Some Frequently Asked Questions for Israel (and Baha’is)

Enclosed is an extract from an article titled “The Fourth Faith” by a Jewish journalist, who asks many unusual (embarrassing questions) about the Baha’i Faith’s world center at Haifa most non-Baha’is do not know about.

Questions to the Jews of Israel:

1) Why are Baha’i s not allowed to teach their Faith in the State of Israel?

2) Why is there no other Baha’i community in any other part of Israel except those 700 volunteers who work at the BWC in Haifa and Acre?

3) Why is if an inquirer (citizen from the state) wished to become a Baha’i there request would be refused, unless they left Israel and became a citizen of another country?

4) Why are young Baha’i s who work at the Baha’i center not allowed to date, become engaged or marry any citizen in the state of Israel?

5) Why do Baha’i s insist that their presence in Haifa is that they have brought tremendous economic benefit to the city, surely this is a materialistic rather than a spiritual reason for being there?

6) Why do certain Iranian propagandists bring forth a charge that members of the Baha’i Faith are “agents of Zionism.”?

Questions to Baha’i Faith:

1. Two alternative Baha’i organizations have been sued by the Baha’i Faith organization for using the word “Baha’i” to describe their beliefs. That’s like the Catholic Church suing Protestants for calling themselves “Christians”. Do you agree that this makes your faith look ridiculous and petty?

2. You believe that eventually all people and nations should come under the theocratic rule of the infallibly inspired Baha’i Universal House of Justice. How is this any different than the Caliphate, Shari’ah, Wilayat-i-faqih?

3. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) Baha’u’llah limits the number of wives to 2, but he had 3 wives. Why believe in such a hypocrite?

4. Bahá’u’lláh was a polygamist who allowed men to have up to 2 wives, so why is polygamy forbidden by Baha’i law?

5. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book) Baha’u’llah commands that a thief should have a visible mark put on his forehead after the third offense. Why do you consider this man to be the greatest Manifestation of God?

6. Abdu’l Baha and Shoghi Effendi are both infallible, so why can’t they decide if Confucius was or was not a Manifestation?

7. You believe all the greatest faiths founded by Manifestations differ only in non-essential aspects of their doctrines. Even a cursory glance at the doctrines of the major world religions will tell you this is false. So why do you believe this?

8. If Baha’u’llah is the apex of all previous Manifestations, why can’t he walk on water or split the moon?

9. According to your faith, each Manifestation is more perfect than the previous one, but do you honestly believe Prophet Muhammad’s teachings are superior to Christ’s or Buddha’s?

10. In “Baha’u’llah and the New Era” (official Baha’i text) Abdu’l Baha (“Slave of Baha”, the infallible guide and eldest son of Baha’u’llah) stated that the Kingdom of God would be established on earth by 1957. Where is it, and why has this statement been removed from the 1970 republication?

11. Bab declared Mirza Yahya (Baha’u’llah’s brother) as his successor and presented Baha’u’llah as an inferior. Why do Baha’is suppress this fact?

12. If Baha’is are so peaceful, why was the faith founded on violence and assassinations between supporters of Mirza Yahya and Baha’u’llah?

13. You believe Christianity was perverted during the first century (as per Shoghi Effendi’s claim). Isn’t this hypocritical coming from a faith that suppresses source materials and revises the writings of deceased authors in futile attempts to make your beliefs match historical reality?

14. Abdu’l Baha “excommunicated” practically all his closest relatives and deprived them of their income from Baha’u’llah’s estate after his fathers death. Do you agree that your infallible guide was a cruel and heartless individual?

15. Based on the example set by the infallible Abdu’l Baha, Covenant-breakers (heretics and apostates) are often treated unkindly and ostracized by other Baha’is. So what makes your faith any better than mainstream Islam?

16. Huququllah is the right of guardian, it is clearly stated in your holy writings. Then why Haifan UHJ is accepting it in the absence of guardian?

17. Why you state that Baha’is are united when there are two UHJs and so many guardians and so many sects?

18. When the membership of UHJ will be opened for women?

19. When the teaching of the Baha’i faith will be permitted in the Holy Land (Israel)?

http://thebahaiinsider.com/