Sunday, April 29, 2007

Vertical and horizontal dimensions of Faith

Undeniably, the message of Baha'u'llah is, like every revelation of God, first and foremost a guide to the individual. It is the ancient path, cleansed of the encrustments and encumbrances of the past, along which man can achieve life with God, enlightenment, and spiritual rebirth. The revelation of Baha'u'llah is not, however, limited to this "vertical" dimension. The Baha'i religion is not merely a "creed"; it is a religion in an all-embracing sense, as it also has a fully developed "horizontal," a "political" dimension.

Cited from page 12 of The Baha'i Faith – Sect or Religion? by Udo Schaefer. Originally published in German under the title, Sekte oder Offenbarungsreligion? Zur religionswissenschaftlichen Einordnung des Baha'i-Glaubens (Hofheim-Langenhain: Baha'i-Verlag, 1982). ISBN 3-87037-134-X.

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