On Organized Religion : The World Governing Body of the Baha'i Faith Addresses the World's Religious Leadership
THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE - Bahá'í World Centre
April 2002 - To the World's Religious Leaders
The enduring legacy of the twentieth century is that it compelled the peoples of the world to begin seeing themselves as the members of a single human race, and the earth as that race's common homeland. Despite the continuing conflict and violence that darken the horizon, prejudices that once seemed inherent in the nature of the human species are everywhere giving way. Down with them come barriers that long divided the family of man into a Babel of incoherent identities of cultural, ethnic or national origin. That so fundamental a change could occur in so brief a period — virtually overnight in the perspective of historical time — suggests the magnitude of the possibilities for the future.
Tragically, organized religion, whose very reason for being entails service to the cause of brotherhood and peace, behaves all too frequently as one of the most formidable obstacles in the path; to cite a particular painful fact, it has long lent its credibility to fanaticism. We feel a responsibility, as the governing council of one of the world religions, to urge earnest consideration of the challenge this poses for religious leadership. Both the issue and the circumstances to which it gives rise require that we speak frankly. We trust that common service to the Divine will ensure that what we say will be received in the same spirit of goodwill as it is put forward.
So begins the Universal House of Justice letter. Click here for the full text:
2 comments:
George, these few posts that you made today were just what I needed to read. I am not surprised that there are published instructions on how to proselytize evangelical Christianity to Baha'is. I actually used to be quite a good Christian apologist!
Hi George! Thanks for the post in answering my question about how Bahai's view Christ's resurrection. (Oh, and Rue is a pretty handsome guy!!) :)
But it did leave me a little confused. There are so many verses that talk about Jesus walking, talking and eating with the disciples after He rose from the dead. He even has them touch His hands and touch His side where He was stabbed on the cross. How can it be explained away when it is so clear in the Bible that He rose from the dead?
"And as they [women who went to Jesus' tomb] went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, 'Rejoice!' So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, 'Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.'" Matthew 28:9-10
If Christ hadn't actually risen from the dead then how could they hold onto His feet?
"Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread and broke it, and gave it to them." Luke 24:30
"So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, 'The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!' And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, 'Peace to you.' But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, 'Why are you toubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is Myself. HANDLE ME AND SEE, FOR A SPIRIT DOES NOT HAVE FLESH AND BONES AS YOU SEE I HAVE.' When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, 'Have you any food here?' So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate it in their presence." Luke 24:33-43
How could Christ eat if He wasn't really there?
"And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, 'Peace to you!' Then He said to Thomas, 'Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.' And Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:26-29
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