Hi Aussie
Thank you for your letter here. I was glad to read it. That you are fair minded in regards to other faiths, not avoiding to study them just because your Faith is Christian. You seem to have a deep honest Faith, that you carry a great Light that gives you a clear view over what is true elsewhere. That's how it should be.
As a Bahai and a follower of Bahaullah we are greatly encouraged to study other world religions that we may understand that they are divine too in essence. Often we are using the picture of a road along which all mankind is walking up through history. The road being lit up by divine lamps, Messengers, or as we call them, Manifestations of God ,one after the other.
This is called progressive religion, forming one unity. It means that all mankind has from immemorial times been guided by Spiritual Messengers, each one giving a portion of the spirit according to the capacity of the people. Social prescriptions have varied according to the exigencies of time, and this progress will never end.
For this age, God has foreordained equality of the sexes, harmony between religion and science, a world government and so forth according to the needs we have today in this global era..In About Me you can see an overview of the prescriptions for todays world. One can say these prescriptions are part of the remaining truth spoken of by Jesus. We believe.
He, that has prescribed this is regarded by us followers as the Return of the Spirit and His name is Bahaullah. (1817 -1892) See Rev 3: 12 regarding NEW NAME. So Bahaullah has made the greatest Claim ever. It should be examined by all.
The first stirrings of the Bahai Faith took place already in 1844, The very year that was proclaimed as the year when the Gospel had been preached in every spot on earth. (According to the International Bible Society) . This is the sign" for a witness" of Jesus's Return. =The Return of the Spirit, carrying a NEW NAME
It is also the same year that the "Time of the gentiles" was ended, and the Jews were allowed , (through the Edict of Toleration)to enter the homeland of their ancestors. An entry spoken of by Jesus as marking the year of His Return.
I hope that somebody among the christians here at Adland would feel prompted to examine the Bahai Faith at this news.
The Bahais do suffer a lot in the homeland , Iran, of this Faith. among the mullas and ayatollahs, They are set aside of the law, are persecuted, imprisoned, must not gather, go to school or have a "statejob" and what not. Still these Bahais are very strong and steadfast and happy, doing good for their fellowprisoners.
From time to time Bahai holy places in Iran are levelled with the ground. But the Iranian Bahais have received support time and again via UN who have directed sharp warnings to the authorities of Iran, not to persecute the Bahais and not to destroy our holy places. Some ease has thereafter occurred, but the game isn't over yet.
In the whole moslem world the Bahais are having a hard time. From the beginning it has been so , Bahaullah Himself being regarded as a threat to both the clergy and the state authorities. They were indeed afraid He would strip them off their positions since He was so loved by all. The Shah called upon Him to hear His Message and His claims, but then got afraid, regretted it and sent Him away as He was approaching the court. I could go on telling you remarkable things, even about miracles, but I do not know who is interested.
Are you Aussie? http://www.Bahai.us or http://www.Bahai.org are informative sites for the one who has become a little intrigued.
Kind regards from Laila