Apologetics

“Truth is one in all religions, and by means of it the unity of the world can be realized.”

Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 129

The American Heritage Dictionary defines “apologetics” as “serving as or containing a formal justification or defense”, and the term has been used in connection with a branch of theology involving the proof of Christianity.

A goal of this web log is to highlight inaccuracies either intentional or accidental that have been published or announced regarding the Baha’i Faith. Teachings from Baha’u'llah were revealed to bring peace and unity to the world and followers of all religious traditions. “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

In essence, a hope is to remove clouds that may obscure the rays of truth from the Revelation of Baha’u'llah. This effort is tempered by guidance from ‘Abdu’l-Baha:

“The fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in the path towards unity, and unity is necessary if we would reach truth, for truth is one.”

Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 136

A Response to Contender Ministries (Part I)

Last modified on 2008-10-06 01:49:29 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

At the website contenderministries.org is a series of articles that attempt to discredit the Baha’i Faith.  There are false statements at the site, and this post is likely the first of several to highlight the inaccuracies at contenderministries.org.

There is a chart at the page www.contenderministries.org/bahai.php from the book, The Challenge of Cults, by Ron Rhodes.  Entries in the chart provide a comparison of fundamental Christian beliefs and what the author believes are Baha’i beliefs.  The chart misrepresents the Baha’i Faith by providing incomplete or inaccurate information.

Scripture

Baha’i view: Writings of Baha’u'llah

Christian view: Bible alone

Baha’is believe that the scripture of all major world religions is inspired by God, including the Bible.  Baha’u'llah refers to how people in Israel did not believe in Jesus due to inaccurately interpreting Biblical scripture.

“And when the days of Moses were ended, and the light of Jesus, shining forth from the Day Spring of the Spirit, encompassed the world, all the people of Israel arose in protest against Him. They clamored that He Whose advent the Bible had foretold must needs promulgate and fulfil the laws of Moses, whereas this youthful Nazarene, who laid claim to the station of the divine Messiah, had annulled the laws of divorce and of the sabbath day — the most weighty of all the laws of Moses. Moreover, what of the signs of the Manifestation yet to come? These people of Israel are even unto the present day still expecting that Manifestation which the Bible hath foretold! How many Manifestations of Holiness, how many Revealers of the light everlasting, have appeared since the time of Moses, and yet Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of satanic fancy and false imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself hath conceived! Thus hath God laid hold of them for their sins, hath extinguished in them the spirit of faith, and tormented them with the flames of the nethermost fire. And this for no other reason except that Israel refused to apprehend the meaning of such words as have been revealed in the Bible concerning the signs of the coming Revelation.”

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 20)

Similar to the authoritativeness of the New Testament in comparison to the Old Testament, there is precedence of the Writings of Baha’u'llah above all scripture.

“…the friends should unhesitatingly, and for reasons that are only too obvious, give precedence to the sayings of Bahá’u'lláh which, it should be pointed out, are fully corroborated by the Qur’án.”

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 501)

God

Baha’i view: Unknowable

Christian view: Knowable and personal

Baha’is believe that the essence of God is unknowable, yet we can know Him through His attributes, which are revealed in the Messengers that He sends.  Each human potentially reflects the attributes of God.  The passage below is reminiscent of the Biblical scripture, “Ye are gods”.

“Consequently, the Divinity of God, which is the sum of all perfections, reflects itself in the reality of man — that is to say, the Essence of Oneness is the gathering of all perfections, and from this unity He casts a reflection upon the human reality. Man, then, is the perfect mirror facing the Sun of Truth and is the center of radiation: the Sun of Truth shines in this mirror. The reflection of the divine perfections appears in the reality of man, so he is the representative of God, the messenger of God.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 196)

The purpose of creation is to know and love God.  A prayer that many Baha’is say daily is below.

“I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.”

(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 314)

Jesus’ death

Baha’i view: No salvific value

Christian view: Atoned for the sins of man

Sin

Baha’i view: Man imperfect, not fallen

Christianity: Man fallen in sin

Salvation

Baha’i view: Keep Baha’i law

Christianity: Trust in Christ alone

Baha’is believe that atonement is necessary.

“Thus have We recounted unto you the tales of the one true God, and sent down unto you the things He had preordained, that haply ye may ask forgiveness of Him, may return unto Him, may truly repent, may realize your misdeeds, may shake off your slumber, may be roused from your heedlessness, may atone for the things that have escaped you, and be of them that do good. Let him who will, acknowledge the truth of My words; and as to him that willeth not, let him turn aside. My sole duty is to remind you of your failure in duty towards the Cause of God, if perchance ye may be of them that heed My warning. Wherefore, hearken ye unto My speech, and return ye to God and repent, that He, through His grace, may have mercy upon you, may wash away your sins, and forgive your trespasses. The greatness of His mercy surpasseth the fury of His wrath, and His grace encompasseth all who have been called into being and been clothed with the robe of life, be they of the past or of the future.”

(Baha’u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u'llah, p. 130)

Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, refers to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as a great act of atonement.

admin @ November 24, 2007