Posted by Alonzo Wind on August 12, 1998 at 09:51:38:

In Reply to: Searching for the truth posted by Marcibeth on August 09, 1998 at 16:47:54:

Hi Marci,

I don't see an email address so it is difficult to post directly.

I've dealt with similar issues in my family. I come from a Jewish background, and came to accept the Faith about 13 years ago while in Bolivia. My sister, about a year after I accepted the Baha'i Faith, became increasingly involved with Christian fundamentalist groups and ultimately joined them, becoming "saved" as she "accepted Jesus as her personal saviour". For about two years afterwards or more we had some difficulties as her church fed her material that sharply condemned the Baha'i Faith as one of the most dangerous movements around. You can imagine the family stresses, which I think ultimately we handled well, each basically agreeing to disagree but maintaining the fraternal tie.

I believe it is actually quite a challenge for someone in the States who has been brought up in an understanding of religion and divinity as can be found in most of the evangelist churches to then grasp the essence of who Baha'u'llah is. In Bolivia though, and some other countries I've lived, it actually was less difficult for evangelical Christians compared to many Catholics, because they had already made one break with the past tradition of their families, and this somehow eased the way to a more balanced examination of the teachings and Message of the Faith.

Many new Baha'is and seekers have historically come to see Jesus more closely in the life and sufferings of the Bab, or even in Abd'ul Baha, and see Baha'u'llah as "the Glory of God the Father" transfigured to a human body. I know that when I was studying the Baha'i faith initially I found Baha'u'llah to be really unaccessible, somewhat forbidding, even incomprehensible, and I was much more drawn to the Bab and then Abdul Baha. Abdu'l Baha really was the channel, the conduit for my ability to absorb and come to terms with the significance of the Baha'i Message, which I have to say I initially fought against tooth and nail!

yours

Alonzo

PS. My email is ajwind@unforgettable.com. I don't normally monitor this Board. ; - )

: Hi there!

: I'm a woman who's in search for the truth. I am a christian-background person whose life has been touched by Tahirih inmensly.
: I have been searching for the truth in the Baha'i claims of Baha'u'lah as the christ expected, etc. I think that what I'm looking for through this message
: is for someone's help in the issue of Christianity and Baha'is. Even though I read the Tablets, "thief in the Night", Tahirih's book, etc. It is difficult for my
: western-catholic-baptist-programmed mind to see in Baha'u'lah the Jesus Christ that has been in my mind and life for all these years.

: Is there anybody out there that perhaps relates to this and may be willing to address the issue to me and perhaps for me get some guidance?

: Thank you very much for your help.

:
: Marci.

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