Sharing Some Information on Religions of the World: The BAHAI Faith

Article Title: Sharing Some Information on Religions of the World: The BAHAI Faith
Submitter: Craig Lock
Category (key words): religion, religions, Bahai, peace, religious tolerance, religious unity, faith, beliefs, spirituality, spiritual unity
The submitter’s blog (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) is at buildbridgesofunity.wordpress.com and http://craiglock.wordpress.com
Other Articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981
(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, spiritual, ‘spiritual writings’ (how ‘airey-fairey’), words of inspiration and money management, how boring now, craig )

Publishing Guidelines:
These writings (as with all my articles) may be freely published, electronically or in print.

"We share what we know, so that we all may grow."

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INTRODUCTION:
As he analyses his own "spirituality" and "finds and follows the spiritual path" (how airey-fairey now, craig!), Craig is studying the teachings of different religions (to find 'common ground'/principles) and as he learns from his research, is sharing these notes in an attempt to 'enlighten' (himself and perhaps others). Hope this piece may be of interest to you too.

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WHAT DO BAHAI BELIEVE?

Their main beliefs are as follows:

* Oneness of Religion: All the world's religions represent stages in the revelation of God's will and purpose for humanity.

Prophets are teachers - not saviours. God cannot incarnate himself and reveal himself to man. Therefore Jesus cannot be God. Jesus is seen as one of God's manifestations sent to human beings to assist in our spiritual evolution. The raising of the body of Jesus was actually the coming to life of Christ's teachings in the disciples, the restoration of their beliefs and convictions.

Some of the main principles of the Bahai faith:

* Oneness of God: There is only ONE God

"The peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly source, and are the subjects of one God."
- Bahau'uallah

* Oneness of religion: All the world's religions represent stages in the revelation of God's will and purpose for mankind.
"Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own self."
- Bahau'llah

* Oneness of Mankind - there is only one human race and we are all connected.

"The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable, unless and until its unity is firmly established."
- Bahau'llah

* Abolition of all prejudices

* The equality of men and women

* The elimination of the extremes of poverty and wealth

* The independent investigation of truth

* that religion and science agree.

The goal of the Bahai is a world governed by order, justice; love and peace: a world culture as the basis for spiritual advancement of all that live on earth, providing a way of life for all that is truly worthy of mankind. Bahai believe that the nature of God is completely unknowable - he/she/it is trancendant to the point of total inaccessibility. Prophets are teachers - not saviours! God cannot incarnate himself and reveal himself to man. Therefore Jesus cannot be God. Jesus is seen as one of God's manifestations sent to human beings to assist in our spiritual evolution. The raising of the body of Jesus was actually the coming to life of Christ's teachings in the disciples, the restoration of their beliefs and convictions.

BAHAI work for world peace and believe in freedom of expression.

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A few personal thoughts to end off..

Everybody's truth is different, because our experiences, our environments, our cultures, our life paths are different. So every person's faith is different (even the state of having NO faith). Finally, perhaps no religion can ever represent the Absolute Truth (because 'Absolute Truth' has a degree of subjectivity - at least I believe so!). Rather, religions can be different paths to the same Truth, with God, Infinite Spirit, the Grand Designer, the Essence of Life at the centre. (Like spokes leading to the hub, the Ultimate Source of Life). It's up to YOU to CHOOSE your set of beliefs, those which fit best with YOUR truth, your being.

I am motivated to share these sets of beliefs, these "eternal truths" with others, so people may benefit and enhance their lives in a meaningful way...if they so CHOOSE. I hope that this information may be of interest to you... and that's my reason for sharing.

With UNDERSTANDING comes TOLERANCE
and
with TOLERANCE comes UNDERSTANDING.

Walk your OWN path to Highest Truth and be happy

craig

"There is neither east nor west, tribe nor ethnicity, male or female, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist. Christian nor Jew. There is only a God-filled
humanity."

"The greatest good we can do for others is reveal the rich treasure inside themselves; so shine your own bright light on an often darkened world... with the highest level of humanity ...and have great fun along the journey of life."
"Let each one of us build bridges rather than barriers, openness rather than walls. Let us look at distant horizons together in a spirit of acceptance, helpfulness, co-operation and peace. Let our leaders look at the future with a vision - to see things not as they are, but what they could one day become."
- craig

"When people's hearts are filled with love, the world is full of hope"
"

"Someday, after we have mastered the winds, the waves, the tide and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love. Then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."
- Teilhard De Chardin

""God's greatest gift to us is allowing us to find, then choose to follow our own truths."

This piece may be freely published, electronically or in print

"God, The Essence of Life, the Ground of All Being, is leading us to the light. What we learn in the darkness, we are to share in the eternal light."
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