Re: Questions about Omniscience and related matters

[Smaneck]

Could anyone else tell me, what stands out in your mind about why you converted. What was the thing that grabbed you adn convinced you.   Dear Ron,   I was very young when I became a Baha'i. When I read Release the Sun and compared it with the Gospels it seemed to me that it was the same story. I couldn't accept one and reject the other. Either both were true or both were false.   In that sense, I think we were coming from very different places. You were reacting against your fundamentalist upbringing and accepted the Faith because you thought it was not like the kind of Christianity you were raised with. I became a Baha'i because it *was* the same as Christianity in my eyes. Mind you, I was raised liberal Christian. "How can you be certain. Do you ever have doubts."   Yep. Do you remember the posting I made about doubt nearly seven years ago? Here is the URL: http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist/m9.html   There is a short book by a famous Christian theologian by the name of Paul Tillich entitled *The Dynamics of Faith*. He argues that doubt is an integral part of faith. You might take a look at it sometime. "We are led to expect a Baha'i World Order (and most Baha'is I know expect it real soon now.)"   Really? I don't know any Baha'is who expect the Baha'i World Order anytime soon. I remember some that were like that in my youth, however.   I mentioned to my friend that I had recently returned form a business trip to India, adn that i had the opportunity visit the Lotus Baha'i Center in New Delhi. I found it most beautiful and peaceful. His eyes lit up and he said he had hear that more people visit the New Delhi House of Worship than visit the Taj Mahal.   "Dr. Maneck, I know you have a history in India and you have mentioned the fantastic success in growing the Faith in India many years ago Is there any evidence that the Baha'i community is growing still in India?"   Well, I know last year there were some 1700 declarations in a single cluster of which over a third had completed Book One of Ruhi. Getting growth has never been a problem. Sustaining a vibrant community, as you mention, something else entirely. I can assure you that in the previous mass enrollments they never would have gotten over a third of the enrollees do anything like this together, so this is really quite promising. I'm going to post a newsletter up about this in a minute if I can. If I can't, I'll send it to you privately.   warmest, Susan   __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu