Progressive revelation and the Baha'i approach to overcoming religious differences

So far in this series of posts, we've looked at what religion means in the Baha'i faith, how that leads to the notion of the oneness of religion, and how one can approaches the very real differences that people have in their beliefs in spite of this underlying oneness (as claimed by the Baha'i writings). There is one final element, I think, that will provide a way to understand where these differences fundamentally arise from, and what they mean - and that is understanding that there is a distinction between religious systems as they were intended by their founders, and religious systems as they exist today. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism etc today are all but a shadow of what they were intended to be. The Baha’i teachings assert that any of these systems today consist of three layers – the essential principles that are their foundation and are common to all religious systems, the social laws/practices that have been preserved faithfully, but were only relevant to a particular day and age, and finally all the stuff that imperfect human beings have added on over the ages – consciously or unconsciously. The process of progressive revelation, according to Baha’is, therefore serves two vital purposes:

1. It helps refocus society away from all the junk that has been added on, and back to the essential principles
2. It allows the revelation of a new set of social laws and teachings more relevant to humanity at its current stage of evolution
   

These ... mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.
-- Baha’u’llah

The second point above is actually quite critical. As humanity evolves, so does religion – and with it, the social laws it provides society that guide its further evolution also change. Seemingly irreconcilable differences therefore often arise in people's beliefs because we sometimes either believe things that were never stated by the Manifestations, or because we accept as eternal things that were meant to be only temporal.

The Baha’i Faith does claim, btw, that it represents the face of religion (that relationship between God and humanity) for this day, and claims that it provides the necessary social teachings that will enable humanity to progress to the next stage of its evolution (yet another claim to investigate!).

For Bahá’u’lláh, we should readily recognize, has not only imbued mankind with a new and regenerating Spirit. He has not merely enunciated certain universal principles, or propounded a particular philosophy, however potent, sound and universal these may be. In addition to these He, as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá after Him, has, unlike the Dispensations of the past, clearly and specifically laid down a set of Laws, established definite institutions, and provided for the essentials of a Divine Economy. These are destined to be a pattern for future society, a supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace, and the one agency for the unification of the world, and the proclamation of the reign of righteousness and justice upon the earth.
-- Shoghi Effendi

This, it should be recognized, is a much stronger claim than just talking about the commonalities in all religions – and the writings strongly encourage all seekers of the truth to study, learn and evaluate this claim with an open mind. However, this claim should not be taken in any way to mean that somehow the Baha’i Faith is greater than past religious systems. Instead, one should view this in terms of the needs, requirements and capacities of this age.

Beware, O believers in the Unity of God, lest ye be tempted to make any distinction between any of the Manifestations of His Cause, or to discriminate against the signs that have accompanied and proclaimed their Revelation. This indeed is the true meaning of Divine unity.... Be ye assured, moreover, that the works and acts of each and every one of these Manifestations of God ... are all ordained by God, and are a reflection of His will and Purpose.
-- Baha’u’llah

Know of a certainty, that in every Dispensation the light of Divine Revelation has been vouchsafed to men in direct proportion to their spiritual capacity. Consider the sun. How feeble its rays the moment it appears above the horizon. How gradually its warmth and potency increase as it approaches its zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to adapt themselves to the growing intensity of its light. How steadily it declines until it reaches its setting point. Were it, all of a sudden, to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no doubt, cause injury to all created things…. In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty has bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for men’s hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light. Dismayed and overpowered, they would cease to exist.
-- Baha’u’llah

The evolution in capacity of humans to assimilate greater spiritual truths is something pointed out by other manifestations such as Jesus as well, as in the quote below – while at the same time he hints that future prophets would manifest themselves.

¹²I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
¹³Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
¹⁴He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
-- John 16:12-14

Lets bring all this back to the fact that among believers in various faiths there are real commitments to conflicting spiritual teachings”. I think what the Baha’i Faith has to offer is this:

1. Our first commitment should always be to the truth, and not to our own opinions, or the beliefs of our forefathers. We cannot evaluate truth by the standards set by other people, and instead have to seek it in an open-minded and detached way.
   
   …man can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the All-Glorious, can never quaff from the stream of divine knowledge and wisdom, can never enter the abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness and favour, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets.
   -- Baha’u’llah
2. All religious systems, the Baha'i teachings claim, are all part of the same eternal relationship between God and humanity, a relationship that lives, breathes and organically evolves as humanity does. Understanding the of this claim, well help us all live in greater harmony with each other.
   
3. The differences that exist are indeed often real, but understanding where they come from, and the context and perspective is critical in resolving them. If we do try and understand all that, we would see that differences, even if not incidental, would be temporal – while the principles underlying all religious systems are both essential and eternal. We would be able to piece together our different perspectives to form a greater and more complex understanding of reality. If one understood the true purpose of religion, and the context for one’s own religious system, I think we would be much more comfortable letting go of those aspects that hindered progress along the path of truth, relegating others that are of cultural value to the domain of individual choice, and embracing the larger implications of seeing that specific religious system within the global scheme of religion. This claim of course needs to be verified in practice and should not be accepted as such.
   
4. None of this, of course, can ever be imposed on anyone. The Baha’i writings constantly exhort each one of us to take charge of our own spiritual growth, to seek truth with open and humble hearts, and do the best we can to further that process – but we can never impose our own understanding of reality on anyone else. All this provides us a suggestion for how to lead our own lives, and we should not use it as a way to judge anyone else. We can (and should), of course converse with others, share ideas, learn from them, but always with a spirit of complete detachment and non-expectation.
   

Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it fulfil its purpose, your object is attained. If any one should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him.
-- Baha’u’llah

¹²And when ye come into an house, salute it.
¹³And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
¹⁴And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
-- Matthew 10:12-14

It is true that along this path we might all have to shed beliefs that at some point used to be essential to our very identity. Whether we choose to do that, or not, is of course a personal choice – but isn’t that what spiritual growth is all about, anyway? :)