Re: Some sort of statement of support.

Hi Gilberto,

What a Bahai means by "Jesus Christ is divine" is definitely not the
same as what a (mainstream orthodox) Christian means by "Jesus Christ
is divine". What a Bahai means by "Jesus Christ is the Son" is
definitely not what a (mainstream orthodox) Christian means by "Jesus
Christ is the Son". So a Christian reading the above will tend to get
a false impression of what Bahais believe.

Maybe so, but the real important question is what did Christ mean when
He referred to His Father? It is our contention that our understanding
is closer to Christ's meaning, a truer understanding of God's Truth,
than the Christian understanding. We are still using the same text
Christians use, and come up with a different understanding.

I talked to you months ago, maybe years ago, about the Surih of the
Fig. Do you remember? I believe the Prophet was misunderstood by His
scribes. If that were the case, if He were misunderstood, wouldn't you
want to know the truth?

If Christians misunderstand even one letter of one word of the Bible
shouldn't they be allowed the opportunity to understand it?

If not, well, examining our views isn't going to hurt anyone, is it?

Thanks for reading. --Kent

Gilberto Simpson wrote:
On 9/11/06, Suzanne Gerstner <sb.gerstner@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gilberto Simpson" <gilberto.simpson@xxxxxxxxx>
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Sent: Monday, September 11, 2006 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: Some sort of statement of support.

On 9/9/06, Suzanne Gerstner <sb.gerstner@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
It tends to muddy the waters in terms of what the Bahai claims
actually are. Bahais tell potential converts from Christian
bacakgrounds that they believe in the Sonship and Divinity of Christ.

Dear Gilberto,
That isn't just what "Baha'is" say. That's what Shoghi Effendi, the
Guardian of the Faith, said:

Ok, but it doesn't affect my point.

Doesn't it? I thought you were saying we were just saying whatever we
thought others wanted to hear in order to get converts.

I'm not making a sweeping generalization, just mentioning specific
cases where that actually seems to be the case.

I think that's
different than stating one's beliefs which happen to accord with others,
based on the writings of the central Figures of our Faith.

But the beliefs are not actually "in accord" in the case we are
talking about. Not really.

"As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any
hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally
acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are
fearlessly
asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully
recognized...,
(Shoghi Effendi: The Promised Day is Come, Page: 109)

What a Bahai means by "Jesus Christ is divine" is definitely not the
same as what a (mainstream orthodox) Christian means by "Jesus Christ
is divine". What a Bahai means by "Jesus Christ is the Son" is
definitely not what a (mainstream orthodox) Christian means by "Jesus
Christ is the Son". So a Christian reading the above will tend to get
a false impression of what Bahais believe.

-Gilberto

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Some sort of statement of support.
    ... Bahais tell potential converts from Christian ... >> hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally ... What a Bahai means by "Jesus Christ is the Son" is ...
    (soc.religion.bahai)
  • Right on Target!
    ... made here between Pantheism, ... As a Pantheist, the Bahai ... with Christian imagery, but who are not happy with the mainstream, I ... to a Unity Church at least once. ...
    (talk.religion.pantheism)
  • Re: Tahirihs Letter
    ... When a Christian approaches me and says that I should accept Jesus Christ and be saved, ... If a Muslim was to give me the 5 pillars, I would say three times, "There is no God but God and Muhammad was His prophet". ... I was raised a Catholic but fell away in my teens and did not read the bible or Koran until I became a Bahai some 40 years later. ... the Bahai non non-Christian human wayfarer ...
    (soc.religion.bahai)
  • Re: THIS Resplendent Beauty
    ... wouldn't a Christian be able to do more in the world than a Bahai? ... Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Theresa, Gustavo Gutierrez and the ... but if that were all I wanted from a religion I would have stayed ...
    (soc.religion.bahai)
  • Re: Off Topic: Jett Travolta dead at 16
    ... Travolta's son dying while vacationing in the Bahama's? ... I don't know why so many so called 'Christian' religions call ... God said I will ... give blood to their own children even if they desperately needed it. ...
    (alt.games.video.xbox)