The Baha'i Faith:
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Putting Darkness For Light
By Steve Lagoon
"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" (Isaiah 5:20). After an extensive study, the above words of Isaiah the prophet seem to me a most appropriate description of Baha'i religion.
This may seem a most harsh way to begin a treatment of a faith that prides itself on its commitment to peace, unity, and the love of God. It is certainly true that many of the goals and principles of Bahaism are noble, and that its adherents are sincere people.
Nonetheless, the overall teachings of Bahaism are antithetical to biblical Christianity. Virtually every important teaching of Christianity is denied by Bahaism. Therefore, Christians need to be aware of this growing threat to the souls of mankind, and how to defend the truth against deceptions of the Baha'i religion.
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Background information
The Baha'i faith publishes an introductory magazine which provides much helpful background information including the following:
"The Baha'i Faith is today among the fastest-growing religions. With more than five million followers, who reside in virtually every nation on earth, it is the second-most widespread faith, surpassing every religion but Christianity in its geographic reach." (The Baha'is: A Profile of the Baha'i Faith and its Worldwide Community [magazine format]. Baha'i International Community, Baha'i World Centre, Haifa, Israel, 2005, p. 5, hereafter Profile).
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Some basic Baha'i principles:
*The Oneness of humankind
*The equality of women and men
*Full racial integration
*Economic justice
*Universal education
*The harmony of science and religion
*The adoption of a universal auxiliary Language
*The creation of a world commonwealth of nations that will keep peace through collective security
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Other important beliefs are:
*That there is only one God
*That all of the world's religions represent one changeless, eternal faith
*That the purpose of life on earth is to develop ourselves spiritually, in preparation for an everlasting existence hereafter (Profile, Back cover).
The foregoing information is from The Baha'is: A Profile of the Baha'i Faith and its Worldwide Community [magazine format]. Baha'i International Community, Baha'i World Centre, Haifa, Israel, 2005
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Historical Roots of Bahaism
John Boykin gives a good summary of the beginnings of Bahaism:
"The Baha'i Faith developed in the nineteenth century in Iran, then known as Persia. It is named after its prophet, Baha'u'llah, whose title in Arabic means 'Glory of God.' Like most Iranians for the past 1300 years, its founders and early converts were all Shi'ite Muslims. Of the twelve men Shi'ites recognize as legitimate successors to Muhammad, the last was Imam Mahdi. A recluse, Imam Mahdi communicated with his followers through spokesman called Babs ('gates"). Ever since communication from him ceased in A.D. 941, devout Shi'ites have awaited his return as a conquering messiah.
In 1844 a twenty-four-year-old Persian wool merchant took the title Bab [Mirza' Ali Muhammad 1819-1850] and began to preach . . . [and] claimed to be a prophet greater than Muhammad. . . Muslim leaders. . . soon locked him in jail, where he spent most of his six-year ministry. The Bab's followers, called Babis, staged several insurrections, mainly in 1848-50. The Persian government suppressed the Babi uprisings with unbridled cruelty. Finally, in an effort to kill the movement at its source, they executed the Bab in 1850.
After his death the Babi community turned for spiritual leadership to twenty-year-old Subh-i-Ezel [Mirza Yahya], whom the Bab had named as his successor. Subh-i-Ezel was poorly suited for leadership, so practical administrative responsibilities fell to his older half-brother, Baha'u'llah [Mirza Husayn 'Ali 1817-1892]. . . The Bab had taught that a prophet even greater than himself would one day appear. In 1863 Baha'u'llah declared that he was that prophet. Most Babis accepted Baha'u'llah's claim and shifted their devotion from the Bab to him. They became known as Baha'is. The rest, unable to reconcile Baha'u'llah's claim with the Bab's appointment of Subh-i-Ezel as his successor, remained loyal to Subh-i-Ezel. The two factions clashed violently. . . in 1868, the civil authorities intervened. They sent Subh-i-Ezel to a prison in Cyprus and Baha'u'llah to a prison at Akka, now in Israel. Every word Baha'u'llah uttered was scrupulously recorded. He dictated over one hundred books and tablets. His book of laws, the Kitab-I-Aqdas ('Most Holy Book'), is considered his 'most weighty and sacred' work. . . Baha'u'llah had appointed his eldest son, Abdu'l Baha [Abbass Effendi 1844-1921], to succeed him. Though he did not claim to be a manifestation of God like his father, he did assume sole authority to interpret Baha'u'llah's teachings. He claimed infallibility for his interpretations. . . Abdu'l-Baha was primarily responsible for spreading the Baha'i faith outside the Middle East. He died in 1921, leaving his Oxford-educated grandson, Shoghi Effendi [1897-1957], as Guardian of the Faith. Shoghi Effendi died in 1957 and, in violation of Baha'i law, left no will. He had no appointed successor. Six years later the first Baha'i universal House of Justice was elected. Among Baha'is this nine-person board is held to be infallible and governs Baha'i affairs today from their world headquarters in Haifa, Israel" (John Boykin, The Baha'i Faith in A Guide to Cults & New Religions (Ronald Enroth Ed.). Downers Grove, IL.: InterVarsity Press, 1983, pp. 26-27, hereafter "Boykin").
Baha'is often emphasize the amount of persecution they faced at the beginning of their history. But two points should be kept in mind in this regard. First, most of the worse persecution was directed at the Babis.
Second, the basic belief of both the Babis and the Baha'is is the eventual overthrow of present governments. As Boykin stated above, the Babis were involved in several insurrections against the government, which puts the "persecution" in a different light. Since the leaders of Bahaism had been Babis, it is understandable that the Persian government would seek to control Bahaism as well.
Samuel Wilson stated that:
"The Babis looked for their immediate triumph over all existing powers, culminating in the universal establishment of the true faith and the reign of God's saints on earth. . . The 'Bayan,' the chief book of the Bab, anticipates the time when the shah's government shall be superceded by a Babi state, which shall prevail in Persia. It gives laws for this Babi state. . . Babism, therefore, was a political as well as religious movement" (Samuel Graham Wilson. Bahaism and Its Claims. New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1915, pp. 134-135, hereafter 'Wilson')
Not only did the government have to worry about insurrection at the hands of the Babis and the Baha'is, but as Boykin also pointed out, the Persian government had their hands full keeping a lid on the fighting between the two factions who fought for the control of the Babis after the death of the Bab, which lead to the government sending Baha'u'llah and his half-brother Mirza Yahya (who followers became known as Azalis) into exile.
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Will the real manifestation please stand up!
Boykin correctly pointed out that the Bab had appointed Mirza Yahya as his successor. Baha'u'llah essentially stole control of the movement from his brother, despite the fact that the Bab, the very manifestation of God (in their view) had appointed Mirza Yahya. The Baha'i explanation of this is as ingenious as it is sinister. They claim that the Bab only appointed Mirza Yahya publicly as a rouse or cover for Baha'u'llah. That is, the Bab actually appointed Baha'u'llah as his successor, but publicly put forward Mirza Yahya in the event of persecution. Wilson states it thus:
"We have seen that Subh-i-Azal, the half-brother of Baha'u'llah, was appointed by the Bab as his successor. According to Abdul Baha, this appointment was a dishonest subterfuge on the part of Baha, arranged by him through secret correspondence with the Bab, in order that Baha might be relieved of danger and persecution and be protected from interference. . . This account shows the low ideas of honour and truthfulness in the minds of Baha and Abdul Baha" (Wilson, p. 204).
Wilson (Wilson, p. 204) also quoted from Abul Fazl's account of the same event in his book 'Baha'i Proofs,' p. 52, in which Fazl "states the position of the 'Traveler's Narrative":
"The Bab and Baha Ullah, after consulting together, made Azal appear as the Bab's successor. In this manner they preserved Baha Ullah from interference."
Fazl's testimony is important because he is quoted as an authority in Baha'i literature. For example, see J.E. Esslemont, Baha'u'llah and the New Era. Wilmette, IL.: Baha'i Books, 1923, Revised edition 1970, 1976, 1978 edition, p. 113, hereafter Esslemont).
Another authority that Wilson quotes (Wilson, p. 204-205) is Professor Edward G. Browne who is frequently quoted in Baha'i literature, particularly because of his description of a meeting he had with Baha'u'llah, and his friendship with Abdul-Baha. For example, see The Baha'is: A Profile of the Baha'i Faith and its Worldwide Community [magazine format]. Baha'i International Community, Baha'i World Centre, Haifa, Israel, 2005, pp. 21, 57.
Wilson's note quoting Professor Browne is thus:
"The Baha'is are impaled on the other horn of the dilemma also, for, as Professor Browne says ('Mirza Jani ['s History]', p. xxxiii.) 'The difficulty lies in the fact that Subh-i-Azal consistently refused to recognize Baha's claim, so that the Baha'i is driven to make the assumption that the Bab, who is acknowledged to be divinely inspired and gifted with divine knowledge and prescience, deliberately chose to succeed him one who was destined to be the 'point of darkness,' or chief opponent, of 'Him whom God should manifest'" (Wilson, 204).
There are problems as a result of the foregoing. First, it shows that Baha'u'llah's half-brother, Mirza Yahya rather than Baha'u'llah was the one chosen by the Bab to be his successor. Also, it shows that Baha'u'llah was dishonest, a strange activity for a manifestation of God. Finally, whenever, we read Baha'i literature that quotes the Bab as speaking of "Him who God will manifest, it is not Baha'u'llah whom he had in mind..
Incidentally, the same Professor Browne that is regularly appealed to as a source by Baha'is, reported about the regular use of opium by the early Baha'is:
"All present were Babis (Baha'is) and we sat sipping our tea and whiffing opium. We sat talking late and smoking opium. The wildest ascriptions of deity to Baha were made when intoxicated with wine and opium" (Wilson, p. 215).
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What do Baha'is believe?
At this point, we will do well to compare the beliefs of the Baha'i religion with those of biblical Christianity. We begin by looking at the doctrine of Scripture and authority.
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Scripture and Authority
For the Christian, the Bible (Old and New Testament) is the only authoritative Scripture. Christians do not recognize the holy books of other religions, and reject the idea that they are inspired of God.
Baha'is claim to accept the holy books of all the major religions of the world. They assert that each book was the authoritative Scripture for its era, but that all of them are superceded by the Scriptures of the Baha'is. These Scriptures are most fully seen in the writings of Baha'u'llah. Further, Abdul-Baha is believed to be the inspired interpreter of the works of Baha'u'llah. Finally, the authority for Baha'is moved from Abdul-Baha to his grandson Shoghi Effendi, who had the title of the "Guardian of the Faith." After the death of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, it would be six years until the Universal House of Justice was established. Baha'is believe the Universal House of Justice is infallible in its official pronouncements.
Immediately, three major problems strike the mind of a Christian. One, we cannot accept the untenable notion that God would inspire such divergent ideas in different holy books (Monotheism/polytheism). Two, we cannot accept any ideas that contradicts what God has already revealed in the Bible (Jesus is Almighty God in the Bible/ Jesus is not Almighty God for Baha'is). Third, we cannot believe that Baha'is prophets are inspired of God when they contradict each other (Polygamy accepted and practiced by Baha'u'llah/ Polygamy condemned by Abdul-Baha). Let us look at each of these a bit closer.
How can we believe the Baha'i claim that the Scriptures and beliefs of all the major religions of the world are in essential agreement? I reproduce a chart from Francis Beckwith to illustrate this:
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