Talk:Bahá'í teachings

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I think that someone should create a section for the similarities and differences between this religion and others. For example, I would be happy to help and add the similarities and differences of Bahai and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints along with other christian philosophy if I knew how. Does anyone think there is a need for this? I would find this interesting and it would also make for a better streamline of the religion topics. [unsigned by 67.131.7.194]

If you feel inspired to put in a bunch of work doing it, go right ahead. Cuñado - Talk 21:40, 5 October 2005 (UTC)
I think that this is certainly a valid thing to do from an academic or "encyclopedia format" point-of-view. Please know that I encourage you to undertake such a task if you are up to the challenge. Just be aware while you are doing it that Baha'u'llah says: "O contending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you...Cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you" (Gleanings, p. 217). Best of luck. Nmentha 12:27, 17 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New page layout

I have a proposal for changing the layout. I started an example on my sandbox. It still needs some expansion and cutting. This would also involve redirecting Three onenesses and Progressive revelation to Bahá'í teachings. I imagine an overall layout where articles branch off from the main article according to theme. Currently the pages on teachings aren't well organized and seem sporadic and sometimes repetitive. I imagine a flow like this:

Bahá'í Faith

Please comment here on this proposal: User:Cunado19/sandbox as a replacement for the current page layout. Cuñado - Talk 19:57, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

I think the new page is a definite improvement, but I would not remove the other pages. The page would get way too long. We should use the summary style. Keep the other pages as is (we should improve them as well), and include a summary of one or two paragraphs in summary of that teaching on this page. -- Jeff3000 14:48, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
I really think that Three onenesses should redirect here. Considering that two of the 'onenesses' have their own pages, it would fit better to create a new page for the third, and leave the summaries to the teachings page. Maybe create a new page on the Bahá'í concept of God, following the example of Islamic concept of God, Conceptions of God, Abrahamic conceptions of God, God in Sikhism, God in Buddhism, and Conceptions of God in Hinduism.
Another reason is that 'three onenesses' is not a very good term. I think it was coined by teachers, and not part of the writings. A search in Ocean came up with zero hits for "three onenesses". Cuñado - Talk 05:27, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
I'm in favour of creating a page about the Bahá'í concept of God, but I don't think that Three onenesses should be redirected to this page. While the term is not found in Ocean, it is found in many books about the Baha'i Faith, even Peter Smith's book. -- Jeff3000 18:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Personally, I have never liked the expression "three onenesses". I hate it actually. It makes no appearance in the foundational texts. It appears to be, possibly, North American Bahá'í jargon. Asserting that it's a "core" Bahá'í belief is actually made by somebody who isn't a Bahá'í. (See footnote 1 in that article.)

There are all sorts of "core" beliefs". Two, that seem to me, far more fundamental are these:

3. O SON OF MAN!
Veiled in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee, have engraved on thee Mine image and revealed to thee My beauty.
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Arabic Hidden Words)
Having created the world and all that liveth and moveth therein, He, through the direct operation of His unconstrained and sovereign Will, chose to confer upon man the unique distinction and capacity to know Him and to love Him -- a capacity that must needs be regarded as the generating impulse and the primary purpose underlying the whole of creation....
(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 65)

Those go directly to the fundamental purpose of Creation and Religion. The "three onenesses" make statements about the nature of the Creator, Creation and Religion. As my vision of God is that He's an active participant with these, statements about His purpose seem more fundamental than about His nature. All philosophical nonsense really, because if you don't have a grasp of both His nature and His purpose, neither has real meaning. That's why I've never like elevating these particular beliefs.

I know people, Jeff3000 in particular, have spent a great deal of time on that article. Its components are all good and would make contributions is folded into this article. On the other hand, I've never been comfortable with holding up the "three onenesses" as some over-arching, or short-hand, set of beliefs when the Central Figures didn't do this. MARussellPESE 15:57, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

The page being too long. Not a consideration. Some subjects are of interests to a few. Headings at the top of the page are important pointers. What changes are made the need to have diversity is important and the longer the page the better is what I encourage. RoddyYoung 20:30, 16 September 2006 (UTC)
Having a changing in format suggested above will be more inclusive (ref this link above) so that greater scope for the reader can be developed and let adaption to many fast changes in monitoring, indicating and reporting of take place. Of note are considerations that must widen the perspective. Take for example how Baha'i law, say on marriage, will impact on environmental factors, say global warming factors, in future (next 500,000 years). A broader format is needed. Good work in the sandbox. RoddyYoung 21:08, 16 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm completely with Russell on the 'Three Onenesses' bit. I've never been a fan of that mental framework. That is, not since I ever heard of it, which was long after I absorbed the teachings they mean to structure. I would much prefer adding mnemonics such as this and 'Progressive Revelation' as more like footnotes to acquaint the reader with Baha'i nomenclature than as organizational tools. (Many Baha'is refer to this as...) -LambaJan 22:06, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

Well I've already updated the page, so the sandbox is irrelevant now. I held back on redirecting the two pages. Currently, the content of three onenesses is entirely on this teachings page, and given that three people support redirecting, one opposes, and one added a completely irrelevant link to YouTube, I'm going to redirect and fix the inter-wiki links on other pages. None of the content is lost in the change, since it's only an organization of links. I also started a page on the Bahá'í concept of God, which was just copied and needs work. Cuñado - Talk 02:10, 22 September 2006 (UTC)
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