On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 07:48:03 -0800 (PST), JS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote:
>
>
> G: Just to try to explain more why I think it is reasonable to draw a
> distinction between exclusiveness and final, and perhaps why I see it
> as a real difference (and why Bahais seem not to) I would say this.
> J: For the record, I see exclusiveness and finality as different from one
> another. I also believe that there are elements of exclusivity and finality
> in both Islam and Christianity. Christians, in my view, believe in Finality
> of the Bible.
G: I would say that in Christianity the exclusiveness dominates the mix.
I would also say there are also elements of exclusivity in the Bahai
faith (or at least the Bahai community)J: I can't remember point of this theat anymore. But I thought it was to show that just as Christians believe in the Finality of the Bible and the Finality of Jesus, Muslims believe in the finality of Muhammad and the Qur'an. Yes, there are elements of exclusivity in all three religions, and more in some than in the other.
G: According to the Catholic Church (so the body representing most
Christians) there is a well developed concept of private revelation.
So there are certain visionaries who have claimed to receive messages
from God, have passed along messages, and their sainthood has been
canonized by the Church.J: Private revelation is not what I am talking about. I am talking about revelation applicable to all of humanity. No one can add to the Bible, nor is there a way for someone to come equal to Jesus (until the end of time). So, in the same way that Islam permits the appearance of the Qur'an and the Prophet, Baha'i permits the appearance of Baha'u'llah and His writings.
G: This is one significant way in which one could argue that for many
Christians prophethood isn't really final. Not all revelation is
really contained in the Bible.
J: We are not talking about the same thing. If you were seeing it from my perspective, then you would expect the Bible to have more chapters than Revelations, and Jesus would have come a few times before the end of time. (from a Christian perspective I mean, because of course the continuation of the Bible is the Qur'an and the reappearance of the Prophet is Muhammad).
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