Belief in God
Baha'is believe that there is only one God whose attributes
and message have been revealed to us through the Divine Founders of the major
religions. Though the essence of God is unknowable, each person has the capacity
to recognize the signs of God around us and believe in God as the creative force
of the universe.
|
"Every true Prophet hath regarded His
Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other Prophet gone
before Him." (Gleanings, p. 78)
|

|
|
|
Progressive Revelation
According to Baha'u'llah, each divine revelation is relative
and progressive, not absolute and final. That is to say, all the great religions
are individual chapters of the same holy book. The Manifestations of God appear
every thousand years or so in an ordered progression, each one building upon the
lessons taught by His predecessors and leading into more advanced truths to be
revealed by the Manifestations to follow. To make the claim that any particular
religion brings the best, the only, or the last true Word of God is to deny the
infinite nature of God and any potential for further spiritual growth or social
progress of mankind.
Baha'u'llah explains that each divine message contains both
spiritual and social teachings. The spiritual teachings restate and renew the
values found in all religions, with special emphasis on a particular spiritual
truth appropriate for the current level of man's spiritual development. For
example, Moses emphasized righteousness among the "children of God", Jesus
stressed love to a spiritually adolescent mankind, and Muhammad taught
submission to the will of God when the human race was in its spiritual youth.
Baha'u'llah teaches the importance of unity and justice as mankind enters its
age of spiritual maturity.
The second aspect of each divine message is a set of social
laws and teachings which provide the necessary framework for implementing the
spiritual thrust of that revelation. These teachings include rules of conduct
for individuals and groups, dietary laws, marriage and divorce procedures,
community organization, and so forth. These laws represent the practical
guidelines for achieving the social progress needed by human society at the time
in which the revelation is given.
Each Manifestation of God brings a renewal of fundamental
spiritual principles common to all religions, while at the same time
establishing a spiritual emphasis and social laws specific to the needs of the
time. Thus, while Baha'is believe the Baha'i Faith to be the religion for this
time, Baha'is also accept the validity of the previous world religions: the
Bab'i Faith(the predecessor to the Baha'i faith), Islam, Christianity, Judaism,
Buddhism, Hinduism, the Zoroastrian and Sabean Faiths. Baha'is wish
to.
"Consort with the followers of all
religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship." (Gleanings, p.
95)
|
|
|
|