I have a few things to say brother. But not in this thread because I honestly didnt know much about the Bahai faith. I have learned through the years that one could read the scripture and books to understand something but there is nothing like human interaction to get the human feel of things. If not trust me from the time I began this thread I have already bought a few books by Bahai's. I already have their Kithab I akdhas or the Holy book, in the original arabic and in English for reference, plus respectable Effendi's writings among others. But I do not wish to offend anyone in this thread so I shall not reflect upon my reservations. The Bahai faith to me now is more of a philosophy that builds a faith based on gathering the whole of humanity under one banner. It is not an Islamic or Christian faith. In fact, it is not a denomination of any faith. It is the culmination or/and continuation of all faiths. All of these faiths have the same origin, more like the perennial philosophy but were misguided and 'corrupted' through time as people are like that. So the Bahai faith is here to anoint all and unite under one banner of a theology. I have changed my understanding now to know that Bab and Bahauallah are incarnations of God himself as per their theology and all of those faiths that believed in a future saviour kind of eschatology were all referring to Bahaullah one way or another. Just that their definitions and understandings of the figure differed but in fact they were all referring to the same person. Maithree of the Buddha included.
This is what I understand and what has been communicated here. Agree or not, I am trying to understand it.
Peace.
Hi firedragon. Welcome. I’ve been away and just noticed this thread so I’m not up with everything. I’m a member of the Baha’i Faith for 45 years but still not a Baha’i yet if you get my drift. I’d like to share a simple understanding with you Of how I understand my religion.
There is only one religion of God that was supposed to evolve throughout the ages but leaders divided and corrupted it each taking spoils for himself.
Let’s begin with say Krishna. I believe th world is like a school both materially and spiritually. So followers of Krishna were taught certain truths and given laws for their age. And Krishna said that when religion decays as everything does in this world, He will reappear and establish religion again, so then He returned in the human form of Buddha if all the followers of Krishna had recognised His return in Buddha they would all have accept Buddha and God’s religion would have remained only one religion.
Then next Jesus arrived. Buddha spoke of future Buddha’s. Now if all the followers of Buddha would have seen the spiritual signs of Buddha in Jesus then they would have all believed in Him. Then the religion would have advanced and progressed still as one religion with accumulated knowledge of all the previous Educators.
Then Christ said soon after Him another would come meaning Muhammad. Now if Christians had understood the spiritual signs and qualities of Muhammad they would have understood He was the One Christ refered to and accepted Him and the religion of God would still have remained one religion.
Now in the Quran two major events are foretold. Two ‘blows of the trumpet.’ Which signalise the entrance of a King but as the Quran is a spiritual Book this refers to Two Spiritual Kings to appear which we believe refers to the Bab and Baha’u’llah. Now had the Muslims understood these signs and accepted these Spiritual Kings then to this day there would still only be one religion on earth.
That leaders due to want of power and greed rejected the next Educator caused divisions amongst humanity so we see today that instead of one united religion we see thousands of broken, divided sects each antagonistic and hostile to one another.
Baha’u’llah has come to reunite us all.
He said ‘This is the changeless Faith Of God, changeless in the past changeless in the future’
So Baha’is accept rather than deny our past. We accept all the past Prophets, Messengers and Educators of humanity.
regard ye not one another as strangers. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. (Baha’u’llah)