Satay,
The Baha'i Faith ("Baha'i Faith" is the proper noun, and the adjective is "Baha'i") is a *revealed* religion, although it (by outside scholars) is placed in the Abrahamic traditions. There are three Onenesses: the Oneness of God, Oneness of Religion, and Oneness of Humanity. All Baha'is try to unite these three onenesses in their spiritual lives.
1) God is one. Baha'is believe that every culture in every society has had a glimpse of God, but God is ultimately far beyond our understandings and human limitations. God is both saguna and nirguna, and although our understandings of God is a human limitation, our perceptions of Him is considered an honour. Thus, even Buddhism has some sort of concept that would be labelled "God" in the Baha'i Faith.
2) All major religions are one. Baha'is believe in this doctrine called "Progressive Religion" where God sends Messengers to humanity in accordance with its spiritual understanding and bring the religion of God to the right path. Thus, for a certain Dispensation, that Messenger (called "Manifestation of God" because They manifest in perfection the Names and Attributes of God on Earth) becomes the Path of God. Each has revealed the same eternal principles, but social laws change accordingly. Thus, in reality, all these major religions (Judaism, Sabeanism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, the Babi Faith, the Baha'i Faith) are one. When religion becomes outdated or corrupt or the laws are too old, God sends a new Manifestation in accordance with the time.
Traditionally, Baha'is accept the following as Manifestations of God: Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, and the Bab. The most recent revelation and Manifestation of God for this Age is Baha'u'llah. He is claimed to be the Awaited One of all religions: Christ returned in the Glory of the Father of Christianity, the Great Announcement of Islam, the Shah of Bahram for Zoroastrianism, the 9th Avatar of Krishna for Hinduism, the Maitreya or 5th Buddha of Buddhism, the Messiah of Judaism, and "Him whom God shall make manifest" of the Babi religion.
Thus, to be a Baha'i is to be a follower of Baha'u'llah who is the Manifestion of God for this Age. Baha'u'llah wrote a number of Writings (Scriptures) and both Baha'u'llah's Writings and the Qur'an are seen as purely without corruption. But Baha'is also read the Gathas, the Torah, the Gospels, the Gita, and Buddha's Writings.
3) Humanity is one. Baha'is seek to unite the world through their principles which they see as the culmination of the teachings of God through Baha'u'llah: equality between the sexes, elimination of all prejudices, spiritual solutions to economic problems, removal of the extremes between wealth and poverty, universal compulsory education, harmony between science and religion, individual investigation of truth, etc. Thus, many of their social projects reflect these principles.
What made me go from the Baha'i Faith to Hinduism was that whilst Hinduism does not proselytise, Baha'is do teach the Faith. Although they do not necessarily 'preach' which is against Baha'i principles, teaching the Faith is of great, utmost importance. Because they believe that Baha'u'llah's Revelation has come to unite all humanity and bring it to advancement and progression, there is this strong urge that compels many Baha'is to have teaching campaigns and firesides.
Also, I am an asexual, and would like to experience a non-sexual relationship with someone of the same sex. However, such behaviour is not seen as appropriate with the Baha'i Faith.
I also do not disbelieve murti-worship. I can not help but have darshan of Krishna-murti and lovingly gaze at His blessedness, but for the Baha'i Faith, "idol-worship" is condemned as infantile superstition.
There are many reasons why, and it seems quite a jump; Hinduism is considered the oldest religion in the world, and the Baha'i Faith is the youngest organised religion in the world. However, theologically speaking, they have more similarities to each other in my perspective than any of the other world religions. Transitions between the two religions is like a single small step than anything else!
Although I love Christianity and I love Jesus, it just never spiritually served me. There were many things that I could not agree doctrinally by the majority of Christian beliefs encapsulated by the Nicene Creed, like the Trinity (in the Christian perspective), the black-and-white Heaven and Hell, Original Sin (that because of my parents' actions, I become responsible for them), the necessity of baptism and argumentation between all the denominations. They are also limited much to just Jesus as *the* form of God and many rules that Paul outlined in his letters are not followed today. Also, like all Baha'is, I interpret the Bible spiritually/metaphorically, not literally. (Lazarus was raised from the tomb of unbelief, and Jesus was resurrected into eternal life in the hearts of His believers. Christians tend to pick and choose what to take literally and what to take metaphorically.)
I love Catholicism for its antiquity, mystical spirituality, richness in prayers and practices, belief in intercession of the saints (all saints in Heaven can pray for us on earth), Heaven and Hell being states of the soul rather than literal places, etc. However, the doctrines of their interpretation of the Trinity and Original Sin turn me off.
Much of my family is Christian of some form; most of them are Roman Catholic, and at least one family is Baptist and another is Pentecostal. And my maternal grandmother's relative is a Jehovah's Witness. Being the first to adopt a veggie-diet as well as a non-Christian lifestyle caused much hurt, anger, frustration, misunderstanding, etc. Wait until they hear that I no longer ascribe to the Baha'i Faith and have finally adopted Hinduism... XD
I do fear that there will be much awkwardness by the next extended family gathering. But I refuse to blindly accept something just because my family does so. I have had members in my family (and extended) who bribed me to be Christian, stopped communication for a bit, was frustrated at me, brought argumentation, etc. when I became a Baha'i.
Imagine what it would be like to tell them that a) I am an asexual and I have been hiding it for so long, and b) I am now professing Hinduism, Sanatana Dharma, as my way of life! I both joke and feel depressed at such a situation, but I feel it may be inevitable. I have cried by their anger towards my adoption of a non-Christian religion AND by my veggie-diet...
Saidevo,
Thank you for your kind words! I have always disliked the name 'liberal' as it somehow implies a political fraction. Secondly, there is such a thing as a 'liberal Vaishnavite'? O__O;
I have studied religions since 11, and have read my first children's version of the Bible since 7. I have been through New Age, Wicca, Pentecostal Christianity, Catholic Christianity, and the Baha'i Faith. I have studied many smaller African cults, Islam, the Occult, Satanism, Buddhism, etc. I have read many religious texts and I still do on my free time as leisure, lol. At this point, Hinduism best suits my theological suit, philosophical appetite, devotional practices, and daily lifestyle.
I love Ardhanarishwara, simply because Ey manifests equally the traditional forms of human beings and sees both apparent 'dualities' as realistically unitive and transcendent. Although a Shaivite Deity form (I believe), I definitely do not disbelieve Shaivism and even appreciate what little I know of its sampradaya.
But liberal Vaishnav doesn't sound half-bad. I may adopt it! Thank you!
Namaste,
I give spiritual obeisances unto the God that dwells in you all,
Ardhanari.
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