The Baha'i Studies Listserv Dear Ms Megan Orr I appreciate your kind and learned response. I had a day off and so i did a bit of posting but you have taken it Ms Megan to a higher realm of discourse. When you try to take a panoramic view of religions you are almost forced to see two views as on a pendulum Early Judaism with Its Law and Legalism. later Prophets Isaiah Micah with ethics as dominating 1:13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 1:15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. (King James Bible, Isaiah) jeremiah 22:16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD (King James Bible, Jeremiah) in the Christian Dispensation too there is the ethical dimension in the Sermon on the Mount and the Good Samaritan parable and concurrently there is the high theology of John and its later efflorescence in the ontological arguments that were the basis of the Creeds of Nicea and Chalcedon. you get this polarity in all the past ... in the Faith of Baha'u'llah you have a balance that is based on the Covenant and the guidance of the Head of the Faith _ Its "Centre of the Covenant" "The power of the Covenant is as the heat of the sun which quickeneth and promoteth the development of all created things on earth. The light of the Covenant, in like manner, is the educator of the minds, the spirits, the hearts and souls of men." To this same Covenant He has in His writings referred as the "Conclusive Testimony," the "Universal Balance," the "Magnet of God's grace," the "Upraised Standard," the "Irrefutable Testament," "the all-mighty Covenant, the like of which the sacred Dispensations of the past have never witnessed" and "one of the distinctive features of this most mighty cycle." (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 238) The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 19) with this perspective I do not think any Bahai entertains the thought of being a lesser prophet.... maybe some may entertain the thought of being a MONARCH! but not a prophet **Blessed the one who hath remained faithful to the Covenant of God, and woe betide him who hath broken it and disbelieved in Him, the Knower of secrets. Say: This is the Day of Bounty! Bestir yourselves that I may make you monarchs in the realms of My Kingdom. If ye follow Me, ye shall behold that which ye were promised, and I will make you My companions in the dominion of My majesty and the intimates of My beauty in the heaven of My power forevermore. If ye rebel against Me, I will in My clemency endure it patiently, that haply ye may awaken and rise up from the couch of heedlessness. Thus hath My mercy encompassed you. (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 65) with humility and kind regards
_____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Megan Orr Sent: 11 February 2010 18:26 To: Baha'i Studies Cc: Stephen Gray; Susan Maneck; Brent Poirier Subject: Re: Lesser Prophets The Baha'i Studies Listserv Hi all. I'm new to this site. >From my study of the religions currently known to us, I have found that there are many examples that Supreme Manifestations of the Spirit of God (....Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, Mohammed, Baha'u'llah) presented many examples of how to achieve the "heaven on earth" by being a service to the communities in which they were. All of them have exhorted the people to be a succor unto the poor, needy, widows, children, etc. There is a formula here that is more than just an "action" that one can list on a resume of good works. It is an attitude that generates and accompanies the service that result in the true, lasting changes to a society that propels in forward. From what I can tell (and this is merely my speculation), it wasn't any sense of foretelling that made these figures the great influences on society that they became. It wasn't miraculous abilities, but it was their spirit of service, their ability to give and receive love to/with everyone (not just those who were part of the same circles as them) that drew people in and propelled those same people to attempt the same station of love as the Manifestation. From what I've read, it was the "lesser" prophets who did any foretelling of what could happen to humanity if we didn't follow the example of the Manifestation. On Thu, Feb 11, 2010 at 9:54 AM, Khazeh <[email protected]> wrote: The Baha'i Studies Listserv On Behalf Of Stephen Gray So, do Baha'i s believe a Baha'i can acheive the station of a seer like Joseph Smith II? Stephen Gray, dear brother on this list. In this "Dispensation", in this Day of Baha'u'llah, the "Day of God" we are not encouraged to seek stations. In the Tablet of Wisdom (A Tablet revealed by ar-Rah.maan) God the All-Merciful He says:*** Let each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. (Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Page: 138) *** But this sense of betterness [faz.l] => merit is in service & virtue ** Man's merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. (Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Page: 138) ** all other "stations" are subservient/dependent/ on the station of servitude. ** Cling, O ye people of Baha, to the cord of servitude unto God, the True One, for **thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your names written and preserved, your ranks raised and your memory exalted in the Preserved Tablet.** Beware lest the dwellers on earth hinder you from this glorious and exalted station. Thus have We exhorted you in most of Our Epistles and now in this, Our Holy Tablet, above which hath beamed the Day-Star of the Laws of the Lord, your God, the Powerful, the All-Wise. (Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Pages: 62-63) notice dear Stephen for **thereby your stations shall be made manifest, your names written and preserved, your ranks raised and your memory exalted in the Preserved Tablet.** ** so by studying deeply as you are, "your station" as a seeker a la "The Book of Certitude" will be revealed. If for example dear Dr Susan Maneck or Brent Poirier confirm me, you, and others in our knowledge of the Covenant they are providing a "service" and their stations as "servants" is revealed. our highest station is clinging unto the cord of servitude. [al-'ubuudiyyat] whose most perfect Exemplar was the 'Abdu'-Baha. believe me i am not writing this in a patronizing way or being nice to Susan or Brent_ rather as exemplifying a point that the "Son of God" the "Suffering Servant" showed 2000 years ago **John 13:2 And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; 13:3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. John 13:5 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 13:6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 13:7 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 13:9 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 13:10 Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 13:11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 13:12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (King James Bible, John) hopefully your servant too khazeh __________________________________________________ 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] Or 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 (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] __________________________________________________ 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] Or 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 (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.733 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2681 - Release Date: 02/11/10 07:35:00 __________________________________________________ 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] Or 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 (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
