Question to Theists

[zanOTK]

It's not really a "gut feeling" for me, nor is it indoctrination. It's past experience. Which suck, because personal experience can't really be used as any kind of evidence. But I'm not trying to prove anything, so *shrug*.

Indeed, that sucks... but if it's good enough for you, then it's good enough for you.

As for claims about God's actions: Most of the "major" ones, Baha'is basically believe are myth. They are said to hold metaphorical truths, but are not literally true themselves. That doesn't mean we don't believe in miracles period, it just means we don't believe in MOST of them actually happening.

That sounds a bit like what the catholics nowadays go for, too...

There are a LOT of "divergent details." Starting with: Catholicism came out of Judaism, the Baha'i Faith came out of Islam.

And islam came out of what?

Catholics today believe that the practitioners of other religions -maybe- have a chance of going to heaven due to the "mystery of Christ's sacrifice," Baha'is believe the practitioners of other religions have just as much of a chance as Baha'is do to achieve a good afterlife.

Catholics are working towards that, it seems...
I remember a pope saying even atheists can get to heaven, now!!

Which leads to another: Baha'is don't believe in Heaven and Hell. We believe that these are metaphors for nearness to and distance from God.

There are a few christians around here who would say the same.

We also believe that you can continue to draw nearer to God after death (to Catholics that would basically be saying you can get to Heaven from Hell).

Ah... this is indeed different...

Also, while Catholics have a powerful priesthood, Baha'is have no clergy. For spiritual matters, we are responsible for ourselves. For administration, we hold elections for the Local, Regional, National, and International administrative bodies.

So, it's a theocracy?

Baha'is also don't believe in the Trinity, or that Jesus resurrected after being crucified.

yes, well... that a very christian-only thing, yes...

details, details!

If it's good enough for me, it's good enough for me. Exactly right, haha.

Not the Catholics I know. All the Catholics I know say that everything in the New Testament at least actually happened as recorded. There is some debate over the Old, however.

Islam came out of Christianity, but with many elements of Judaism.

It does indeed look like the Pope said atheists can go to Heaven too.

And yes, some Christians believe in a metaphorical Heaven/Hell. The difference is that this belief is a fundamental Baha'i belief, whereas the majority of Christians still believe in a literal Heaven/Hell.

Yep, different. Although, not unique. There are a few other belief systems out there that believe the same thing.

And no, not a theocracy. A theocracy is a state in which either the clergy rules or it is claimed God rules and the clergy STILL rule. Since Baha'is have no clergy, but rather elect individuals to serve as the administrators of the religious organization, we are not a theocracy. And we have no state. Of course, even if we did, we would still technically not be a theocracy since Baha'i laws wouldn't apply to non-Baha'is (it doesn't, even when there is a Baha'i majority. We believe very strongly in not forcing our own morality and religious laws on others.).

True, that is usually considered to only be a Christian thing. But, Baha'is believe in other things that are usually only considered to be Christian things. Example: We believe Jesus was a virgin birth, that He was the Messiah, and that His death on the cross really did happen (Muslims believe in everything up to this point, but don't believe Jesus died on the cross), and that His sacrifice did "save" the world (although we word it quite differently). We just don't believe He is part of a three person one God Trinity, or that He came back from the dead on the third day.