Bridging Beliefs

Part 1 of a multi-series presentation on this subject. I examine the concept of "the Seal of the Prophets" an understandable and widespread Muslim objection that no Messenger of God can come after the Prophet Muhammad. We examine Qur'anic passages and the Baha'i Scriptures related to this paramount theme.

Sections:

1. 1:18 The Problem
2. 1:53 Agreement on “Seal”
3. 6:04 Qur’an, Hadith, and Tradition
4. 9:39 The Beloved’s Appeal
5. 13:30 Root Words and Word Families
6. 19:25 The Seal of Prophets - the Text
7. 21:07 God Seals Hearts and Hearing
8. 39:24 Khatam and the Drumbeat of the Qur’an
9. 1:17:27 Summary

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Regardless of our beliefs - Baha'i, Atheist, Christian, Secular, Buddhist, or Jewish - we must strive to pass through the stages of knowledge, understanding, and to find the beauty others see in their beliefs. Only then can we truly grasp why people adhere to theses beliefs and understand human psychology. This is independent of whether the belief is true or not. To be genuine global citizens, walking the stages of this path - knowledge, understanding, and beauty - is essential.

Sections:
1. 1:14 Stage One: Knowledge
2. 9:02 Stage Two: Understanding
3. 13:42 Stage Three: Beauty

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Passionate believers seek to spread their beliefs, often antagonizing those who don’t agree. They “push their beliefs” on others. Do only religious or political people do so? How is sharing one’s belief system (proclamation) congruent with social progress and being a genuine person? What is proselytizing? How is this related to truth claims? Can this be used as a brushoff tactic to simply avoid investigation?

Sections:

1. 1:22 Teaching vs Proselytizing
2. 9:53 Understand Intention
3. 13:31 Why I Share - The 'Technology'
4. 25:14 Constant Flow of Ideas - Pushing & Pushing Back
5. 34:50 Elevated Discourse & Concept of 'Conversion'

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Are religious people conformists, sheep following the herd, upholding the status quo? Do only religious people do this? Further, did people in power create religion to control the masses? Does history uphold either of these claim?

Sections:

1. 0:25 Anyone Can be Sheep
2. 1:30 It Doesn't Imply it's True or False
3. 2:13 Ethics and Societal Norms
4. 4:33 'Religion: Created by Those in Power'
5. 9:12 Conclusion

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Some people offer 'psychological needs' for why others accept religion. This leads them to ignore religion's truth-claims, and takes the place of rational investigation. In such cases they can as brush-off tactics. However, the psychoanalysis of unbelief can ignore secular arguments against religion. I propose that psychoanalysis of thought is not fruitful and stunts critical investigation and therefore should be dropped.

Sections:

1. 2:10 Ineffectiveness of Psychoanalysis of Belief
2. 10:26 "Meaning and Purpose"
3. 18:58 "Desire for Community"
4. 27:59 "Desire for Justice"
5. 34:41 "Fear of Death"
6. 44:48 Conclusion

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Do we have a duty to investigate? And when trying to understand others' perspectives and beliefs should we find the most rational representation of it or point at the silliest easiest versions? These questions will be explored in this video.

Sections:

1. 2:49 Duty of Inquiry and Sincerity
2. 13:33 Interpretation of Texts

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According to many Muslims (not all), their understanding of the Qur'an 4:157 is that it denies Jesus' crucifixion, however the Bible not only believes in it but emphasizes it as central! How can these two Holy Books be reconciled?

Sections:
1. 1:08 Text in Question
2. 7:44 The Bahá'í Interpretation
3. 11:08 The Same Fruit - Consistent with Self - A Harmonious Whole
4. 24:13 "Christ's Life isn't Central in the Qur'an"

Addendum:
5. 30:08 The Arabic - Similarities
6. 34:28 The Arabic - Types and Tokens
7. 46:02 The Bahá'í Concept of "The Manifestation of God"

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There are multiple aspects to this concern. One is that “inherently by being religious you’re X religion and therefore not Y religion, placing people into categories or camps of Us and Them, which makes religion essentially divisive.” So to be secular is seen as being neutral. We'll examine the Bahá'í Writings and see what they say on this issue as we try to resolve this understandable apprehension.

Sections:

1.  2:16 Empathy and Agreement 
2.  17:11 The 6 O'clock News and Masks of Madness
3.  20:43 False Neutrality - "I'm Out of the Frying Pan!"
4.  29:44 The Problem of No Options
5.  42:50 What Won't Work
6.  44:17 The Equation!
7.  59:25 Nuclear Energy
8.  1:09:41 Magic Pill
9.  1:12:25 The Root: Prejudice
10.  1:23:00 Come On - That's Never Going to Happen
11.  1:32:54 The Body-Count of Apathy

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A brief introductory study of The Unity of Religion in the Bahá'í Writings. I will first present what the "Unity of Religion" briefly is, and subsequently will discuss the barriers and bridges to this concept.

Sections:

1.  1:09 One Common Faith - What is "The Unity of Religion"?
2.  32:01 Does Not Invalidate
3.  1:08:49 Independent Investigation of Truth
4.  1:34:37 Secularism, Rationality, and Religion
5.  1:43:22 Syncretism
6.  2:04:34 Empathy with Oddity and Incredulity
7.  2:56:09 Textual Empiricism
8.  3:05:31 Progressive Revelation - A Universal Religious Belief
9.  3:53:47 Principle of Symbolism and the "Valley of Names"
10.  4:00:52 Intelligent Reading - Literal vs Allegorical
11.  4:11:11 The Believer Doesn't Take Precedent
12.  4:18:54 Non-Neutrality Principle
13.  4:28:30 Backfires, Blowbacks, and Boomerangs

Download MP3 and PDF here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1hIz..

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A brief introductory study of the "worlds beyond", "next world", or "life after death" in the Bahá'í Writings. This is the full presentation, all 7 parts.

Sections:

1.  0:44 Intro
2.  1:13 The Great Beyond - An Apt Expression
3.  3:29 The Womb and the World - The Limits of Knowing
4.  12:25 No Physical Form - Made Up of Heavenly Elements
5.  16:50 World of Exemplars - the Heavenly Body of Man
6.  24:13 Reunited with Loved Ones - Greater Development for Them
7.  28:55 Time in Next World - Though Different
8.  32:08 Souls Foster Arts and Sciences
9.  34:04 The Judgement
10.  40:09 Don't Act From Fear of Punishment nor Hope of Reward
11.  44:29 There is a "Hell"
12.  48:41 What is "Heaven" and "Hell"?
13.  1:21:38 Where are Heaven and Hell?
14.  1:26:45 Unaware You're in Hell
15.  1:44:00 Can Fall and Not Know It
16.  1:44:59 Do Non-Baha'is "Go to Heaven"
17.  1:49:38 Can We Make Up for Lost Opportunities?
18.  1:54:39 Will We Know We Were Wrong?
19.  2:09:24 Endless Worlds of God
20.  2:15:40 Where are the Worlds of God? Supernatural?
21.  2:24:24 Different Degrees in the Next World
22.  2:53:16 No Retrogression
23.  3:00:30 The Paradox of Grace and Will
24.  3:13:01 What does "Knowing God" mean?
25.  3:16:48 This World is a Mirror of the Next - Nature & History
26.  3:24:54 Revelations in all the Worlds
27.  3:33:28 The Manifestation in All Worlds
28.  3:42:48 Mention Him in Every World
29.  3:47:33 Detached From Worlds Beyond
30.  4:00:09 Finding Him - Smelling His Fragrance
31.  4:22:04 Nothing Bad in the Next World?
32.  4:26:15 The Two Heavens - Or Earth, Heaven, and that which Lieth in Between
33.  4:29:08 Meeting the Prophets of God
34.  4:33:43 The Great Journey Back to the Divine
35.  4:46:12 Conclusion
36.  5:05:26 Other Issues we will Address in the Future

Download MP3 and PDF here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1xlwc3BVrs--twiPCklvJ4A5d8x1oxLda

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#bahai #bahaullah #abdulbaha #bab #scienceandreligion #religion #faith #unity #knowledge #interfaith #religiousstudies #philosophy #god #unity #religion #war #religiouswar #division #conflict #disunity #arguments #investigation #unbiased #search #truth

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