probably check adherents.com.. What I heard is that there are over thirty thousand sects and denominations of Christianity and counting.. more every day.

Secondly, as the Bab was Baha'u'llah's forerunner, who were the forerunner's to the other major world religions? I seem to remember John the Baptist, was the one who proclaimed Christ's arrival, is this correct? What about for Muhammad, Zoroaster, Buddha, and so on?

My reply:

Wow that's a great question.. According to tradition there were people who predicted Prophet Muhammad would appear.. In a sense you could say that all the Prophets of God have been "forerunners" to the succeeding Ones. Buddha mentioned previous Buddha.. There are prophets preceding Zoroaster listed in a book called The Desatir:

In the words of its translator and publisher, Mulla Firuz, it "professes to be a collection of the [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]writings[/color][/color]

of the different Persian Prophets, who flourished from the time of Mahabad to the time of the fifth Sasan, being fifteen in number; of whom Zerdusht, or Zoroaster was the thirteenth and the fifth Sasan the last. . . . The writings of these fifteen prophets are in a tongue of which no other vestige appears to remain, and which would have been unintelligible without the assistance of the ancient Persian translation" (Preface, p. i).

Source:

Desatir: Spiritual - Theosophy Dictionary on Desatir


- Art

 

[BruceDLimber]

Hi, Ben; great to have you here!

I am asking this question to gain some perspective on the growth of the Faith.

I have no idea of the numbers of the other religions at corresponding times, but in addition to pure numbers, another noteworthy fact about the Baha'i Faith is that since 1991 it's been established in literally every country on earth!

Indeed, various non-Baha'i sources (such as the Encyclopedia Britannica) have stated that in terms of localities where adherents reside, the Baha'i Faith is the second most widespread religion on earth! Here are the numbers:

• Christianity 140,000 localities
• Baha'i Faith 110,000 localities
• all other faiths 90,000 or fewer.

And the World Christian Encyclopedia (clearly not a Bah'ai organization) has said that among those religions already established in over 100 countries, the Baha'i Faith is the fastest-growing.

Best!

Bruce