Thoughts on a Five Year Plan

83: THE FOUR METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE

2011-07-18T13:22:00.001-07:00

There are only four accepted methods of comprehension--that is to say, the realities of things are understood by these four methods.

The first method is by the senses--that is to say, all that the eye, the ear, the taste, the smell, the touch perceive is understood by this method. Today this method is considered the most perfect by all the European philosophers: they say that the principal method of gaining knowledge is through the senses; they consider it supreme, although it is imperfect, for it commits errors. For example, the greatest of the senses is the power of sight. The sight sees the mirage as water, and it sees images reflected in mirrors as real and existent; large bodies which are distant appear to be small, and a whirling point appears as a circle. The sight believes the earth to be motionless and sees the sun in motion, and in many similar cases it makes mistakes. Therefore, we cannot trust it.

The second is the method of reason, which was that of the ancient philosophers, the pillars of wisdom; this is the method of the understanding. They proved things by reason and held firmly to logical proofs; all their arguments are arguments of reason. Notwithstanding this, they differed greatly, and their opinions were contradictory. They even changed their views--that is to say, during twenty years they would prove the existence of a thing by logical arguments, and afterward they would deny it by logical arguments--so much so that Plato at first logically proved the immobility of the earth and the movement of the sun; later by logical arguments he proved that the sun was the stationary center, and that the earth was moving. Afterward the Ptolemaic theory was spread abroad, and the idea of Plato was entirely forgotten, until at last a new observer again called it to life. Thus all the mathematicians disagreed, although they relied upon arguments of reason. In the same way, by logical arguments, they would prove a problem at a certain time, then afterward by arguments of the same nature they would deny it. So one of the philosophers would firmly uphold a theory for a time with strong arguments and proofs to support it, which afterward he would retract and contradict by arguments of reason. Therefore, it is evident that the method of reason is not perfect, for the differences of the ancient philosophers, the want of stability and the variations of their opinions, prove this. For if it were perfect, all ought to be united in their ideas and agreed in their opinions.

The third method of understanding is by tradition--that is, through the text of the Holy Scriptures--for people say, "In the Old and New Testaments, God spoke thus." This method equally is not perfect, because the traditions are understood by the reason. As the reason itself is liable to err, how can it be said that in interpreting the meaning of the traditions it will not err, for it is possible for it to make mistakes, and certainty cannot be attained. This is the method of the religious leaders; whatever they understand and comprehend from the text of the books is that which their reason understands from the text, and not necessarily the real truth; for the reason is like a balance, and the meanings contained in the text of the Holy Books are like the thing which is weighed. If the balance is untrue, how can the weight be ascertained?

Know then: that which is in the hands of people, that which they believe, is liable to error. For, in proving or disproving a thing, if a proof is brought forward which is taken from the evidence of our senses, this method, as has become evident, is not perfect; if the proofs are intellectual, the same is true; or if they are traditional, such proofs also are not perfect. Therefore, there is no standard in the hands of people upon which we can rely.

But the bounty of the Holy Spirit gives the true method of comprehension which is infallible and indubitable. This is through the help of the Holy Spirit which comes to man, and this is the condition in which certainty can alone be attained.

'Abdu'l-Baha (Some Answered Questions)

Development of Society : A Personal View

2011-06-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

It is inevitable that we as Baha'is will change in our point of view as the Faith grows. New and larger communities. More laws being brought in to guide us. More specialization which will mean that all the children will become well trained in the history and the spirituality of the faith but they will also be well educated and trained in the arts and crafts.

In total they will become prosperous in body and soul. They will take for granted, what we struggle every day with; they will be sure just by looking around them that the Faith is creating solutions for society.

That means that they will think it as child's play, what we now think is impossible. There will be for them support at every stage. We could only wish to have loving counselors that would give us useful advice at critical moments in our lives.

How can I be so scrumptious to claim to know how they will think? But when there is a problem or project they will have resources, support and the will to accomplish it quickly. Their skills at consultation and tighter link to Baha'u'llah's spirit will give them answers and solutions to be able to quickly carry through projects.

People have specific personalities that need to be addressed. Their education has to be accomplished differently. When this happens all will have a full role in society. All must be able to live comfortably, allowing Baha'is to discover how they can contribute to the evolving civilization. Basic needs will be supplied universally.

A.G.W.

Relationships

2011-06-23T11:34:00.001-07:00

What I write about relationships might seem obvious to some but because it is obvious we do not talk about it.

It is not just the great loves of our life that are important. In every turn of our existence we meet people who are special to us. We may never speak two words but still you know that this person will always be precious. This is a link that will last the passage of this world into the next. We will have the same close feeling the next time we have a moment together. It can be a sexual tension but more likely it is something much beyond the material.

We each have a part of the other within us. Some may think that it is better not to talk about this, with the other person. I think otherwise. If we admit that there is a link, and revel in it, our happiness will grow.

I do not know how worldly people handle this. Do they always understand this feeling as a physical attraction?

Our teachers in the path of God will often be people who invoke strong feelings in us. Spiritual investigation involves feelings on the deepest levels. We as teachers will invoke those feelings in others. There are links between us because of spiritual desires. We know that at times our soul will rise to higher realms and our way of seeing things changes.

I believe this is the true basis of society and civilization. It is spiritual links that bind us together, starting here and continuing on through.

A.G.W.

Uniqueness Of Baha'i Scripture.

2011-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

This is my personal views and has no official approval.

What they teach us.

First.

Who was Christ and who was Muhammad?

Baha'u'llah says that they are part of a group of special beings. Their souls are eternal in the past and the future. They have a special station above humans and below God himself. They are human and Manifestations of God. They appear in Earth's history in order to steer mankind toward God and toward harmony with all peoples. They are created by God with free will and the purpose of revealing the will of God.

The Unknowable Essence of God, the Manifestations of God, and the Created Beings

Neither the Jews, the Christians nor the Muslims understood the importance of their Messengers. It was because of Them that history continues and civilizations are built. These prophets of our past pushed us forward at the deepest levels. Beyond our small lives and our logic. They demanded that we look forward.

Read "The Book of Certitude" as many times as you can. Read it with a group of friends and speak your mind about that flame that is growing in your heart.

God, we cannot understand but we can look to Baha'u'llah for our spark. Then we can look to Muhammad and Christ and piece together that they were giving the same message to our fathers. We as ordinary peoples can then arise and tell others.

The Baha'i scripture is the clear message spoken of by Christ. Baha'u'llah is His return as was Muhammad. They speak with the same voice, lifting us higher then ever before. Beyond logic and critics we will be the builders of a world government under the protection of God's hand.

A.G.W.

Something has Popped Up

2011-03-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

As a Baha'i I like to think that my universal tolerance of others is in good shape. What I have found is that I am not able to manage my feelings against the Christian ministry (two thousand years of bad management and wayward interpretation of Christ's purpose).

So why is this? Maybe I have been waiting for this group to wake up. The writings of the Baha'i Faith are so powerful and clear that I did not comprehend others not coming on side in droves. It was a friend from high school that brought my feelings out. So far we have had only one conversation on Skype and a few emails. I blew it or up.

I can now admire those that are involved in Interfaith groups. I know that these people (Baha'is) have a Christian background.

Frustration at others, lack of insight has in the past caused me to strike out. If I was the old person, that I was (silent observer) nothing would have happened. But here we are and the damage is done.

Should I crawl back into my shell? Wait another 40 years? Obviously the young people will surge forward and present the Faith to anyone who will listen. And
growth will continue.

A.G.W.

Some Basic Ground Rules

2011-02-28T10:12:00.000-08:00

All praise be to God Who hath, through the power of Truth, sent down this Book unto His servant, that it may serve as a shining light for all mankind... Verily this is none other than the sovereign Truth; it is the Path which God hath laid out for all that are in heaven and on earth. Let him then who will, take for himself the right path unto his Lord. Verily this is the true Faith of God, and sufficient witness are God and such as are endowed with the knowledge of the Book. This is indeed the eternal Truth which God, the Ancient of Days, hath revealed unto His omnipotent Word—He Who hath been raised up from the midst of the Burning Bush. This is the Mystery which hath been hidden from all that are in heaven and on earth, and in this wondrous Revelation it hath, in very truth, been set forth in the Mother Book by the hand of God, the Exalted... - The Bab

Messengers bring about Judgment Day. When Christ gave his message, that was the Day of the Jews. When Muhammad brought his Qur'an to the Arabs that was their Day. The Bab brought a Day to the Muslims. Baha'u'llah brought a Day to the world.

Short Obligatory Prayer

To Be Recited Once In Twenty-Four Hours, At Noon

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. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

This is one of the three obligatory prayers that Baha'is can choose between to say daily. The words "to know Thee and to worship Thee" The purpose of a man is first: to know God.

I usually speak about the investigation of reality as being a primary duty for Baha'is.
Of course there is also obedience to the covenant which includes the instructions of the Universal House of Justice.

This investigation is similar to the search for truth. Our physical reality involves both scientific and instinctual approaches. I believe that the physical world is a reflection or a shadow of the kingdom of God. The building of the Baha'i administration is like the polishing of the physical mirror.

A.G.W.

New Plan

2011-01-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

It seems now that this Five Year Plan is coming to a successful end.
In May another plan will begin, the first of two.
I will continue this blog in the new year, God willing.

Love Arthur

About Love in a Marraige by E. Swedenborg

2010-07-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

In the attaining of the message of Baha'u'llah all the books have been openned and we can discern truth coming in from all directions. Here are some thoughts on true marriage.

(I have seen how each day in a true spiritual pairing new secrets are revealed. Never a day goes by that something surprising and delightful doesn't happen. It is not possible to share these secrets with others as they will not be believed. A.G.W. I don't contain that pure spirituality that Swedenborg talks about but I aspire to it. What must truly spiritual people be experiencing?)

That true marriage love contains in itself ineffable delights that can neither be numbered nor described can be seen from the fact that this is the fundamental love of all celestial and spiritual loves, since through that love man becomes love; for from it each of the married pair loves the other as good loves truth and truth loves good, thus representatively as the Lord loves heaven and the church. Such a love can come forth only through a marriage in which the man is truth and the wife is good. When a man through marriage has become such a love he is also in love to the Lord and in love toward the neighbor, and thus in a love for all good and in a love for all truth. For from man as a love loves of every kind must proceed; therefore marriage love is the fundamental love of all the loves of heaven. And as it is the fundamental love of all the loves of heaven it is also the foundation of all the delights and joys of heaven, since every delight and joy is of love. From this it follows that heavenly joys, in their order and in their degrees, have their origins and their causes in marriage love.

From the felicities of marriages a conclusion may be drawn respecting the infelicities of adulteries, namely, that the love of adultery is the fundamental love of all infernal loves, which are in themselves not loves, but hatreds, consequently from the love of adultery hatreds of every kind gush forth, both against God and against the neighbor, and in general against every good and truth of heaven and the church; therefore to it all infelicities belong, for, as has been said before, from adulteries man becomes a form of hell, and from the love of adulteries he becomes an image of the devil. That from the marriages in which there is true marriage love all delights and felicities increase even till they become the delights and felicities of the inmost heaven, and that all that is undelightful and unhappy in the marriages in which love of adultery reigns increases in direfulness even to the lowest hell, can
be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell.

True marriage love is from the Lord alone. It is from the Lord alone because it descends from the Lord's love for heaven and the church, and thus from the love of good and truth; for good is from the Lord, and truth is in heaven and the church; and from this it follows that true marriage love in its first essence is love to the Lord. And from this it is that no one can be in true marriage love and in its pleasantnesses, delights, blessings, and joys, unless he acknowledges the Lord alone, that is, that the trinity is in Him. One who approaches the Father as a person by Himself, or the Holy Spirit as a person by Himself, and not these as in the Lord, can have no marriage love.

The genuine conjugal principle is given especially in the third heaven, because the angels there are in love to the Lord and acknowledge Him alone as God, and do His commandments. To them doing the commandments is loving the Lord. To them the Lord's commandments are the truths in which they receive Him. There is conjunction of the Lord with them, and of them with the Lord; for they are in the Lord because they are in good, and the Lord is in them because they are in truths. This is the heavenly marriage, from which true marriage love descends.

(now from Baha'u'llah)

He is God!

O peerless Lord! In Thine almighty wisdom Thou hast enjoined marriage upon the peoples, that the generations of men may succeed one another in this contingent world, and that ever, so long as the world shall last, they may busy themselves at the Threshold of Thy oneness with servitude and worship, with salutation, adoration and praise. "I have not created spirits and men, but that they should worship me." Wherefore, wed Thou in the heaven of Thy mercy these two birds of the nest of Thy love, and make them the means of attracting perpetual grace; that from the union of these two seas of love a wave of tenderness may surge and cast the pearls of pure and goodly issue on the shore of life. "He hath let loose the two seas, that they meet each other: Between them is a barrier which they overpass not. Which then of the bounties of your Lord will ye deny? From each He bringeth up greater and lesser pearls." (Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 103)

The Five Buddhas

2010-05-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Introduction

It was through Zen Buddhism that I first found the Baha'i Faith. I was living on a small island between Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Galiano Island is part of a group called the Gulf Islands. Very close to the Canadian/American border and north of Seattle. The island is named for its volcano. Ancient it is, but part of a chain that includes Rainier and Mount St. Hellen.

Meditating and focusing on the elements of reality.

Investigating assurances and the distribution of beleivable points of reference.

I believe in logic and the use of reason. This is the starting point for use of other methods of investigation. We must also use the information that the messengers have brought us. The last five messengers I call the Five Buddhas.

I quote a statement below which accounts for the kind of thinking I do.

1. note what the five senses are showing you.
2. use reason to discover truths that are alluding you.
3. trust the messages of God from the manifestations
4. trust the rain of the spirit of joy and love to your heart.

THE FOUR METHODS OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE by 'Abdu'l-Baha

"There are only four accepted methods of comprehension - that is to say, the realities of things are understood by these four methods.

"The first method is by the senses - that is to say, all that the eye, the ear, the taste, the smell, the touch perceive is understood by this method. Today this method is considered the most perfect by all the European philosophers: they say that the principal method of gaining knowledge is through the senses; they consider it supreme, ... The sight believes the earth to be motionless and sees the sun in motion, and in many similar cases it makes mistakes. Therefore, we cannot trust it.

"The second is the method of reason, which was that of the ancient philosophers, the pillars of wisdom; this is the method of the understanding. They proved things by reason and held firmly to logical proofs; all their arguments are arguments of reason. Notwithstanding this, they differed greatly, and their opinions were contradictory. They even changed their views - that is to say, during twenty years they would prove the existence of a thing by logical arguments, and afterward they would deny it by logical arguments - so much so that Plato at first logically proved the immobility of the earth and the movement of the sun; later by logical arguments he proved that the sun was the stationary center, and that the earth was moving. Afterward the Ptolemaic theory was spread abroad, ...

Therefore, it is evident that the method of reason is not perfect, for the differences of the ancient philosophers, the want of stability and the variations of their opinions, prove this. For if it were perfect, all ought to be united in their ideas and agreed in their opinions.

"The third method of understanding is by tradition - that is, through the text of the Holy Scriptures - for people say, "In the Old and New Testaments, God spoke thus." This method equally is not perfect, because the traditions are understood by the reason. As the reason itself is liable to err, how can it be said that in interpreting the meaning of the traditions it will not err, for it is possible for it to make mistakes, and certainty cannot be attained. This is the method of the religious leaders; whatever they understand and comprehend from the text of the books is that which their reason understands from the text, and not necessarily the real truth; for the reason is like a balance, and the meanings contained in the text of the Holy Books are like the thing which is weighed. If the balance is untrue, how can the weight be ascertained?

Know then: that which is in the hands of people, that which they believe, is liable to error. For, in proving or disproving a thing, if a proof is brought forward which is taken from the evidence of our senses, this method, as has become evident, is not perfect; if the proofs are intellectual, the same is true; or if they are traditional, such proofs also are not perfect.

Therefore, there is no standard in the hands of people upon which we can rely. "But the bounty of the Holy Spirit gives the true method of comprehension which is infallible and indubitable. This is through the help of the Holy Spirit which comes to man, and this is the condition in which certainty can alone be attained."

(a shortened version from Some Answered Questions)

* * *

I was a quiet child. For some reason I thought that people understood the world and the way it works. I did not understand much and so I listened a lot. Somewhere, somewhen, friends and relatives were going to reveal what was really going on! It did not happen. Soon I found myself finishing high school and leaving family, friends and Toronto. Twenty years old and I knew nothing that I could definitly call truth. I did not even know that Christ was a messenger and his purpose was to teach us about the One True God and and our part in God's mysteries.

But I did know one thing. Christ said he would return and reveal all truth. So I went about Canada to find out more about the truth. It took me three years to find Baha'u'llah. In the light of his many writings, I can now say that I do understand some things! Or I think I do.

The Buddha's writings are not pure. The original words have been lost in the mists of time. 2600 years or more.

Christ's words are more reliable but they are veiled by the words of millions of ministers and priests. These leaders were not willing to wait for the coming of the 'Comforter' to explain what He meant. A cloud of conflicting opinions hide what Christ wanted us to understand.

Muhammad's words are more clear as we have the original Arabic writings of his revelations. But again we have more than 1500 years of interpretation by people who were only guessing.

The Bab wrote in both Arabic and Persian some 160 years ago. Only a small number of his writings are translated in English. His mission was to promote Baha'u'llah. He gave his life so that Baha'u'llah would live to give the message that mankind needed for this time.

With this declaration of Baha'u'llah in 1863, in Baghdad, we now have those comforting words that Christ spoke of. We have explanations about the reality of God, Man and Religion.

***

In the light of the Comforter, I go back to the time of the first Buddha and try to see more clearly what He was trying to say. Arthur Wendover

A Poem About the Bab

He sat in a cold mountain fortress

He sat in a cold mountain fortress
Abandoned by the world
The Lamb that we all awaited
Still He instructed us
Not to treat Him whom God shall make manifest
The same nor cause Him any harm.

He saw by a single flickering light
And had but a single companion
Still He instructed as God wished.
Throughout Iran and Iraq went His tablets.
Letters to letters, Words to words.
He could not be entrapped by those
Who turned away, fearing what He could do.

A Gate in a Wall in a garden
The only way for all to enter paradise.
Where is paradise and where is hell?
Cold sat on His bones, but hot was His soul frame
He was ready for Questions.
But they had nothing to ask.

1270 years they had waited
but now they could only feel that
they had imprisoned the Qa'im in a mountain.
Not knowing why they felt so on fire with hate.

(about the Bab in Maku)

The Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

The Four Noble Truths appear many times, throughout the most ancient Buddhist texts, the Pali Canon. The early teaching and the traditional understanding in Theravada is that the Four Noble Truths are an advanced teaching for those who are ready for them.
1. There is suffering (dukkha). 2. There is a cause of suffering (craving). 3. There is the cessation of suffering (nirvana). 4. There is the eightfold path leading to the cessation of suffering.

The Noble Eightfold Path
(quoted from http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/eightfoldpath.html)

1. Right View
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

The Noble Eightfold Path describes the way to the end of suffering, as it was laid out by Siddhartha Gautama. It is a practical guideline to ethical and mental development with the goal of freeing the individual from attachments and delusions; and it finally leads to understanding the truth about all things.

Together with the Four Noble Truths it constitutes the gist of Buddhism. Great emphasis is put on the practical aspect, because it is only through practice that one can attain a higher level of existence and finally reach Nirvana.
...
1. Right View Right view is the beginning and the end of the path, it simply means to see and to understand things as they really are and to realise the Four Noble Truth. As such, right view is the cognitive aspect of wisdom. It means to see things through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas, and to understand the law of karma and karmic conditioning. ...

2. Right Intention While right view refers to the cognitive aspect of wisdom, right intention refers to the volitional aspect, i.e. the kind of mental energy that controls our actions. Right intention can be described best as commitment to ethical and mental self-improvement. Buddha distinguishes three types of right intentions: 1. the intention of renunciation, which means resistance to the pull of desire, 2. the intention of good will, meaning resistance to feelings of anger and aversion, and 3. the intention of harmlessness, ...

3. Right Speech Right speech is the first principle of ethical conduct in the eightfold path. Ethical conduct is viewed as a guideline to moral discipline, which supports the other principles of the path. This aspect is not self-sufficient, however, essential, because mental purification can only be achieved through the cultivation of ethical conduct. ...

4. Right Action The second ethical principle, right action, involves the body as natural means of expression, as it refers to deeds that involve bodily actions. Unwholesome actions lead to unsound states of mind, while wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind. Again, the principle is explained in terms of abstinence: right action means 1. to abstain from harming sentient beings, especially to abstain from taking life (including suicide) and doing harm intentionally or delinquently, 2. to abstain from taking what is not given, which includes stealing, robbery, fraud, deceitfulness, and dishonesty, and 3. to abstain from sexual misconduct. Positively formulated, right action means to act kindly and compassionately, to be honest, ...

5. Right Livelihood Right livelihood means that one should earn one's living in a righteous way and that wealth should be gained legally and peacefully. The Buddha mentions four specific activities that harm other beings and that one should avoid for this reason: 1. dealing in weapons, 2. dealing in living beings (including raising animals for slaughter as well as slave trade and prostitution), 3. working in meat production and butchery, and 4. selling intoxicants and poisons, such as alcohol and drugs. ...

6. Right Effort Right effort can be seen as a prerequisite for the other principles of the path. Without effort, which is in itself an act of will, nothing can be achieved, whereas misguided effort distracts the mind from its task, and confusion will be the consequence. Mental energy is the force behind right effort; it can occur in either wholesome or unwholesome states. The same type of energy that fuels desire, envy, aggression, and violence can on the other side fuel self-discipline, honesty, benevolence, and kindness. Right effort is detailed in four types of endeavours that rank in ascending order of perfection: 1. to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states, 2. to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen, 3. to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen, and 4. to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.

7. Right Mindfulness Right mindfulness is the controlled and perfected faculty of cognition. It is the mental ability to see things as they are, with clear consciousness. Usually, the cognitive process begins with an impression induced by perception, or by a thought, but then it does not stay with the mere impression. Instead, we almost always conceptualize sense impressions and thoughts immediately. We interpret them and set them in relation to other thoughts and experiences, which naturally go beyond the facticity of the original impression. ...

8. Right Concentration The eighth principle of the path, right concentration, refers to the development of a mental force that occurs in natural consciousness, although at a relatively low level of intensity, namely concentration. Concentration in this context is described as one-pointedness of mind, meaning a state where all mental faculties are unified and directed onto one particular object. Right concentration for the purpose of the eightfold path means wholesome concentration, ...

( from http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/ )

The Four Noble Truths

"Now, this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning suffering: Birth is attended with pain, decay is painful, disease is painful, death is painful. Union with the unpleasant is painful, painful is separation from the pleasant; and any craving that is unsatisfied, that too is painful. In brief, bodily conditions which spring from attachment are painful. ...

"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the origin of suffering: Verily, it is that craving which causes the renewal of existence, accompanied by sensual delight, seeking satisfaction now here, now there, the craving for the gratification of the passions, the craving for a future life, and the craving for happiness in this life. ...

"Now this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the destruction of suffering: Verily, it is the destruction, in which no passion remains, of this very thirst; it is the laying aside of, the being free from, the dwelling no longer upon this thirst. ...

"Now, this, O bhikkhus, is the noble truth concerning the way which leads to the destruction of sorrow. Verily, it is this noble eightfold path; that is to say: Right views; right aspirations; right speech; right behavior; right livelihood; right effort; right thoughts; and right contemplation. ...

( from "Buddha, The Gospel"
see http://arthursclassicnovels.com/religion/buddha10.xml)

It is commonly thought, even by Buddhists that the religion does not admit to the existance of God. For the best description of God and heaven, there is no better than the one here attributed to the Buddha.

"And the Blessed One, this connection, on that occasion, breathed forth this solemn utterance: "There is, O monks, a state where there is neither earth, nor water, nor heat, nor air; neither infinity of space nor infinity of consciousness, nor nothingness, nor perception nor non-perception; neither this world nor that world, neither sun nor moon. It is the uncreate. That O monks, I term neither coming nor going nor standing; neither death nor birth. It is without stability, without change; it is the eternal which never originates and never passes away. There is the end of sorrow.

"It is hard to realize the essential, the truth is not easily perceived; desire is mastered by him who knows, and to him who sees aright all things are naught. There is, O monks, an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed. Were there not, O monks, this unborn, unoriginated, uncreated, unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. Since, O monks, there is an unborn, unoriginated, uncreated and unformed, therefore is there an escape from the born, originated, created, formed."

( from "Buddha, The Gospel"
see http://arthursclassicnovels.com/religion/buddha10.xml)

If this is not a discussion about God than what is it? If God could be described then he would not be God. There is a daily prayer in the Baha'i faith which describes our role and condition in life. "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. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

(from Baha'u'llah in Baha'i Prayers)

So it is our duty, purpose, to understand God.
We cannot understand who God is, on our own,
but with His help we can get "sparks" of understanding.

A.G.W.

Preconception

2010-01-26T10:38:00.000-08:00

Preconception, prejudice, thinking you know something when everything you think is false.That is what stops our moving into a new life. Only love and unity among us all will overcome this.

The following quote puts a new light on American history.

(from 1491 by Charles Mann)

Fire is a dominating factor in many if not most terrestrial landscapes. It has two main sources: lightning and Homo sapiens. In North America, lightning fire is most common in the western mountains. Elsewhere, though, Indians controlled it - at least until contact, and in many places long after. In the Northeast, Indians always carried a deerskin pouch full of flints, Thomas Morton reported in 1637, which they used "to set fire of the country in all places where they come. The flints ignited torches, which were as important to the hunt as bows and arrows. Deer in the Northeast; alligators in the Everglades; buffalo in the prairies; grasshoppers in the Great Basin; rabbits in California; moose in Alaska: all were pursued by fire. Native Americans made big rings of flame, Thomas Jefferson wrote, "by firing the leaves fallen on the ground, which, gradually forcing animals to the center, they there slaughter them with arrows, darts, and other mlssiles." Not that Indians always used fire for strictly utilitarian purposes. At nightfall tribes in the Rocky Mountains entertained the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark by applying torches to sap-dripping fir trees, which then exploded
like Roman candles.

Rather than domesticate animals for meat, Indians retooled ecosystems to encourage elk, deer, and bear. Constant burning of undergrowth increased the numbers of herbivores, the predators that fed on them, and the people who ate them both. Rather than the thick, unbroken, monumental snarl of trees imagined by Thoreau, the great eastern forest was an ecological kaleidoscope of garden plots, blackberry rambles, pine barrens, and spacious groves of chestnut, hickory; and oak. The first white settlers in Ohio found woodlands that resembled English parks - they could drive carriages through the trees. Fifteen miles from shore in Rhode Island, Giovanni da Verrazzano found trees so widely spaced that the forest "could be penetrated even by a large army" John Smith claimed to have ridden through the Virginia forest at a gallop.

Incredible to imagine today bison roamed from New York to Georgia. A creature of the prairie, Bison bison was imported to the East by Native Americans along a path of indigenous fire, as they changed enough forest into fallows for it to survive far outside its original range. When the Haudenosaunee hunted these animals, the historian William Cronon observed, they were harvesting a foodstuff which they had consciously been instrumental in creating. Few English observers could have realized this. People accustomed to keeping domesticated animalslacked the conceptual tools to recognize that the Indians were practicing a more distant kind of husbandry of their own.

Indian fire had its greatest impact in the middle of the continent, which Native Americans transformed into a prodigious game farm. Native Americans burned the Great Plains and Midwest prairies so much and so often that they increased their extent; in all probability a substantial portion of the giant grassland celebrated by cowboys was established and maintained by the people who arrived there first. "When Lewis and Clark headed west from [St. Louis]," wrote ethologist Dale Lott, "they were exploring not a wilderness but a vast pasture managed by and for Native Americans."

Reading Scripture

2009-12-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

I have been reading the scriptures daily with a friend for five years now. We most often read in the evening on the phone. We have read the Koran, the Gospels, Isaiah, Psalms, and about ten Baha'i books as well as other books written by Baha'is. It has been a real blessing for both of us. Like my own experience here is another blog article on the reading with a friend.

Creation

Just the other day, a friend and I were looking at the Book of Genesis, and we noticed something we had never noticed before. In fact, we noticed a few new things and thought that was kind of cool.

Now, when we began looking over this Text, we recalled the caution "that many passages in Sacred Scriptures are intended to be taken metaphorically, not literally". We also remembered that our study of the Bible, or any sacred Texts, brought 'Abdu'l-Baha "great happiness". He goes on, in the same text, to say:

It is my hope... that you may investigate and study the Holy Scriptures word by word so that you may attain knowledge of the mysteries hidden therein. Be not satisfied with words, but seek to understand the spiritual meanings hidden in the heart of the words.

So, with this wisdom in mind, we set off to look at the very beginning, Genesis 1:1, and to do so, we used the Stone translation of the Tanakh, as this has been very highly regarded for its accuracy, according to many Jewish scholars.

see blog for rest of article.

That there be no Sadness

2009-12-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

From the writings of the Bab

Be lovingly watchful of one another and thus improve your affairs. Should ye find amongst you one who is afflicted with grief, remove his sorrow by any means in your power, and should ye find one stricken with poverty, enrich him to the extent of your ability. If ye find in your midst one who is abased, exalt him to the extent ye can, and if ye find one who is veiled by ignorance, educate him to the degree of your capacity. Should ye find amongst yourselves one who is single, help him to marry, in accordance with the divine law, to the limits of your ability, and should ye find one who is in distress, bring him tranquility by any means in your power.... Gaze upon others with the same eyes with which ye gaze upon your own selves.... If ye find in your midst one who is hungry, send him, in truth and to the extent of your power, food in such a way that his heart will not be saddened, and if ye find one who has no clothes, provide him with clothes in the most dignified manner, to the extent possible for you. Look then not at your selves and your possessions, but rather look at God, Who hath created you and conferred upon you from His kingdom
that which is your lot.

(Gate of the Heart, Saiedi)

Beyond Hegelian Dialectics

2009-12-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

The future of reality and its investigation

In order to better understand the doctrine of progressive revelation, it is instructive to compare it with the work of the main representative of historical consciousness in Western philosophy, Hegel. Hegel's philosophy represented a turning point in Western philosophy precisely because he emphasized the dynamic nature of reality as a dialectical process. In his approach to the study of religion, Hegel applied his dialectical model to the realm of religious history as well. Dialectical method sees reality as the unity of Opposites. Each side of this unity contains its Opposite within itself. The true totality is realized when the opposition of the two sides is cancelled and they are united in a higher totality.

Hegel conceived of religious history as a dialectical process comprising three stages. In the first stage, worship of the Absolute Reality takes the form of the veneration of natural phenomena. The second stage is the worship of the Absolute as God, a spirit that is conceptualized as the creator of the universe but which is entirely opposed to material nature. Hegel, however, found both these approaches to religion inadequate. He posited as the final stage in his sequence what he termed "Christianity," in which God and the world become identical, and the believer finds God to be immanent in the world. Hegel's pantheistic interpretation of Christianity was based on the doctrine of God-manhood, or incarnation - the belief that in Christ God has become flesh. Thus human beings and God, or nature and Creator, are perceived as one and the same reality. For Hegel the apparent merging of opposites in this stage represents the consummation of the dialectical unfolding of religious truth, and is explicated as the attainment of divine self-consciousness.

Although the Báb does not address the works of Hegel, His writings address virtually the same questions Hegel grappled with. Hegel's philosophy of religious development advocates a thesis of historical consciousness and change, and it attempts to transcend the opposition between the spiritual and the natural realms. Both of these issues are addressed by the Báb. However, unlike Hegel, who terminates historical dynamics in the final resolution of the dialectic, the Báb sees no end for the dynamics of religious truth. Even the truth represented by the Revelation of the Báb, in the inception of the age of the sanctuary of the heart, is still partial and relative to the receptivity of human beings in the current Stage of spiritual development. The writings of the Báb thus introduce a truly historical consciousness, one which avoids the static thesis of the end of history.

Hegelian theory achieves its positive orientation to nature by dissolving God into the level of phenomenal beings. But for the Báb such a pantheistic conception is not an advanced consciousness, and the Hegelian dialectic is typical of the tendency of human beings to take the categories that pertain to their own reality and then elevate them to descriptions of the Essence of God. This attitude is comparable to that of an ant who defines God as a reality whose antennae stretch to infinity. According to the Báb, any claim to rationally understand the Absolute Mystery is a sign of imprisonment within one's self. Although the perspective of the heart transcends the limited categories of intellect, this perspective is never suggested as a means of understanding the Essence of God but, rather, the revelation of God at the level of the phenomenal world.

The main problem with the Hegelian construct is that Hegel, like some of the Sufi writers, confounds the Essence of God with the realm of divine Action. The conception of God that Hegel speaks of - a God that was first conceived as the creator of the world and then discovered to be the same as the world - refers, in the Báb's terms, to the twin stations of the Point or the Primal Will, where the unity of opposites is realized. This realm, however, is neither the unity of the world with the Essence of God, nor a static final point of civilization. Instead, it represents the dynamic principle of progressive revelation. Nor is this station confined to Christ; it is the reality of all the Manifestations of God. Christ was the Manifestation of the Primal Will in the world at a particular Stage of humanity's spiritual development.

Therefore, Hegelian philosophy, at best, can be viewed as a somewhat crude affirmation of the principle of manifestation, and the thesis of the identity of God and human in Christ as an inadequate expression of this general doctrine. The Manifestations of God do represent the revelation of God in the phenomenal world. But unlike Hegelian theory, which takes this fact as evidence for the end of history and of religious progression, the Báb defines this principle as progressive revelation, and as the resolution of the existential paradox of human reality. The Báb affirms the principle of manifestation in order to announce not the end of spiritual dialectics but the perpetual renewal of divine revelation. The metaphysical truth that the doctrine of the trinity attempts to explain, thus, has nothing to do with the Essence of God. Rather, it is an affirmation of the triad of Will, Determination, and Destiny, or the Manifestation of God in the world.

(from Gate of the Heart, Saiedi)

Be lovingly watchful

2009-11-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

Be lovingly watchful of one another
and thus improve your affairs.
Should ye find amongst you one
who is afflicted with grief,
remove his sorrow by any means in your power,
and should ye find one stricken with poverty,
enrich him to the extent of your ability.

If ye find in your midst one who is abased,
exalt him to the extent ye can,
and if ye find one who is veiled by ignorance,
educate him to the degree of your capacity.

Should ye find amongst yourselves one who is single,
help him to marry, in accordance with the divine law,
to the limits of your ability, and should ye find one
who is in distress, bring him tranquility
by any means in your power....

Gaze upon others with the same eyes
with which ye gaze upon your own selves....
If ye find in your midst one who is hungry,
send him, in truth and to the extent of your power,
food in such a way that his heart will not be saddened,
and if ye find one who has no clothes,
provide him with clothes in the most dignified manner,
to the extent possible for you.

Look then not at your selves and your possessions,
but rather look at God, Who hath created you
and conferred upon you
from His kingdom that which is your lot.

(The Bab)

Seek Ye Eagerly!

2009-10-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

Seek ye eagerly God's Most Mighty Reward,
through the Báb, for the Báb of Truth,
the Exalted Mystery of God,
this 'Alí, Who is evident in the Mother Book....

O people of Glory!
Hearken ye unto the call of God,
raised within the Inscribed Mystery,
out of these Crimson Leaves,
that hath descended from the Throne
upon this Snow-White Leaf,
to bow down upon the Yellow Dust.

* * * * * *

O people of the Supreme Cloud of Subtlety!
Hearken unto My call from this Radiant Moon,
Whose Countenance shall never eclipse the Face
of this Youth of the East and the West,
the One ye find mentioned in all the Holy Scriptures
as the Mystery that is hidden upon the Written Line....

He verily is the Truth in the accent of Muhammad,
and He is the Mystery Who shineth forth
out of the body of 'Alí, the hidden Dove
- like Light within the heart of Fátimih....
This is verily the Mystery of Mysteries,
Who hath been inscribed in the vicinity of the Water....
- The Báb
(from Gate of the Heart)

Before Abraham was, I am. (Jn 8:54-55)

2009-10-22T20:29:00.001-07:00

If Jesus is a prophet then he has a right to pass on the words of God.
What if that is what he was doing the whole time? If so, the words
about Abraham make sense, because it is God speaking.

But what about the "I am". I think that this indicates that Jesus was also
I special character in history. A manifestation of God. He is more than a
prophet.

Muhammad is allowed to be the mouthpiece of God by the Muslims,
but the Christians get confused when Jesus speaks as God. He is a
special soul that has witnessed history and influenced earlier prophets.

The Bab, 1844-1850, said that he spoke to Moses through the burning
bush. It is the job of messengers to pass on messages. Why should we
be so threatened? Is it because God is asking us to do acts that we are
too lazy to do? Is the message too much for us to take?

A.G.W.

I Wonder

2009-09-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Would it be possible that man could construct a system that
had the appearance of spirituality. This would be done in the
distant future. This construction of the soul and heaven would
need to be so convincing that they would be all convinced that
this new created God was uncreated.

This system would have to be passed on to a newly created
universe. None of the creators could live in the new heaven
because they would know the truth and could not hide truth
in heaven. If truth could be hidden then what you would have
was hell.

I suspect that what man could create will be unconvicing. The
levels of heaven would need to be infinite and on each level man
would need to learn truths that man on earth will never know. A
man's soul can only be raised to new heights by true heavenly
love and wisdom.

A.G.W.

SPACE TRANSCENDING

2009-07-12T08:19:00.001-07:00

I thought the following quote puts much into perspective about our time on this earth.

"The same kind of transcendence of course applies as well to space as to time. The baby learns on the scale of inches before he is big enough to grasp anything in the range of feet. Yet even when he can understand that his crib is a yard long, larger units like acres or miles might be infinite for all his comprehension of them. And it is only when he is big enough to take long walks that his world attains the span of a mile. From there on, the transcendent relativity of space becomes increasingly noticeable to him and the miles (like years) shrink and go by faster as they increase in number - and in a similarly inverse proportion.

"By the time he is grown up and studying astronomy, he will get an inkling of what a light-year is. Then come parsecs and even megaparsecs, which relegate miles (relatively) into the microcosm. And all of this verifies Einstein's statement that neither space nor time are fundamental. Which means they are basically only illusions of this finite phase of earthly existence, out of which the law of transcendence is progressively and inexorably taking us. Moses seems to have agreed when he said in the Ninetieth Psalm that "a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." Later David added that, "as for man, his days are as grass." And, likening him to a flower of the field, "the wind passeth over it, and it is gone: and the place thereof shall know it no more."

"Please don't get the idea that the sweep of transcendence through time and space need ever disrupt your sense of where or when you are. For the acceleration of dimensions is generally too gentle and natural for that. Certainly you do not have to lose the minute as you gain the hour. Nor let go the year to grasp the century. In fact I can read a chapter of the book of life now in as few clock hours as it took me to read a single sentence in my childhood, yet I'm sure I understand most sentences of that chapter much better than I understood the single sentence I once struggled with. By simple extrapolation I can even predict that when you and I are a billion earth years old and a finite century unrolls in a twinkle, whatever world we are in (assuming it includes the time dimension) we will still have ample "time" to take in every minute of every year. We may feel then what we can barely deduce now: that time is just as relative a dimension as space, with width and depth as well as length.

"And so with space, the astronomer with his telescope who thinks in megaparsecs and supergalaxies need have no difficulty in switching, if need be, to a microscope and measuring molecules in microns and angstroms. For you do not lose the inch when you encompass the mile, nor the mile when you discover the light-year. And no one of the finite units of space or time excludes or diminishes another."

(from The Seven Mysteries of Life by Murchie)

Tests and Trials

2009-06-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

I thought these passages in the book I have been reading will encourage many Baha'is.

(from Counsels of Perfection by Genevieve Coy)

Tests and Trials

The word 'test' is used frequently in the Bahá'í
Writings. Some of these tests, or trials, are the
consequences of a person's own actions. He makes a
mistake and has to suffer the consequences; he is
unkind, and makes a friend unhappy; he fails to pay
his debts, and becomes known as untrustworthy. It is
only when he analyses his behaviour, and realizes his
errors, that he will make an effort to change his conduct.
If he does not see his mistakes and try to improve, he has
failed to meet the 'test' he has given himself.

Other tests and trials are sent to us by God for our
development and perfecting. Some people have difficulty
in accepting this idea; they even feel that God
is unjust when he presents us with problems. But this
is just what a good teacher does in order to educate
his pupils. He gives them problems to solve, and tests
to take, which are within their ability if they work to
the top limit of their capacity. If he makes the tests
too easy the good student will feel that his teacher is
not interested in him, or underestimates his ability!

Since God is omniscient, He adjusts each individual's
tests to his capacity. We should realize that when a
trial or problem seems impossibly difficult, it is
because we are not working at it with all our might,
and with full dependence on God's help.

He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither
will He task a soul beyond its power.[6]

To the sincere ones, tests are as a gift from God,
the Exalted, for a heroic person hasteneth, with
the utmost joy and gladness, to the tests of a violent
battlefield, but the coward is afraid and trembles
and utters moaning and lamentation. Likewise, an
expert student prepareth and memorizeth his
lessons and exercises with the utmost effort, and in
the day of examination he appeareth with infinite
joy before the master.[7]

Remember not your own limitations; the help of
God will come to you. Forget yourself. God's help
will surely come![8]

Tests and trials are opportunities to learn, to become
more mature. Each of us should ask ourselves:
Am I willing to make the effort to learn, or do I
try to avoid the problem? I may try to escape the
problem by refusing to recognize it, by blaming others,
or by making a half-hearted, unintelligent approach
to it. If I succeed in avoiding the test it is likely to
recur again and again, until I face it and solve it.
The psychologist Alfred Adler wrote that the person
who tries to avoid all problems is acting as though he
wishes to 'live like a worm in an apple'!

How can we be happy in the face of problems
which are due to our own weaknesses and errors? If
you have lost your way in the woods, by taking the
wrong turn when the path forked, you return to the
fork, and are joyful to move forward on the path
which will take you to your destination. Similarly, we
can be happy in learning what we should not do in
the future.

We should not waste our energy by dwelling on our
failures. We should form the habit of looking for the
cause of the error. Then, if we can do something to
correct the mistake, let us do it at once. If we cannot
repair the harm we have done, let us plan how we can
do better to meet a similar situation next time it
arises. We should then move ahead into constructive
activity, rather than feel we are being 'noble' when
we use time and energy in regret and remorse.

Worry is another emotion with which some people
meet tests and problems. The dictionary defines 'to
worry' as 'to torment oneself with, or suffer from,
disturbing thoughts; to dwell uncomfortably on
actual or possible troubles'. Worry, like remorse is
an unproductive use of time and energy. It is
incompatible with an intelligent effort to solve the
problem. If you worry about a difficult university
entrance examination that you must take, you are
wasting time which could be spent in study: you cannot
worry and study at the same time. If you worry about
the success of a public talk on the Bahá'í Faith which
you are to give this evening, you are showing a lack
of common sense: do you wish your mind to be a
confused, unhappy turmoil when you address the
audience? If you have prepared the talk to the best of
your ability, leave its delivery in the hands of God,
and go to a film, or read an interesting book.

When God sends us difficult problems we often
cannot see their usefulness for our own development.
I may be unhappy because the direction of my life
seems to be deflected from what I thought was a fine
and creative goal. I may feel that many of my most
unselfish efforts have been wasted. But I can foresee
only a small section of my life, on my way through
eternity. God, who 'sees the end from the beginning',
has for me a larger and more glorious goal than I
can imagine. My faith in His goodness and justice
must be so deep that I can rejoice in the methods He
uses to educate me.

Graphic

2009-06-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

As the sun sprays rays upon the shores
Of minds of receptive souls, scaring shadows aside
Man must open his horizons, human pores
To the eternal verities, much more absorb
Than now, before, in store a majestic push.

We hide from the close fit of revelation
We could glide forward on wings
Strong minds resigned to avoiding
Graphic sex and violence, springing into greens
Of new growth and directions, summer coming.

Picked to be revelators and seers, we
Fear not! See like you can encapsule truth
But never attribute authority wrongly
Mirrors unite about new lands and seas
Opening new eyes, senses freshly awakened.

As the sun sprays rays upon the shores
We are tired of old worn ways, decline
Old patterns, bright orange and blue feathers
Flit about the shining giant trees of eternity
Glinting arrows of light flashing
From distant mountain tops.

A.G.W.

Guidance

2009-04-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

All the difficulties of our time have continued to multiply because men and women do not pray in their hearts and take time to read the Word's of God from the Gospels, the Qur'an and the Baha'i writings. There is no other way to know our purpose, to know our souls, to know our deep connection to the unknowable. Meditation and reflection, hear the voice in the Words of God calling. "For the break of the morn of divine guidance must needs follow the darkness of the night of error."

Qur'an 3:164
"Indeed, God bestowed a favour upon the believers
when he raised up in their midst an apostle
from among themselves,
to convey His messages unto them,
and to cause them to grow in purity,
and to impart unto them the divine writ
as well as wisdom -
whereas before that they were indeed,
most obviously, lost in error."

Short Obligatory Prayer (Baha'i)

"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.
There is none other God but Thee,
the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."

What "oppression" is more grievous than
that a soul seeking the truth,
and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God,
should know not where to go for it
and from whom to seek it?
For opinions have sorely differed,
and the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied.
This "oppression" is the essential feature
of every Revelation.
Unless it cometh to pass,
the Sun of Truth will not be made manifest.
For the break of the morn of divine guidance
must needs follow the darkness of the night of error.
For this reason, in all chronicles and traditions
reference hath been made unto these things,
namely that iniquity shall cover the surface
of the earth and darkness shall envelop mankind.
(Baha'i writings)

A.G.W

A Thick Layer of Dust

2009-04-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

I watched part of a program on PBS last night about a Jewish synagogue (A synagogue, "assembly", "house of assembly", "house of prayer" is a Jewish house of prayer.) The overall impression was that the prayer house was surrounded by thousands of ghosts and mythical creatures and that this was very much a part of the European Jewish faith. I am sure that many people can think back and recall superstitions in their own family, church, mosque, house of worship.

It seems to me that the main subject of interest in my own family, at family gatherings, had to do with mysterious happenings and spooky local stories. Nothing was said about the actual words, instructions of Jesus, nor of methods of spiritual development. The evil eye seemed to always come up.

These religions of old are not what they used to be. How can anyone actually discover God or what the Messenger means. The stage is too crowded.

We all know that they will never be able to shake the decorations and believers are obsessed with the decor.

Time to build anew.

'A multitude of mysterious and supernatural beings had descended into Christianity from pagan antiquity, and were still coming into it from Germany, Scandinavia and Ireland, as trolls, elves, giants, fairies, goblins, gnomes, ogres, banshees, mysterious dragons, bloodsucking vampires; and new superstitions were always entering Europe from the East. Dead men walked the air as hosts; men who had sold themselves to the Devil roamed woods and fields as werewolves; the soul of children dead before baptism haunted the marshes as will-o'-the-wisps.' (from pg 86 The Wine of Astonishment by William Sears)

When people talk of their religions, what are they really thinking about? Is there a place we can all sync with?

This passage from the Qur'an seems to speak of the problem.

2:165 And yet there are people who choose to believe in beings that allegedly rival God, loving them as [only] God should be loved: whereas those who have attained to faith love God more than all else. If they who are bent on evildoing could but see - as see they will when they are made to suffer [on Resurrection Day] - that all might belongs to God alone, and that God is severe in [meting out] punishment!
2:166 [On that Day] it will come to pass that those who had been [falsely] adored shall disown their followers, and the latter shall see the suffering [that awaits them], with all their hopes cut to pieces! (2:167) And then those followers shall say: "Would that we had a second chance [in life], so that we could disown them as they have disowned us!" Thus will God show them their works [in a manner that will cause them] bitter regrets; but they will not come out of the fire.

A.G.W.

What is Religion?

2009-04-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

There are many definitions. If we look at religion as practiced by more than 60% of the world's population, we can say that religion is the belief in God and the following of a Messenger of God. The messenger has (in the eyes and hearts of its believers) revealed the Word of God and made God's wishes clear to them.

Religion in our time involves a book or books which includes the Words of God and the history of its Messenger and early followers. For example the five books of Moses, the four Gospels, the 114 chapters of the Qur'an, The Book of Certitude by Baha'u'llah. If there is no book, there will be no substantial following.

The Messenger is like a mirror wiped clean of all dust. The Sun (God) is shining in some unseen space and only the Messenger can reflect perfectly the Sun's heat and light to the people. The rays of light are like the Holy Spirit. They stream into the mirror and out again to us unhindered. You could call this a trinity. The Messenger and the rays can in no way influence the Sun. Nor can we in any way disturb the Messenger from reflecting the rays.

God is One and Independent. The Messenger will reveal what we need to know for our time. We have no need to complain that God has left us without guidance.

Religion is One. It is the continuing instructions to mankind for his enlightenment from a personal God.

A.G.W.

Ten Lists of Top Ten Lists on God and Religion

2009-04-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

1. Top Ten Organized Religions of the World

2. Top Ten Tenets of the Religions of God

3. Ten Top Reasons for Not Giving Up on God

4. Top Ten Things God Wants Us to Know

5. Top Ten Attitudes to Take into the Next World

6. Top Ten Reasons for Avoiding Materialism

7. Top Ten Reasons to Believe in God

8. Top Ten Reasons to Pray

9. Top Ten Methods of Prayer

10. Top Ten Books About God

A.G.W.

Top Ten Organized Religions of the World

2009-04-09T05:44:00.001-07:00

Statistics of the world's religions are only very rough approximations. Aside from Christianity, few religions, if any, attempt to keep statistical records; and even Protestants and Catholics employ different methods of counting members.

Religion	Members	Percentage
Christianity	2.1 billion	33.0%
Islam	1.5 billion	21
Hinduism	900 million	14
Buddhism	376 million	6
Sikhism	23 million	0.36
Judaism	14 million	0.22
Bahaism	7 million	0.1
Confucianism	6.3 million	0.1
Jainism	4.2 million	0.1
Shintoism	4 million	0.0

NOTES: As of 2005. This list includes only organized religions and excludes more loosely defined groups such as Chinese or African traditional religions.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, www.adherents.com.

This list was found at http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0904108.html

Top Ten Tenets of the Religions of God

2009-04-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

1. God is one and not divisible.

2. Mankind is God's creation and is instructed to worship Him.

3. God sends Messengers to reveal God's words and laws. At different times and places.

4. God will not leave mankind without guidance.

5. Man must take care of his fellow folk and give in charity.

6. Man must live his life honestly and with humility. Fasting is a special time to contemplate.

7. People need to be spiritually awake so they will recognize the next Messenger. That is called the Judgment Day

8. We all have souls and will live on in the afterlife. But our deeds in this world will dictate what kind of afterlife we will live in.

9. We have the ability to reflect all the attributes of God.

10. God calls us out of the earthly life. We need to take time and contemplate the spiritual nature of the words of the Messengers.

There is not god but God and Abraham is his Messenger.
There is not god but God and Moses is his Messenger.
There is not god but God and Jesus is his Messenger.
There is not god but God and Muhammad is his Messenger.
There is not god but God and The Bab is his Messenger.
There is not god but God and Baha'u'llah is his Messenger.

There is no beginning and no end.

A.G.W.

Ten Top Reasons for Not Giving Up on God

2009-04-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

1. Calm down and reason! Did not God's messengers suffer also without abandoning us?

2. Has not God revealed to us His wonders in this age? We have now all the tools to unify mankind and He told us how to do it. Yet we complain.

3. War is man's folly. Do you really want God to remove our free will to save us?

4. Where do you go when you dream, and who is it that is dreaming?

5. Have you really sat down and asked God to show Himself? You have to spend time listening for that answer.

6. Read the Psalms, the Gospels, the Qur'an and the Baha'i writings with an open mind. These are the words of God.

7. There are many events about to happen and they will only make sense when we see them from God's perspective.

8. There are few people enjoying this earthly life. This life is a learning opportunity to seek out answers, not a time to party.

9. This life is an opportunity to be of service to God and mankind, not a time for frivolous enjoyment.

10. Our souls have been prepared by God, to understand the spiritual in life. But most do not take it seriously.

A.G.W.

Top Ten Things God Wants Us to Know

2009-04-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

This is a blog and anything I say is my own personal opinion. Nothing here is to be confused with the official writings of any religion or any belief but my own personal feelings.

I feel that religion is so compartmentalized, that what one group says has no positive meaning to another group. I have tried to avoid religious terms and keep the language simple and from the heart.

1. God is Unknowable but He will show us a glimmer of His true Self if we pay attention.

2. We have been made in His image. Meaning we are capable of reflecting all his attributes.

3. We have the honor of worshiping Him and loving Him.

4. By following the first three statements He will lead us into all truth.

5. Some knowledge of God can be gained through nature but most truths are gained through the Words of the Messengers. It would be even better if we met him personally!

6. We are beings that need to be continually educated. We should live life accordingly.

7. Our physical conception is when our bodies and souls join and begin, but there is no ending.

8. New Messengers will be sent in future but will we pay attention?

9. Ignoring what the Messengers say has dire consequences to the individual and society.

10. "The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System - the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed."- Baha'u'llah (1817-1892)

A.G.W.

Top Ten Attitudes to Take into the Next World

2009-04-03T08:58:00.001-07:00

1. Number 1, 2 and 3 should be Humility. I am nothing in the face of the Infinite. Nothing I have done deserves even a glance from God's eye.

2. Remember the ones left behind and pray for them. You now know the truth.

3. Appreciate that you have been released from the burdens of this lower world.

4. Offer your services wherever you find yourself.

5. Learn with complete concentration, everything that your instructors are teaching you.

6. Don't be sad because it is your time. God will more than compensate!

7. Take joy in the meeting again with your lost loved ones and family.

8. Do not enter God's higher kingdoms with preconceived ideas. It will block your understanding.

9. God has set up heaven as a model for what we should be doing here. So get started building the kingdom here. Entrance to heaven will go much smoother.

10. Read what the Messengers say and it will teach you that what is needed entering heaven is the same attitude as what is needed staying here.

A.G.W.

Top Ten Reasons for Avoiding Materialism

2009-04-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

Materialism: preoccupation with or emphasis on material objects, comforts, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values.

1. Because you stop listening to quieter voices

2. Our society is based on spiritual values and needs your contribution

3. Thousands of years of civilization, sacrifice and love will be thrown away

4. Five senses are only the beginning of perception

5. Physical comforts will only let you down, then what?

6. You only get one chance to get it right so why deny the spiritual realm?

7. Maybe God has a job for you but He needs your cooperation

8. You can still enjoy material comforts but add investigation of your inner self

9. Why chose a lifetime when you can have eternity?

10. True happiness cannot be here below. Reach out for your true self.

Top Ten Reasons to Believe in God

Who are the Messengers? Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Baha'u'llah are some. Only those who have provided books in our time, can be investigated properly.

1. Read the Words of the Messengers because they speak the Words of God.

2. You will find answers in your own self, if you take quiet moments to meditate and pray.

3. Prayer is a ladder to God. Use that tool, then listen with your heart for an answer.

4. Meditation done diligently, will clear the mind so your soul can rise above this contingent world

5. Apply science to religion and you can strip away those man-made decorations that hide the truth

6. This world has hidden God from you for a hundred years so you will buy more stuff. Break free!

7. The established religions hide God from you and substitute idols of there own making, love your true self!

8. Nobody can understand who God is, better than you. What are you waiting for?

9. You do not know when your time is up, so go out believing, with deeds under your belt.

10. God has a job for you building the kingdom. Are you going to refuse?

A.G.W.

Top Ten Reasons to Pray

2009-04-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

1. We want to ask for knowledge

2. Then we want to ask for wisdom

3. Then we want to pray for humility

4. We want to beg for detachment from this physical world

5. Then attachment to those things that are important to God

6. Now we want to ask for opportunities to serve Him

7. Then we want to know how to serve mankind

8. Then we want protection from persons that will lead us into falsehood

9. Then we ask for the means of living

10. Finally pray for the unity of mankind

Each of these is work we must do.
Not the list you were expecting?
Make your own.

Top Ten Methods of Prayer

1. Find a quiet spot and address God with a uncluttered heart

2. Pray for those things that God want for you

3. Pray for the kingdom of God on earth

4. then ask Him to help you see it if it is now here.

5. You are a soul and not that body you use. Pray accordingly!

6. Try to understand the words in the Psalms.

7. Try to understand the words of Christ in the Gospels.

8. Read chapter 13 in the Qur'an and understand. Thunder!

9. Do not accept what others have told you. You can figure it out for youself.

10. Listen! Because God is going to answer!

A.G.W.

Top Ten Books About God

2009-04-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

We are talking about the One and only, unknowable God.

1. Book of Genesis
This book establishes the first widely known text from a Messenger of God. The original revelation came from Moses, the Messenger.

2. Book of Psalms
Also known as the Psalms of David. He is revealing man's relationship to God and describing the coming of future messengers.

3. Book of Isaiah
Prophetic verse about God's purpose and future messengers. David and Isaiah can be called minor prophets under the inspiration of Moses.

4. Gospel of John
This is the Word of God from Jesus Christ, a Messenger of God. All the Gospels are great because they allow us to read the words of Christ and feel the love of God.

5. The Qur'an
This is the Word of God as revealed by the Messenger of God, Muhammad. This is the first book that makes it clear that God is One and Unknowable. He praises Jesus and Moses and calls them true Muslims.

6. Book of Revelation of John
This is a small powerful book inspired by Jesus Christ. A prophesy about the time of the end.

7. The Book of Certitude
This book from the Messenger of God, Baha'u'llah, about the purpose of God, the process of revelation, and what is man's purpose. He explains that God reveals Himself through His Messengers in small doses.

8. Some Answered Questions
Book of questions and answered about God and religion from the son of Baha'u'llah.

9. Bhagavad Gita
Book out of Hinduism: The world's third largest religion. It makes clear that God sends Messengers at different times to raise mankind out of darkness.

10. Tablets of Baha'u'llah
A collection of writings of Baha'u'llah written after His Book of Laws.

The common theme that goes through these books is that man's purpose is to know God and to worship Him. That there is no one even close to equaling Him. That man fulfills his purpose by knowing and loving God.

In this Day, we get to serve mankind and move society forward through service. God's purpose for today is to unite mankind and bring about the tranquility of its peoples.

A.G.W.

Seven on Trial

2009-03-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

Seven dedicated persons who were asked to coordinate Baha'i activities in Iran are now to go on trial for their lives. Being a Baha'i in Iran can mean death. This is a poem I wrote today for all the spiritual beings who reflect the true nature of Islam, Muhammad's words.

Dawnbreakers

Should I name them those teachers
Of the Dawn of the Gate
Rays of the Sun of God
It would be long verses to say

I will speak of their deeds
They choose not to attack but
To defend against attack, invincible
In desert shrine or village hostel

The Bab was the Gate mentioned in the Qur'an
A gate in a wall waiting for those who knock
Waiting for those called from the streets
To find their way in that dark night.

When they passed through, a new name was given
To each, these mirrors became Dawnbreakers
Callers to the new morning brightness
By their actions, by their sacrifice, worthy

The Bab called them to a greater teacher still
The Glory of God, Lord of Hosts, Comforter
The Imam Bab was the morning glow
Baha'u'llah was the Sun of that Dawn

Death was the price of a steely follower
Persia the eater of its children
Most persons burn their candles in a house
They made holes in the backs of saints

They watched with relish as the believers in God
Walked proudly along the avenue
Flames flickering in oily holes
A smile on the sufferers' faces

Dawnbreakers are still being born
In Persia they still eat the flesh
Of these spirits for breakfast and
Go to bed with true hate in the hearts

What happens to a nation
When it turns away from the Dawn
Countries ruled by a 'so called' Islam
A body which can not accept the best amoung them

A foot that fights the hand
A mouth that chews the lip
A heart that hates the lungs
A head that bashes its brain

A.G.W.

God, are you there?

2009-02-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

I seems to me not a question of if God is here.
It seems more like God speaks to us in our time
but He is not telling us what we want to hear.

If God tells us we must live like brothers and
sisters, then we say that this is unrealistic.
If He says that the rich must help the poor from
their own good hearts. Then there is no point in
being a part of this God faith.

If He asks us to form an international government then
the powers in control accuse God of promoting communism.

If God points out that greed leads to defeat then they laugh
and ask people to look around at who are the rich among us.
Well I am looking around and suddenly God is making a comeback.

A.G.W.

Persian Dreams

2009-01-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

(from Wine of Astonishment by Bill Sears)

Ezekiel prophesied of this new day in which the Word of God would be spoken to a people who would be "impudent and hardhearted". He made it plain that men in that day would have to have inner vision in order
to understand the Word of God. Ezekiel records:

I will open thy mouth, and thou shall say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; ...

Then he adds:

He that heareth, let him hear ...

In this same chapter, Ezekiel speaks of the wonder of this vision, and of beholding the glory of the Lord. He says:

... and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

The river Chebar, known of old as the river Khabar, has its source west of Baghdad and empties into the Euphrates in ancient Babylon. It was in this very region, near the Chebar, that Bahá'u'lláh, Whose name means the Glory of the Lord, announced His Mission. In this same region Bahá'u'lláh revealed His Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude) which has been quoted so frequently in this volume. It has been written of this Book of Bahá'u'lláh's

... it proffered to mankind the "Choice Sealed Wine", whose seal is of "musk", and broke the "seals" of the "Book" referred to by Daniel, and disclosed the meaning of the "words" destined to remain "closed up" till the "time of the end".

It was in this book, the Book of Certitude, that Bahá'u'lláh clearly and beautifully explained the meaning of all those things which have puzzled and divided men in the past. In this book, Bahá'u'lláh unsealed the secrets of both the Old and the New Testament, and laid bare the "gems of Truth" which were concealed there.

Clarity

2008-12-29T14:26:00.000-08:00

There is one aspect of the Baha'i writings that cannot be mistaken. They are unrivaled in their clarity. Christ said that when He returned He would speak plainly. No parables needed, because this world has reach the age of literacy. Most now can read the Word and think for themselves.

And if you spend some time reading Baha'u'llah's writings then older scriptures begin to reveal their secrets. The veils fall away from fearful eyes because the wind of revelation has wiped the tears and now He asks us to stand and speak out.

A.G.W.

Idle Thoughts [1]

2008-12-29T13:36:00.000-08:00

What is the reality of clairvoyance?
If it is a reality than it is related to the hunch and
many other powers that transcend the five senses.

The first assumption, I make, is that the soul never operates
directly on the physical plain. Only the body functions
here. If a physical body learns of a fact that happens
out of time or space than it must be learning from
its own being the soul from
another soul or society of souls. That soul may have
a body in this world (or not) which gives it a knowledge
that can be passed on.

So much for insight and intuition.
Souls live outside of time and space and so have
a unique perspective which will seem miraculous to
us here in the contingent world.

By denying the higher worlds of God we limit our own
prospects of learning the millions of sparkling truths and
clues that God has left us.

If we see things beyond our understanding it is most
likely that it is not our physical senses that are perceiving
it. This makes clear the appearance of Christ before the
followers.

A.G.W.

Differences of Interpretation

2008-12-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

What is the meaning of baptism?

(from Wine of Astonishment by Bill Sears)

A vast number of Christians in this day feel that only through baptism can a man be saved. In the day of Christ's early teaching many believed likewise that only through their own outward symbol, circumcision, the sign of the covenant with God, could they be faithful, and be saved. According to the injunction given in the Book of Genesis, each boy was to be circumcized. This was considered absolutely essential.

The custom of circumcision was not specialized to the Jews. It was also prevalent among the Egyptians, Ethiopians, Phoenicians, Arabs, and Syrians as a health measure and for reducing sexual excitability.

There is always the tendency of the followers of the new Faith to cling to the time-honoured customs of the old; not as a health measure, but as a symbol of the Covenant. Circumcision and baptism were clearly two different rites. Yet, many early Christians felt that baptism, like circumcision, should take place by the eighth day after birth. It is almost impossible for a new Faith to break away cleanly from the long-used rituals of its parent religion. The first fifteen Bishops of the Christian Church in Jerusalem were circumcized Jews. The ritual of circumcision, in its purely religious sense as a sign of the Covenant, had a powerful hold on their emotions.

The New Testament speaks of early Christian teachers, saying:

... certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcized after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Yet, the New Testament makes it clear that just as baptism is symbolical, so is circumcision. It is the belief that gives life, not the ritual. For example:

Is any man called [to God] being circumcized? let him not become uncircumcized. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcized. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.

The simple fact is this, Bahá'u'lláh tells us: the new Prophet comes with the same, eternal Faith brought by His Predecessor. He renews men's belief in the inward realities. He helps them to shake off the outward symbols which have become encrusted and meaningless. Habit, superstition and time have killed the spirit and hidden the true inner meaning of baptism. In its place the outward sign of water has now become the important thing. The conscience and spirit which prompted baptism in the beginning are lost entirely. The truth dies away at last, and men and children permit themselves to be baptized whether they have the inner belief or not. It is the conventional thing to do. It is the habit of their society.

The Apostle Paul called upon those whom he taught, urging them to see that circumcision was inwardly a spiritual thing. It was a way of expressing detachment from the world. Paul said:

... ye are circumcized with the circumcision made without hands ...

Physically, of course, this was impossible, as impossible as being baptized in fire. It was a circumcision of the spirit. It was a cutting away of man's heart from the desires of the world. Bahá'u'lláh tells us that in this day there is no longer a need for using an outer symbol for this truth. The inner reality itself can now be clearly understood by mankind.

The Books have been "unsealed" and their inner meanings have been made clear. In this day, a man can read, study, and make up his own mind. He can decide for himself when he is ready to declare his inner decision or belief. It need no longer be done for him by ritual, by proxy, or by the use of an outward symbol, water. This is a new day, and mankind can now be baptized in a new sense. Humanity can be cleansed (baptized) with the water of the knowledge of God, and the fire of the love of God. The full beauty and majesty of such a baptism can be found in the words and teachings of God's Messenger for this age, Bahá'u'lláh, the Glory of God.

Bahá'u'lláh writes:

Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, bath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it.

The Voice of God

2008-11-30T11:09:00.000-08:00

It is difficult to pick just one Psalm that sounds like Baha'u'llah
since so many do, but here is one.

Strive, O LORD, with those who strive against me;
fight against those who fight me.
Grasp shield and buckler, and rise up to help me.
Uncover the spear and bar the way against my pursuers.
Let me hear thee declare, 'I am your salvation.'
Shame and disgrace be on those who seek my life;
and may those who plan to hurt me retreat in dismay!
May they be like chaff before the wind,
driven by the angel of the LORD!
Let their way be dark and slippery
as the angel of the LORD pursues them!
For unprovoked they have hidden a net for me,
unprovoked they have dug a pit to trap me.
May destruction unforeseen come on him;
may the net which he hid catch him;
may he crash headlong into it!
Then I shall rejoice in the LORD
and delight in his salvation.
My very bones cry out,
LORD, who is like thee?-
thou saviour of the poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and wretched from those who prey on them.'
Malicious witnesses step forward;
they question me on matters of which I know nothing.
They return me evil for good,
lying in wait to take my life.
And yet when they were sick, I put on sackcloth,
I mortified myself with fasting.

When my prayer came back unanswered,
I walked with head bowed in grief as if for a brother;
as one in sorrow for his mother I lay prostrate in mourning.
But when I stumbled, they crowded round rejoicing,
they crowded about me;
nameless ruffians jeered at me
and nothing would stop them.
When I slipped, brutes who would mock even a hunchback
ground their teeth at me.
O Lord, how long wilt thou look on
at those who hate me for no reason
Rescue me out of their cruel grasp,
save my precious life from the unbelievers.
Then I will praise thee before a great assembly,
I will extol thee where many people meet.
Let no treacherous enemy gloat over me
nor leer at me in triumph.
No friendly greeting do they give
to peaceable folk.
They invent lie upon lie,
they open their mouths at me:
'Hurrah!' they shout in their joy,
feasting their eyes on me.
Thou hast seen all this, O LORD, do not keep silence;
O LORD, be not far from me.
Awake, bestir thyself, to do me justice,
to plead my cause, my Lord and my God.
Judge me, O LORD my God, as thou art true;
do not let them gloat over me.
Do not let them say to themselves,
'Hurrah! We have swallowed him up at one gulp.'
Let them all be disgraced and dismayed
who rejoice at my fall;
let them be covered with shame and dishonour
who glory over me.
But let all who would see me righted shout for joy,
let them cry continually,
'All glory to the LORD who would see his servant thrive!'
So shall I talk of thy justice
and of thy praise all the day long.

The Same Voice

2008-11-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Those that read the Psalms.

If you are a Bahá'í you should be familiar with the many writings
of Bahá'u'lláh that refer to his long suffering. You also know that
these writings are for our benefit. They explain the love of God
for man, that he would show us a man, who would reveal His Word
without having any worldly rewards, only persecution.

There is a certain voice that speaks out of these tablets of Bahá'u'lláh.

When I and a friend started reading the Psalms together, it became very clear that these verses had that same voice of the Blessed Beauty. They spoke of that same suffering that only Bahá'u'lláh has suffered, of that same persecution that only He underwent.

I would be interested to know as to what men of the last 3000 years thought these Psalms to be. I can not see that any would understand them until the time of Bahá.

A.G.W.

O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow." - Bahá'u'lláh

I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. John 8:28 NKJ

This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred. Can it be still when the tempestuous winds are blowing?... His all-compelling summons have reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people. I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered.

The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me. Can any one speak forth of his own accord that for which all men, both high and low, will protest against him? Nay, by Him Who taught the Pen the eternal mysteries, save him whom the grace of the Almighty, the All- Powerful, hath strengthened. - Bahá'u'lláh

Precious Time

2008-10-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

The precious time we have here in this short life must be spent in worthwhile endeavors.
We must remove our thoughts into the higher realms.
Turn your hearts to God, a God that is not of our imagination.
Ask Him for help!

(from Come Now Let Us Reason Together)

Bahá'u'lláh invites you and all the truth lovers to come to His beautiful garden. He asks you to come to the paradise of His presence, to behold the Beauty of the Beloved, and breathe the fragrance of the everlasting Flower. This is the most awesome, the most glorious, and the most joyous news the human race has ever heard:

He Who is the Best-Beloved is come! He hath crowned Himself with the glory of God's Revelation, and hath unlocked to the face of men the doors of His ancient Paradise. Let all eyes rejoice, and let every ear be gladdened, for now is the time to gaze on His beauty, now is the fit time to hearken to His voice. Proclaim unto every longing lover: "Behold, your Well-Beloved hath come among men!" and to the messengers of the Monarch of love impart the tidings: "Lo, the Adored One hath appeared arrayed in the fullness of His glory!" O lovers of His beauty! Turn the anguish of your separation from Him into the joy of an everlasting reunion, and let the sweetness of His presence dissolve the bitterness of your remoteness from His court.

Behold how the manifold grace of God, which is being showered from the clouds of Divine glory, hath, in this day, encompassed the world. For whereas in days past every lover besought and searched after his Beloved, it is the Beloved Himself Who now is calling His lovers and is inviting them to attain His presence. Take heed lest ye forfeit so precious a favor; beware lest ye belittle so remarkable a token of His grace. Abandon not the incorruptible benefits, and be not content with that which perisheth. Lift up the veil that obscureth your vision, and dispel the darkness with which it is enveloped, that ye may gaze on the naked beauty of the Beloved's face, may behold that which no eye hath beheld, and hear that which no ear hath heard.

Hear Me, ye mortal birds! In the Rose Garden of changeless splendor a Flower hath begun to bloom, compared to which every other flower is but a thorn, and before the brightness of Whose glory the very essence of beauty must pale and wither. Arise, therefore, and, with the whole enthusiasm of your hearts, with all the eagerness of your souls, the full fervor of your will, and the concentrated efforts of your entire being, strive to attain the paradise of His presence, and endeavor to inhale the fragrance of the incorruptible Flower, to breathe the sweet savors of holiness, and to obtain a portion of this perfume of celestiai glory. Whoso followeth this counsel will break his chains asunder... will attain unto his heart's desire, and will surrender his soul into the hands of his Beloved. Bursting through his cage, he will, even as the bird of the spirit, wing his flight to his holy and everlasting nest.

Night hath succeeded day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives have come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach himself from that which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments that are still yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath a canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve? How can ye atone for your past failure?

The everlasting Candle shineth in its naked glory. Behold how it hath consumed every mortal veil. O ye moth-like lovers of His light! Brave every danger, and consecrate your souls to its consuming flame. O ye that thirst after Him! Strip yourselves of every earthly affection, and hasten to embrace your Beloved. With a zest that none can equal make haste to attain unto Him. The Flower, thus far hidden from the sight of men, is unveiled to your eyes. In the open radiance of His glory He standeth before you. His voice summoneth all the holy and sanctified beings to come and be united with Him. Happy is he that turneth thereunto; well is it with him that hath attained, and gazed on the light of so wondrous a countenance.

Spirit: Reality of the Soul

2008-09-25T21:36:00.000-07:00

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

Concerning Investigation

2008-09-22T10:20:00.000-07:00

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.

Letter from a college student

2008-08-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

This was in an email I received today.

The other day, a friend of mine visited me in the lobby of my dorm just to chat while her laundry was drying. As we were chatting, two young freshmen came by. One of the boys wanted to 'talk' to my friend (as in date). She asked him how old they were, and both of the boys replied 18. My friend and I both laughed hysterically because we are both 22 years old. After my friend left, the young men were still hanging around and one wanted to know how he could gain her interest.

The first thing I told him to do was to pull up his pants! He asked why, and then said he liked sagging' his pants. I told him to come over to my computer and spell the word sagging'. Then I told him to write the word sagging' backwards.

S-A-G-G-I-N

N-I-G-G-A-S

I told him the origin of that look was from centuries ago. It was the intent of slave owners to demoralize the field workers by forbidding them to wear a belt as they worked in the fields or at any other rigorous job. In addition, men in prison wore their pants low when they were 'spoken for'. The other reason their pants looked like that was they were not allowed to have belts because prisoners were likely to try to commit suicide. And, saggin' pants prevents you from running.

We as young Black people have to be the ones to effect change. We are dying. The media has made a mockery of the Black American. Even our brothers and sisters from Africa don't take us seriously. Something as simple as pulling up your pants and standing with your head held high could make the biggest difference in the world's perception of us. It is time to do right by ourselves. We need to love and embrace each other. No one is going to do that for us.

It all comes down to perception. What people perceive is what reality to them is. We have to change not only the media's perception of us, but we need to change our perception of ourselves.

Remember all eyes are on you Black Man. All eyes are on you Black Woman. All eyes are on your Black Child. People point the finger at us and expect us to engage in negative and illegal activities, to manifest loud, boisterous behavior, to spend our hard earned money in their stores, buying goods we don't need, or really want. We have allowed not only the media, but the government and the world to portray us as a 'sub-culture.'

They have stripped our culture down to the point where the image of Black people is perpetuated as rappers, athletes, drug users, and consumers of junk food, expensive tennis shoes, expensive cars, expensive TVs, cell phones and not investing in homes for our families.

We are so much more!!!!!!!

To all our Black Men: It's time to stand up. There are billions of Black Women who want to do nothing more than worship the ground that you walk on. We are so in love with your potential. We want to have your back, we want to love, support and cherish every ounce of your being. But with that you have to show that you are willing to be the head of our households.

You have to prove yourselves worthy of our submission. We need you to be hard working...Not a hustler. We need you to seek higher education, to seek spirituality. We need you to stand! And trust us; we will have your back. We know that it gets hard. We know you get weary. Trust and believe that there is nothing that a Black Man and a Black Woman can't handle with GOD on their side.

To all our Black Women: It is also time for you to stand up. It is time for you to stop using our bodies as our primary form of communication. It is time to be that virtuous woman that Proverbs spoke of. You cannot sit by the wayside while our men are dying by the masses. You are the epitome of Black Love. It starts within you. You need to speak with conviction to let not only our Black Men know, but the world, that you are the Mothers of this world. You are so powerful. You are so beautiful. You need to love and embrace every blessing God has given us physically, emotionally and spiritually.

For all our Black Children: We need to love them. We need to teach them. We need to stand up for them. We need to protect them. We need to show them that there are no 'get rich quick' schemes. We need to tell them that they WILL die trying if they submit to a life of crime and deceit. We need to teach our children that no one will love them the way we can. And being a basketball player, a rapper, or a drug dealer is not reality. It's not realistic and only a small percentage of people ever make it as a rapper or professional athlete. We need to teach our children that we can be more than rappers and athletes. We can be the owners of these sports teams. We can be the CEO's of OUR fortune 500 companies. We need to believe in literacy. I am almost certain if we were to look back to the 1930's and 40's, the literacy rates for Black American Children are probably still the same.

Please Keep This Going & Have a wonderful day

'This is the year of empowerment.' God will empower us to accomplish things this year that will be mind blowing?.

Baha'u'llah confirms the Spiritual Message of Jesus

2008-08-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

And he names Jesus as an historical Messenger or Manifestation of God.

I just watched a movie called "The Man from Earth" and it was a very intriguing story. But it all fell apart when the main character started talking about religious figures in history. It was a story that will not have much of a future although it does seem to represent the present way of thinking on religious truths.

It is a shame that the story teller had not read the Baha'i writings and got things right. Then the story could have held together much better. Nothing in the Baha'i writings that I know of says the a man can not live a few thousand years. Nor do we know what is going to happen with aging in the future.

Watch the movie, it is good.
http://www.surfthechannel.com/info/Movies/42705/The+Man+from+Earth.html?aid=30231

Then go back to the words of Jesus.
see http://arthursclassicnovels.com/arthurs/bible/jesusays.html

A.G.W.

Summer of Presentation

2008-07-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, we now go out and present this faith to those with ears.
Ears hanging open and waiting for that vibration of the kingdom
Eyes watching for the source of that fibrillation of happiness
Tongues tasting the air for the fresh and cool moisture of a new rain
New creations feeling wellness, healing medicine in the taste of a new Day.

Baha'i

A.G.W.

The Book of the Covenant

2008-07-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes things become, in a moment of clarity, very sharp and focused. This is an explanation from the book "I beheld a maiden..."

"Bahá'u'lláh begins the Book of his Covenant with a statement rich with significance. He writes:

Although the Realm of Glory hath none of the vanities of the world, yet within the treasury of trust and resignation We have bequeathed to Our heirs an excellent and priceless heritage. Earthly riches We have not bequeathed, nor have We added such cares as they entail... The aim of this Wronged One in sustaining woes and tribulations, in revealing the Holy Verses and in demonstrating proofs hath been naught but to quench the flame of hate and enmity, that the horizon of the hearts of men may be illumined with the light of concord and attain real peace
and tranquillity.

1) Bahá'u'lláh addresses us as his "heirs." "Trust and resignation" are contrasted with "earthly riches" and "such cares as they entail." This is one of a number of passages that suggest that the Covenant is not about this world as an end in itself. It is not about wealth and power.

But, if the goal and value of human life is not about the accumulation of wealth, what is it about? We would expect to find in the Book of the Covenant a statement concerning the purpose of human existence. Bahá'u'lláh does make such a statement explicit later in the book, but even here it is implied in the opening reference to the "Realm of Glory."

This negation of the "vanities of the world" and affirmation of the purpose of existence has implications for individual identity. While the riches of the earth are necessary to human life, they are not the goal of that life. The goal is the remembrance of God, and it is this remembrance that constitutes the "priceless heritage" given by Bahá'u'lláh to humankind.[10] Bahá'u'lláh continues by noting how this recognition and goal of human life on earth translates
into living that life.

2) As an heir of Bahá'u'lláh, one's life purpose is directed towards quenching "the flame of hatred and enmity" that the hearts of human beings may be "illumined" and "attain real peace and concord." The Covenant is fundamentally about inner illumination and the turning of hearts to God. The value and joy of this life is found in opening the heart to God and aiding others to do the same. In the process of this illumination, one gradually overcomes the alienation or "hatred and enmity" that exists among the people of the earth. In this effort each believer's individual life reflects the aim and purpose of the life of the Prophet himself. And in this effort, each becomes an heir of a ''priceless heritage."

To this end, Bahá'u'lláh exhorts us to:

3) "Hold fast to the fear of God," as one would avoid hurt to a lover, "and firmly adhere to what is right," or lead a virtuous life. This virtuous life is an outward manifestation in deeds of the love that one feels for the Beloved.

4) "utter what is meet and seemly" refraining from "slander and abuse." This and the next couple of verses are related to acts of speech; how we speak is an aspect of the Covenant. This is implicit in the text, since the purpose of the Covenant is unity, the illumination of hearts, and the remembrance of God. Speech (and the language that it reflects), as twentieth-century philosophers are fond of reminding us, influences and shapes social reality. What I speak, and the manner in which I speak it, influences that reality. Speech reflects underlying perceptions and
assumptions about the world and about what it means to be human. In speech, I can move hearts toward God and overcome hatred and enmity. Or, I can reflect perceptions focused on earthly distinctions and the exclusionist categories of thought and action that those perceptions reflect.

5) "hold fast to righteousness and truth." This is similar to the opening statement about trust and resignation. These attributes are significant since they are set in the context of the Covenant and faithfulness to it. That is, they are related to the heritage given us as the "heirs" of Bahá'u'lláh. Righteousness (a virtuous character) and holding to truth are now aspects of the Covenant. Of course, the principle of the independent investigation of truth has long been understood as basic to Bahá'í belief. I suggest that it is an inherent part of the Covenant.

6) "remain firm and steadfast in the Cause." There is a common understanding of this principle of steadfastness in the Bahá'í community, and it is usually thought of as remaining a good Bahá'í. I suggest that firmness and steadfastness in the Cause are effectively defined in the Book of the Covenant as: the remembrance of God and the oneness of humankind. Considering the horrors of the twentieth century, I believe that we can say that one has remained firm and steadfast who has not forgotten God and has advanced his Cause. The Cause is, I believe, the unification of the human race and all that such a unification would imply. This reading of the text, therefore, can accept as partners in the Covenant a vast diversity of human groups and efforts that promote
that oneness. It also suggests, I believe, that the conception of breaking or violating the Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh needs to be understood as applying to all those efforts by human beings that have resisted or opposed the unity or oneness of the human race. Movements of religious hatred or exclusion, wars of ethnic cleansing - from Nazi Germany to Cambodia to Bosnia and Kosovo - are violations of Bahá'u'lláh's Covenant. They are violations because they promote an identity less than one grounded in the remembrance of God, and because they deny the truth that all human beings are heirs to the "priceless heritage" bequeathed to us by that one God.

Authority

2008-07-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

I have not involved myself in the many chat or discussion groups. There seems to be a number of people out to discredit the Baha'i Faith.

Let me state as always from my own understanding, I have been an active Baha'i since 1970, there is great agreement on the facts.

I would say that 99% of the persons, who believe in Baha'u'llah, are part of the "official Baha'i Faith". These Baha'is have agreed to submit to the authority of the Universal House of Justice.

Those that question this are free to send their questions to the authority or resign.

Has there ever before been a Faith that has been so united. Good luck if you are out to discredit us! I will not question your motives but you should be. If Baha'u'llah is the voice of God, as He makes clear, then you will be held responsible for your actions.

Muslims, read with understanding the words from Allah.
Christians, read with understanding the words from God.

A.G.W.

From the Depth of My Heart

2008-06-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

When I was in my early twenties I stood upon a bridge in Saskatoon and something spoke to my heart. It was there that I began to look for a creation that would allow me to become myself.

That was 1967! It would be another two years before I found the Baha'i Faith. It was the wine of astonishment.

Living on an island with a 350 population and nature dominating, old growth forest and the tidal flow through the Gulf Islands. It was the ideal spot to discover a new Manifestation, a new
Messenger of God.

It moved me when others were unmoved. I dived into that ocean. I became a Baha'i and then did something about it. First I left that physical paradise and placed my fate in God's hands. If this was true, then God would take care of me.

For twenty-five years I moved from one location to another and tried my best to tell others about this great Faith. I tried! I was not responsible for what they did.

My faith centred around the Bab and Baha'u'llah. My love was not divided as they are a complete unity. Because I had to work and support a family I had little time to study the older religions.

But now I have. Because I made the words of God's new Faith my home, when I began to study Islam I saw without the Christian prejudices, I had been indoctrinated with. This was a Messenger of God, Muhammad was giving us the instruction straight from God.

It took some time but one day it hit me so hard. My heart was opened and the tears began to flow. I was a Muslim!

There is no difference between Muhammad and Baha'u'llah because they serve each there own time in the giving of the Word of God.

I also began reading very carefully the four Gospels and the Revelation of John. I kept asking myself, 'Did Jesus actually say those things.' Could the people not understand that no ordinary man could come into the world and speak that way. The authority! The display of Sovereignty! He was a king, a prophet a Messenger from God! I understood. God is One! and Jesus is his Messenger!

He did what he had to do in order to serve God. Jesus served that short four years. Muhammad in a very different place, served much longer and gave us more. But they each pointed to the future and the coming of the 'end times'.

The coming of the Bab marked the 'end times'. 1260 A.H. it is mentioned in the Bible dozens of times and in the Koran. Baha'u'llah is the second trumpet mentioned twice in the Koran. 1844 A.D. 1863 A.D. the two trumpets.

My heart was moved with Christ as with Muhammad, tears did flow. I felt I was becoming a complete person. One that did not rely just upon my earthly eyes and ears.

There is only One message and that is the Oneness of God. The Messengers came to tell us that.
We are to make efforts to change the world into heaven. God has given us His Covenant as a blueprint. We have spiritual abilities and they must be used. Our love and efforts, with God's aid, will be sufficient.

They Question but Who Answered

2008-05-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

Below are some of the questions that the Jewish religious leaders still ask of the time of Jesus. Through these questions they feel free to deny the Beauty of the Christ. Was it not the duty of the Christians to answer these questions. This was a serious error on the part of the church that even now after 2000 years have passed, they still can not answer truthfully their cries for answers.

(this is quoted from 'Baha'i Proofs' by Mirza Abul Fadl)

We have already mentioned that all the prophets or founders of religions have, without exception, assigned a part of their Books to explaining the coming of the Day of God, and announcing the appearance of the Face of God. Likewise, they have mentioned certain signs and tokens concerning this great Manifestation, and have described certain events and occurrences about the day of Its appearance. Some of their announcements have been couched in symbols and allegories, and some are explicity stated, according to the language of every age and cycle. Such symbolical signs are the "darkening of the sun and moon," "rending of the heavens," "falling of stars," "renewal of heaven and earth," "rise of the dead," "the passing away of former things," and other similar events. These shall be set forth in detail, in the course of our treatises, in order that the students of the Holy Books will understand, and the adherents of laws and religions may discuss them. Such signs undoubtedly need to be accepted, but the doctors of every religion, in understanding and apprehending their meanings, have relied upon their own conceptions.

Thus they have interpreted and described them in their books according to their exoteric literal sense. They have also taught them to the people in their lectures, and inculcated them in their schools and congregations until these literal meanings have seemed incontrovertible facts and indisputable points necessary to religious beliefs. These ideas have become still more firmly rooted in hearts and memories, because they have been handed down as a heritage for long periods. Whenever a Divine Sun dawned forth from the Heaven of the Command of God, and the spirit of the Invisible World shone forth from any of the Holy Dawning-places, He was denied by nations and contradicted by peoples, because the aforesaid prophecies were not fulfilled according to the ideas of the people and the signs did not appear as they expected them. In other words, not one of the great prophets ever appeared, and not one of the holy souls ever arose to found a religion by the Command of God, except these very signs and tokens were the first things through which the nations denied Him. For instance, what first caused the Jews to deny Christ was that they held that there are certain signs and tokens, confirmed and clearly written in the Book concerning the coming of the Messiah, which were not then realized; and that the non-fulfillment thereof necessarily disproved the truth of Christ's claim. When Jesus appeared, they said - "Where is the darkness of the sun"? "Where is the changing of the moon into blood"?

"Where is the falling of stars"? "When did the wolf dwell with the lamb, and the lion eat straw as an ox"? "When did the child put his hand in the adder's hole, as is clearly spoken of by Isaiah"? "Where is the changing of the heaven into brass, the earth into iron, and the rain into dust, as was prophesied by Moses"? "Where is the 'new Covenant that the Lord will make with all the Israelitish tribes'; 'assembling of them together from the north, south, east and west, after their scattering and division'; 'honoring them after their degradation and fall'; 'planting them after their extirpation'"? "Where is the 'gathering which shall never be dispersed,' the 'honor which shall never change,' and the 'planting which shall never be uprooted'"? "Where did the Lord 'restore Zion,' a restoration and building 'which shall never be destroyed,' as was prophesied by Jeremiah"? "Did all these events occur during the manifestation of Jesus, or has God deceived His servants by saying such things"? "Be this far from the Might of His Glory and the exaltation of His Beneficence and Bounty"! "Therefore all these prophecies must needs come to pass and these promises be fulfilled, even though many centuries and ages might first elapse"!

The Greater Covenant

2008-05-05T12:45:00.000-07:00

(from the book King of Kings by Motlagh pg.430)

It is a prophecy, a promise, and a covenant - the Greater Covenant[*] - spoken by all the great Ones of the past, that in due time a Universal Manifestation, a great Messenger and Redeemer will arise to mark the end of the age of anticipation and to inaugurate the era of attainment, the millennium of "the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven." This was Jesus' mission:

I must give the good news of the kingdom of God... for that is what I was sent to do. - Luke 4:43 NEB

The same mission was given to Muhammad:

We [God] have sent thee not, except good tidings to bear and warning. - Qur'án' 25:58 R

Verily We have sent thee in truth, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner... - Qur'án 35:24 Y

Of what ask they of one another? Of the great news. The theme of their disputes. Nay! they shall certainly know its truth! Again. Nay! they shall certainly know it. - Qur'án 78:1-5 R

* See God Passes By, pp.27-28. The Greater Covenant has also been used in Bahá'i literature to point to the covenant a Messenger makes with His followers, promising that another Messenger will come.

As Christian author Dr. John White notes:

Prophecy, that is, predictions of future events, occupies approximately one-quarter of all Scripture. The teaching of the second coming of our Lord is dealt with some 1,845 times in the Bible, 318 of these being in the New Testament. The return of the Lord is the dominant theme of 17 Old Testament books and one epistle in the New. In fact, 7 out of every 10 chapters in the New Testament make reference to the second coming.[2]

Carlyle Haynes confirms:

This doctrine [of second advent] is one of the fundamental doctrines of Holy Scripture. It finds a larger place in the pages of Holy Writ than any other doctrine of the church, this glorious event being mentioned more than three hundred times in the New Testament, and fifteen hundred times in the entire Bible.[3]

The Qur'án emphasizes the advent of this great Day no less than the Bible. As with Christians, most Muslims (the Sunni branch) expect the return of Christ at the end of the age.

Never before have so many prophecies pointed to a new Revelation. Why should so much emphasis be given to this one event? As Bahá'í author George Townshend notes in his book Christ and Bahá'u'lláh:

The story of the coming of the Kingdom runs through the whole Bible. It is the climax and consummation of God's grand redemptive scheme. The attainment of the Kingdom at the end is promised in the beginning, and gives to the Bible its note of confident expectation, of success and triumph.

No word is as great as Lord and no station as supreme as that of the Creator. To show the glory and greatness of our age, our Creator has, out of His infinite bounty, bestowed His own name not only on the twin Redeemers of our time but on the time itself, calling this Day the Day of the Lord. No honor can be greater than this. Yet as Bahá'u'lláh has repeatedly testified, most people are unaware of God's immeasurable blessings destined for our age.

Concerning Agriculture and Resources.

2008-04-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

Baha'u'llah had told us that among the classes of society are two occupations, we should put our greatest energies, that of the teacher and the farmer. Look how we treated the native peoples on first entering North America. This is a quote from the book 'Faith Physics And Psychology: Rethinking Society and the Human Spirit' by John Fitzgerald Medina.

'When John Locke published his most important writings in the late seventeenth century, most societies were still largely rural and agrarian. Thus the ownership and productive use of land were paramount goals. Indeed, Francois Quesnay, the influential head of the Physiocrats, the first group to call themselves economists, stated, "Land is the only source of wealth, and... agriculture increases wealth." Thus societies were judged largely by how well they could develop and utilize their agricultural resources. In light of this, an important question arises: Were the Indians of the Americas agriculturally inept and unable to make productive use of their lands as Locke and the colonists claimed? The answer is important, because this claim provided the rationale for the seizure of Indian lands.

'Contrary to the American colonists' misinformed judgments, much evidence now exists to show that the American Indians were, in fact, quite adept at cultivating a large variety of plants in a diversity of climates, soils, and environmental conditions. They utilized the Earth's resources wisely, gently, and reverently. Over thousands of years, Indian farmers learned how to use natural herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. Furthermore, through trial and error they learned how to create new plant hybrids. As the cover of Weatherford's book Indian Givers describes, "some 60 percent of the foods eaten in the world today were first harvested by the Indians of the Americas."

'Over many generations, the Indians carefully selected, domesticated, and cultivated many vegetables, fruits, nuts, and berries. They also developed grains such as amaranth and quinoa, which modern nutritionists sometimes call "miracle grains" because of their high nutritional value compared to grains such as rice and wheat. Weatherford writes, "Few cooks or gourmets... recognize the... extent to which American Indian cuisine radically changed cooking and dining in every part of the globe from Timbuktu to Tibet. Sichuan beef with chilies, German chocolate cake, curried potatoes, vanilla ice cream, Hungarian goulash, peanut brittle, and pizza all owe their primary flavorings to the American Indians... The American Indians remain the developers of the world's largest array of nutritious foods and the primary contributors to the world's varjed cuisines." ...

'The perspectives of American Indians, Bahá'ís, and modern holistic advocates all emphasize the importance of conservation of the earths resources and protection of the environment. All three perspectives promote the idea that use of the land and its resources must be grounded in the belief that nature is sacred. The following verse from the Bahá'í writings, for example, is highly consistent with the American Indian view of the sacredness of the natural environment: "Nature in its essence is the embodiment of My Name, the Maker, the Creator."[41] According to the Bahá'í writings, in the future, agriculture will be returned to its rightful place as the most important sector of the economy. This stands in direct contradiction to the current Western model, which views agriculture as necessary but inferior to the industrial sector.'

Things are getting weird.

2008-04-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

You have rejected the present world
Its violence and ignorance
But what are you but the centre of not knowing
There is much to learn among the hoodies
The letting go of control and living with fear

That fast reactions to the feeling of hate
He has given his senses control and flown south
The bullet flies and he is clueless
Is she even a person when she is absent
Glued to stimulation and lies moving her.

The knives fly so keep your head down
Do not take this personally
This is the space of discovery
Senses acting out of hate with there own will
Or eyes loving his nose and lips his eyes

The world is revealing in the land of crime
New knowledge that humility revealed to
The Fishermen of Galilee
Waters flowing, falling in splendor upon heads
Love is the message and will the channel

Waiting for the hammer, surprise
Let not the thought of hate survive
Tender lips and tongue clean the eyes
The race has push the rhythm to a new pace
Trust the teacher, this world is your place.

A.G.W.

Is the Universe a Spiritual Realm

2008-04-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

In his book "Faith, Physics and Psychology" John Medina describes how Physics and Psychology are discovering a world like the Baha'i writings have been pointing out for over one hundred and fourty years.

'Many of the early physicists who first probed into the mysterious world of atoms assumed that these so-called "fundamental building blocks" of all matter, would be solid, simple, inert, and essentially "dead." However, over the span of many decades, as physicists have delved deeper into the atomic and subatomic quantum realm, they have discovered increasing magnitudes of complexity, sophistication, organization, and even intelligence. Many physicists, bolstered by massive volumes of experimental data, now support the view that quantum entities such as atoms, electrons, protons, and other subatomic particles do not even exist in physical reality until someone tries to observe them. In fact, many physicists now support the view that quantum entities do not even have independent existing objective properties until someone observes them. Since all matter is composed of atoms and other mysterious quantum particles, this means that all objects, including human beings, are made up of "not-so-real" quantum entities. In a nutshell, physical matter can no longer be considered the fundamental reality. Thus the primary discoveries of quantum physics have finally brought science back in line with what mystics have been telling us for thousands of years-namely, that this physical universe is just a manifestation of a deeper and more true spiritual reality.

'Along these lines, physicist Fritjof Capra states, 'An increasing number of scientists are aware that mystical thought provides a consistent and relevant philosophical background to the theories of contemporary science, a conception of the world in which the scientific discoveries of men and women can be in perfect harmony with their spiritual and religious beliefs."'

Behind the Veil

2008-04-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

Is it any wonder that
a religion should fear a new face
when it will not allow
its daughters to expose theirs.

The beauty of the beloved,
The new face of religion
has them in great confusion
She is banished from her homeland.

Yet she wanders unhindered
in the gardens of the west
They admire her and fear her
but few know the wisdom within.

A.G.W.

Raising the Banner of Search

2008-04-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

From the book 'King of Kings' by Motlagh are some thoughts on obvious problem that many Christians are told not to search and investigate, especially if it is outside the Christian faith.

"The purpose of discussing the topic of rejection at such great length is this: Christians often simplify and minimize their responsibility in finding their expected Redeemer by viewing it in simple terms. Since, they assume, everything will be visible, the faithful need not take any action; when the advent happens, surely they will know it. How could anyone miss the Armageddon? How could anyone miss flying angels? How could anyone miss the dead coming out of their graves? This illusion of visibility creates apathy, self-satisfaction, unawareness, and even avoidance and escape. It destroys any desire to search.

The faithful are told that all they need to do is to be good Christians: go to church every Sunday, pay their tithes, be born again, and make sure they accept no other Lord and Savior except Jesus Christ. If they do all these, they are told, their bodies will be lifted into the sky and saved from all the tribulations that fall on the "unsaved." What about the command that Christians must watch, must be awake and alert? That command, they are told, does not imply that Christians should pay attention to any news that originates outside the church. The command indicates that they should watch the news and be in touch especially with Christian sources: scholars, writers, respected evangelists, Christian universities, Christian radios
and TV stations.

Consider this response from Hal Lindsey, perhaps the best known and most popular author of prophecy books, to those who ask, "How can I be sure that when Jesus comes from the sky, I am good enough to be taken to heaven?"

"But, Hal," you might ask at this point, "how can I be sure I will be one of those taken?" You've got to remember that salvation is a gift of God. All you have to do is be willing to accept it and let His Holy Spirit change your life. I know, I know. You're not ready to change your life. You don't think you can do it. That's not the point. This is not something you can do anyway. Just let God do it. Trust Him. He will change your heart and its desires to conform with His. And He will assure you of eternal life the instant you receive Him and His pardon from sin.

see http://www.globalperspective.org/

William Miller's Dream

2008-04-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

William Miller is the man who discovered the year 1844 in the Bible. He would be disgraced because Christ did not return in the manner expected.

(Below is quoted from the book 'I Shall Come Again' by Motlagh)

I dreamed that God, by an unseen hand, sent me a curiously wrought casket about ten inches long by six square, made of ebony and pearls curiously inlaid. To the casket there was a key attached. I immediately took the key and opened the casket, when, to my wonder and surprise, I found it filled with all sorts and sizes of jewels, diamonds, precious stones, and gold and silver coin of every dimension and value, beautifully arranged in their several places in the casket; and thus arranged they reflected a light and glory equaled only to the sun.

I thought it was not my duty to enjoy this wonderful sight alone, although my heart was overjoyed at the brilliancy, beauty, and value of its contents. I therefore placed it on a center table in my room and gave out word that all who had a desire might come and see the most glorious and brilliant sight ever seen by man in this life.

The people began to come in, at first few in number, but increasing to a crowd. When they first looked into the casket, they would wonder and shout for joy. But when the spectators increased, everyone would begin to trouble the jewels, taking them out of the casket and scattering them on the table.

I began to think that the owner would require the casket and the jewels again at my hand; and if I suffered them to be scattered, I could never place them in their places in the casket again as before, and felt I should never be able to meet the accountability, for it would be immense. I then began to plead with the people not to handle them, nor to take them out of the casket; but the more I pleaded, the more they scattered; and now they seemed to scatter them all over the room, on the floor and on every piece of furniture in the room.

I then saw that among the genuine jewels and coin they had scattered an innumerable quantity of spurious [fake] jewels and counterfeit coin. I was highly incensed at their base conduct and ingratitude, and reproved and reproached them for it; but the more I reproved, the more they scattered the spurious jewels and false coin among the genuine.

I then became vexed in my physical soul and began to use physical force to push them out of the room; but while I was pushing out one, three more would enter and bring in dirt and shavings and sand and all manner of rubbish, until they covered every one of the true jewels, diamonds, and coins, which were all excluded from sight. They also tore in pieces my casket and scattered it among the rubbish. I thought no man regarded my sorrow or my anger. I became wholly discouraged and disheartened, and sat down and wept.

While I was thus weeping and mourning for my great loss and accountability, I remembered God, and earnestly prayed that He would send me help.

Immediately the door opened, and a man entered the room, when the people all left it; and he, having a dirt brush in his hand, opened the windows, and began to brush the dirt and rubbish from the room.

I cried to him to forbear, for there were some precious jewels scattered among the rubbish.

He told me to "fear not;' for he would "take care of them."

Then, while he brushed the dirt and rubbish, false jewels and counterfeit coin, all rose and went out of the window like a cloud, and the wind carried them away. In the bustle I closed my eyes for a moment; when I opened them, the rubbish was all gone. The precious jewels, the diamonds, the gold and silver coins, lay scattered in profusion all over the room.

He then placed on the table a casket, much larger and more beautiful than the former, and gathered up the jewels, the diamonds, the coins, by the handful, and cast them into the casket, till not one was left, although some of the diamonds were not bigger than the point of a pin.

He then called upon me to "come and see."

I looked into the casket, but my eyes were dazzled with the sight. They shone with ten times their former glory.

I thought they had been scoured in the sand by the feet of those wicked persons who had scattered and trod them in the dust. They were arranged in beautiful order in the casket, every one in its place, without any visible pains of the man who cast them in. I shouted with very joy...

Interpretation

The jewels, gold, and silver symbolize the truths revealed to us by God's great Messengers:

Thus We... bestow upon thee the gems of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest soar on the wings of renunciation to those heights that are veiled from the eyes of men. - Bahá'u'lláh

He [Bahá'u'lláh] it is Who hath laid bare before you the hidden and treasured Gem, were ye to seek it. - Bahá'u'lláh

At the beginning, the gems are pure and radiant, but as time goes on people begin to tamper with them. They "trouble the jewels," take them out of their context, conceal them under their illusions, scatter them, and abuse them for their selfish ends. They devise their own counterfeit doctrines, denominations, and sects, and then package them, and present them as genuine. This desire to abuse the divine truths entrusted to the human hand is so powerful and pervasive that no one can stop it. William Miller felt frustrated at his inability to protect the jewels. We can see a clear example of this in his life. He was the first to discover and proclaim the date of Christ's return. After the Great Disappointment, although perplexed and disillusioned, he remained loyal to the Word of God. He continued to believe in the accuracy of his findings, supported by so much evidence that no one could refute them. But those around him distorted his findings by saying that the great event associated with 1844 happened in heaven. The purity of the truth he had discovered was lost under the dust of selfish ends, theological assumptions, arguments, and illusions. Despite his strenuous efforts, Miller failed to keep people on course. In the end, he experienced rejection and ridicule. He was abandoned by the very people who had followed him. He became an outcast.

A true seeker who carries enough "oil" of wisdom (Matthew 25:1-13) can always find his Beloved. He can always recognize the gems of true knowledge. He can always see the difference between the genuine and the fictitious:

Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood, even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savors of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will, likewise, clearly distinguish all the signs of God - His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds - from the doings, the words and ways of men, even as the jeweler who knoweth the gem from the stone...[4] - Bahá'u'lláh

Radiance

2008-03-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Shake off, O heedless ones, the slumber of negligence, that ye may behold the radiance which His glory hath spread through the world. How foolish are those who murmur against the premature birth of His light... Whether too soon or too late, the evidences of His effulgent glory are now actually manifest. It behoveth you to ascertain whether or not such a light hath appeared. It is neither within your power nor mine to set the time at which it should be made manifest. God's inscrutable Wisdom hath fixed its hour beforehand. Be content, O people, with that which God hath desired for you and predestined unto you... Had it been in my power, I would have, under no circumstances, consented to distinguish myself amongst men... And whenever I chose to hold my peace and be still, lo, the voice of the Holy Ghost, standing on my right hand, aroused me, and the Supreme Spirit appeared before my face, and Gabriel overshadowed me, and the Spirit of Glory stirred within my bosom, bidding me arise and break my silence. - Bahá'u'lláh

The Knot So Tied.

2008-03-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

They twist and squirm, old school
They deny and fume in their anger
Is this not their hell that, old house
They sit in the filth of wrong.

Babies cry and complain but
They know no better
and they soon learn language a
better means of communication

The New Lamp is light and melody but
They deny Him a song
Radiant, He chants Words of God
Sealing their fate with refined Arabic.

Language has been transformed by
The Bab, Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha,
Shoghi Effendi the Great teachers
From here we move forward.

A.G.W.

The Winepress

2008-03-05T08:14:00.000-08:00

REVELATIONS 14

1 THEN I LOOKED, and on Mount Zion stood the Lamb,
and with him were a hundred and forty-four thousand
who had his name and the name of his Father
written on their foreheads.

I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of rushing water
and the deep roar of thunder; it was the sound of harpers
playing on their harps.
There before the throne,
and the four living creatures and the elders,
they were singing a new song.

That song no one could learn
except the hundred and forty-four thousand,
who alone from the whole world had been ransomed.
These are men who did not defile themselves with women,
for they have kept themselves chaste,
and they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.
They have been ransomed as the firstfruits
of humanity for God and the Lamb.
No lie was found in their lips; they are faultless.

6 Then I saw an angel flying in mid-heaven,
with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those on earth,
to every nation and tribe, language and people.
He cried in a loud voice, 'Fear God and pay him homage;
for the hour of his judgement has come!
Worship him who made heaven and earth,
the sea and the water-springs!'

8 Then another angel, a second, followed, and he cried,
'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great,
she who has made all nations drink
the fierce wine of a her fornication!'

9 Yet a third angel followed, crying out loud,
'Whoever worships the beast and its image
and receives its mark on his forehead or hand,
he shall drink the wine of God's wrath,
poured undiluted into the cup of his vengeance.

He shall be tormented in sulphurous flames
before the holy angels and before the Lamb.
The smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever,
and there will be no respite day or night
for those who worship the beast and its image
or receive the mark of its name.'

This is where the fortitude of God's people has its place --
in keeping God's commands and remaining loyal to Jesus.
13 Moreover, I heard a voice from heaven, saying,
Write this: "Happy are the dead who die in the faith of Christ!
Henceforth", says the Spirit, "they may rest from their labours;
for they take with them the record of their deeds."'

14 Then as I looked there appeared a white cloud,
and on the cloud sat one like a son of man.
He had on his head a crown of gold
and in his hand a sharp sickle.

Another angel came out of the temple
and called in a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud:
'Stretch out your sickle and reap;
for harvest-time has come, and earth's crop is over-ripe.'
So he who sat on the cloud put his sickle
to the earth and its harvest was reaped.

17 Then another angel came out of the heavenly temple,
and he also had a sharp sickle.
Then from the altar came yet another,
the angel who has authority over fire,
and he shouted to the one with the sharp sickle:

'Stretch out your sickle, and gather in earth's grape-harvest,
for its clusters are ripe.'
So the angel put his sickle to the earth
and gathered in its grapes,
and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath.
The winepress was trodden outside the city,
and for two hundred miles around
blood flowed from the press to the height of the horses' bridles.

The Beginnings of a New Nation

2008-03-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

A Call for the Creation of Israel

The advent of great Messengers is like the coming of spring. It creates a spiritual environment that stimulates change. Their dawning releases new and mysterious powers that pervade the entire planet. New ideas begin
to germinate everywhere, even though we may be unaware of their original source. The spiritual springs always set in motion profound changes in human history, and little by little they lead to the birth of new civilizations. The story of the world's great religions confirms this.

As we noted earlier, the mid-1800's served as a pivotal point for the birth of new ideas and social transformations. As evidence of this, refer to the three-volume series entitled simply 1844, by Christian scholar Jerome Clarke, from Southern Missionary College.

An example of the social transformation in the new age is the gradual replacement of dictatorships by democracies, and an awareness of human rights and freedoms everywhere on our planet.

Of special interest to us in this chapter are the recognition of human rights in general and the efforts and reformations that culminated in the conception and birth of the State of Israel. The birth of Israel has a
long history. "Orthodox Jews had traditionally invoked the return to Zion in their daily prayers. In 1799 Napoleon had thought of establishing a Jewish state in the ancient lands of Israel."

The dawning of the 19th century stirred the idea of the birth of Israel as a nation in many minds and many places more intensely than ever before.
...

The interest in a return of the Jews to Palestine was kept alive in the first part of the 19th century more by Christian millenarians, especially in Great Britain, than by Jews themselves. Among the few Jews pleading then for a Jewish settlement or state was the American Mordecai Manuel Noah (1785-1851), who in 1813 became U.S. consul in Tunis and later high sheriff and surveyor of the port of New York. In 1825 he acquired Grand Island in the Niagara River and invited the Jews of the whole world to create a Jewish state.. In 1844 he pleaded with the Christian world in Discourse on the Restoration of the Jews to help the Jews resettle in Palestine.[2]

The mid-l9th century marked a critical point in the shift of the Jewish destiny. Noah's call is a prime example of this shift. In his preface to his discourse delivered in 1844, he declared:

In the political, as well as the religious world, there are singular commotions which point to the East as the theatre of approaching revolutions of great and absorbing interests...

I confidently believe in the restoration of the Jews, and in the coming of the Messiah; and believing that political events are daily assuming a shape which may finaily lead to that great advent.[3]

For his great adventure, Noah had the moral support of such distinguished figures as Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who had in earlier years served as United States presidents. In a letter to him, Adams wrote:

I wish your nation may be admitted to all the privileges of citizens in every part of the world. This country has done much; I wish it may do more... Let the wits joke, the philosophers sneer! What then? It has pleased the
Providence of the "first cause," the universal cause, that Abraham should give religion not only to the Hebrews, but to Christians and Mohammedans, the greatest part of the modern civilized world... I really wish the Jews
again in Judea, an independent nation... your Jehovah is our Jehovah, and your God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is our God.[4]

Here is a passage from Noah's appeal made before thousands of "the most distinguished [American] citizens and the highest dignitaries of the Church."[5] Note how skillfully he blends reason and emotion to touch the
hearts of his audience:

I have long desired, my friends and countrymen, for an opportunity to appear before you in behalf of a venerable people, whose history, whose sufferings, and whose extraordinary destiny have, for a period of 4000 years, filled
the world with awe and astonishment, a people at once the most favored and the most neglected, the most beloved, and yet the most persecuted; a people under whose salutary laws all the civilized nations of the earth
now repose; a people whose origin may date from the cradle of creation, and who are likely to be preserved to the last moment of recorded time.

I have been anxious to appeal to you, citizens and Christians, in behalf of the chosen and beloved people of Almighty God, to ask you to... feel for their sufferings and woes, to extend to them your powerful protection
and undivided support in accomplishing the fulfillment of their destiny, and... to restore them to the land of their forefathers and the possession of their ancient heritage. It is, I acknowledge, a novel... appeal... for the first time to Christians since the advent of Christianity; but the period I believe has arrived for this appeal: Extraordinary events shadow forth results long expected, long prophesied, long ordained... and the political events in Syria, Egypt, Turkey, and Russia indicate the approach of great and important revolutions which may facilitate the return of the Jews to Jerusalem, and the organization of a powerful government in Judea, and [will] lead to that millennium which we all look for, all hope for, all pray for.[6]

After referring to America's support of several nations and peoples to gain independence, Noah concludes:

... If these nations were entitled to our sympathies, how much more powerful and irrepressible are the claims of that beloved people before whom the Almighty walked like a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; who spoke to them words of comfort and salvation, of promise, of hope, of consolation, and protection; who swore they should be his people and he would be their God; who, for their special protection and final restoration, dispersed them among the nations of the earth...[7]

Noah shows his audience the first step toward an independent Israel:

The tree must be planted... The first step is to solicit from the Sultan of Turkey permission for the Jews to purchase and hold land, to build houses, and to follow any occupation they may desire, without molestation and in perfect security. There is no difficulty in securing this privilege for them. The moment the Christian powers feel an interest in behalf of the Jewish people, the Turkish government will secure and carry out their views, for it must always be remembered that the one hundred and twenty millions of Mussulmen [Muslims] are also the descendants of Abraham.[8]

Like William Miller, who stirred interest in the second advent, Noah's efforts awakened the dormant dreams of an independent Israel in many receptive minds...

Still another prominent figure who followed the example of Noah was:

Theodore Herzl, founder of the political form of Zionism, a movement to establish a Jewish homeland. His pamphlet The Jewish State (1896) proposed that the Jewish question was a political question to be settled by a
world council of nations. He organized a world congress of Zionists that met in Basel, Switz, in August 1897 and became first president of the World Zionist Organization, established by the congress... He negotiated unsuccessfully with the Sultan of Turkey to the grant of a charter that would allow Jewish mass settlement in Palestine on an autonomous basis. He then turned to Great Britain..."

The efforts put forth by Noah and his supporters in the mid-l9th century did not lead immediately to the birth of a nation, but they served their purpose. They created a momentum that culminated a century later in that
birth. They signaled a new beginning for the scattered and persecuted people of Israel. They symbolized the dawning of a new day in their destiny. As Anthony Robbins notes;

In pursuit of our goals, we often set in motion far-reaching consequences. Does the honeybee deliberate on how to propagate flowers? No, but in the process of seeking sweet nectar, the bee unknowingly gathers pollen
on its legs, flies to the next flower, and sets in motion a wondrous chain reaction that results in a hillside awash in color.[12]

This Wonderful Moment

2008-02-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

God has set the stage, wrote the play and set the wage.
We as actors now need to play our part. Will the
play go on without us? Do you really want to know?
How will life be for you without a wage?

(from the book Lord of Lords)

Bahá'u'lláh repeatedly declares the supreme blessings of this great Day of the Lord:

Seize your chance... inasmuch as a fleeting moment in this Day excelleth centuries of a bygone age... Neither sun nor moon hath witnessed a day such as this... It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely ordained and may, in a sense, be characterized as God's appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it.

The excellence of this Day is immensely exalted above the comprehension of men, however extensive their knowledge, however profound their understanding... Shouldst thou rend asunder the grievous veil that blindeth thy vision, thou wouldst behold such a bounty as naught, from the beginning that hath no beginning till the end that hath no end, can either resemble or equal.

We have been moved to reveal these words in consideration of the weakness and frailty of men; otherwise, the Cause We have proclaimed is such as no pen can ever describe, nor any mind conceive its greatness.

This is the Day that hath been illumined by the splendors of the light of Our countenance - the Day around which all days and nights circle in adoration. Blessed is the man of insight who hath perceived, and the sore athirst who hath quaffed from this luminous Fountain. Blessed the man who acknowledgeth the truth, earnestly striving to serve the Cause of his Lord, the Powerful, the Almighty.

Free Will

2008-02-05T07:10:00.000-08:00

(taken from the book Lord of Lords)

God is All-Powerful, but He does not compel us to submission:

God's it is to show the way... If He willed, He would have guided you all together. Qur'an 16:9 A

Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of but one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to recognize, in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause...
- The Báb

God changes not what is in people, until they change what is in themselves.
- Qur'an 13:11 A

Our sincere efforts, like a magnifying glass, attract the grace of God. When those two forces - efforts and grace - meet, they release a power that can transform our darksome planet into paradise.

For results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient
unto you. - Bahá'u'lláh

Human destiny is not predetermined but fluid. In one of His prayers, Bahá'u'lláh states that the course of events lies in God's hand, but their direction can be altered:

I testify that within Thy grasp are held the reins of all things. Thou changest them as Thou pleasest.

The prophecies that involve human intervention serve several purposes:

. They demonstrate that we are partners with God in carrying out His plan.

. They indicate that human destiny is not predeteimined but fluid, that we can make choices, that we can change the course of history, and that we will at last harvest the fruits of our labors.

They give us hope and a reasonable goal.

They test the depths and purity of our faith, if there is any delay in the fulfillment of such prophecies.

Thus, whenever we deal with the fulfillment of prophecies that require human action, we should recognize our accountability. We should remember that we have the power to exert some influence on the course of history and the realization of God's promises. This gives us one more reason to be grateful and to rejoice that we are living in this glorious day of the Lord. This gives us one more reason for celebrating the opportunities we have. Never again may we be able to make so much difference. Every human being on our planet has the power to become an instrument for the fulfillment of God's ancient prophecies and promises for which people have waited and prayed for thousands of years. Can any honor be greater? Can any blessing transcend this?

Who Was Jesus?

2008-01-18T06:50:00.000-08:00

John 5:

...That day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, 'It is the Sabbath. You are not allowed to carry your bed on the Sabbath.' He answered, 'The man who cured me said, "Take up your bed and walk."' They asked him, 'Who is the man who told you to take up your bed and walk?' But the cripple who had been cured did not know; for the place was crowded and Jesus had slipped away. A little later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, 'Now that you are well again, leave your sinful ways, or you may suffer something worse.' The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him.

16 It was works of this kind done on the Sabbath that stirred the Jews to persecute Jesus. He defended himself by saying, 'My Father has never yet ceased his work, and I am working too.' This made the Jews still more determined to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but, by calling God his own Father, he claimed equality with God.

19 To this charge Jesus replied, 'In truth, in very truth I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he does only what he sees the Father doing: what the Father does, the Son does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all his works, and will show greater yet, to fill you with wonder. As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to men, as he determines. And again, the Father does not judge anyone, but has given full jurisdiction to the Son; it is his will that all should pay the same honour to the Son as to the Father. To deny honour to the Son is to deny it to the Father who Sent him.

24 'In very truth, anyone who gives heed to what I say and puts his trust in him who sent me has hold of eternal life, and does not come up for judgement, but has already passed from death to life. In truth, in very truth I tell you, a time is coming, indeed it is already here, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and all who hear shall come to life. For as the Father has life-giving power in himself, so has the Son, by the Father's gift.

27 'As Son of Man, he has also been given the right to pass judgement. Do not wonder at this, because the time is coming when all who are in the grave shall hear his voice and come out: those who have done right will rise to life; those who have done wrong will rise to hear their doom. I cannot act by myself; I judge as I am bidden, and my sentence is just, because my aim is not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

31 'If I testify on my own behalf, that testimony does not hold good. There is another who bears witness for me, and I know that his testimony holds. Your messengers have been to John; you have his testimony to the truth. Not that I rely on human testimony, but I remind you of it for your own salvation. John was a lamp, burning brightly, and for a time you were ready to exult in his light. But I rely on a testimony higher than John's. There is enough to testify that the Father has sent me, in the works my Father gave me to do and to finish the very works I have in hand. This testimony to me was given by the Father who sent me, although you never heard his voice, or saw his form. But his word has found no home in you, for you do not believe the one whom he sent. You study the scriptures diligently, supposing that in having them you have eternal life; yet, although their testimony points to me, you refuse to come to me for that life.

41 'I do not look to men for honour. But with you it is different, as I know well, for you have no love for God in you. I have come accredited by my Father, and you have no welcome for me; if another comes self-accredited you will welcome him. How can you have faith so long as you receive honour from one another, and care nothing for the honour that comes from him who alone is God? Do not imagine that I shall be your accuser at the Father's tribunal. Your accuser is Moses, the very Moses on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses you would believe what I tell you, for it was about me that he wrote. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how are you to believe what I say?'

(from New English Bible, Oxford 1970)

1844 and All That

2007-12-28T05:17:00.000-08:00

This following passage comes from a book written by
Hishidar Motlagh (I Shall Come Again)

During a period before the vital year of 1844, when hundreds
of respected scholars had worked out the time of the Advent
of the Return of Christ, the appearing of child preachers in
different countries about the world, was a wonder to many.

The Child Preachers of the Mid-19th Century

Sometimes a goal is achieved through some unusual or dramatic means. Jesus said:

I tell you, if my disciples keep silence the stones will shout aloud. - Luke 19:40 NEB

As historical records reveal, in one country the torch of the dawning of the new age was carried aloft by children and youth, some of them as young as ten and twelve. This drama unfolded in Sweden and caused a stir in that land:

The nineteenth-century Advent Awakening penetrated Scandinavia in the early forties, but by a means markedly different from that employed in any other country of the Old World or the New. In Sweden, preaching contrary to that of the established church was forbidden. The clergy of the state church opposed emphasis upon the soon coming of Christ. Their refusal to speak was met by the amazing spectacle of children and youth in the homes of humble cottagers - some of whom had not yet learned to read - proclaiming the impending judgment hour and imminent advent, and giving expositions of prophecy.

The records of this incredible event, the opposition of the priests to these "child preachers," and the response of the population "permeated the Swedish press for two or three years - particularly in 1842 and 1843."

First, let us see an unfriendly report from a paper published in Stockholm (February 23, 1842):

They [the child preachers] claimed to have received their revelations directly through the Holy Spirit and claim to have visited heaven and hell... A general superstition has taken hold of the people, who refute the warnings and instructions of the priests, and in multitudes ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 go to listen to those who claim to be the
chosen messengers of heaven.

Another record from another paper is somewhat neutral to this unusual phenomenon (March 4, 1842):

From far and near hundreds of persons come daily to listen to these girls. The girl from Swenarum, daughter of a poor peasant, preached twice a day, and had always two or three hundred listeners daily... The common people either believe the girls to be God's [messengers], as they themselves claim, or they do not know what to think. Few are them who do not see in this something marvelous, or feel this to be the voice of God to man. Almost everyone believes or trembles.

As we would expect, people's perceptions of these young preachers varied. Many were inspired and transformed by their childish purity and sincerity; others considered them pawns of the devil; and still others viewed them as "the sick ones." Some of the participants in the drama advocated severe punishment as the best cure for a rampant disease. On one occasion, two of the young preachers were arrested and tried in court. Years later, one of them recalled:

When we were brought before the governor for examination, he demanded by what authority we were sent to preach. We referred him to Joel 2 and Rev. 14:6-8, and told him further that the Spirit of God came upon us with such power that we could not resist it.

The prophecies from Joel quoted by the youths before the governor were these:

Thereafter the day shall come when I will pour out my spirit on all mankind; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams and your young men see visions... Joel 2:28 NEB

Then Joel adds that such events will happen "before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes" (Joel 2:31 NEB). The prophecies from Revelation were these:

Then I saw an angel flying in mid-heaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those on earth, to every nation and tribe, language and people. He cried in a loud voice, 'Fear God and pay him homage; for the hour of his judgment has come.' Revelation 14:6-7 NEB

Apparently, the biblical argument did not convince the governor. He decided that the best remedy for such a "contagious disease" was punishment:

After being beaten they were taken to the hospital for mental examination by physicians. Their heads were shaved, with the exception of two strips of hair left in the form of a cross. Then they were imprisoned and tortured by powerful streams of cold water. Finally they were released, only to keep on preaching until 1844.

We should note that in the first advent children also played a role:

When the young children of Jerusalem joined the crowd at the temple, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, the "son of David," they fulfilled the Old Testament promise that "babes" would give praise to God. The religious leaders were outraged at this outburst of faith from these mere "children" and demanded they be silenced. Yet, Jesus knew that these words had been placed in the mouths of these children by God Almighty, Himself.

The Hands of the Cause of God

2007-12-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

Now they are gone to a better place to find rest and fulfil new duties.
With the departing of `Alí-Muhammad Varqá the number of 50 devoted
counsellors has become complete and we the struggling Baha'is will
miss them.

The Hands of the Cause of God

Appointed by Bahá'u'lláh

1 * Hají Mullá `Alí-Akbar (1842-1910), known as Hají Ákhund
2 * Hájí Mirzá Muhammad-Taqí (d.1917), known as Ibn-i-Abhar
3 * Mírzá Muhammad-Hasan (1848-1919), known as Adíb
4 * Mírzá `Ali-Muhammad (d.1928), known as Ibn-i-Asdaq

Appointed by `Abdu'l-Bahá (posthumous?)

5 * Aqa Muhammad-i-Qa'ini (1829-1892), known as Nabíl-i-Akbar
6 * Mirza 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá (d. 1896), the father of Ruhu'lláh
7 * Mulla Sadiq-i-Muqaddas, entitled Ismu'llahu'l-Asdaq
8 * Shaykh Muhammad-Riday-i-Yazdi

Appointed posthumously by Shoghi Effendi

9 * John Ebenezer Esslemont (1874-1925)
10 * Hájí Amín (1817-1928)
11 * Keith Ramsom-Kehler (1876-1933)
12 * Martha Root (1872-1939)
13 * Hyde Dunn (1855-1941)
14 * Siyyid Mustafá Rumí (d. 1942)
15 * Abdu'l-Jalil Bey Sa'd (d. 1942)
16 * Muhammed Taqiy-i-Isfahani (d. 1946)
17 * Roy C. Wilhelm (1875-1951)
18 * Louis George Gregory (1874-1951)

First contingent, appointed 24 December 1951 by Shoghi Effendi
Hands of the Cause at their plenary meeting, April 1963.
Hands of the Cause at their plenary meeting, April 1963.

19 * Dorothy Beecher Baker (1898-1954)
20 * Amelia Engelder Collins (1873-1962)
21 * `Alí-Akbar Furutan (1905-2003)
22 * Ugo Giachery (1896-1989)
23 * Hermann Grossmann (1899-1968)
24 * Horace Hotchkiss Holley (1887-1960)
25 * Leroy C. Ioas (1896-1965)
26 * William Sutherland Maxwell (1874-1952)
27 * Taráz'u'lláh Samandari (1874-1968)
28 * Valíyu'lláh Varqá (1884-1955)
29 * George Townshend (1876-1957)
30 * Charles Mason Remey (1874-1974)

Second contingent, appointed 29 February 1952 by Shoghi Effendi

31 * Siegfried Schopflocher (1877-1953)
32 * Shu'á'u'lláh `Alá'i (1889-1984)
33 * Musá Banání (1886-1971)
34 * Clara Dunn (1869-1960)
35 * Dhikru'lláh Khádim (1904-1986)
36 * Adelbert Mühlschlegel (1897-1980)
37 * Corinne Knight True (1861-1961)

Appointed by Shoghi Effendi [year of appointment]

38 * Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (1910-2000) [1952]
39 * Jalál Khádih (1897-1990) [1953] (also transliterated Jalal Khazeh)
40 * Paul Edmond Haney (1909-1982) [1954]
41 * `Ali-Muhammad Varqá (1911-2007) [1955]
42 * Agnes Baldwin Alexander (1875-1971) [1957]

Last contingent, appointed 2 October 1957 by Shoghi Effendi

43 * Hasan Muvaqqar Balyúzi (1908-1980)
44 * Abu'l-Qásim Faizi (1906-1980)
45 * John Graham Ferraby (1914-1973)
46 * Harold Collis Featherstone (1913-1990)
47 * Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir (1923-1979)
48 * Enoch Olinga (1926-1979)
49 * John Aldham Robarts (1901-1991)
50 * William Sears (1911-1992)

(found at Wikipedia see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hands_of_the_Cause )

moral and ethical development

2007-09-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

I do not think that mankind's future is inevitably doomed but it
has already been judged. When mankind turns again to religion
then there will be no ignorant masses because it will be the
obligation of the well-off to see to everyone's education and
they will.

"The moral and ethical development of man to his present
state, if due to any one cause, is due to religion.
Humanity has yet to find out whether the lofty emotions
which inspire man to-day will survive after a generation
or two of godlessness, and what sentiments materialism
will bring in its train. To all appearance, the reign of
materialism must needs entail the rule of selfishness; for
a cut and dried scheme for the equal division of wealth
will not inspire the noble sentiments which are to-day the
pride of man and which centuries of religion have instilled into
his very being. If the sanction of religion be removed to-day,
the ignorant masses and the masses must always remain ignorant
though they may be able to read and write a little will sink back,
gradually of course, into a state of savagery, while even those
who reckon themselves above the common level will no longer
feel the inspiration to noble and high ideals which only faith in
God can give."
(from The Religion Of Islam by Maulana Muhammad Ali)

New Freedom

2007-09-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

This is a new time with a need to approach truth with a new freedom.
It seems that religious organizations have abandoned the search for truth.
With this new freedom we have a terrible responsibility.

"We must recognize the sun, no matter from what dawning point it may shine forth, be it Mosaic, Abrahamic or any personal point of orientation whatever, for we are lovers of sunlight and not of orientation. We are lovers of illumination and not of lamps and candles. We are seekers for water, no matter from what rock it may gush forth. We are in need of fruit in whatsoever orchard it may be ripened. We long for rain; it matters not which cloud pours it down. We must not be fettered. If we renounce these fetters, we shall agree, for all are seekers of reality. The counterfeit or imitation of true religion has adulterated human belief, and the foundations have been lost sight of. The variance of these imitations has produced enmity and strife, war and bloodshed. Now the glorious and brilliant twentieth century has dawned, and the divine bounty is radiating universally. The Sun of Truth is shining forth in intense enkindlement. This is, verily, the century when these imitations must be forsaken, superstitions abandoned and God alone worshiped. We must look at the reality of the Prophets and Their teachings in order that we may agree."

Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace (Willmete: Baha'i Publishing Trust, 1982 Edition) p. 152. E-text from Ocean Library, http//: www.bahai-education.org

The Role of Jesus

2007-09-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

A Muslim Speaks of Jesus and his treatment by the Jews.
(from The Spirit of Islam)

"The nation lived in hope, but the hope was mixed with rigid uncompromising bigotry on the one hand, and a voluptuous epicureanism on the other. Jesus had come and gone, without producing any visible effect upon them. The child of his age, he was imbued with the Messianic ideas floating in the atmosphere in which he lived and moved. The Book of Daniel, written during one of the greatest travails of the nation, with its hopes and aspirations, could not but make a deep impression on the mind of the Teacher mourning over the sight of his stricken people. The fierce intolerance of the Zealots seated in their mountain homes, the lifeless ceremonialism of the Sadducees, the half-hearted liberalism of the Pharisees, the dreamy hopefulness of the Essenes, with one hand extended towards Alexandria and the other towards Buddhistic India, the preachings and denunciations of the wild Dervish, whose life became a sacrifice to the depravity of the Herodian court, all appealed to the heart of Jesus. But the Eagle's talons were clutched on the heart of Judaea, and its legions crushed out all hope of a violent change. The quietism of Jesus, and his earnest anticipation of a kingdom of heaven, to be ushered in by the direct instrumentality of God, were the outcome of his age. Among a nation of furious and relentless bigots, he had come as the messenger of universal brotherhood and love. In the midst of a proud and exclusive race, he trod the paths of humility and meekness; kind and gentle to his immediate followers, devoted to the cause of all, he left behind him the impress of an elevated, self-denying spirit. Among the powerful, the rich, and the ruling classes, he had roused only feelings of hatred, fear, and opposition; among the poor, the despised, the ignorant, and the oppressed, the deep compassion of the great Teacher had awakened sentiments of gratitude and love. One bright sunny morning he had entered the stronghold of Jewish fanaticism full of hope in his ministry as the promised Messiah; before a fortnight had run out, he was sacrificed to the vested interests of his day."

Truth does Come Out in the End

2007-08-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

I would have included this chapter from the Spirit of Islam in my Koran blog but it is more about Islam than the Koran specifically.

How the Christian responded to Islam and why, are explained very well in the quote below.

CHAPTER XII.
THE CHURCH MILITANT OF ISLAM.
(Arabic quote)[1]

THE extraordinary rapidity with which tho religion of the Arabian Prophet spread over the surface of the globe is one of the most wonderful phenomena in the history of religions. For centuries Christianity had hidden itself in byways and corners; not until it had largely absorbed and assimilated paganism, not until a half-pagan monarch had come to its assistance with edicts and orders, was it able to rear its head among the creeds of the world.

1 Sura ii. 257, "Let there be no compulsion in religion."
2 Sura v. 73. See p, 278, Compare this with the thunders of the Athanasian Creed.

Islam, within thirty years of the death of its teacher, found its way into the hearts of millions of people. And before a century was well over, the voice of the Recluse of Hira had rolled across three continents. The legions of the Caesars and the Chosroes, who endeavoured to stop the oil-rush of the new democracy preached in Arabia, were shattered to pieces by the children of the desert. Its wonderful success and marvellous effect upon the minds of men have given rise to the charge that, as a religion of the sword, Islam was propagated by the sword and upheld by the sword. We propose, therefore, carefully to examine the circumstances and facts connected with the rise of Islam, to see whether there is any truth in the statement.

At the time of the Prophet's advent into Medina, the two tribes of Aus and Khazraj, who had been engaged in deadly conflict for years, had just ended their strife by a hollow peace. There was every prospect of the war breaking out again with fiercer animosity. The Jews, who after the onslaught of Jabala had accepted the clientage of the Medinite Arabs, were fast recovering their strength, and were openly threatening their pagan compatriots with the vengeance of the Messiah, whose appearance was hourly expected. The surrounding tribes, among whom the influence of the Koreish was supreme, were arrayed in all their desert ferocity against Medina. The moment Mohammed appeared among the Medinites the elements of danger which threatened the new religion became apparent. The Meccan disciples who had braved death, and now faced destitution and exile for their Master and the light which he had brought to their hearts, were few and weak. His Medinite followers were not many; they were divided amongst themselves, actuated by tribal jealousies.

An important faction, headed by an influential chieftain, an aspirant to the throne of Medina, worked in the city on the side of the heathens. The Jews, compact and united, jealously and relentlessly, with poison and with treachery opposed him in every direction. But the heart which did not fail when the Koreish threatened him with death was not daunted when the existence of others depended on him. He at once set himself to the task of organising into a social entity the varied elements which had gathered round him as the minister of God. He substituted referees for the old tribal vendetta; he abolished the distinctions of Aus and Khazraj; he, comprehended the Jews and Christians in his little commonwealth, and planted germs of cordial relations among all believers; he proclaimed that a Jew, Sabaean, or Christian, whoever believed in God and future life, and acted righteously, "on him shall come no fear." To a people wedded to the worst type of heathenism, to a race with whom the shedding of blood was a second nature, he taught purity and truth, self-restraint, charity, and love of one's kind.

"It shall be an expiation with God," he said to them, "when one shall drop his right of retaliation." "He who shall mediate between men for a good purpose shall be the gainer thereby, but the, mediator for evil shall reap the fruit of his doing."

1 Sura iv. 87.

Whilst engaged in this divine work of humanising his people, raising them from the abyss of degradation, purifying them from abominations, he is attacked by his enemies, ruthless and untiring in their vengeance. They had sworn his death and the extirpation of his creed. The apostates from the faith of their fathers, as the Koreish regarded Mohammed and his followers to be, had betaken themselves to the rival city, to plant the germs of revolutionary doctrines. United Arabia must annihilate these crazy enthusiasts who had forsaken home and wealth for the sake of an unseen God, so exacting in His worship, so insistent on the common duties of love, charity, and benevolence, in purity of thought and deed. From the moment of his entry into Medina, Mohammed's destiny had become intertwined with that of his people, and of those who had invited and welcomed him into their midst. His destruction meant the destruction of the entire body of people who had gathered round the minister of God.

Surrounded by enemies and traitors, the whole of Arabia responding to the call of the Koreish, the ancient servitors of the national gods marching to their slaughter, his followers would have inevitably perished but for the swords in their hands. And it was not until their enemies were upon them that it was declared, "The infidels regard not in a believer either ties of blood or covenant; when they break their oaths of alliance, and attack you, defend yourself;" and again, "Defend yourself against your enemies; but attack them not first: God hateth the aggressor."[1] To the Moslems self-defence had become a question of self-preservation.

1 Sura ii 186.

They must either submit to be massacred or fight when they were attacked. They chose the latter alternative, and succeeded, after a long struggle, in subduing their enemies.

The bitter animosity of the Jews, their repeated violations of the most solemn engagements, their constant seditiousness, and their frequent endeavours to betray the Moslems to the idolaters, led naturally to severe chastisement. It was essentially necessary for the safety of the weak and small community, more as a deterrent warning than as a vindictive punishment. We have no right to assume that because some of the great teachers who have from time to time appeared on earth have succumbed under the force of opposing circumstances and become martyrs; that because others have created in their brains an unrealised Utopia; that because dreamers have existed, and enthusiasts have suffered, Mohammed was bound to follow their example, and leave the world before he had fulfilled his mission.

Nor was he obliged to sacrifice himself and the entire community over which he was called to preside, for the sake of carrying out what, in the present time, would be called an 'Idea'.

Let us compare the struggles of the Moslems in self-defence, and for self-preservation, with the frightful wars of the Jews and the Christians, and even of the gentle Parsis, for the propagation of their respective faiths. In the case of the Jews, aggression and extirpation were sanctified by religion. They were cursed for sparing.

In the ease of the early Christians, the doctrine of humility and meekness, preached by the Prophet of Nazareth, was soon forgotten in the pride of power. From the moment Christianity became a recognised force, the dominant faith of a community, it became aggressive and persecuting. Parallels have been drawn between Jesus and Mohammed by different writers.

Those fully penetrated with the conviction of the godhead of Jesus have recognised in the "earthly" means employed by the Arabian Prophet for the regeneration of his people the results of "Satanic suggestions," while the non-employment of such means (perhaps from want of opportunity to use them) has been looked upon as establishing the divinity of the Prophet of Nazareth.

We shall furnish reasons to show that such comparisons are unfair, based as they are on what is not only false to history, but false to human nature. The circumstances attending the lives of Jesus and Mohammed were wholly different. During his short ministry the influence of Jesus remained confined to a small body of followers, taken chiefly from the lower and uneducated ranks. He fell a victim [1] to the passions he had evoked by his scathing denunciations of the lifeless sacerdotalism of the priestly classes - to the undying hatred of a relentless race - before his followers had become either numerous or influential enough to require practical rules for their guidance, or before they could form an organisation, either for purposes of spiritual teaching, or as a safeguard against the persecutions of the dominant creed. Drawn from a powerful community with settled laws, the observance of which was guaranteed by the suzerain power, the followers of Jesus had no opportunity of forming an organisation, nor had the Teacher any need to frame rules of practical positive morality. The want was felt when the community became more extensive, and the genius of a scholar, well-versed in the Neo-Platonic lore, destroyed the individuality and simplicity of the teachings of the Master.

1 I write according to the generally received opinion among Western scholars; that Mohammed, in accordance with the traditions current in his time, believed that Jesus miraculously disappeared, there is no doubt. In spite of this so-called apocryphal Gnostic tradition being opposed to the general body of Christian traditions, there is as much historic probability on one side as the other. See ante, p. 54.

Mohammed, like Jesus, was followed from the commencement of his career as a preacher and reformer by the hostility and opposition of his people. His followers also, in the beginning, were few and insignificant. He also was preceded by men who had shaken off the bondage of idolatry, and listened to the springs of life within. He, too, preached gentleness, charity, and love.

But Mohammed appeared among a nation steeped in barbarous usages, who looked upon war as the object of life, a nation far removed from the materialising, degrading influences of the Greeks and the Romans, yet likewise far from their humanising influences. At first his enunciations evoked scorn, and then vengeful passions. His followers, however, increased in number and strength until at last the invitation of the Medinites crowned his glorious work with success. From the moment he accepted the asylum so nobly proffered, from the moment he was called upon to become their chief magistrate as well as their spiritual teacher, his fate became involved in theirs; from that time the hostilities of the idolaters and their allies required an unsleeping vigilance on the part of the Moslems.

A single city had to make head against the combined attacks of the multitudinous tribes of Arabia. Under these circumstances, energetic measures were often necessary to sustain the existence of the Moslem community. When persuasion failed, pressure was required. The same instinct of self-preservation which spoke so warmly within the bosom of the great Prophet of Nazareth, [1] when he advised his disciples to look to the instruments of defence, caused the persecuted Moslems to take up arms when attacked by their relentless enemies.

Gradually, by gentle kindness and energy, all the disjointed fragments of the Arabian tribes were brought together to the worship of the true God, and then peace settled upon the land. Born among a people the most fiery of the earth, then as now vehement and impulsive by nature, and possessed of passions as burning as the sun of their desert, Mohammed impressed on them habits of self-control and self-denial such as have never before been revealed in the pages of history.

1 Luke xxii. 36.

At the time of Mohammed's advent international obligations were unknown. When nations or tribes made war upon each other, the result usually was the massacre of the able-bodied, the slavery of the innocent, and plunder of the household penates.

The Romans, who took thirteen centuries to evolve a system of laws which was as comprehensive as it was elevated in conception, [1] could never realise the duties of international morality or of humanity. They waged war for the sole purpose of subjugating the surrounding nations. Where they succeeded, they imposed their will on the people absolutely.

Treaties were made and broken, just as convenience dictated. The liberty of other nations was never of the slightest importance in their estimation.[2] The introduction of Christianity made little or no change in the views entertained by its professors concerning international obligations. War was as inhuman and as exterminating as before; people were led into slavery without compunction on the part of the captors; treaties were made and broken just as suited the purpose of some designing chieftain. Christianity did not profess to deal with international morality, and so left its followers groping in the dark.

1 In justice to the Semitic races, I must say that almost all the great jurists of Rome were Semites, Phoenicians, Syrians, or Carthaginians.
2 Compare Dollinger, The Gentile and the Jew, throughout on this subject

Modern thinkers, instead of admitting this to be a real deficiency in the Christian system, natural to the unfinished state in which it was left, have tried to justify it A strange perversion of the human intellect! Hence, what is right in the individual comes to be considered wrong in the nation, and vice versa.

Religion and morality, two convertible terms, are kept apart from the domain of law. Religion, which claims to regulate the tie of individual men, ignores the reciprocal relations of the various aggregates of humanity.

Religion is thus reduced into mere sentimentalism, an object of gushing effusion, or mutual laudation at debating societies, albeit sometimes rising to the dignity of philosophical morality.

The basis of international obligations, as has been ably observed, consists in the recognition of nations as individuals, and of the fact that there is not one standard for individuals and another for nations; for as individuals compose a nation, so nations compose humanity; and the rights of nations and their obligations to each other in no-wise differ from those existing between individuals.[1]

True it is that the rise of the Latin Church in the West, and the necessary augmentation of the power of the bishops of Rome, introduced in the Latin Christian world a certain degree of international responsibility. But this was absolutely confined to the adherents of the Church of Rome, or was occasionally extended as a favour to Greek Christianity. The rest of the world was unconditionally excluded from the benefits of such responsibility.

1 David Urqnhart's essay on the Effects of the Contempt of International Law, reprinted from The East and West, Feb. 1867.

"'The name of religion served as the plea and justifications of aggression upon weaker nations; it led to their spoliation and enslavement." Every act of violation was sanctified by the Church, and, in case of extreme iniquity, absolution paved the criminal's way to heaven. From the first slaughters of Charlemagne, with the full sanction of the Church, to the massacre and enslavement of the unoffending races of America, there is an unbroken series of the infringement of international duties and the claims of humanity.

This utter disregard of the first principles of charity led also to the persecution of those followers of Jesus who ventured to think differently from the Church.[1] The rise of Protestantism made no difference. The wars and mutual persecutions of the several religious factions form a history in themselves.

"Persecution," says Hallani, "is the deadly original sin of the Reformed Churches, that which cools every honest man's zeal for their cause, in proportion as his raiding becomes more expansive."[2]

But, however much the various new-born Churches disagreed among themselves, or from the Church of Rome, regarding doctrinal and theological points, they were in perfect accord with each other in denying all community of interests and rights to nations outside the pale of Christendom.[3]

1 Compare Milman, Latin Christianity, vol. i. p. 352, and Lecky, History of Nationalism in Europe, chap, on Persecution.
2 Hallam's Const. Hist, of England, vol. i. chap. ii. p. 62. When Calvin burnt Servetus for his opinions regarding the Trinity, his act was applauded, says Lecky, by all sections of Protestants. Melanchthon, Bullinger, and Farel wrote to express their warm approbation of the crime. Beza defended it in an elaborate treatise; Lecky, Hist. of nationalism, vol. ii. p. 49. A study of the penal laws of England against the Catholics, Dissenters, and Nonconformists is enough to shock any candid mind.
3 Grotius, the founder, perhaps, of international law in Europe, formally excepted the Moslems from all community of rights with the European nations.

The spirit of Islam, on the contrary, is opposed to isolation and exclusiveness. In a comparatively rude age, when the world was immersed in darkness, moral and social, Mohammed preached those principles of equality which are only half-realised in other creeds, and promulgated laws which, for their expansiveness and nobility of conception, would bear comparison with the records of any faith.

"Islam," says the able writer to whom we have referred above, "offered its religion, but never enforced it; and the acceptance of that religion conferred co-equal rights with the conquering body, and emancipated the vanquished States from the conditions which every conqueror, since the world existed up to the period of Mohammed, had invariably imposed."

By the laws of Islam liberty of conscience and freedom of worship were allowed and guaranteed to the followers of every other creed under Moslem dominion. The passage in the Koran, "Let there be no compulsion in religion,"[1] testifies to the principle of toleration and charity inculcated by Islam. "What wilt thou force men to believe when belief can come only from God?" "Adhere to those who forsake you; speak truth to your own heart; do good to every one that does ill to you:" these are the precepts of a Teacher who has been accused of fanaticism and intolerance.

Let it be remembered that these are the utterances, not of a powerless enthusiast or philosophical dreamer paralysed by the weight of opposing forces. These are the utterances of a man in the plenitude of his power, of the head of a sufficiently strong and well-organised State, able to enforce his doctrines with the edge of his reputed sword.

In religion, as in politics, individuals and sects have preached toleration, and insisted upon its practice only so long as they have been powerless and feeble. The moment they have acquired strength enough to battle with the forces which they wish to supersede, tolerance gives way to persecution. With the accession of Constantine to the throne of the Caesars, Christianity was safe from molestation. But from that period commenced a system of religious persecution in its atrocity paralleled only by that of the Jews.

1 Sura ii 257 (a Medina sura),

"From the very moment," says Lecky, "the Church obtained civil power under Constantine, the general principle of coercion was admitted and acted on, both against the Jews, the heretics, and pagans." [1] They were tortured with every refinement of cruelty; they were burnt at a slow-consuming fire to enable them to think of the charity and humanity of the church of Christ. Father after father wrote about the holiness of persecution.

One of the greatest saints of the Church, "a saint of the most tender and exquisite piety" albeit "a sensualist and a Manichaean" supplied arguments for the most atrocious persecution. Did not the Master himself say, "Compel them to come in "?

1 Comp. Hallam, Const. Hist, of England, vol. i. chap. iii. p. 98.

In the hour of his greatest triumph, when the Arabian Prophet entered the old shrine of Mecca and broke down the idols, it was not in wrath or religious rage, but in pity, "Truth is come, darkness departeth," - announcing amnesty almost universal, commanding protection to the weak and poor, and freeing fugitive slaves.

Mohammed did not merely preach toleration; he embodied it into a law. To all conquered nations he offered liberty of worship. A nominal tribute was the only compensation they were required to pay for the observance and enjoyment of their faith. Once the tax or tribute was agreed upon, every interference with their religion or the liberty of conscience was regarded as a direct contravention of the laws of Islam. Could so much be said of other creeds?

Mark the message of the Prophet himself to the Christians of Najran:-
"The Prophet of the Lord wrote to the Bishop of the Bani Harith, and the bishops of Najran and their priests, and all that followed them, and their monks, saying, that they should continue in (the possession and practice of) everything small and great, as it then stood, in their churches, their monasteries, and their prayers. The pledge of God and of His Prophet was given that no bishop should be removed from his bishopric, nor any monk from his monastery, nor any priest from his priesthood; that their authority and rights should not be altered, nor anything whatever which was customary amongst them; so long as they conducted themselves peaceably and uprightly they shall not be burdened with oppression, neither shall they oppress."[1]

Proselytism by the sword was wholly contrary to the instincts of Mohammed, and wrangling over creeds his abhorrence. Repeatedly he exclaims, "Why wrangle over that which you know not; try to excel in good works; when you shall return to God, He will tell you about that in which you have differed."

We must now return to our examination of the wars of the Prophet. We have seen that the various conflicts of the Moslems under Mohammed with the surrounding tribes were occasioned by the aggressive and unrelenting hostility of the idolaters, and were necessary for self-defence.

The battle of Muta and the campaign of Tabuk, the earliest demonstrations against a foreign State, arose out of the assassination of an envoy by the Greeks.

Probably we should not have heard of the promulgation of Islam by the sword had the Moslems not punished the Eastern Christians for this murder. The battle of Muta was indecisive, and the campaign of Tabuk, - which was entirely defensive in its nature, (being undertaken to repulse the gathering of the forces of Heraclius), left this international crime unpunished during the lifetime of the Prophet; but his successors did not forget it, and a heavy penalty was exacted.

1 Muir, vol. ii. p. 299.

The extent of the Greek empire brought the Moslems into a state of belligerency with the greatest portion of Christendom, Besides, the anomalous position occupied by the governors of the provinces under the waning suzerainty of the Byzantine emperors rendered it impossible for the Moslem Chiefs to put an end to this condition of affairs by means of treaty stipulations with any one of them. Before one could be subdued and brought to terms another committed some act of hostility, and compelled the Moslems to punish him. Hence, the career once entered upon, they were placed in just warfare with nearly the whole of Christendom.[1]

Last Sermon

2007-08-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

Matt 7:24
"What then of the man who hears these words of mine and acts upon them? He is like a man who had the sense to build his house on rock. The rain came down, the floods rose, the wind blew, and beat upon that house; but it did not fall, because its foundations were on rock. But what of the man who hears these words of mine and does not act upon them? He is like a man who was foolish enough to build his house on sand. The rain came down, the floods rose, the wind blew, and beat upon that house; down it fell with a great crash.'

28 "When Jesus had finished this discourse the people were astounded at his teaching; unlike their own teachers he taught with a note of authority. "

And when He had finished another 600 years would pass until his return as Muhammad.

Sermon on the Mount 32

2007-08-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Matt 7:21

'Not everyone who calls me "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my heavenly Father. When that day comes, many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, cast out devils in your name, and in your name perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them to their face, "I never knew you; Out of my sight, you and your wicked ways !"'

Is this not Christ, talking to the Christians? What did they forget, that He rejects them? "...those who do the will of my heavenly Father", that is what they forgot. On His return, He will not allow them to come near to Him. They forget the onceness of God, they reject the message of Muhammad! They believe they understand God when no one can comprehend Him. They refuse to help the least ones on earth. See also all other references to "Sermon on the Mount".

Sermon on the Mount 31

2007-08-07T16:06:00.000-07:00

Matt 7:15

"'Beware of false prophets, men who come to you dressed up as sheep while underneath they are savage wolves. You will recognize them by the fruits they bear. Can grapes be picked from briars, or figs from thistles? In the same way, a good tree always yields good fruit, and a poor tree bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, or a poor tree good fruit. And when a tree does not yield good fruit it is cut down and burnt. That is why I say you will recognize them by their fruits."

He will claim to be a Christian. He will arise out of the Church and call men to serve God through him. Few who will follow him will look at his works. They will not see that his teachings must bring about peace and tranquility for mankind. Other leaders they will regard as enemies. This leader will leave a trail of suffering behind him.

Sermon on the Mount 30

2007-08-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

Matt 7:13

"Enter by the narrow gate. The gate is wide that leads to perdition,
there is plenty of room on the road, and many go that way;
but the gate that leads to life is small and the road is narrow,
and those who find it are few."

It is interesting that few conversation centre on the topic
of stopping ourselves from entering into harmful thoughts
and actions. We talk and act as if this is self-evident but
everyone of us needs encouragement. With the knowing that
restraint is one of the primary qualities, we will feel part of a team
each pulling his weight to improve the spiritual level of this
world. It comes with effort and is not possible without asking
God's assistance.

Sermon on the Mount (29)

2007-07-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

Matt 7:9
'Is there a man among you who will offer his son a stone when he asks for bread, or a snake when he asks for fish? If you, then, bad as you are, know how to give your children what is good for them, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him!

'Always treat others as you would like them to treat you: that is the Law and the prophets.'

Well, we complain of this world being a dark place but where is our light. The light that should shine from our faces and follow our actions. The prophecies have been fulfilled and the Word has come down. Where is the light of happiness among us?

Sermon of the Mount (28)

2007-07-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Matt 7:7

'Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.'

This is the key to God's justice. For how could He hold us to account if we did not have a way of finding Him, of finding the secrets of the spiritual worlds, and of being confirmed in the necessity of a righteous life. We must ask Him and then we must look with focused attention and intellect. If we truly take this process seriously then the answer will be quick and without the possibility of denial.

What is this world that holds us in its grasp? What is its purpose and what is our purpose? We each have a destiny in this mystery called life. How tragic if we waste it in chasing material pleasures?

Sermon of the Mount (27)

2007-07-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Matt 7:6 'Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls to the pigs: they will only trample on them, and turn and tear you to pieces.'

My feeling on this has to do with the wonderful understanding that the early disciples had of Jesus. Of His spiritual majesty and His all conquering nature. There is much that can be said of God and the disciples understood God, through their understanding of Christ. This they reflected in their faces and their actions. But to their enemies, those that would look for any excuse to persecute them, they must be wise and act modest and calm.

Sermon on the Mount (26)

2007-07-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7

1 'Pass no judgement, and you will not be judged. For as you judge others, so you will yourselves be judged, and whatever measure you deal out to others will be dealt back to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye, with never a thought for the great plank in your own? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye", when all the time there is that plank in your own? You hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's.'

This is an instruction to the Jews, the Christians and to the future Muslims because Muhammad had declared Christ a Messenger like Himself. It would seem that after two thousand years of practice, we should not see any criticizing of another. But what do we see?

The practice must have been half-hearted or forgotten and now we suffer the results. In our hearts we need to have control over our thoughts. This, in some camps, is called meditation and personal responsibility.

Sermon on the Mount (25)

2007-06-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

Matt 6:24

'No servant can be the slave of two masters; for either he will hate the first and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and think nothing of the second. You cannot serve God and Money.

25 'Therefore I bid you put away anxious thoughts about food and drink to keep you alive, and clothes to cover your body. Surely life is more than food, the body more than clothes. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow and reap and store in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are worth more than the birds! Is there a man of you who by anxious thought can add a foot to his height? And why be anxious about clothes? Consider how the lilies grow in the fields; they do not work, they do not spin; and yet, I tell you, even Solomon in all his splendour was not attired like one of these. But if that is how God clothes the grass in the fields, which is there today, and tomorrow is thrown on the stove, will he not all the more clothe you? How little faith you have! No, do not ask anxiously, "What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What shall we wear?" All these are things for the heathen to run after, not for you, because your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your mind on God's kingdom and his justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well. So do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will look after itself. Each day has troubles enough of its own. '

Whether we live long in this world or a short time, we are on a journey of distinction. Every effort we make to understand God and His creations will inspire us to praise Him and listen well to the messengers. Many a hill will we crest to view the lovely valleys and meadows of the kingdom.

What is Heaven?

2007-06-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Is it a place of delight, a land of surprise?
It is built for the investigator.
"No empty talk will they hear there."
We find "inner soundness and peace".

The light is from the Sun of righteousness.
The sound is sweet music of delicate winds.
Waiting is the beautiful partner that
will remind us of needed service.

Matt 6:22
'The lamp of the body is the eye.
If your eyes are sound,
you will have light for your whole body;
if the eyes are bad,
your whole body will be in darkness.'

'If then the only light you have is darkness,
the darkness is doubly dark.'
Service unviels the mysteries with shining
new countries and persons of destiction.

Sign of Jonah

2007-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

"For years I asked myself what exactly was the sign of Jonah. Now I think I have found it. When Jonah came to his people out of the fish the town's people accepted him completely. When Jesus speaks of His return he wants those who listen to know that His message will be accepted completely."

Matt 12:38 At this some of the doctors of the law and the Pharisees said, 'Master, we should like you to show us a sign.' He answered: 'It is a wicked, godless generation that asks for a sign; and the only sign that will be given it is the sign of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was in the sea-monster's belly for three days and three nights, and in the same way the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the bowels of the earth. At the Judgement, when this generation is on trial, the men of Nineveh will appear against it and ensure its condemnation, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and what is here is greater than Jonah. The Queen of the South will appear at the Judgement when this generation is on trial, and ensure its condemnation, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and what is here is greater than Solomon.

"And Christ waited and then returned with Muhammad, then the Bab, then Baha'u'llah, the third day."

Sermon 23

2007-06-18T11:31:00.000-07:00

Matt 6:19 'Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where it grows rusty and moth-eaten, and thieves break in to steal it. Store up treasure in heaven, where there is no moth and no rust to spoil it, no thieves to break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

This is your Big Chance. Jesus has told you where to save your Treasures, where no one can steal them. Go out and collect them! What? But you are not that body! You are the soul that controls that body! And there your treasures should be.

Sermon on the Mount (22)

2007-06-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

16 'So too when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites: they make their faces unsightly so that other people may see that they are fasting. I tell you this: they have their reward already. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that men may not see that you are fasting, but only your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees what is secret will give you your reward.

I know that the Jews fasted and later the Muslims fasted, even the Baha'is fast 19 days, sunrise to sunset, no food nor drink. So what happened to the Christian fast? It does not sound like Jesus overuled the fast. I have fasted for more than 35 years and it is special part of my year. But we know from Christ that we do not even let on that we are fasting.

Sermon on the Mount (21)

2007-06-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

Matt 6:14
For if you forgive others the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, then the wrongs you have done will not be forgiven by your Father.

Yes, He wants us to learn. The Messenger is the Teacher. The lessons are difficult and the school is tough. The standard was set very high back in 32 AD. How much have we matured as people. This attitude that Jesus laid on us is, so that we can walk into Paradise with clean hands and with a humble demeanor.

Sermon on the Mount (20)

2007-06-11T05:56:00.000-07:00

Matt 6:11

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us the wrong we have done,
as we have forgiven those who have wronged us.
And do not bring us to the test,
but save us from the evil one."

Just like we ask for help, we also have to do the same for others. Down the road there will be personal tests in our life and without His help we will surely fail. Our lower selves will draw us into materialism, attachment to this temperary world. Remembering Him will help us to put it all in perspective. This world has become a big advertisement drawing us, drawing us into the chaos of concern for those values that should never be on our minds. Life is a big family, but someone just wants all our money and will do anything to get it off of us.

Sermon on the Mount (19)

2007-06-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

Matt 6:9 'This is how you should pray:

"Our Father in heaven,
thy name be hallowed
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as in heaven.

This is what Jesus wished us to look for, so this is how we should pray. When Christ returns, even as He left, he will lead us, in the ways of the kingdom and the will of God. He will appear in the Glory of the Father and bring guidance so that we will make this earth a heaven. He will say to us those things that He was not able to reveal to us before.

Sermon on the Mount 18

2007-06-08T06:56:00.001-07:00

Matt 6:1 'Be careful not to make a show of your religion before men; if you do, no reward awaits you in your Father's house in heaven.

2 'Thus, when you do some act of charity, do not announce it with a flourish of trumpets, as the hypocrites do in synagogue and in the streets to win admiration from men. I tell you this: they have their reward already. No; when you do some act of charity, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing; your good deed must be secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

5 'Again, when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; they love to say their prayers standing up in synagogue and at the street-corners, for everyone to see them. I tell you this: they have their reward already. But when you pray, go into a room by yourself, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is there in the secret place; and your Father who sees what is secret will reward you.

7 In your prayers do not go babbling on like the heathen, who imagine that the more they say the more likely they are to be heard. Do not imitate them. Your Father knows what your needs are before you ask him.

Be a light to the world in your devotion. But let that be in private. It comes down to this, that if you are not moved in prayer and stirred by the knowledge of God then you are in need of a thorough review of your priorities.

Sermon on the Mount (17)

2007-06-04T23:07:00.000-07:00

Matt 5:43 "'You have learned that they were told, "Love your neighbour, hate your enemy." But what I tell you is this: Love your enemies and pray for your persecutors; only so can you be children of your heavenly Father, who makes his sun rise on good and bad alike, and sends the rain on the honest and the dishonest. If you love only those who love you, what reward can you expect? Surely the tax-gatherers do as much as that. And if you greet only your brothers, what is there extraordinary about that? Even the heathen do as much. There must be no limit to your goodness, as your heavenly Father's goodness knows no bounds."

Hard is the truth and where are the people who actually practice this principle? And yet I suspect that the person who does practice this love of neighbour, is the happiest of persons. He is in a place that gives him reasurance hour by hour. One who showed this character was 'Abdu'l-Baha.

Sermon on the Mount (16)

2007-06-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

Matt 5:38 'You have learned that they were told, "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth." But what I tell you is this: Do not set yourself against the man who wrongs you. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn and offer him your left. If a man wants to sue you for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. If a man in authority makes you go one mile, go with him two. Give when you are asked to give; and do not turn your back on a man who wants to borrow.

I do not have much insight on this, but to say that it applies in situations when we are dealing with friends, family and acquaintances. It does not apply to governments and organizations who are trying to exploit us.

Sermon on the Mount (15)

2007-05-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Matt 5:33 'Again, you have learned that our forefathers were told, "Do not break your oath", and, "Oaths sworn to the Lord must be kept." But what I tell you is this: You are not to swear at all not by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King, nor by your own head, because you cannot turn one hair of it white or black. Plain "Yes" or "No" is all you need to say; anything beyond that comes from the devil.

This is an interesting indicator. We are souls. Do we fear God's judgment or do we not. If we do not, if we believe only in this life, then we will swear an oath without any fear for our lies affecting our eternal life. Jesus says that just a yes or a no will do.

Sermon on the Mount (14)

2007-05-24T06:40:00.001-07:00

31 'They were told, "A man who divorces his wife must give her a note of dismissal." But what I tell you is this: If a man divorces his wife for any cause other than unchastity he involves her in adultery; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Marriage, in the time of Christ, was taken lightly and Jesus emphasized that marriage is an eternal institution. This institution was to be given more respect. Women were to be given more respect.

Sermon on the Mount (13)

2007-05-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

Matt 5:29 'If your right eye is your undoing, tear it out and fling it away; it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand is your undoing, cut it off and fling it away; it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to go to hell.

This has to be the hardest saying of Jesus and maybe the most effective. Is He not trying to tell us a truth that only such words can convey. The rest of eternity is that important, that a hand or eye lost now, is really worth the loss. It just forces people to put their thoughts a little beyond this contingent life. We should know even though He does not say, that we will be whole in the next world. From other sayings we will also gather that it is not this physical body that enters heaven. But even if we were to enter heaven lame, that is better than to enter hell whole. It is your own misunderstanding of your reality, that causes you to put so much importance in this worldly life. Jesus stands waiting to aid any who turn to him for a better understanding of the worlds of God.

Disappointments will drive you to do things that you will regret later. You will think that no one could forgive such acts. Maybe persons that you harm here will not forgive you, but God will. Jesus is waiting to guide you. The great Light of this world said:

"Dispute not with any one concerning the things of this world and its affairs, for God hath abandoned them to such as have set their affection upon them. Out of the whole world He hath chosen for Himself the hearts of men ..." (Baha'u'llah)

Sermon on the Mount (12)

2007-05-22T06:09:00.001-07:00

Matt 5:27 'You have learned that they were told, "Do not commit adultery." But what I tell you is this: If a man looks on a woman with a lustful eye, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

A man's inner life, his personal struggles, his successes and defeats are the reality of man. The outward following of the law is neccessary but only a part of the law. The instruction of the 'supreme educator' is to aid us in our journey through this world but much more in the next. If we arrive at the Gate with a burden of uncontrolled cravings, then we will not be able to enter.

If we turned away from the teachings and do not apply them in this world, what is the chance of us accepting instruction in the next. We will be presented with territories where desires are allowed to stray but it will not be the higher worlds.

Sermon on the Mount (11)

2007-05-19T07:22:00.001-07:00

Matt 5:25 "'If someone sues you, come to terms with him promptly while you are both on your way to court; otherwise he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the constable, and you will be put in jail. I tell you, once you are there you will not be let out till you have paid the last farthing."

Do not be so a part of this world, worldly, that your emotions drag you into worldly affairs and you forget your spiritual nature. If your friend wishes something of your wealth then it is better to let him have it, then to be captured by material concerns. If an enemy wishes your attention than give it, but on your terms. If he should injure your person or family leave that in God's hands. Settle any disputes as soon as they pop up. For tomorrow we may be standing in another world. Will our hearts be assured?

The Third Teaching

2007-05-17T09:05:00.000-07:00

His [Baha'u'llah's] third teaching is that religion is a mighty stronghold, but that it must engender love, not malevolence and hate. Should it lead to malice, spite, and hate, it is of no value at all. For religion is a remedy, and if the remedy bring on disease, then put it aside. Again, as to religious, racial, national and political bias: all these prejudices strike at the very root of human life; one and all they beget bloodshed, and the ruination of the world. So long as these prejudices survive, there will be continuous and fearsome wars.
('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections From the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha)
http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAB/sab-203.html#pg248

Sermon on the Mount (10)

2007-05-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:
21 'You have learned that our forefathers were told, "Do not commit murder; anyone who commits murder must be brought to judgement." But what I tell you is this: Anyone who nurses anger against his brother must be brought to judgement. If he abuses his brother he must answer for it to the court; if he sneers at him he will have to answer for it in the fires of hell.

23 'If, when you are bringing your gift to the altar, you suddenly remember that your brother has a grievance against you, leave your gift where it is before the altar. First go and make your peace with your brother, and only then come back and offer your gift.

What is it that we need to know to enter heaven? What is it that will allow us to walk straight in and we and the persons of heaven will be in harmony? The teachings of Jesus show us how we must conduct ourselves so that if we die tonight then all will be happy to receive us into a higher world of God. We cannot commit murder in heaven but if we think about murder then we will only be fit for fire. There is no room for anger in paradise. If we have a grievance with a friend how can we settle that disturbance in our heart, if we are suddenly taken away?

Sermon on the Mount (9)

2007-05-14T12:39:00.001-07:00

Matt 5:17
'Do not suppose that I have come to
abolish the Law and the prophets;
I did not come to abolish, but to complete.
I tell you this:
so long as heaven and earth endure,
not a letter, not a stroke, will disappear from the Law
until all that must happen has happened.
If any man therefore sets aside
even the least of the Law's demands,
and teaches others to do the same,
he will have the lowest place in the kingdom of Heaven,
whereas anyone who keeps the Law, and teaches others so,
will stand high in the kingdom of Heaven.
I tell you, unless you show yourselves far better men
than the Pharisees and the doctors of the law,
you can never enter the kingdom of Heaven.

And so the 'Law' must rule. But this is the law
which Jesus and the coming messengers can establish.
They each come to complete the law.
Spiritual law is eternal and unchanging but
man needs to be constantly reminded.
The social law is changeable and specific to
the times in which the messengers find themselves.
Each figure fulfils the law of his predecessor.
Pharisees prided themselves in fulfilling the letter
of the law while Jesus demanded the spirit of the law of Moses.

Sermon on the Mount (8)

2007-05-10T21:32:00.001-07:00

Matt 5:10 How blest are those who have suffered persecution for the cause of right; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

These that suffer are not so much the great actors on the stage of life but those that truly understand the Word of God and try to live that life. This living of the spiritual life will not go unnoticed and some who are irritated by a person of integrity will begin to focus attention on the humble soul to test their honesty, test their metal. The ignorant will want playthings to kick around. The leaders will portray the spiritual as self-righteous and false. And so the persecution starts. Humble souls do not want attention! They do feel that honesty is important and will speak up. They are the righteous! The other worlds of God are waiting for them as this one can be a disappointment.

Sermon on the Mount (seven)

2007-05-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

'How blest are the peacemakers; God shall call them his sons.'

Remember the story of the vineyard owner who sent his son to collect the payment from the vineyard renters. The son was murdered.

Being a peacemaker is not a desirable job and no one in their right mind would volunteer for the role. But now is such a time and God has set up an administrative system that is elected with no possiblity of opting out.

Many a ruler in history has made a try at making peace. How well they succeeded is hard to say. Surely the pain they were forced to endure, with no reward, drove them to despair or they were soon removed from this world. Muhammad, Jesus, Moses. Now we will see what the future will bring.

Sermon on the Mount (six)

2007-05-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

'How blest are those whose hearts are pure; they shall see God.'

Not having a pure heart, I feel locked out on this one.

But we can still meditate on it. Purity is not something that we have by never breaking God's laws. Purity is obtained by us, slow earthbound persons, through much prayer and service. We must be persistent and make efforts when temptation sticks up its tempting head. We must also rely on God's judgment and not our own.

Seeing God is understanding, to our spiritual best, our relation with God. We also must testify to the signs of God, and not deny his servants. Fear for ourselves must be left behind, and joy will lead us forward to state the truth as we see it. We will know the Messenger when He comes. This is true seeing.