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| Wendy Scott |
The following are Wendy Scott's comments, to which I responded. Since my responses are not displayed beneath the video for some reasons, I am posting them here.
Wendy's comments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-kstHTL2m4&lc=Ugw_tgeziVEwRNFPEzZ4AaABAg.9eLJiOSBdfZ9uwcq6Fjcem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-kstHTL2m4&lc=Ugw_tgeziVEwRNFPEzZ4AaABAg.9eLJiOSBdfZ9uwdJ7K4AfK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-kstHTL2m4&lc=Ugw_tgeziVEwRNFPEzZ4AaABAg.9eLJiOSBdfZ9uwf4FPTSzV
My Replies (parts of Wendy's comments in Red)
@wendyscott8425 Hi Wendy, Here is my response: Nature of Baha'u'llah's claims: The precise nature of Bahāʾ Allāh's claims is difficult to establish. The official modern Bahāʾī doctrine rejects any notion of incarnationism and stresses instead his status as a locus of divine manifestation (maẓhar ilāhī), comparable to a mirror with respect to the sun (see Shoghi Effendi The World Order of Bahāʾuʾllāh, rev. ed. [Wilmette, 1969], pp. 112–114). Nevertheless, it is difficult to avoid the suspicion that he himself made much more radical claims than this in parts of his later writings. The following statements are, I think, explicit enough to serve as examples: 'he who speaks in the most great prison (i.e. Acre) is the Creator of all things and the one who brought all names into being' (letter in Bahāʾ Allāh Āthār-i qalam-i aʿlā, vol. 2 [Tehran, n.d., being a repaginated reprint of a collection of writings originally preceded by the Kitāb al-aqdas, first printed Bombay, 1314/1896], p. 177); 'verily, I am God' (letter in Ishrāq Khāvarī Māʾida, vol. 7, p. 208); 'the essence of the pre-existent (dhāt al-qidām) has appeared' (letter to Ḥājī Muḥammad Ibrāhīm Khalīl Qazvīnī in ibid., vol. 8, p. 113); 'he has been born who begets not nor is begotten' ('Lawḥ-i mīlād-i ism-i aʿẓam' in ibid., vol. 4, p. 344, referring to Qurʾān sūra 112); 'the educator of all beings and their creator has appeared in the garment of humanity, but you were not pleased with that until he was imprisoned in this prison' ('Sūrat al-ḥajj' in Bahāʾ Allāh Āthār-i qalam-i aʿlā, vol. 4 [Tehran, 133 badīʿ/1976–77], p. 203). (The Messiah of Shiraz, Brill, 2009, p. 500, note 16.) Wonderful experience of being a Baha'i Shua Ullah, the eldest grandson of Baha'u'llah said it best: "I personally hesitate to commit myself [to the Baha'i faith] with the existing conditions amongst us, as today we observe only the differences of ideas, lack of cooperation, discord, enmity, selfishness, and hatred—while we should believe that smiles are better than frowns, kindness better than coldness, commendation better than criticism, sympathy better than deception, love better than hate, friendship better than enmity, unity better than discord, and peace better than chaos." (A Lost History of the Baha'i Faith, by Eric Stetson) The hate against different opinions is impregnated in the roots of the Bahá’í Faith. This just came up very early after The Bab's death when followers of Bahá'u'lláh and Subh-i-Azal started to kill each other. The names of a number of Azalis murdered by the Baha'is are given by Edward Browne in the Persian Introduction to Nuqtatul-Kaf, p. 42, and also in New History, pp. XXIII, XXIV, and J.R.A.S. July 1889, p. 517 The Bab was martyred in 1850. He was hanged for the following reasons: May 5. On this date in 1850 the Bábis of Zanjan rose in arms against the Qajar governor of the town. On March 20, 1848, Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i, who in 1844 had become the first person to become a follower of the Báb, visited the Báb at Maku prison, where the Báb was incarcerated. Subsequent to his visit, Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i became involved in the Bábi uprisings. Under instructions from the Báb, on July 21, 1848, Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i unfurled a Black Standard in Mashhad, fulfilling an Islamic prophecy, and began a march with other Bábis. They were rebuffed at Barfurush and therefore made defensive fortifications at the shrine of Shaykh Tabarsí. Mullá Ḥusayn-i-Bushru'i would die at the battle of Shaykh Tabarsí on February 2, 1849, but siege itself would last until May 10, 1849. The Báb was later executed on July 9, 1850. Bábi uprisings would continue elsewhere in Iran, notably Neyriz and Zanjan. It's open every day to visitors. Yes, it is open to visitors but some so-called covenant-breakers were not given good treatment. Sometime after I was 'expelled' from the Cause and after the Bab’s shrine on Mount Carmel had been completed, a club of university graduates - chaired by an old friend of my sister's - invited me to talk about the Cause. This I was honoured to do and at the appointed date spoke at that meeting. However, upon leaving the hall, Mr. Mohammad Baha'i and Mr. Mansour, who, at that time worked at the house of Abdul Baha (and were in the service of Shoghi Effendi) came forward, spat in my face and slapping me in the face said 'You are an enemy of the Cause and you give talks about it!?' (Letter of Ruhi Afnan, published by the website of Abdul Baha's family)
@wendyscott8425 It is very UNcultish. No. It IS cultish. Here are some of the cult-like tendencies in the Baha'i Faith that are not found in other major religions: 1. Each Baha'i has a 'membership card' with a membership number 2. Strict censorship and approval process for new books 3. Punishments against individuals for perceived infractions include deprivation of voting rights and potential ostracism and shunning 4. Ban on Baha'i Studies courses to prevent hierarchy formation perceived as a threat to the administrative structure 5. Suppression of Baha'i academics who don't follow the party line and agenda 6. Misuse of the notion of "unity" to silence and penalise divergent views 7. Discouragement from reporting misconduct of individual members in the interests of "unity" and public image 8. Selective translation of literature to control information and maintain a marketable narrative despite internal contradictions 9. Revisionist edits in new editions of books (e.g. removal of failed prophecies and intolerant language) 10. Frequent fundraising for projects to enhance global image The Bahá'í Faith is not a sect of Islam but an independent world religion It was portrayed as a sect of Islam to the Sunni Muslims in Ottoman territories, until the time Shoghi Effendi made it very clear that it is a new religion. "...both Baha’u’llah and his son and successor made efforts to appear palatable to Sunni Muslim authorities in Palestine. Both frequented Friday prayers at local mosques and both dressed and were bearded in the manner of many Muslim clerics. In addition, neither taught or propagated the tenets of their faith among Palestinian Muslims, apparently to avoid causing offense." (Randall S. Geller, The Baha’i minority in the State of Israel, 1948–1957) we believe our Faith has solutions for today's problems. Incorrect. Baha'is believe their Faith is the ONLY solution. "The believers should, therefore, seize this opportunity to make a supreme effort to present, in convincing and eloquent language, those social and humanitarian teachings of the Faith which we believe to constitute the sole panacea for the innumerable ills afflicting our present-day world." (Shoghi Effendi in Directives from the Guardian)
@wendyscott8425 So you were a "follower" of all this before? Hmmm.... Yes, I was and I have read quite a few writings of the so-called covenant-breakers also. We worship God, not Bahá'u'lláh. Prof. Juan Cole found this species of Baha'is in the UK. One faction of Iranian emigrants to the U.K. in the 1980s and early 1990s led by a Cambridge-trained Iranian scholar even developed a doctrine that Baha'u'llah was the Godhead who had sent the other prophets. (Juan Cole, Review of Religious Research, Vol. 43, no. 3 (March, 2002)) His 40 years of suffering at the hands of the Persian and Ottoman Empires. His followers were mainly responsible for much of whatever they had to face. Here is one example: Disregarding the reiterated injunctions of Baha'u'llah, seven of the exiles (Baha'is) decided to rid their community of its tormentors. They spoke to no one of their abominable plan. One night, when all was quiet in the town, they managed to enter the home of the adherents of Mirza Yahya and slew them. With Siyyid Muhammad and Aqa-Jan Big perished a recent recruit to their circle, Mirza Rida-Quliy-i-Tafrishi. This third victim had time and again broken his word, and all ties between him and the followers of Baha'u'llah had finally been severed. Immediately pandemonium broke loose. The whole city was roused. People felt unsafe. Such were the fears of the populace that 'Abbud, whose house adjoined the residence of Baha'u'llah, added to the thickness of the walls separating the two houses. ('Abdu'l-Baha - The Centre of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah by H. M. Balyuzi) Bahá'u'lláh is the sender of all the prophets of the past and the revealer of all those Revelations I have already given you proofs about his different claims.
