Dear Susan, I should have said: most Jews today do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, most Christians today do not Muhammad as a Messenger of God, most Muslims today do not accept the Bab or Baha'u'llah.
Therefore, it seems that mankind, in general, has not fulfilled its part of the Greater Covenant as described below: The Greater Covenant (also referred to as "the general Covenant", WOB 137, and "the Eternal Covenant" SWA 227) concerns the promise on the part of God, given through one of the Manifestations of God, that He will not leave humanity without guidance and will therefore send a further Manifestation of God. Humanity's part of the agreement is that it will obey God's law as sent by the present Manifestation and will recognize and obey the next Manifestation when he comes. This covenant is most succinctly summed up by the Báb in the Persian Bayán: "The Lord of the universe hath never raised up a prophet nor hath He sent down a Book unless He hath established His covenant with all men, calling for their acceptance of the next Revelation and of the next Book; inasmuch as the outpourings of His bounty are ceaseless and without limit." (Persian Bayán 6:16; SWB 87) Thanks, Dean > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "smaneck" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2007 11:41 PM > Subject: [bahai-discuss] Re: The Greater Covenant > > > > > > Dear Dean, > > > > I'd say that was a bit of an over-generalization. Most of the early > > Christians were Jews after all, just as the early Baha'is were all > > Muslims. As for Christians, they were first introduced to Islam by > > means of an outside invasion, so naturally their reaction was > > negative. > > > > warmest, Susan > > > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Dean Betts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > > > > I would appreciate any help in trying to remove some cobwebs from > > my tired brain. > > > > > > Are the following statements correct? > > > > > > Mankind has never fulfilled its side of the Covenant, ie., to > > recognize the next manifestation, and yet, notwithstanding, God has > > continued to send us the succession of guidance, from Moses, Jesus, > > Muhammad, to the Bab and Baha'u'llah. > > > > > > The Jews have not recognized Jesus. > > > The Christians have not recognized Muhammad. > > > Muslims have not recognized the Bab or Baha'u'llah. > > > > > > In other words, it seems to me that God has fulfilled His part of > > the Greater Covenant, even though mankind has not. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bahai-discuss/ > > > > <*> Your email settings: > > Individual Email | Traditional > > > > <*> To change settings online go to: > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bahai-discuss/join > > (Yahoo! ID required) > > > > <*> To change settings via email: > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: > > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this incoming message. > > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > > Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.4/643 - Release Date: 01/21/2007 > 5:12 PM > > > > > The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/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/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
