Posted by Stuart Gilman (67.68.68.102) on January 03, 2003 at 16:50:16:

In Reply to: Re: christian doctrines posted by Kendal on January 03, 2003 at 12:10:37:

In Judaism, we are circumcised at eight days of age. To be Jewish, one must be circumcised. If, for health reasons, this ritual cannot be performed on the eighth day, dispensation is given but the circumcision must be performed as soon as possible.

In Judaism, you cannot be a Jewish "man" without a bar mitzvah at age 13, another ancient and sacred duty of every Jewish Man and, in modern times, for some women (called bat mitzvah). You are not considered married unless you are married by a Rabbi, a civil marriage is exactly that, civil, and by so doing you are committing a grave sin - for your offspring are bastards.

There are many other such rituals and duties most of which are not in accordance with modern science, reform Judaism itself or with Christianity and other religions, obviously.

Questions about the rituals and duties of other faiths may be of interest but are irrelevant. As a Baha'i you have a Covenant and that is the only Covenant you have. It can be of great scholarly interest to use one's time to study the histories of religions and other comparative issues. However, it is so difficult to absorb Bahaíism, to be a "good" and dutiful Baha'i, I cannot imagine that a devoted Bahaíi would have the time to spend on issues pertaining to other religions. The knowledge I possess is a result of decades of searching - through all the major religions until I discovered the Manifestation and accepted Him.

But to compare or study or analyse or question the rituals, the history, the rationale of other religions takes you nowhere.

Bahaullah had great respect for the Koran. He refers to specific chapters often and so I read those chapters for that reason. But we are not commanded to study other religions. For us, there is only One, and He is Baha'u'llah.

Seg

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