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Debates of the differences between religions and the reasons I believe in the Baha'i Faith is not boosterism nor triumphalism.
Of course there is no alteration of the eternal ways of God. But the much in the Doctrines, Dogmas, Laws and Theology of ancient religions do not represent the eternal ways of God. Many here propose that the religion they believe in will evolve to fit the modern world, others believe that their belief will not change, because they believe that adopting to the modern world is in some way evil or wrong. The reality is that efforts to change and manipulate ancient religions to 'fit' the modern world represents humanist efforts to reform religion and results in more divisions in the religion between those that ant to change and those who do not.
[quote=Sen McGlinn]
And so Baha'u'llah can be entirely sincere in revealing for us, a prayer to be said for the progress of Islam:
Good citation, but does not address the real issues at hand.
Originally posted by Sen McGlinn
Baha'i belief in the unity of religion(s) rests not only on religion's common origin in the Absolute, and the transforming power that, at their best, religion(s) exhibit, but also in the idea that the religions have all pointed in one direction, and that the Baha'i faith is "the next step." That linear element is a seductive invitation to triumphalism: the idea that the values and truths and community structures of the new religion make the others obsolete and they must fall away.
The two big problems with triumphalism for Bahais are first that it is a self-defeating prophecy, because a new religious community that goes around telling others that their religions are outdated and they are doomed to eventually merge into the new paradigm naturally creates resistance, and distance between the new religious group and the culture around it, so it ends up as a marginal cult. Baha'is have done lots of that.
The evolution of a global religious system does not threaten the continuity of the constructive part of existing religions' activities or their institutions, whether clerical or lay.
And so Baha'u'llah can be entirely sincere in revealing for us, a prayer to be said for the progress of Islam:
Good citation, but does not address the real issues at hand.
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