Spiritual Teachings/Oneness of Religion
3. Oneness of Religion
 | The text below this notice was generated by a computer, it still needs to be checked for errors and corrected. If you would like to help, view the original document by clicking the PDF scans along the right side of the page. Click the edit button at the top of this page (notepad and pencil icon) or press Alt+Shift+E to begin making changes. When you are done press "Save changes" at the bottom of the page. |
In the past people did not understand the oneness of religion and thought that all religions other than their own must be false. Baha’u llah explains that the religion of God is one religion which has been taught by many Manifestations. God has sent
many Teachers to all parts of the world so that none of His children would be left without guidance.
Why have so many Manifestations been sent? Each comes to call man back to God. During and shortly after the time when a Manifestation appears, man has the pure teachings of God. As the years pass, he forgets or changes the teachings and begins to follow his own will. It is as if the perfect mirror of the religion of God becomes covered with the dust of man’s imaginings. God then sends a new Manifestation to clear away the dust so that His will can again be reflected. Today God has sent Baha’- u llah. Through His teachings man can draw closer to God and learn His purpose for this day. ;
Since all the Manifestations come from God and bring divine truth, why are Their laws and teachings sometimes different?
3
[Page 4]
Each Manifestation brings two types of teachings. First, He repeats the eternal spiritual truths which never change. All Manifestations remind man that God is the Supreme Being in the universe, that man is His servant, and that God loves man enough to send Messengers to guide him. All tell man that he must love his neighbors because all people are children of the same Father.
Each Manifestation also brings a second type of teachings. These are meant for the people and the age in which He appears. Human needs and capacities change as mankind grows up. Think of the growth of a baby. The best food for the newborn is milk. As the baby grows, he learns to eat solid food. Finally he is able to eat adult food. As wise parents feed their child only the type of food he can digest, so the Manifestations feed mankind the spiritual food best suited to its needs.
The Manifestations do not teach man all They know but only that which man can understand at a particular stage in his development. The food given by one Manifestation strengthens and prepares man to accept the revelation of the next Manifesta- tion. The teachings of older religions were right for their age; but this is a new day, and God has sent new spiritual food. To say that one does not need the new teachings because he has the
4
[Page 5]
old is like saying that because milk is the best food for babies
adults too should have nothing but milk.
Out of His great love for man God has sent not one but many Messengers, Teachers, and Physicians to guide and comfort man as he grows to adulthood. Baha’is must show respect and appreciation for all the former Manifestations but must re- member that only Baha’u’llah’s teachings have been given for the needs of this age.