Babism, Russia, and Islam

[BruceDLimber]

Hi, Ocean! :-)

For the recorrd, there is no "R" in the pronunciation of any of these words.

"Baha'i" is technically pronounced "ba-HA-ee," but is usually just pronounced "ba-HIGH."

"Baha'u'llah" is a bit more complicated. (As is shown by the accents often attached to these words) the first syllable is pronounced with an "A" sound like that in the word "can't" (that is, with a rather open mouth). The second syllable has an "A" that sounds like "awe." And the "u" (which is the "of" in "Glory of God") is correctly pronounced "o," like "doe" (but "oo" like "soon" is often substituted).

So given all this, it's "ba-Ha-o-LLAH," or more informally, "ba-Ha-oo-LLAH."

And as for 'Abdu'l-Baha, it's "ab-Dull-ba-HA."

Best, :-)

Bruce

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings, Brian! :-)

Others have already done a great job of explaining the facts about the sorts of accusations our opponents like to throw; I'll simply point out that it's always been popular among them to try to associate the Baha'i Faith with the "enemy du jour," whoever that happens to be at the moment!

And as to what someone else was saying about not seeing anything new in the Baha'i teachings, there are indeed a number of new teachings. Among these are the facts that:

• The Baha'i Faith is the first major religion to prohibit slavery in its original scriptures.
• The Baha'i Faith is the first to stress the equality of men and women as a major point.
• The Baha'i Faith is the first to require universal compulsory education.
• And the entire democratic-but-non-political Baha'i administrative system is new and unprecedented, as well as already being in use world wide!

There are others as well. . . .

Finally, as folks have clarified, the Babis did indeed permit jihad with the Islamic proviso that it is defensive ONLY and may never include aggression against someone who is not fighting (or has ceased to do so). In contrast, the scriptures of the Baha'i Faith expressly forbid waging war at all!

Regards,

Bruce

[smkolins]

Originally Posted by berinwitness

It's a bit more complicated than that. Our two co-founders did not claim to be God Incarnate. According to Baha'i teaching, God cannot incarnate His essence. Instead They called Themselves "Manifestations of the attributes of God".

I might elaborate that the Manifestation is not just "the attributes of God" but the very Self of God:

"Alas, alas, for that which befell Him Who was the Manifestation of the Self of God, and for that which He and His loved ones were made to suffer!" Gems of Divine Mysteries, Page 22

"Know verily that the essence of justice and the source thereof are both embodied in the ordinances prescribed by Him Who is the Manifestation of the Self of God amongst men, if ye be of them that recognize this truth."
Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, Page 175

In this sense I do not equate God with His Self, but that like all attributes God has a Self too of which the Prophet is a/the presentation of. Put another way:
"It is a long time since the Sun of Truth mirrored forth by the Lord Christ has shed its radiance upon the West, for the Face of God has been veiled by the sin and forgetfulness of man." --Paris Talks, Page 34

"`O ye peoples of the earth! Turn yourselves towards Him Who hath turned towards you. He, verily, is the Face of God amongst you, and His Testimony and His Guide unto you." --Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Page 48

"Consider the past. How many, both high and low, have, at all times, yearningly awaited the advent of the Manifestations of God in the sanctified persons of His chosen Ones. How often have they expected His coming, how frequently have they prayed that the breeze of Divine mercy might blow, and the promised Beauty step forth from behind the veil of concealment, and be made manifest to all the world. And whensoever the portals of grace did open, and the clouds of divine bounty did rain upon mankind, and the light of the Unseen did shine above the horizon of celestial might, they all denied Him, and turned away from His face--the face of God Himself...." --Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, Page 17

However it is also a throny issue - one which has caused division and strife in religions in the past. In _The Brilliant Proof_ it is elaborated:

"One of the laws and ordinances peculiar to the Baha'i religion is the law prohibiting the interpretation of the Word of God. For interpretation of the Words and exposition of the personal opinion has been of the greatest means of dissension in the former religions, the cause of darkness of the horizon of faith and concealing the real meaning of the Book of God.

It is evident fact that learned men differ in their minds, and natural gifts of sagacity and intelligence or the lack of understanding and comprehension vary in degrees among them. Thus when the door of interpretation and perverting of the Words from their outward meaning is opened, strange opinions and curious contradictory interpretations will result and different sects will arise among the one people and one religious community.

...

Thus one of the explicit commands of this great Manifestation is the ordinance abrogating differences which separate men. It is because one of the occasions of dissension is difference of scholars with regard to the station of the Manifestation of the Cause. In former religions, even as testified by history, it has become evident that when in question of this kind a difference has arisen between two of the doctors of religion, both parties were firm in their standpoints and held tenaciously to their sides, while the laity, according to their usage, would adhere some to one and some to the other, thus closing the doors to agreement and unity to such an extent that religious fraternity was changed into deep and bitter strife and warfare. This is illustrated by differences which arose between Arius the priest and Alexander the Bishop of Constantinople, regarding the Trinity, in the fourth century, A.D.; also the Nestorian differences which took place in the fifth century between Nestorius the Bishop of Constantinople and the other bishops, which caused terrible wars and the shedding of precious blood. The effect of these sad dissensions has lasted until the present day."