One Common Faith
Nazy’s Notes from a Talk on One Common Faith
By Dr. Fananapazir (M.D.)
Director of Health Services at the Baha’i World Center
Former pioneer in Africa—Kenya, …
Shenandoah Baha’i Summer School, August 2005
____________________________________
The fastest-growing religion in the US is Islam.
The most prevalent is of course Christianity.
Miracle of Baha’u’llah—the Turk, the Arab, and the Persian in one room.
One Common Faith, Commissioned by the Universal House of Justice
Purpose: To reeducate ourselves on the distinctive features of being a Baha’i
Implications:
A. It changes the way we look at people of other religions, namely, as members of one common Faith, not as members of different religions.
1. There is only one religion just like there is only one science. Religion is religion is religion; it doesn’t matter where you practice it and under what name, just like science is science no matter where you practice it.
2. This adjusts our attitude toward our seekers. They are already part of our Faith, and their Book is our Book; to study part of their Book is to study the Faith of Baha’u’llah; to recognize one is to recognize all; to deny one is to deny all.
3. The Kitab-i-Iqan is about one common Faith. All the Prophets of God abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same Heaven, etc. This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. This Faith is sanctified above plurality of names.
4. We are not here to change anybody’s religion; we are here to spread Light. In the Bible it says: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. This is the Light…and it is the Light that hath colored the heart of every person in the world. God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
5. The primary purpose of the religion of Baha’u’llah is to enable the adherents of these religions to understand the religion with which they identify. This is why the beloved Guardian tells the Baha’is to study to the books of other religions.
One Common Faith is here to deepen us so that we can become better teachers of the Faith, teachers of the Light.
B. It reaffirms the importance of the Covenant.
1. If religion is one, then people who turn against the Covenant of Baha’u’llah, turn against all religion and against the Light.
2. All religions have declared that God is one. The Source of inspiration of all humanity is one; the Source of Light of all humanity is one. He is not just the God of Israel, or the God of Islam. He is the Source of all Light.
By Dr. Fananapazir (M.D.)
Director of Health Services at the Baha’i World Center
Former pioneer in Africa—Kenya, …
Shenandoah Baha’i Summer School, August 2005
____________________________________
The fastest-growing religion in the US is Islam.
The most prevalent is of course Christianity.
Miracle of Baha’u’llah—the Turk, the Arab, and the Persian in one room.
One Common Faith, Commissioned by the Universal House of Justice
Purpose: To reeducate ourselves on the distinctive features of being a Baha’i
Implications:
A. It changes the way we look at people of other religions, namely, as members of one common Faith, not as members of different religions.
1. There is only one religion just like there is only one science. Religion is religion is religion; it doesn’t matter where you practice it and under what name, just like science is science no matter where you practice it.
2. This adjusts our attitude toward our seekers. They are already part of our Faith, and their Book is our Book; to study part of their Book is to study the Faith of Baha’u’llah; to recognize one is to recognize all; to deny one is to deny all.
3. The Kitab-i-Iqan is about one common Faith. All the Prophets of God abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same Heaven, etc. This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. This Faith is sanctified above plurality of names.
4. We are not here to change anybody’s religion; we are here to spread Light. In the Bible it says: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. This is the Light…and it is the Light that hath colored the heart of every person in the world. God is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
5. The primary purpose of the religion of Baha’u’llah is to enable the adherents of these religions to understand the religion with which they identify. This is why the beloved Guardian tells the Baha’is to study to the books of other religions.
One Common Faith is here to deepen us so that we can become better teachers of the Faith, teachers of the Light.
B. It reaffirms the importance of the Covenant.
1. If religion is one, then people who turn against the Covenant of Baha’u’llah, turn against all religion and against the Light.
2. All religions have declared that God is one. The Source of inspiration of all humanity is one; the Source of Light of all humanity is one. He is not just the God of Israel, or the God of Islam. He is the Source of all Light.
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