יום שבת, נובמבר 11, 2006
The birthday of Bahá'u'lláh
I do not know much about the Baha'i faith, though much of what little I do know is appealing. If I were not already confident that Judaism offers me everything Baha'i could (and more), I'd consider it. In any event, this weekend marks the birthday of the Bahá'u'lláh, the most recent of the Baha'i messenger-prophets.
I find it interesting that one of the holiest places for the Baha'i, the shrine of the Bab, is located in Haifa, which also happens to be the most mixed (Arab/Jewish) major city in Israel. Baha'i have been much oppressed in Islamic countries--especially the faith's birthplace in Iran--but their holy site thrives in Israel.
Among the central tenets of Baha'i are the absolute unity of God, that "God is unknowable, limitless, outside time," and that humankind will one day unite and form a peaceful global civilization.
Isn't that precisely what God chose the Jews to teach the world thousands of years ago? Perhaps if humans have yet to figure that out, we Jews need some help. And if it takes the Baha'i, and their notion that "God has sent messengers for each era," including Zoroaster, Abraham, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, to teach these ideas, then I welcome their assistance.
Happy birthday and shalom, Bahá'u'lláh!
I find it interesting that one of the holiest places for the Baha'i, the shrine of the Bab, is located in Haifa, which also happens to be the most mixed (Arab/Jewish) major city in Israel. Baha'i have been much oppressed in Islamic countries--especially the faith's birthplace in Iran--but their holy site thrives in Israel.
Among the central tenets of Baha'i are the absolute unity of God, that "God is unknowable, limitless, outside time," and that humankind will one day unite and form a peaceful global civilization.
Isn't that precisely what God chose the Jews to teach the world thousands of years ago? Perhaps if humans have yet to figure that out, we Jews need some help. And if it takes the Baha'i, and their notion that "God has sent messengers for each era," including Zoroaster, Abraham, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, to teach these ideas, then I welcome their assistance.
Happy birthday and shalom, Bahá'u'lláh!
