Tag: manifestations of god

If I followed the teaching of Baha’i would I need to change my lifelong relationship with Jesus? I wonder how can I, as a lifelong Christian, focus my prayers from Jesus to Bahá’u’lláh?

Yes, the Bahá’í teaching that “all the religions are one” is a challenging claim. Religions say different things, contradictory things, often in opposition to each other. In fact, in a single religious tradition — such as Christianity — various denominations often say diametrically opposing things on certain issues, such as who was Jesus, how do we attain salvation and should Christians be drinking alcohol.

The Bible promises an unending covenant between God and man, God’s commitment never to leave humankind alone. That original covenant is symbolized by the rainbow: “I set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” The succession of God’s prophets over millennia fulfills that promise. God’s message is “updated” periodically through “Manifestations of God.” Abraham and Moses appear in the Old Testament, Christ in the New Testament and all within Muhammad’s Quran. Baha’is believe other manifestations include Krishna, Zoroaster and Buddha.

Besides symbolizing God’s eternal promise, the rainbow’s physical and spiritual beauty can be viewed as a metaphor for how we humans age. As we go through life, we admire rainbows from afar, pure light scattering myriad hues through crystal prisms of raindrops. The naked eye detects only bright colors, distinct yet inseparable.

The Baha’i canon includes original scriptures handwritten by the Bab and Baha’u’llah, as well as authoritative interpretations by Baha’u’llah’s son ‘Abdu’l-Baha and great-grandson, Shoghi Effendi. Much of this canon was written in Arabic and Farsi. These original writings are available for research by scholars. Because the Baha’i Faith places great value on independent investigation, Baha’i administration oversees authorized translations into both mainstream and indigenous languages globally.

When we learn with equity and care of the teachings of other religions, we discover much good and truth in faith traditions other than one’s own.

Baha’is regard them as “Manifestations of God.” Each Manifestation ushers in a new “dispensation” of religious teachings destined to guide humankind for many centuries. When circumstances warrant, a new Manifestation appears, reiterates God’s unchanging laws, and brings in new laws commensurate with humankind’s ability to implement those laws.