-- Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 62.
I'm just wondering what this quote indicates. Does it mean that these people are saved, sort of saved, or what? We earlier discussed what 'Abdu'l-Baha said about the Red Cross workers, and how they have a degree of salvation. I guess the issue isn't necessarily as cut and clean in the Baha'i Faith as in Christianity, in which one either goes to heaven or rots in hell. The above quote obviously refers to the Baha'i Faith. What about those who have heard about, say, Islam, but have rejected Muhammad? Baha'u'llah says:
"Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns away from this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers of the past and showeth pride towards God from all eternity to all eternity."
To Baha'is, rejection of one Prophet is rejection of all. We could apply these words to the Prophet in every age. If we take a Christian who has heard about Islam but has rejected Muhammad they do not really believe in Jesus. If we look at the above words and consider what will happen to the people who reject Baha'u'llah when they die it is evident that they won't be saved. The same must surely be the case for a Christian who has rejected Muhammad, so I'm having difficulty seeing how it would be as rosy for such a Christian when they get to heaven as the quote at the top seems to indicate. I don't see how knowledge of the Baha'i Faith is necessarily relevant, as if one rejects an earlier Prophet they have rejected Baha'u'llah, and one has to believe in the Manifestation of God for the age to be saved (GWB, p. 182). Any thoughts?
David
_________________________________________________________________
Surf the net and talk on the phone with Xtra Jetstream @ http://www.xtra.co.nz/products/0,,5803,00.html !
---------- 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: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://list.jccc.net/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=bahai-st news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
