I have to put a few words down as I am tired of the dull attitudes of men who call themselves followers of Christ but know so little of the reality of the soul.
The soul is the reality of man. It is not a cloud or vapour which floats about. It is a substantial body with as much substance as this physical body. Just because we have not eyes to see it does not make it less real!
What are you people thinking. The soul is the real man and the body is only a lowly animal that serves its purpose for a short time.
We must not fall back into the dark ages; where germs did not exist and man could not fly. What we do not understand we dismiss. Just so, Jesus must have been raised in a physical body because you cannot envision a
finer soul.
Christ dwells in the spirit and his soul is Himself.
A.G.W.
See Come Now; Let Us Reason Together
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Concerning Investigation
The discovery of truth is the investigation of reality. It is our true function here on this Earth. Mankind cannot put his trust in others if he does not know the nature of himself. That nature is directly connected to the relationship of the self and reality.
Who am I? Is the same question as What is God?
(from the book "Come now let us Reason Together")
Questions and Comments (from a Christian pastor to a Baha'i)
For example, it sounds as if the major tenet of the Bahá'í Faith is the investigation of truth. It sounds as if correct knowledge is all that is required. In Christianity, the major tenet is following the Truth that Jesus claimed to be. This is found in John 5:16-40, 6:25-69. It is not merely head knowledge as if this were a class assignment but absolute obedience to the One who claimed to be God in the flesh. The Truth is not merely a set of teachings or philosophy but the person of Jesus Christ.
Response
Just as it is in Christianity, the major tenet in the Bahá'í Faith is following and loving the truth. Independent investigation of truth is what leads us to the truth. The goal is the truth; investigation is the means. What you are implying is that you need not investigate the truth; you already know it. The question is this: If you did not investigate, then how did you know? If we eliminate investigation, then every person on our planet is as right as every other person.
Was it not for a failure to investigate the truth that the Pharisees denied Jesus? Note 'Abdu'l-Bahá's explanation of this point:
Had they [the Pharisees] investigated sincerely for themselves, they would surely have believed in Him, respected Him and bowed before Him in reverence. They would have considered His manifestation the greatest bestowal upon mankind. They would have accepted Him as the very Savior of man; but, alas, they were veiled, they held to imitations of ancestral beliefs and hearsay and did not investigate the truth of Christ.
[The Pharisees] paid no heed to His [Jesus'] splendors and regarded not His proofs. Else would they have acknowledged His words, and borne witness to the verses He revealed, confessed the truth of His utterances, sought shelter under the protective shadow of His banner, learned of His signs and tokens, and rejoiced in His blissful tidings.
You state that the Truth is "the person of Jesus Christ." You are absolutely right. Bahá'u'lláh often compares Himself and other Redeemers to the sun. How can we recognize the sun? By seeing it:
The proof of the sun is the light thereof, which shineth and envelopeth all things. - Bahá'u'lláh
How can we see the light of Jesus and Bahá'u'lláh'? How can we know? Anyone can make a claim; only by evidence can we separate the deceptive from the divine. Jesus said, "by their fruits you will know them" (Matt. 7:20). That statement obviously applies to Jesus Himself. How can we tell Jesus Christ is divine? By His works - by what He said, what He did, and what He produced.
Christians, for the most part, do not investigate the Bahá'í Faith. They feel certain that, according to their theology, such a Faith cannot be true in any way. Why? Because they firmly believe that Jesus will come from the sky. They have absolutely no doubt about this conviction.
As you know, many Christians also believe that Jesus will come to lift them suddenly and mysteriously to heaven. This is called "the rapture," that literally means "to snatch away." The majority of Christians act as if "seek and ye shall find" (Mart. 7:7) has no relevance to the Second Advent. They feel as if their only role is to wait and perhaps to watch the sky. The Heavenly Thief, they theorize, is Powerful and All-Seeing. He will find them. Thus they reverse the two roles. Instead of believing that it is their responsibility to look for the Thief, they act as if it is His responsibility to look for them. This belief has taken all initiative away from the majority of Christians. It has made them self-satisfied and complacent.
This seemingly simple but glamorous view of the heavenly descent of Christ and the heavenly ascent of Christians violates the most fundamental principle that binds us to our Creator: our freedom of choice. God has so much respect for the gift of freedom He has bestowed on human beings that He has consistently allowed them to torture, humiliate, and kill the Ones He loves the most: the supreme Manifestations of His glory, His great Messengers. This literal interpretation of prophecies indicates that human freedom will suddenly be violated - that, for the first time in history, God will alter His design.
Who am I? Is the same question as What is God?
(from the book "Come now let us Reason Together")
Questions and Comments (from a Christian pastor to a Baha'i)
For example, it sounds as if the major tenet of the Bahá'í Faith is the investigation of truth. It sounds as if correct knowledge is all that is required. In Christianity, the major tenet is following the Truth that Jesus claimed to be. This is found in John 5:16-40, 6:25-69. It is not merely head knowledge as if this were a class assignment but absolute obedience to the One who claimed to be God in the flesh. The Truth is not merely a set of teachings or philosophy but the person of Jesus Christ.
Response
Just as it is in Christianity, the major tenet in the Bahá'í Faith is following and loving the truth. Independent investigation of truth is what leads us to the truth. The goal is the truth; investigation is the means. What you are implying is that you need not investigate the truth; you already know it. The question is this: If you did not investigate, then how did you know? If we eliminate investigation, then every person on our planet is as right as every other person.
Was it not for a failure to investigate the truth that the Pharisees denied Jesus? Note 'Abdu'l-Bahá's explanation of this point:
Had they [the Pharisees] investigated sincerely for themselves, they would surely have believed in Him, respected Him and bowed before Him in reverence. They would have considered His manifestation the greatest bestowal upon mankind. They would have accepted Him as the very Savior of man; but, alas, they were veiled, they held to imitations of ancestral beliefs and hearsay and did not investigate the truth of Christ.
[The Pharisees] paid no heed to His [Jesus'] splendors and regarded not His proofs. Else would they have acknowledged His words, and borne witness to the verses He revealed, confessed the truth of His utterances, sought shelter under the protective shadow of His banner, learned of His signs and tokens, and rejoiced in His blissful tidings.
You state that the Truth is "the person of Jesus Christ." You are absolutely right. Bahá'u'lláh often compares Himself and other Redeemers to the sun. How can we recognize the sun? By seeing it:
The proof of the sun is the light thereof, which shineth and envelopeth all things. - Bahá'u'lláh
How can we see the light of Jesus and Bahá'u'lláh'? How can we know? Anyone can make a claim; only by evidence can we separate the deceptive from the divine. Jesus said, "by their fruits you will know them" (Matt. 7:20). That statement obviously applies to Jesus Himself. How can we tell Jesus Christ is divine? By His works - by what He said, what He did, and what He produced.
Christians, for the most part, do not investigate the Bahá'í Faith. They feel certain that, according to their theology, such a Faith cannot be true in any way. Why? Because they firmly believe that Jesus will come from the sky. They have absolutely no doubt about this conviction.
As you know, many Christians also believe that Jesus will come to lift them suddenly and mysteriously to heaven. This is called "the rapture," that literally means "to snatch away." The majority of Christians act as if "seek and ye shall find" (Mart. 7:7) has no relevance to the Second Advent. They feel as if their only role is to wait and perhaps to watch the sky. The Heavenly Thief, they theorize, is Powerful and All-Seeing. He will find them. Thus they reverse the two roles. Instead of believing that it is their responsibility to look for the Thief, they act as if it is His responsibility to look for them. This belief has taken all initiative away from the majority of Christians. It has made them self-satisfied and complacent.
This seemingly simple but glamorous view of the heavenly descent of Christ and the heavenly ascent of Christians violates the most fundamental principle that binds us to our Creator: our freedom of choice. God has so much respect for the gift of freedom He has bestowed on human beings that He has consistently allowed them to torture, humiliate, and kill the Ones He loves the most: the supreme Manifestations of His glory, His great Messengers. This literal interpretation of prophecies indicates that human freedom will suddenly be violated - that, for the first time in history, God will alter His design.
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