Dear Gary, Michael, Ted. and Don Thank you so much so much so much for your four responses.
I have been using all these four slightly different approaches nearly every night in a University Christian Muslim and InterFaith setting some nights 35 souls attending I must say that when the room was full of Christians Gary Matthews's approach and method was most effective most penetrating of hearts and minds. Michael and Don's and Ted's slightly less so but also most helpful in terms of references. One most interested Christian scholar came to me and said: **This is the first time a Bahai approach [Gary Matthews's] has told us to **COME ON UP**! Most other presentations we have heard have been minimalist and reductionist**= his words not mine. When the room had a preponderance of Muslims they seemed to appreciate the Iqan's [egalitarian *We make no distinction between...as per the Holy Qur'an= laa nufarriqu bayna ah.adin minhum of the second sura] Thank you all again and a million thanks to Gary for reminding me to *come up* khazeh You said Gary Lua and Louis Gregory taught in this way : any evidence? Gary Matthews wrote Dear Khazeh, Many thanks for your inquiry. One would never guess, from reading your kind words, that so much of what I know about all these questions I've learned over the years from you! Your notes, commentaries and replies form a disproportionately large proportion of the massive files I keep for reference. The comments already posted by Ted Brownstein and Michael Sours also strike me as pure gold. Anything I can add should be taken basically as footnotes, reinforcing their points. At the risk, however, of overlapping, here are my own thoughts: You are absolutely right about the predominance of these three questions. Particularly the first -- the idea that Jesus is "the Way, the Truth and the Life" and "no one cometh to the Father" except by Him. This very passage is the topic of the Stonehaven Press pamphlet called "The Glory of Christ: A Baha'i Testimony". Its complete text is available on-line at: http://www.stonehaven-press.com/download/glory/gc-1.htm Briefly, it's true that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. The reason it's true is not (as some Christians assume) that all religions other than Christianity are false. Nor is it true because (as some Baha'is assume) the claim applies only "for His time". The reason it's eternally true is that Jesus Christ is the Founder and Central Figure of EVERY Faith, including Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Baha'i and all the rest. As David Young succinctly puts it, there is "one universal Christ who reappears from age to age". He has come under various guises -- as Krishna, Buddha, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah. He came before; He's appeared in our time; He'll come at other times in the future. But whatever He calls Himself, and whatever form He adopts, He's always the One Eternal Christ. These individuals are all the same person. That's the wording Baha'u'llah uses in the Kitab-i-Iqan: These He says all the Prophets are "one soul and the same person" (Iqan 152). By this He doesn't mean they're the reincarnation of one individual human soul. The "same person" refers to the indwelling Divine Spirit who animates all of them, and who speaks through them. In a sense, that "person" is God Himself: They incarnate not the Essence of God, but the Mind and Spirit of God. They therefore are all the same "Everlasting Beauty" (Iqan 22) appearing in "divers attire" (Iqan 153). The new "attire" refers of course to the outward human personality, which -- to the One Universal Christ -- is basically a suit of clothes He can change at will. This principle -- that all the Divine Messengers are the "same person" -- is the pervasive theme of the Kitab-i-Iqan. It's what Shoghi Effendi calls "the great and essential truth lying at the very core of [Baha'u'llah's] message to mankind" (WOB 118). As Michael notes, all the quotes and question you mention he discusses at length in his wonderful books, such as his Baha'i-Christian Dialogue three-volume series and his wonderful "Station and Claims of Baha'u'llah". They also are addressed, specifically and in detail, in my own "He Cometh with Clouds" (from George Ronald) and "Every Eye Shall See" (from Stonehaven Press) -- and of course in various pamphlets and booklets. Michael mentions his feeling (with which I agree) that the second quote (John 3:16) is one with which any Baha'i can concur wholeheartedly. I would add -- and I'm sure Michael would agree -- that the same is true of both the other quotes as well. How to approach these questions was the topic of a brief message I posted to the Baha'i-Apologetics forum several years ago. Rather than rehash its contents, let me append it below: =============================== Many thanks [I wrote to one of the list-members] for your admirable discussion of your research into early history and Arianism, and how this affected your online discussion with Christians. Your observations confirm my own: We as Baha'is tend to antagonize Christians because we come off sounding like Arius. We use his arguments, promote his positions, adopt his tone and terminology. This gives a distorted picture of the Baha'i position. If Christians knew what our Faith really teaches, most of them would find that teaching powerfully attractive. Our first instinct, in teaching Christians, usually is to try to undermine the Christian's reverence for Christ. We assume (mistakenly) that his/her reluctance to embrace Baha'u'llah derives from having a too-high opinion of Christ, so we naturally try to moderate that opinion: We argue that Jesus wasn't God, that He wasn't unique, that He wasn't so special -- that He was just a tool God used, like so many others. The Christian either runs screaming from the room, or launches a counter-offensive. We shake our heads in sadness, thinking, "My God, what fanatics these Christians are!" Both sides feel smugly vindicated, and we go our separate ways. A sounder approach, in my opinion, is not to try to diminish the Christian's enthusiasm for Christ, but the reverse: Why not magnify it? We can and should argue that Christ is even greater than Christians traditionally have realized; that He is even more unique, more indispensable, more divine, more special. We should demonstrate a sincere and absolutely genuine appreciation for Christ's reality that is even higher than that of the Christians themselves, and lovingly beckon them: "Come on up!" The key to doing this is John 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us ..." This reference to Christ shows that the biblical Christ means the everlasting Spirit of God -- that recurring Reality which Baha'u'llah (in the Iqan) calls the "Divine Presence". The Christ of the Bible is not merely the historical human being, Jesus of Nazareth, who walked the earth 2000 years ago. The Divine Christ is the indwelling Presence of God that was manifest _in_ Him, the same Presence that returns from age to age in every Manifestation, and which has today returned as Baha'u'llah. This "Presence of God" is the _real_ "Christ" of the Bible. In this sense, there is only one Christ, utterly unique and incomparable, ineffable, the only path to God -- "the way, the truth and the life" through whom we must approach the Father, because there is "no other name under heaven" whereby we may be saved. This is the Christ through whom "all things were made", who existed "before Abraham was" and who has RETURNED. That's why Baha'u'llah is not a "new Christ" but the same Christ with a new name. He's the same Divine Spirit in a different package. (Old wine in a new bottle, if you will.) This presentation of Christ is diametrically opposite to what Baha'is usually attempt. First of all, it stresses points of agreement. These are attitudes most Christians hold instinctively, even if they haven't verbalized them. Many Christians, exposed to this view of Christ, naturally say, "Why, that's _exactly_ what I already believe; this clearly is what the Bible teaches; I just never thought of it that way." (Many of them already do think of Him this way.) Second, it glorifies Christ instead of trying to whittle Him down. Third, it brings to light the sense in which Christ is truly and eternally unique -- yet it does so in a way that doesn't exclude Baha'u'llah or the other Manifestations. (These are "one soul and the same person" [Gleanings 50] if by that Person we mean the indwelling Christ-spirit.) One of the ways we diminish Christ is by emphasizing the historical human station, thus making Him "one among many". We do this, for example, by arguing that He was unique only during His dispensation. Thus He was (we may argue) "the way, the truth and the life" "for His time", but not today, having been replaced successively by Muhammad, the Bab, now Baha'u'llah, and others further on down the line. Even if true in a limited sense, this perspective is inherently misleading, because it suggests Baha'u'llah is not the RETURN of the One Christ, but "somebody else". They become competitors, with the Christian being asked to choose. We thus obscure the reality of the One Christ who is manifest in all the Manifestations, and to whom we ought to direct the Christian's attention. Any Baha'i presentation which compromises the absolute uniqueness of the Living Christ will be perceived by Christians as an attempt to undermine His station. They rightly recoil from any such presentation. I say "rightly" because such a view not only attacks the valid foundation of Christianity, but also that of the Baha'i Faith itself. When we explain Christ the way He really is explained in our own Teachings, we'll resonate with the Bible and with the sentiments of Christians themselves. Then we will be successful in teaching. This is the lesson of Arianism. More and more Baha'is are at last learning to teach Christians using this Christ-centred paradigm. The result, over the past several years, has been hundreds of new Baha'i declarations on the part of staunch, Bible-believing Christians. I've personally encountered not one, not ten, but dozens of devout believers in Christ who have accepted Baha'u'llah via this approach, and who today are deepened, dedicated Baha'is. And I've met even larger numbers of Christians who, though they're not yet Baha'is (and may never be), have become admirers and friends of our Faith and respect Baha'is as fellow-believers in Christ and the Bible. This isn't some "new method" of teaching Christians. It's the approach used by 'Abdu'l-Baha and the early great teachers of the Faith like Louis Gregory and Lua Getsinger. (That was back when traditional Christianity had an even stronger hold on the public than it has today, and when our Faith was doubling or tripling its membership every year in America.) Maybe we need to rediscover what they already knew! ======================================== Loving regards, Gary > >***Now strive ye that the Collective Centre of the sacred religions - for >the inculcation of which all the Prophets were manifested and which is no >other than the spirit of the divine teachings - be spread... so that each >one of you may shine forth from the horizon of reality like unto the morning >star, divine illumination may overcome the darkness of nature, and the world >of humanity may become enlightened. This is ***the most great work! *** >Should you become confirmed therein, this world will become another world, >the surface of the earth will become the delectable paradise, and eternal >Institutions be founded. > > (`Abdu'l-Baha: Tablets of the Divine Plan, Pages: 106-107) _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Gary & Cheri Matthews [EMAIL PROTECTED] Stonehaven Press 865/637-6331 (work) 3101 Woodbine Avenue 865/637-6331 (fax) Knoxville, TN 37914 865/521-7829 (home) <http://www.stonehaven-press.com> _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ And from Michael W. Sours <<These are the most famous three. I believe the Universal House of Justice referred to Passages of Exclusivity and Finality in Their Letter to Leaders. But to my limited limited knowledge *no one* has taken up these Passages ...>> Dear Khazeh, Actually, these verses you inquired about are addressed in a number of Baha'i books. But its good that you bring them to other's attention, for of all the verses in the Bible, these three are foremost the ones every Baha'i who teaches Christians would do well to memorize. 1) John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Baha'u'llah's Tablet to the Christians (1990), pages 45-6. Understanding Christian Beliefs (1991), pages 88, 121, 161. The Prophecies of Jesus (1991), page121. The Station and Claims of Baha'u'llah, 1997), pages 76-77. Briefly, this claim is found in all religions, even Buddhism. It refers to the Reality the Manifestation of God represents and embodies, the eternal Word and Truth, and is not a point distinquishing one from another Manifestations, but rather distinquishing their way of self-sacrifice and compassion from the ways of the world--i.e., greed, violence, materialism, etc. It is an excellent verse to reflect on in relation to the materialism in the world today. 2) John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Understanding Biblical Evidence (1990), pages 110, 133. Understanding Christian Beliefs (1991), pages 71, 84, 85. The Station and Claims of Baha'u'llah, 1997), pages 201. With regard to John 3:16, there's little that needs to be said, other than this: This verse is every bit as much an assurance to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ--whether Christian, Muslim, or Baha'i. So there really is no question to answer, merely a concurance. The Baha'i Faith affirms the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus. This verse is well worth reciting to any Christian who doubts the everlasting life of Baha'is--it is an undeniable assurance of Jesus Christ Himself that Baha'is are saved by their belief and faith. 3) Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Baha'u'llah's Tablet to the Christians (1990), page 38. Understanding Christian Prophecy (1991), pages 186, 187, 191, 192, 199. The Station and Claims of Baha'u'llah, 1997), pages 102, 105, 193. Saint Peter (Acts 4:12) uses the word "name," but in biblical usage, as Christian commentators agree, this refers to the person, or more particularly what the person represents. So the answer to John 14:6 applies here as well. It is another verse to reflect on in relation to the materialism in the world today. This verse is reflected in Baha'i scripture as well: "This is the day whereon nothing amongst all things, nor any name amongst all names, can profit you save through this Name which God hath made the Manifestation of His Cause and the Dayspring of His Most Excellent Titles unto all who are in the kingdom of creation." (ESW 97) I think you will find that, besides other Baha'i books, a number of broad-minded Christians have taken up these verses in their own commentaries and books and given very satisfactory answers, better than any I have written. The book, "The Station and Claims of Baha'u'llah", of course is my own sincere attempt to take up at length the issue of exclusivity and finality in our own teaching as it relates to us as a Faith community and our own sacred Writings, but in doing so, the book brings together examples from other Faiths, such as the verses you mentioned. Like Ted, I look forward to what Gary and others may add to this subjects as well. Warmest, Michael and from Ted Brownstein Greetings, Khazeh: I'm looking forward to Gary's response. Here is an approach to the question you raise that you may find helpful as well. cheers, ted =============================== Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Bahá'í teachers are sometimes perplexed when asked to explain certain verses in the Gospels that refer to Christ as the only way to God. There are of course many ways that such questions can be addressed. In this section, we will look at two Gospel texts and examine various ways this issue can be resolved. Bible quotes: Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must get saved. (Acts 4:12) Several possible Bahá'í responses to such questions are summarized below. Choose one most likely to be accepted by your hearer. " Bahá'ís agree that there is no path to God that sidesteps or belittles Jesus. Belief in Christ and belief in the saving power of His death on the cross are central teachings of the Bahá'í Faith. Bahá'í Writings make it plain that we cannot accept Bahá'u'lláh and at the same time deny Christ. " There is only one path to God. The various prophets such as Moses, Isaiah, Christ and Bahá'u'lláh do not teach competitive paths but rather they all teach the one true way to the Father. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all taught the same Gospel, as did Bahá'u'lláh. " Baha'is believe that Bahá'u'lláh is the return of the Spirit of Christ. Thus Bahá'u'lláh has been called "the return of the only Way." " Christ was the personification of the divine Word. No one can come to God except through the Word of God. " Christ was the personification of divine Love. No one can come to God except through Love. " Jesus' love extends beyond the Christian Church and embraces the whole world. The Spirit of Christ is revealed in the New Testament to be the Word of God who was with God in the beginning (John 1:1). Baha'is believe that this Eternal Christ has operated visibly and invisibly throughout the ages to bless all humanity in the past, present and future. " It is even possible for someone to serve the Eternal Christ without knowing it, just as some people who imagine that they serve Christ, do not actually know Him. (Matthew 25:34-45) Acts 17:23 refers to "The Unknown God, whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." Baha'is believe that the spirit of Buddha, the spirit of Muhammad and the Spirit of all the great prophets of the world are in reality the same as the Spirit of Christ, although people are unaware of it. The supreme love and unity is witnessed in the divine Manifestations. Among Them unity is indissoluble, changeless, eternal and everlasting. Each One is expressive and representative of all. If we deny One of the Manifestations of God, we deny all. (The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 208) Ask a Bahá'í to deny any of the great Prophets, to deny his faith or to deny Moses, Muhammad or Christ, and he will say: I would rather die. (Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p. 56) In sum, Bahá'ís can wholeheartedly agree with Christians about the truth of the Bible verses found at John 14:6 and Acts 4:12. No one can "come to the Father" without confessing the "name of Jesus." =================== and from Don calkins Khazeh Fananapazir wrote: > > Could you compose in the next twenty four hours a brief essay for me as to > how to respond to the MOST FREQUENTLY QUOTED THREE Passages of the New > Testament > If I may intrude, Khazeh . . . . . I think part of the problem American(ized) Baha'is have in dealing with these questions is because we tend to think of Baha'u'llah as a 19th Century liberal/progressive philosopher. This attitude is discussed by Douglas Martin in the transcript of his talk, "Mankind's Coming Encounter with Baha'u'llah", distributed at the direction of the House of Justice. He in turn is elaborating on the House of Justice statement just before the World Congress that it was time to "blazon the name of Baha'u'llah". This was, in my opinion, a clarion call to not only acquaint the world with the name "Baha'u'llah", but also with Who He really is - the World Redeemer promised by all the religions of the past, in Christian terminology - the Return of Christ! You might want to look at Baha'u'llah's own statements to Christians found in "Summons of the Lord of Hosts". The objection I hear to this tactic is that Abdu'l-Baha is our example, and that is not how He taught. However, He had been promoted as a liberal reformer by the American Baha'is, and many of His talks here in America were to liberal groups who had invited Him to speak on that basis. It would not have been appropriate for Him to have emphasized Baha'u'llah's station under those conditions. I also hear that this is not how we were teaching during the growth spurt of the 70's and 80's. However that was then and this is now. If the old method is so successful, why is it not being translated into numbers? Now, as then, we must go to the groups that are truly searching and teach according to their needs, not our desires. Today, that means conservative and fundamentalist Christians. As to our liberal friends, they are not really paying attention anyway, and Baha'u'llah said, "If thou receivest not a hearing, shake the dust off your boots" (quoting from memory there). I.e., go somewhere else. If we quietly, emphatically and persistantly promote Baha'u'llah as the Return of Christ, their arguments will not confound us. BTW, I love your gentle sense of humour. Don C In reply to my original plea Dear Gary Matthews Dearly loved highly respected Friend and Brother and truly an expert in Christian teaching I need your help I need your assistance. Could you compose in the next twenty four hours a brief essay for me as to how to respond to the MOST FREQUENTLY QUOTED THREE Passages of the New Testament They are most frequently quoted. In fact ***no one cometh to any fireside*** except with these three quotations *** 1]John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. *** 2]John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not ****is condemned already*****, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 3]Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is ***none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. *** These are the most famous three. I believe the Universal House of Justice referred to Passages of Exclusivity and Finality in Their Letter to Leaders. But to my limited limited knowledge *no one* has taken up these Passages ... Can you help dearest Gary Matthews? Please... Many many loved and sincere souls* have tried but there is particular appeal in our community [and myself] with your method, your exposition, and your expertise in this most vital most needful area. * such as http://www.bci.org/prophecy-fulfilled/leaven.htm I Am the Way by Joel Smith khazeh f. worried always that i am most definitely falling behind re: the Most Great Work ***Now strive ye that the Collective Centre of the sacred religions - for the inculcation of which all the Prophets were manifested and which is no other than the spirit of the divine teachings - be spread... so that each one of you may shine forth from the horizon of reality like unto the morning star, divine illumination may overcome the darkness of nature, and the world of humanity may become enlightened. This is ***the most great work! *** Should you become confirmed therein, this world will become another world, the surface of the earth will become the delectable paradise, and eternal Institutions be founded. (`Abdu'l-Baha: Tablets of the Divine Plan, Pages: 106-107) khazeh your humble servant and a dust in the path of the friends __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
