Which Religion is the One True Religion?

Ok. So, to reiterate, the process of blind guessing is as complex as your guesses, or lack thereof, about centaurs and jinn.

Spendius said (re the name Blueveinedthrobber): I thought it was a great name Romeo. It made me laugh when I first saw it. I took it to refer to the veins that stand out on a stiffo and which can be made to throb

So it is the opinion of the Bahai faith...and of you...

...that although the god at one point considered homosexual conduct to be such an abomination, he demanded death as a punishment...

...the god no longer feels that way?

And although the god at one point considered slavery and slave trading to be moral and okay...

...the god no longer feels that way?

I am not being a wise-ass here, Ron. I am trying to understand the reasoning you are using to arrive at this.

Anything further you can share?

Part 1:

The concept at the basis of the Baha'i view of changing spiritual laws is found in the Baha'i teaching in progressive revelation(PR). PR is a core teaching in the Bahá'í Faith that suggests that religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance.

Thus, the Bahá'í teachings recognize the divine origin of several world religions as different stages in the history of one religion, while believing that the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent, and therefore the most relevant to modern society.

The basic concept relates closely to Bahá'í views on God's essential unity, and the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of God. It also ties into Bahá'í views of the purpose and nature of religion, laws, belief, culture and history. Hence revelation is seen as both progressive and continuous, and therefore never ceases.

Part 2:

Bahá'ís believe that religious teachings are of two varieties: essential spiritual truth, and ephemeral social constructs. The latter may include laws of conduct, diet, institutions, ceremonies, and treatment of criminals. These may change dramatically from messenger to messenger. The former, however, are essential and do not change, except perhaps in their cultural presentation. So the Manifestation of God is seen as at once restoring the essential truth, returning the faithful to the correct practice. The Manifestation eliminates redundant or corrupt social structures and creates such social organization as will support the improvement of mankind.

The Bahá'í principle of the oneness of religion differs fundamentally from both of the traditional concepts of one of the religions in history possessing "all the truth." Bahá'u'lláh attributed the differences in some teachings of the great religions not to any human fallibility of the Founders, but rather to the different requirements of the ages in which the revelations occurred.

Moreover, Bahá'ís consider that no one of the Founders is superior to another. Shoghi Effendi has summarized this view in the following words:

The fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh, the followers of His Faith firmly believe, is that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their teachings are but facets of one truth, that their functions are complementary, that they differ only in the nonessential aspects of their doctrines, and that their missions represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society. For more go to:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_revelation_(Bah%C3%A1'%C3%AD)

All revelations have social laws which apply only for the period up until the next prophet brings new laws; you can call these laws “ephemeral social constructs which change over time" if you like. I don't have trouble with that way of putting it.

One of the fundamental principles of the Bahá'í Faith is that religious truth is not absolute but relative. The teachings of the different world religions are seen as 'facets of one truth'. Bahá'í texts include statements of a dualist nature (e.g. in the Book of Certitude) and statements of a monist nature (e.g. in the Seven Valleys and the Hidden Words). The differences between dualist and monist views are reconciled by the teaching that these opposing viewpoints are caused by differences in the observers themselves, not in that what is observed. This is not a 'higher truth/lower truth' position. God is unknowable. For man it is impossible to get any knowledge of God or the Absolute, because any knowledge that one has, is relative. Less stress is given to metaphysical subjects, while ethics and social action are emphasized. Theological differences about God are caused by imagination, as God's essence can not be described.

Bahá'ís follow Bahá'u'lláh, a prophet whom they consider a successor to Muhammad, Krishna, Jesus, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, and Abraham. This acceptance of other religious founders has encouraged some to regard the Bahá'í religion as a syncretic faith. However, Bahá'ís and the Bahá'í writings explicitly reject this view. Bahá'ís consider Bahá'u'lláh's revelation an independent, though related, revelation from God. Its relationship to previous dispensations is seen as analogous to the relationship of Christianity to Judaism. They regard beliefs held in common as evidence of truth, progressively revealed by God throughout human history, and culminating in (at present) the Bahá'í revelation. Bahá'ís have their own sacred scripture, interpretations, laws and practices that, for Bahá'ís, supersede those of other faiths

Ron said: Bahá’u’lláh is recognized by millions throughout the world as the Messenger of God for this age.

You may not think so, Romeo, but there are millions of people, indeed, billions who are followers of religions other than Christianity. "Such is life, Romeo." -Ron

Ron said: You may not think so, Romeo, but there are millions of people, indeed, billions who are followers of religions other than Christianity