Baha'i Faith

[Galloism]

Doesn't it bother you that the kitab-i-aqdas outlaws homosexuality when we both know that it's genetic and not a choice?

We do?

I thought the jury was still out on that.

We've definitely found genetic correlation. I'm pretty sure we've not found causation, though.

That's where I thought we were.

[Dallsiph]

Doesn't it bother you that the kitab-i-aqdas outlaws homosexuality when we both know that it's genetic and not a choice?

Not really, because I'm not a homosexual. I guess it might bother me little bit, because it does make me feel sorry for those who are.

[Cameroi]

allah'u'abha

i've been in the faith a number of year myself, though consider myself not any great example of it.

actually the aqdas only tells people who have chosen to become baha'i's what the standard of being a baha'i is. it doesn't dictate the behaivior of anyone else.

the answer i was given about revealed beliefs that polytheistic is that what they identify as gods, we identify as aspects of the same god. its all a way of looking at it. we don't claim to know the internal nature of god. i think the taoist idea of the tao, that whatever one thinks one knows about the unknowable is almost certainly at least inaccurate, comes the closest, as far as i know, of other belief's perceptions of how baha'i's see god.

people using beliefs as excuses for conflict are mostly just looking for any excuse and find one belief or another convienient. and those that do, are for the most part, if not entirely, unfamiliar with the spirit and intentions of their own beliefs and its revealers, however much they might be able to quote the letter of its text.

the big thing about baha'i is that all of the major religeons were revealed by persons the same god itself choose. none of them chose themselves.

the thing about gays, i think that gets back to what i understand about the aqdas. the thing is, every belief has certain things that are part of identifying with that belief. no one else has to do or not do them. all of those kinds of things, they're called social principles, and are the part that is different from one belief to another. but the point of them is not their differences, but that they are a means of exercising self dicipline. they're about growing in mindfulness.

somewhere in the writings it says we're the lump that is to leven the world. many of us, myself included take that to mean everyone in the world doesn't have to become baha'is for the most great peace to happen, rather it is the influence of the example we are called upon to attempt to set, that is to inspire things we may ourselves not understand. many many things have already come about in this way.

no credit for them is asked or expected.

[Daistallia 2104]

How about I put it this way:

Take all the meat (things like specifics on customs, and how to pray, etc) off of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. Just look at the bones of those religions. What do you see that is different? Nothing.

There's a major difference between Buddhism and the others you listed - Buddhism is non-theistic.

[Daistallia 2104]

Buddhism is also monotheistic. Look it up.

Not true. As I said above, it's non-theistic. There is no personal godhead.

[Daistallia 2104]

people stop arguing for the sake of arguing, it is fairly simple, he is not saying that Baha'i is a religion where they do everything that is in other religions they just beleive that all religions beleive in the same god in diffrent ways.
i.e. that god is the same as allah.

Lumping non-theistic Buddhism in there is a sticking point...

Edit: as far as im aware ive never read a religouse text that has told me to kill any one either...

Let's try the Bible:

Leviticus 20
Punishments for Sin
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Say to the Israelites: 'Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives [a] any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him. 3 I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name. 4 If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death, 5 I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.

6 " 'I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.

7 " 'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

9 " 'If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother, and his blood will be on his own head.

10 " 'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

11 " 'If a man sleeps with his father's wife, he has dishonored his father. Both the man and the woman must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

12 " 'If a man sleeps with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. What they have done is a perversion; their blood will be on their own heads.

13 " 'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

14 " 'If a man marries both a woman and her mother, it is wicked. Both he and they must be burned in the fire, so that no wickedness will be among you.

15 " 'If a man has sexual relations with an animal, he must be put to death, and you must kill the animal.

16 " 'If a woman approaches an animal to have sexual relations with it, kill both the woman and the animal. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.

17 " 'If a man marries his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off before the eyes of their people. He has dishonored his sister and will be held responsible.

18 " 'If a man lies with a woman during her monthly period and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them must be cut off from their people.

19 " 'Do not have sexual relations with the sister of either your mother or your father, for that would dishonor a close relative; both of you would be held responsible.

20 " 'If a man sleeps with his aunt, he has dishonored his uncle. They will be held responsible; they will die childless.

21 " 'If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless.

22 " 'Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. 23 You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them. 24 But I said to you, "You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the nations.

25 " 'You must therefore make a distinction between clean and unclean animals and between unclean and clean birds. Do not defile yourselves by any animal or bird or anything that moves along the ground—those which I have set apart as unclean for you. 26 You are to be holy to me [c] because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

27 " 'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.' "

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?se ... ersion=NIV

[Drachmar]

Buddhism is also monotheistic. Look it up.

Not true. As I said above, it's non-theistic. There is no personal godhead.

And I bet Buddhism puts atheism, and theism on equal footing.

[Surote]

I might convert

[Daistallia 2104]

Buddhism is also monotheistic. Look it up.

Not true. As I said above, it's non-theistic. There is no personal godhead.

And I bet Buddhism puts atheism, and theism on equal footing.

Check out this essay for a detailed discussion on that topic: Buddhism and the God-idea.

[Greed and Death]

Until I can drink while Baha'i it is not for me.

[UnhealthyTruthseeker]

Check out this essay for a detailed discussion on that topic: Buddhism and the God-idea.

That was fairly condescending toward atheism. Also, I like how Buddhism is basically incompatible with a universe that has an origin.

[Drachmar]

Check out this essay for a detailed discussion on that topic: Buddhism and the God-idea.

That was fairly condescending toward atheism. Also, I like how Buddhism is basically incompatible with a universe that has an origin.

I believe it's fairly condescending towards materialism, not atheism per-se.

And to add...

I'm sorry if I didn't catch that Buddhism is incompatible with a universe that has origin in this piece. That's quite contrary to what I understand about Buddhism.

[Cameroi]

the way i look at buddhism is that big, friendly and unknowable told the first buddah not to mention there was god. basically, even the question of whether or not there is a god is not the most important thing.

though i don't think buddah said that there can't be nonphysical beings. rather far from it.

but recall that buddhism is all about mindfulness. that faith is really. whether we focus it on a god or aspects of a god. or not. at any rate, budhism does not say to dispise other beliefs. far from it.

really when you get right down to it, its mostly just christianity and islam that have a problem with not owning god exclusively. and even that, is in the perception of their less scholarly fallowers.

nor do baha'is condem anyone for fallowing other beliefs. rather that baha'u'llah fulfills all of them. begins a whole new cycle, that islam, and then baha'u'llah's fore runner, the bab, ended.

the most important thing i wanted to say about it (baha'i) is that the writings and the institutions are the authority, not any one of us individual believers. even those elected to serve on the institutions, especially those, will be the first to tell you, none of us has or is, any more of an authority on the faith then any other of us. there is no priesthood. only the writings and the institutions.

so if something i say, or something another individual baha'i happens to say, appears to contradict some actual text in the writings or deliberations of the institutions, it is the latter that must prevail.

[Dyakovo]

How about I put it this way:

Take all the meat (things like specifics on customs, and how to pray, etc) off of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. Just look at the bones of those religions. What do you see that is different

One polytheistic religion, three monotheistic ones that build on each other, and one that can barely be called a religion.

A hell of a lot of contradiction, if you ask me.

Not really, no. Hinduism is decorated polytheistic but they do believe in one God, but different Gods that make up that one God. Buddhism is also monotheistic. Look it up.

I rather thought Buddhism was atheistic, not monotheistic... Who is the god that Buddhists worship?

[Dyakovo]

people stop arguing for the sake of arguing, it is fairly simple, he is not saying that Baha'i is a religion where they do everything that is in other religions they just beleive that all religions beleive in the same god in diffrent ways.
i.e. that god is the same as allah.

Edit: as far as im aware ive never read a religouse text that has told me to kill any one either...

Obviously you have never read the Torah (sp?), the Bible, or the Quran.

[Drachmar]

I rather thought Buddhism was atheistic, not monotheistic... Who is the god that Buddhists worship?

Check this out:

Check out this essay for a detailed discussion on that topic: Buddhism and the God-idea.

[Surote]

Many people have asked me, "What's your religion?" I answer, "I'm a baha'i?" "What's that?" they ask.

If you have that same question, or you're just curious here are the basics.

A Baha'i believes in the Unity of Mankind, Religion, and God. We believe that all religions is from the same God, and we learn something from every messenger beforehand, and whenever mankind needs guidance, God sends a Manifestation to remind Man of God (examples of Manifestations are Moses, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, and Baha'u'llah). baha'u'llah is the founder of the Baha'i Faith, and we believe he is the Promised One of All Ages (known to many as the Messiah, or the Return of Christ). I can't give a perfect history of the Baha'i Faith, but if you want to know more about the Baha'i Faith, click this link:
http://info.bahai.org/

Please reply if you have questions or responses

Does Baha'i have a day to meet to pray(like sundays for christianity).

[Cameroi]

Many people have asked me, "What's your religion?" I answer, "I'm a baha'i?" "What's that?" they ask.

If you have that same question, or you're just curious here are the basics.

A Baha'i believes in the Unity of Mankind, Religion, and God. We believe that all religions is from the same God, and we learn something from every messenger beforehand, and whenever mankind needs guidance, God sends a Manifestation to remind Man of God (examples of Manifestations are Moses, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, and Baha'u'llah). baha'u'llah is the founder of the Baha'i Faith, and we believe he is the Promised One of All Ages (known to many as the Messiah, or the Return of Christ). I can't give a perfect history of the Baha'i Faith, but if you want to know more about the Baha'i Faith, click this link:
http://info.bahai.org/

Please reply if you have questions or responses

Does Baha'i have a day to meet to pray(like sundays for christianity).

every 19 days, which corrisponds to the first day of the baha'i solar month, usually in the evening, it is called feast, and consists of a spritual portion, fallowed by a bussiness meeting, fallowed by refreshments and socialization. members of the community take turns hosting and selecting the writings. the bussiness protion is baha'is only, but sometimes it is suspended to accomodate seekers.

spritual and business portions open and close with prayers. there are also the holy days, the fast, and daily obligatory prayers said by individual believers.

[Dyakovo]

I rather thought Buddhism was atheistic, not monotheistic... Who is the god that Buddhists worship?

Check this out:

Check out this essay for a detailed discussion on that topic: Buddhism and the God-idea.

Right, took a quick and that article confirms to me that Buddhism is indeed an atheistic religion.

[Hairless Kitten II]

Many people have asked me, "What's your religion?" I answer, "I'm a baha'i?" "What's that?" they ask.

If you have that same question, or you're just curious here are the basics.

A Baha'i believes in the Unity of Mankind, Religion, and God. We believe that all religions is from the same God, and we learn something from every messenger beforehand, and whenever mankind needs guidance, God sends a Manifestation to remind Man of God (examples of Manifestations are Moses, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, and Baha'u'llah). baha'u'llah is the founder of the Baha'i Faith, and we believe he is the Promised One of All Ages (known to many as the Messiah, or the Return of Christ). I can't give a perfect history of the Baha'i Faith, but if you want to know more about the Baha'i Faith, click this link:
http://info.bahai.org/

Please reply if you have questions or responses

It seems similar to what I have seen in Castellane (France):



« Mandarom Shambhasalem » is the name given to the « Holy Town » located near the Verdon Gorges at 10 km above Castellane city in the Alpes-de-Haute Provence department.

The Mandarom is spread over 55 hectares and represents all existing religions. This is what the Mandarom’s followers call « Aumism » (the unit of all religions).

« Aumism » (in French: l’Aumisme) is a universalist spiritual movement founded in 1969 by « the lord Hamsah Manarah », who proclaimed himself as the « Cosmo-planetary Messiah », that is Gilbert Bourdin. The Mandarom was classified as a sect by a French parliamentary commission in 1995. Described as a « mystic religion » by its followers, Aumism presents itself as the « universal Religion of the Unit of God’ faces », and pretends to be the « synthesis of all existing religions ».

http://arras-france.com/the-mandarom-sh ... lane-city/

[Drachmar]

I rather thought Buddhism was atheistic, not monotheistic... Who is the god that Buddhists worship?

Check this out:

Check out this essay for a detailed discussion on that topic: Buddhism and the God-idea.

Right, took a quick and that article confirms to me that Buddhism is indeed an atheistic religion.

I don't think you understand Buddhism, because Buddha would tell an atheist that God exists.

[Hairless Kitten II]

Sine there is more than one sect/religion (Aumism, Baha'i Faith,...) that is combining the religions of others, it's waiting for a guy who is the guru of a religion that is uniting all those combining faiths.

[The Alma Mater]

Right, took a quick and that article confirms to me that Buddhism is indeed an atheistic religion.

I don't think you understand Buddhism, because Buddha would tell an atheist that God exists.

The article specifically contradicts that claim.

[Dallsiph]

I apologize I wasn't there to answer questions for a day (internet wasn't working). Thank you Camerol for answering questions. You're probably more experienced with teaching than I am, so thank you.

[Kirav]

A close friend of mine is a Baha'i, and has taught me a lot about it. I agree with pretty much everything that you all have to say.