How Baha’is Interpret the Bible

In my experience during thirty years involvement with the Baha’i Faith, it appeared that most Baha’is don’t care much about the Bible, except to use it to try to prove that Baha’u’llah is God’s messenger for this age. They will use it to try to answer questions put to them by Christians, if they can, but most Baha’is do not seem to be well-equipped to explain anything about the Bible. They’re much more likely to want to list their “Ten Principles” and to explain the history of the Baha’i Faith.

The Holy Bible

There is very little independent thinking about the Bible among Baha’is because they are trained to suppress critical thinking and to believe 100% in everything written by Baha’u’llah, no matter how off-base it may seem to anyone not believing in the religion. Dissenting viewpoints are discouraged.

From the Baha’i writings:

“…if the Manifestation says something, or gives a command, or performs an action, and believers do not understand its wisdom, they still ought not to oppose it by a single thought…”

‘Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, page 174.

Aside from the primary Baha’i sources, such as the writings of Baha’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, books written by other Baha’is are considered to be the best source of information about the Bible for Baha’is. This information is used to try to convert Christians.

During my years as a Baha’i, I was never once encouraged to read the entire Bible, and [to my knowledge] I didn’t know any Baha’is who had taken the time to read it all the way through.

Most of us believed that “Hand of the Cause” William Sears, author of Thief in the Night and other Baha’i books about the Bible, knew what he was writing about. His books became the most widely used source of information about the Bible.

Another “Hand of the Cause,” George Townshend, was once the “Sometime Canon of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, and Archbishop of Clonfert,” so Baha’is look up to him as someone who knew the Bible well. He wrote a book: Christ and Baha’u’llah. That book has little to do with Jesus, and is mainly an effort to impress Christians with the history of the Baha’i Faith and the prophethood of Muhammad.

Because “Hand of the Cause” is a station of distinction and honor, Baha’is trust the books these men wrote to teach them how to share the Baha’i Faith with Christians effectively. However most Baha’is don’t feel the Bible is important enough to take the time to read in its entirety.

Such a tragedy!

Instead they believe that the books written by Baha’u’llah are far superior in value. The reasoning behind this is that (1) these books were written by Baha’u’llah himself and not by others writing about him in retrospect; and (2) Baha’u’llah’s books, Baha’is believe, were written for the people of this day and age.

The Bible is considered inaccurate and the Qur’an is respected more highly.

From the Baha’i writings:

“The Bible is not wholly authentic, and in this respect not to be compared with the Qur’án, and should be wholly subordinated to the authentic sayings of Bahá’u’lláh.”

(Letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, 28 July 1936, published in Bahá’í News, no. 103 (Oct. 1936), p. 1).

Nevertheless, the Bible does have one major value for Baha’is. They like to use it to try to prove that Baha’u’llah was God’s messenger.

Just like most other groups claiming their founder is the “Return of Christ,” Baha’is needed to pick out a few Bible verses to give their prophet some Biblical validity. This, supposedly, could help them convert Christians into Baha’is.

During my time as a Baha’i, I had many experiences of trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to convert people. Though Baha’is claim they don’t “proselytize,” the activity called “teaching” is mandatory and expected of all Baha’is.

In Baha’i jargon, “teaching” is the act of finding new converts.

In reality, very few Christians ever become Baha’is. Those that do generally are not the kind of devoted Christians that attend church weekly and read their Bibles at home daily.

I was sucked into Baha’i as a teenager without any religious training. My parents were not Christians. When I first read a pamphlet about how Bible prophecies prove the validity of Baha’u’llah’s claim, I was very impressed, and joined the religion. Twenty-five years later I decided to read the Bible for myself, and that led to my disenchantment with Baha’i, my unwillingness to allow Baha’is to continue to upset and hurt me, and eventually, my letter requesting withdrawal from the religion.

From the words of Robert Stockman, author of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in America and a few other books:

“What is the Bahá’í approach to biblical interpretation? An important factor is Bahá’í reliance on a new revelation. Thus if Bahá’ís need guidance for a problem they turn to the Bahá’í writings for their answers, and not primarily to the Bible. They thus need not experience grave anxiety over how to interpret crucial Bible passages, or over the implications of a particular interpretive approach to the Bible.”

Robert Stockman – Christianity from a Baha’i Perspective.

So, apparently the Baha’i approach to Bible interpretation is simply not to do it. Most Baha’is seem to think all they need do is read the writings of Baha’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and Shoghi Effendi, as well as other books that may be approved for them by the Baha’i Distribution Service.

In the Baha’i Faith, independent thinking is considered dangerous. Bible interpretation by the average rank-and-file Baha’i is deemed unnecessary and the Bible is considered an obsolete, antiquated and outdated book.

I suppose some Baha’is are relieved to know that they aren’t required to read the Bible. After all, it is a big, thick book!

As a Baha’i in the 1990’s, I decided to read the Bible on my own because I wanted to know what it says. After all, the Bible is the number one most influential book in the civilization we live in. I didn’t want to go to my grave without reading it through at least once.

The Bible is full of fascinating ancient history, poetic devotions, essential wisdom, and intriguing prophecy. Well worth the time spent reading it.

About christianexbahai

I'm a former Baha'i; now a Christian.

‹ Direction, Desires, and Dedication

Why the Bible IS “Wholly Authentic” ›

Tagged with: Baha'is, Bible, Books, Christians, Conversion, Converts, Critical Thinking, Dissention, Hands of the Cause, Independent Thinking, Interpretation, Muhammad, Proofs, Prophecies, Proselytizing, Qur'an, Reading, Suppression, Teaching, Training
Posted in Baha'is and the Bible