The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his075/bahai.lzh/BAHAI.TXT

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CUL:Baha'i World Faith

   The Baha'i World Faith claims to be a religion of unique relevance
to the modern world. Few cults are better adapted to the mentality of
the 20th century than this one. Its emphasis upon rationalism, human
rights, international peace, education, equality of the sexes, and the
eradication of all forms of prejudice gives the Baha'i Faith a very
broad base of appeal. The Baha'i cry for one world religion appeals to
the ecumenical spirit of the age, especially in light of the continuing
insistence that Baha'is are in perfect harmony with the Christian
Faith. We will look into several areas of this cult.

   ORGANIZATION

   The Baha'i World Faith has had its headquarters on Mt. Carmel in
Haifa, Israel, since 1949. In America the center for the Baha'is is in
Wilmette, Illinois, where a 3 million dollar temple draws over 100,00
visitors a year according to their spokesmen. Additional temples are
located in Frankfurt, Germany; Kampala, Uganda; and Sidney, Australia.
Though each one is different, they are all nine-sided (Nine has
religious significance to Baha'is) and each is covered with a dome.

   Since they are convinced they have a message the entire world should
hear, Baha'is have a strong missionary emphasis. They are active in
more than 250 countries, and though world wide missionary work has been
limited to the 20th century, total membership totals over 5 million.
The 60's and the 70's witnessed very strong growth, especially in the
United States (special emphasis in California), where a large
percentage of the membership consists of minorities and youth.
California membership constitutes over 25% of the membership of Baha'i.

   The Baha'is have three levels of administration. A minimum of nine
believers is sufficient to constitute a local spiritual assembly, which
elects a nine member administrative body each year. These centers have
no clergy or house of worship. They employ only teachers who conduct
"Firesides" or discussion groups in homes or Baha'i centers. The second
level of Baha'i is the National Spiritual Assembly of nine members
elected each year by the delegates to the faith's national conventions.
The very top level is the UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE, which is another
nine member body elected every FIVE years by the national spiritual
assemblies throughout the world. Although the House of Justice serves
presently as the governing body for a "world" religion, its ultimate
intention is to serve as the FINAL GOVERNING AUTHORITY for ALL THE
NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

   BAHA'I HISTORY

   It is amazing that most of the various texts found on this faith are
duplicates of the media handed out by BAHA'I themselves! You will note
here, however, that the author makes careful examination of the
HISTORICAL record and the BIBLICAL record (if existent) to arrive at
our text files. We can do no different, so we stay away from
Encyclopedia Brittanica, etc. and look to History for the history of
this cult.

   Iran, the birthplace of the Baha'i Faith, has long been a Muslim
nation. The Persians (present day Iran) embraced the Shi'ite sect of
Islam rather than the larger, more democratic Sunni sect, which is the
more traditional form of Islam. The Shi'ites believe that Ali, the
son-in-law of Muhammad and the last of the four universally recognized
caliphs (rulers of the faith in temporal matters), was succeeded to the
caliphate by twelve of his descendants, called Imams. The Shi'ite sect,
alone, recognizes these twelve as divinely appointed leaders of Islam,
and they came to be regarded as sinless, supernatural beings. The
twelfth Imam mysteriously disappeared without leaving an heir, and the
belief began in the Shi'ites that he was still alive and would one day
return as the Messiah, or Mahdi. In addition, some schools among the
Shi'ites began to teach that the Imams were manifestations of deity, a
belief against orthodox Islam, which denies even the possibility of
divine incarnation.

   Periodically, especially during times of oppression, men would arise
claiming to be the Hidden Imamorhis appointed channel of grace. This
was especially true in the early nineteenth century when political and
religious reform was badly needed in Persia and when the 1,000 years
that Shi'ite tradition affirmed would pass between the disappearance
and return of the Hidden Imam was nearly completed. One such man was
Shaykh Amad al-Ahsa, whose followers were called "Shaykhis." He and his
successor, Sayyid Kazim, were both called Bab (The gate between the
Hidden Imam and mankind). They claimed to be in contact with the Hidden
Imam and proclaimed that he would soon become manifest.

   After the death of Kazim, the sect became divided between those who
believed that the new successor was Hajji Karim Khan of Kirman and a
much larger faction which followed Sayyid Ali Muhannad of Shiraz. The
latter proclaimed in 1844 that he was the Bab, a manifestation of God,
the Mahdi for whom all had waited. The first group continued under the
name of Shaykhis; the latter were called Babis.

   Sayyid Ali Muhammad of Shirazwas born in 1820, descendant of the
family of Muhammad. He was quiet and modest and, as he grew older,
became studious and pious. He made a pilgrimage to the shrine of the
Imams near Bagdad, where he met Sayyid Kazim and became strongly
influenced by Shaykhi doctrine. When Kazim died, the movement
temporarily lacked a leader. Becoming convinced of his own divine
mission, the Bab gathered eighteen "apostles," whom he called the
"Letters of the Living." They began to proclaim vigorously his "divine"
identity and mission, which met with varying response in different
cities. Some eagerly accepted the "good news," while others reacted
with hostility And, in some cases, violence. "...in the History of
Islam, putting forward a claim to be the Hidden Imam has always been
connected with political uprising." In order to prevent this, the
Persian authorities imprisoned the Bab. However; because the people
were looking for a deliverer, the movement spread. While in prison, the
Bab wrote a number of books and had visits from his disciples.

   In the spring of 1848, while the Bab was still alive in prison, the
babi leaders met in conference where they declared the laws of the
Islamic dispensation had now been abrogated in the same way that
Muslims believe that the Islamic dispensation replaced the Christian
revelation. They decided that rather than being the twelfth Imam, the
Bab was the prophet of the new dispensation in place of Muhammad. This
declaration placed the Bab clearly outside of the Islamic fold and
invited the utmost hostility from the traditional Muslims.

   After the Babis sought forcefully to gain control of the province of
Mazanderan, a succession of conflicts with the Persian government
resulted that led to the mass defeat of the Babis and in 1850, the
execution of Bab.

   Those writings of the Bab which have been preserved are called the
Bayan (translated = utterance or exposition). The Bab was convinced
that his works were superior TO ALL OTHERS, that they were inimitable,
and that they replaced Muhammad's Quran (KORAN) as the scripture
relevant to the present age. He cited the supposedly superior quality
of his writings as proof of his divine mission, just as Muhammad had
compared his writings to the Bible. The Bayan includes religious and
social laws for the universal theocracy of this new age.

   As Baha'is claim, the Bab taught that one would come after him who
would be greater than he. In the Bayan there are seventy references to
"He whom God will manifest."

   SUBH-I-AZAL and BAHA

   In keeping with the Shi'ite belief that Muhammad appointed his
son-in-law to the caliphate before his death, the Bab appointed the
vice regency of his movement to Mizra Yahya Subh-I-Azal, Subh-I-Azal
continued as the ruler of the Babi community for about sixteen years.
This appointment is noted in the book NUQ tatu 'L-kaf, which is a
history of the babi movement written in 1851 by an "authorized" Babi,
Mizra Jani. There is no historical evidence to the contrary, though
Baha'i histories omit mention of this appointment of Subh-I-Azal.

   Subh-I-Azal instructed his followers to lay aside the sword, and
under his leadership, the movement continued to grow with little
opposition. He was assisted in the leadership of the movement by his
older half-brother, Mizra Husayn Ali, who took for his name, BAHA
(Glory).

   Turmoil began when a number of claimants to the coming divine
manifestation arose, citing certain verses in the Bayan and ignoring
the required time span of 1,500 years. Then Azim, a devoted disciple of
the Bab, devised a plot to assasinate the Shah, which failed and
resulted in a search for Babi leaders and the execution of many. The
Mizra brothers fled Bagdad to escape.

   In Bagdad, Baha became increasingly active in the leadership of the
movement, while his brother retired to seclusion in order to
contemplate and write. Baha saw that the movement needed stronger
leadership than his brother was supplying, but he recognized that since
he had not been appointed by the Bab, the only way he could attain it
would be to convince the faithful that he was "He whom God will
manifest." However; strong opposition from other leaders prevented Baha
from making any such claim at that time. In spite of these thoughts,
Baha wrote during that period in his "Book of Certitudes" (alleged to
have been a response to others who were claiming to be the "HE") that
the time interval between the Bab and He whom God will manifest "is
about 1000 years."

   After ten years in Bagdad, outbreaks of violence between Muslims and
Babis forced the Turkish government to banish the Babi leaders to
Adrianople on the extreme western border of Turkey. There, with no one
nearby to oppose him, Baha declared that he was the one who should
come. He assumed the name Baha'u'llah (Glory of God), a title applied
to the Divine Manifestations in the Bayan. Baha'u'llah called upon his
brother and all the Babis to submit to him without question, since this
would be the only appropriate response to one who is GOD, and the Bab
had instructed in the Bayan that "HE" be received in that manner.

   While most of the Babis accepted Baha'u'llah's claim and thus became
known as Baha'is, Subh-i-Azal and some of his followers refused. They
strongly believed that the Bab's revelation was all sufficient for the
age. They held that it was unreasonable to suggest that the elaborate
system revealed by the Bab was only to last twenty-two years, but
rather that it must be accepted and instituted for multitudes of people
for many centuries before another manifestation would appear. After
all, the Bab had indicated that it would be a minimum of 1,511 years
before "HE" would appear. They reasoned that (1) since the Bab was
infallible and (2) that he had appointed Subh-i-Azal to succeed him, if
Baha was truly "He," Subh-i-Azal would have to recognize him. Thus the
minority that remained loyal to Subh-i-Azal continued to be called
Babis (sometimes Azalis).

   Baha'u'llah sought to force Subh-i-Azal to recognize him by
withholding his share of the allowance that the Turkish government had
been supplying to the exiles. As a result, Subh-i- Azal's children fell
sick due to lack of food, and his wife complained to the wife of the
Turkish governor. This "betrayal" incurred even greater wrath from
Baha'u'llah. The Baha'is responded to Babis resistance by rewriting
many Babi writings and records, degrading the Bab to a forerunner of
Baha'u'llah, the REAL prophet for the age, and MURDERING about twenty
Babis in Bagdad, Adrianople, and Akka. Two of these Babis were brothers
of Fatima, widow of the Bab; another one was her current husband; and
two were "Letters of the Living" that were appointed by the Bab. The
murderers were never punished nor disowned by Baha'u'llah. The conflict
between the two parties became so fierce that the Turkish government
separated them, sending Babis to Cypress and the Baha'is to Akka in
Palestine.

   Baha'is often claim that Baha'u'llah was imprisoned most of his
life. He was in exile and was not free to leave Akka, but for the most
of his stay in Akka he was free to move about and owned palaces and
gardens that were purchased with funds supplied by his followers in
Iran and other countries.

   Baha'u'llah's claim to be God put him under the difficult pressure
of having to play and live up to that role during the twenty-six years
of his life that followed. Contrary to his previous custom, in Akka he
lived largely in seclusion. No one was allowed to visit him except by
special permission.

   One writer of this time wrote: "each visitor was carefully prepared
for his audience with the Manifestation of God. He was told that what
he saw when he came into the Divine Presence would depend on what he
was himself - If he was a material person he would see only a man, but
if he was a spiritual being he would see God. When his expectations had
been sufficiently aroused, the pilgrim was led into the presence of
Baha'u'llah and was permitted to gaze a few moments upon the "Blessed
Perfection", care being taken that the visitation should end before the
spell was broken. Baha'u'llah, however, did not encourage the Baha'is
in their desire to visit him..there was too great a risk of their
seeing and hearing things in Akka which might weaken their faith. There
was a saying among the Baha'is of Iran that "whosoever went to Akka
lost his faith."

   In Akka Baha'u'llah recognized that the Bab had designed his
religion in a manner suitable only to Persia. He also saw that the
Bab's vision of world wide theocracy was unrealistic. Thus, in order to
promote the universal aspirations of the Babi/Baha'i religion,
Baha'u'llah ignored many of the Bayan's injunctions and sought to make
the faith appealing to the Christians and Muslims in the lands to which
the religion had spread. Baha'u'llah appealed to members of these
faiths out of their own scriptures, claiming not only to be the one
whom the Bab foretold, but also the return of the Shi'ite Hidden Imam,
the return of Christ, AND the Comforter whom Jesus said would come.

   Baha'u'llah wrote numerous epistles called "tablets" to believers,
rulers, the Pope in Rome and other religious leaders. He also wrote
longer treatises. All are considered to be the word of God. In all,
these works number over 100. Baha'is have no definite Canon of
scripture. A small book called the AQDAS is considered the most
important of Baha'u'llah's writings, and yet no authoritative
translation of the Arabic has ever been published. One Arabic scholar
refers to them as "rehash of the Bayan."

   The essence of Baha'u'llah's message is aptly summarized thus: "His
writings reached the outside world. They advocated a broad religious
view upholding the unity of God and the essential harmony of all
prophesy when rightly understood. He called upon all religions to
unite, for every religion contains some truth because all prophets are
witnesses to the one Truth that Baha'ism supremely represents. The
human race is under one God and will be united through his spirit when
the Baha'i cause is known and joined."

   Baha'u'llah WARNED that NO NEW MANIFESTATION would come for 1,000
YEARS! "Whoever claims Command before completion of a thousand years is
a false liar....Whoever explains this verse or interprets it in any
other way than that plainly sent down, he will be deprived of the
Spirit and Mercy of God."

   This warning is interesting because Baha'u'llah had previously taken
this very liberty with the Bab's writings, but realizing someone after
him could do just what he had done, he forbade anyone else from taking
the same liberty.

   Baha'u'llah died a natural death in 1892 at the age of 74. It is
reported that between the years 1866 and 1891 about 31 Baha'is were
killed in Iran.

   ABDUL BAHA

   With the death of the Divine Manifestation, leadership of the Baha'i
movement passed to Baha'u'llah's oldest son, Abbas Effendi, who took
the name Abdul Baha (Servant of Baha). Abdul Baha was born on May 23,
1844, which is reputed to be the same day that the Bab made his fateful
declaration of deity.

   While he never claimed to be an actual Manifestation of God, Abdul
Baha proclaimed that he was the "Center of the Covenant." Though
Baha'u'llah would have objected, Abdul insisted that only HE was the
sole rightful interpreter of his father's writings and that his
writings were OF EQUAL AUTHORITY with those of Baha'u'llah. Most of the
faithful gladly accepted these claims, as to them it meant the divine
manifestation of Baha'u'llah was continuing with them through his son.
However, an opposition party arose headed by Abdul's brother, Mizra
Mohammad Ali, who had been appointed second in succession by his
father. The opposition contended that Baha'u'llah had never made
provision for his successor to take such absolute authority, and that,
in fact, only a Manifestation could rightfully claim such authority.
The opposition called themselves Unitarians and called the rest
"Violators of the Covenant. "Most of Baha'u'llah's family members sided
with the Unitarians, believing that Abdul was a self-seeking
opportunist. In return, Abdul excommunicated them and deprived them of
the funds that Baha'u'llah had arranged for them to receive. The
conflict grew extremely bitter, even to the point of violence. The
schism was especially significant because it centered around two sons
of Baha'u'llah, his appointed successors. The Unitarians never became a
strong movement and eventually disappeared from the scene.

   In the early 20th century Baha'i missionary efforts began to take
hold in Western lands. Abdul Baha himself was able to personally
promote the Baha'i Faith in Egypt, Europe, England and America after
the Turkish revolution of 1908 made Akka's political prisoners free.
Abdul was especially successful in the United States, where he received
a warm reception and good press coverage in 1912. He was invited by
Mrs. Hearst of the publishing family, which assured heavy and favorable
coverage. Abdul traveled the United States for 7 months.

   SHOGHI EFFENDI

   Abdul Baha died in 1921 and, by a directive in his will, was
succeeded by his grandson, Shoghi Effendi, who ruled until his death in
1957. Abdul Baha had appointed his grandson to be the first Guardian of
the cause of God, and Shoghi Effendi made full use of the authority
vested in him, demanding absolute obedience and excommunicating all
who, in any manner, questioned him. Virtually all of Abdul Baha's
family, including his wife and Shoghi Effendi's own parents and
brothers and sisters, were eventually counted among the excommunicants.
It must be noted that loving one's own family is depicted in the Bible
as one of the most basic commands of God. The consistent inability of
Baha'u'llah and his descendants to love members of their own family
when conflicts of ambition arose hardly confirms the reliability of the
exalted claims they made and make for themselves.

   Shoghi Effendi's leadership was characterized by an organization
emphasis. He worked at establishing the local and national spiritual
assemblies. He also appointed Twenty Seven Hands of the Cause, out of
which was to be formed the House of Justice; this in accordance to a
stipulation in Abdul Baha's will, would be headed by the Guardian of
the cause or someone appointed by him. The Guardianship was to be
passed on from father to firstborn son, or to another son if the
firstborn was not worthy. These were to be appointed in the Guardian's
will.

   However, Shoghi Effendi died childless and never wrote a will. As a
result, confusion reigned among the Hands of the Cause as to who would
succeed the Guardian until they finally determined that there would be
no Guardian. Instead, the movement would be democratically ruled by the
nine member House of Justice, the members of which they appointed at
that time. This decision was accompanied by the (now traditional)
internal conflict, and a splinter group was formed which appointed its
own Guardian.

   The "Hands'" ignoring of Abdul Baha's injunction concerning the
Guardianship was only one in a series of violations of previous
injunctions which began with Baha'u'llah himself. Baha'u'llah claimed
to be a Manifestation, thus violating the Bab's appointment of
Subh-i-Azal. In turn, Abdul Baha violated provisions in Baha'u'llah's
will that Abdul's brother Mizra Muhammad Ali should succeed him when he
appointed his grandson Shoghi Effendi, instead. Shoghi Effendi ignored
the command of Baha'u'llah that a will must be written in order to
avoid squabbles over leadership, and he also violated Abdul Baha's
provision that he should appoint a successor in his own lifetime "that
differences may not arise after his passing." Since appointments and
wills were supposedly inspired by God, Baha'i history is filled with
"inspired" violations of "inspired" injunctions.

   MAJOR TENETS

   The doctrine of Divine Manifestations is the central plank of Baha'i
theology. Through this doctrine Baha'is are able to take seemingly
amiable positions toward members of the major world religions, for each
of their founders were manifestations of God and thus each religion has
a measure of truth. On the same premise Baha'is draw converts from
other religions, for, they insist, the other religions were for other
ages while the religion of Baha'u'llah is for today. To follow it in no
way will conflict with one's native faith, for there is truly only one
faith in mankind's history, best represented now by the Baha'is.

   Though the recognized Divine Manifestations represent just about
every conceivable world view (Monotheism through Moses and Jesus,
polytheism through Krisna, Agnosticism through Buddah, and dualism
through Zoroaster), Baha'is insist that they are actually united in
purpose and teaching. The spiritually initiated see beyond the apparent
differences. In fact, Baha'u'llah warned that anyone who saw even the
slightest possible difference between their words and messages would be
guilty of disbelieving and repudiating God.

   Among world religions, probably only Buddahism (in its ORIGINAL
form) and Confucianism are less concerned with man's relationship to
God than Baha'ism. The Baha'is are concerned chiefly with man's
relationship to man, as evidenced by the Baha'i thirteen "principles"
which denote social and political concerns rather than religious. In
volume 13 of "THE BAHA'I WORLD", we read: "It is the avowed faith of
Baha'is that this Revelation has established upon earth the spiritual
impulse and the definite principles necessary for social regeneration
and the attainment of one true religion and social order throughout the
world."

   This understanding that the purpose of the current revelation is
SOCIAL regeneration is the reason Baha'is brush aside the Christian
emphasis upon PERSONAL regeneration as being irrelevant to the present
age.

   Baha'is follow a number of religious laws and observances. Included
among these are daily prayer, an annual period of fasting, monogamy,
and marriage only by consent of all living parents. Divorce is
permitted after a one year waiting period. Parents are under religious
obligation to educate their children, education being a KEY WORD to
Baha'i. Use of alcohol and narcotics is forbidden, as is cremation.

   HARMONIC WITH CHRISTIANITY?

   The Baha'i Faith is essentially rationalistic. "We must not accept
traditional dogmas that are contrary to reason, nor pretend to believe
doctrines which we cannot understand. To do so is superstitious and not
true religion." Because of this inclination to reject any doctrine that
does not seem reasonable to them, Baha'is interpret allegorically,
rather than literally, the biblical doctrines of the Holy Trinity, the
bodily Resurrection of Christ, the existence of angels and evil
spirits, and the doctrines of heaven and hell. Yet, despite this
insistence that EVERYTHING must be understood in order to be believed,
they hold that God Himself is impersonal and UNKNOWABLE. He can only be
perceived indirectly through the reflection of his Manifestations -
Jesus being ONLY ONE of these NINE, in no manner superior to the other
eight.

   Baha'is deny that man fell through Adam from his original spiritual
and moral state. They affirm that no one is "essentially" bad or evil,
but merely imperfect. Sins are characteristics of the lower, baser
plane of nature, and education brings deliverance from them.
Baha'u'llah taught that men ought not to confess their sins to one
another, for this would lead to humiliation and abasement, which he
taught, are contrary to God's will.

   Concerning salvation, Baha'u'llah said, "Whoso keepeth the
commandments of God shall attain everlasting felicity." And Abdul Baha
stated that there is no sin-atoning value in Christ's sacrificial death
on the cross. So inadequate was his concept of redemption that
Baha'u'llah was able to say of himself: "Fix your gaze upon Him who is
the Temple of God amongst men. He, in truth, hath offered up his life
as a ransom for the redemption of the world."

   The Central conflict between Baha'u'llah's concept of salvation and
the biblical revelation on the subject is best shown in BAHA'I WORLD
FAITH where Baha'u'llah stated: "Every age has its own problem, and
every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in
its present day afflictions can never be the same as that which a
subsequent age may require." In CONTRAST to this, the BIBLE teaches
that the one universal problem of man throughout the ages is sin, his
state of moral guilt and consequent alienation from God. Thus the one
remedy - the only POSSIBLE remedy for mankind's dilemma - is the death
of Jesus Christ for our sins, a sacrifice sufficient to save all who
turn to Him for all time as God tells us in Hebrews 10:10 to 18.

   Because they fail to recognize that man fell from his original
position with God, Baha'is also fail to understand what the prophet
Jeremiah witnessed concerning the nature of man: "The heart is more
deceitful than all else and is incurably sick; who can understand it?"
As a result they believe that man is capable of keeping the
commandments of God, whereas the BIBLE emphatically declares that he
cannot in Romans 3:20 to 28 and 8:7. Not realizing that man's problems
stem from his heart, instead of the intellect, they think that
education is the ULTIMATE answer. HAVING MADE A FAULTY DIAGNOSIS OF
MAN'S SICKNESS, they have prescribed a faulty, ineffective cure.

   It is somewhat ironic that the most fitting description of
Baha'u'llah's attempt to establish himself as savior and mediator
between man and God can be found in words framed by none other than
Baha'u'llah himself. Certainly, he had ANYONE BUT himself in mind when
he penned these words; yet with sobering propriety Baha'u'llah's
indictment CAN BE APPLIED TO HIMSELF: "We can perceive how the whole
human race is encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We
see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore tired and
disillusioned. They that are intoxicated by self conceit have
interposed themselves between it and the divine and infallible
Physician. Witness how they have entangled all men, themselves
included, in the mesh of their devices. THEY CAN NEITHER DISCOVER THE
CAUSE OF THE DISEASE, NOR HAVE THEY ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THE REMEDY."

   Jesus Claimed to BE GOD and lived his life in a manner that
reflected truth. Jesus said that HE WAS TRUTH. Jesus rose "into the
clouds" where, we are told by the BIBLE that he "will return just as we
witnessed Him leaving" and not REINCARNATED into another person. It is
appointed unto MAN to die BUT ONCE - Then the JUDGEMENT. Jesus was God
as proven by his life. JESUS is SAVIOR as proven by His Death AND
RESURRECTION. The bodies of Baha'u'llah, the Bab, Abdul Baha and other
false prophets rot in their graves. The body of Christ is not on Earth,
but he lives! He will return with the NEW NAME of JUDGE and LORD -
Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.
When he comes in HIS BODY, he will take up to him those who He lives
THROUGH at this present time. No one has ever found deceit in the lives
of Jesus or his Apostles. Jesus stands IN HISTORY as a PERFECT human -
the ONLY MAN IN HISTORY so RECORDED. He came the first time EXACTLY
when God WROTE that he would - He didn't have to change God's word!

   No, there is NO HARMONY between Baha'i and Christ or Christianity.
The blasphemy being exhorted by Baha'i World Faith and its adherents
will be dealt with at the BEMA JUDGEMENT SEAT. Until that time, we
followers of the LIVING CHRIST, must show our love for the souls in
Baha'i that have remained in the bondage that Christ offered His life
to end. Christ did die for them, and we must always be ready to "give a
reason for the hope that lies within us" to "everyman who ask of you."
May eyes be opened to the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and closed to the
bind of Satan. Amen.

   Computers for Christ - San Jose