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By u/finnerpeace
Posted on November 7, 2015
Outstanding quotes from the compilation that u/WinterSina provided in a recent thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/bahai/comments/3rpg2c/i_ask_a_question_and_i_get_a_nonresponse/cwr1my4?context=3).
G. The struggle to reconcile personal views with the Bahá’à Teachings
It should not be surprising to find that certain aspects of the Teachings of the Faith may not conform to one’s personal understanding. “Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst men,” Bahá’u’lláh states. “In this most perfect Balance whatsoever the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it.” As you persevere in your efforts to resolve your concerns, you are encouraged to focus your attention principally on the proofs of the authority of Bahá’u’lláh. This process will be facilitated through prayer, study of the Writings, participation in Bahá’à community life, and identification of preconceived ideas which are derived from the standards and theories of current society. As the years go by and humanity’s understanding of the spiritual nature of the human being grows and develops, its view of many of the issues that are a cause of much uncertainty and contention today can be expected to change. (From a letter dated 22 December 2009 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer) [20]
You have also asked how you should deal with the conflict you face in being a Bahá’à while struggling to appreciate certain aspects of the teachings, and you wonder whether you should withdraw from the Faith or simply acknowledge that on this point you have a different view. It can be helpful to consider that, on occasion, a believer may discover that a personal understanding differs to some degree from the teachings. How can it be otherwise, when our conceptions are forged in a social milieu that Bahá’u’lláh has come to radically transform? “An exact and thorough comprehension of so vast a system, so sublime a revelation, so sacred a trust,” Shoghi Effendi reminds us, “is for obvious reasons beyond the reach and ken of our finite minds.” A sensible approach is simply to recognize that the human mind is both finite and fallible and that acquiring spiritual insight and greater understanding is a gradual and ever-unfolding process that requires time, continued study, reflection on action, and consultation with others. This perspective is quite different, however, from contending with or attempting to change explicit provisions of the Faith. Humility is required, rather than an insistence that one’s personal views at any given time are correct. Thus, there is no reason why you should feel a need to withdraw from the Bahá’à community. Rather you are encouraged to keep an open mind and acknowledge, like every other Bahá’Ă, that there are elements of the Revelation that you are striving to understand more fully. This does not prevent you from showing forth unconditional love and support for your son. (From a letter dated 22 April 2013 written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer) [21]
u/finnerpeace:
I particularly love these bits:
"As you persevere in your efforts to resolve your concerns, you are encouraged to focus your attention principally on the proofs of the authority of Bahá’u’lláh. This process will be facilitated through prayer, study of the Writings, participation in Bahá’à community life, and identification of preconceived ideas which are derived from the standards and theories of current society."
and:
It can be helpful to consider that, on occasion, a believer may discover that a personal understanding differs to some degree from the teachings. How can it be otherwise, when our conceptions are forged in a social milieu that Bahá’u’lláh has come to radically transform? ....
A sensible approach is simply to recognize that the human mind is both finite and fallible and that acquiring spiritual insight and greater understanding is a gradual and ever-unfolding process that requires time, continued study, reflection on action, and consultation with others. This perspective is quite different, however, from contending with or attempting to change explicit provisions of the Faith. Humility is required, rather than an insistence that one’s personal views at any given time are correct.
u/huntingisland:
Agreed.
One looks at the life and work of Baha'u'llah and decides whether or not He is the Manifestation of God, sent to renew religion for the world.
If He is that Light, then His teachings are guidance for our lives. If one does not believe that He is Who He claims to be, then one can pick and choose according to one's own cultural conditioning which Baha'i teachings are correct and which are not.
u/The_Goa_Force:
The Holy Book, 1:180 :
"Whatsoever ye understand not in the Bayán, ask it of God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. Should He so desire, He will expound for you that which is revealed therein, and disclose to you the pearls of Divine knowledge and wisdom that lie concealed within the ocean of its words. He, verily, is supreme over all names; no God is there but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."
As Baha'u'llah's Teachings are part of the Bayan (that IMO is not meant to be taken as the physical Bayan), this seems to say : pray, and God will you make understand.
Some laws such as "males keeping their hair short" and "renew furniture every 19 years" are actually pretty logical when you take time to understand them. The same for Biblical and Quranic laws.