Is there merit in the Bahai argument of the non existence of Heaven and Hell?

Question

My friend is a Bahai,and he told me that they do not view heaven and hell as part of their religion. Rather, they say that if you die a sinner, you are far from God, and if you diea good man, you are near to God. He also said that Heaven and hell may not exist, cause they are human perceptions only. Like; a baby in the womb has no knowledge of the world outside, so we in this world have no knowledge of the next. A few of my Christian friends have been intrigued by this, as well as the Bahai claim that the original gospels may have been tempered with, but the writings of Baha'ullah have not, since he had access to modern day technology as opposed to writing by hand in those days. I'm not about to convert, but those statements really sting a little.

Answer 1

To the Bahais being far from God would be as bad as any hell you can imagine... so the question is "what is different about your idea of hell, the fact that it is suffering or how the people 'there' would suffer?"

As far as the authenticity of the Gospels, Bahais should never try to discredit any other religions so if you felt like your friend was doing that, I doubt he was. Also what technology did Bahaullah have in the mid to late 1800s? I think your friend might be a bit confused on that one. It's not like He wrote with a typewriter.

The Bahais believe that the spirit of the Gospels come from God and that it is a holy text. Seems to me that is important to point out.

Answer 2

Well for one there is no absolute basis for the statement that the original gospels have been tampered with. The Bible has the most documentary proof than any book written. And the Bible clearly talks about Heaven and Hell. So it is not a human perspective.

Answer 3

I am also a Baha'i and think your friend is part right. Baha'is do not view heaven and hell as separate places or states of being -- it's more like a continuum. The closer to God you are, the more it is heaven; the farther away, the more it is hell. We believe that both states can exist in this life, but also in the next, where all veils are stripped away and we truly see what are life has been worth. Let me offer this quote as a way to clarify:

The immortality of the spirit is mentioned in the Holy Books; it is the fundamental basis of the divine religions. Now punishments and rewards are said to be of two kinds. Firstly, the rewards and punishments of this life; secondly, those of the other world. But the paradise and hell of existence are found in all the worlds of God, whether in this world or in the spiritual heavenly worlds. Gaining these rewards is the gaining of eternal life. That is why Christ said, "Act in such a way that you may find eternal  life, and that you may be born of water and the spirit, so that you may enter into the Kingdom."

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 323)

I think your friend may not have been perfectly clear in his explanation (not sure if I am either). We often use the analogy of the womb -- just as the child in the womb develops the physical faculties he will need in this world, we should spend this world developing the spiritual faculties we need in the next.

Now, as to the latter claim, we believe the Bible is the Word of God, but that it is not wholly authentic. Whether this means things have been changed or just left out, I do not know. I know their are various atheist websites that will point out contradictions and errors in the Bible. We still respect the Bible and sometimes use it in devotions. As to the story of the Bible:

As to the position of Christianity, let it be stated without any hesitation or equivocation that its divine origin is unconditionally acknowledged, that the Sonship and Divinity of Jesus Christ are fearlessly asserted, that the divine inspiration of the Gospel is fully recognized, that the reality of the mystery of the Immaculacy of the Virgin Mary is confessed, and the primacy of Peter, the Prince of the Apostles, is upheld and defended. The Founder of the Christian Faith is designated by Bahá'u'lláh as the "Spirit of God," is proclaimed as the One Who "appeared out of the breath of the Holy Ghost," and is even extolled as the "Essence of the Spirit." His mother is described as "that veiled and immortal, that most beauteous, countenance," and the station of her Son eulogized as a "station which hath been exalted above the imaginings  110  of all that dwell on earth," whilst Peter is recognized as one whom God has caused "the mysteries of wisdom and of utterance to flow out of his mouth." "Know thou," Bahá'u'lláh has moreover testified, "that when the Son of Man yielded up His breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as witnessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest before thee. The deepest wisdom which the sages have uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced, the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but manifestations of the quickening power released by His transcendent, His all-pervasive and resplendent Spirit. We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the splendor of His glory upon all created things. Through Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity and ignorance. Through Him the unchaste and wayward were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God, the eyes of the blind were opened and the soul of the sinner sanctified.... He it is Who purified the world. Blessed is the man who, with a face beaming with light, hath turned towards Him."

(Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day is Come, p. 109)

As to the authenticity of Baha'u'llah's Writings, the advantage is not in the technology (there was none in the 19th century), but in the fact that Baha'u'llah wrote many of His works in His own hand -- and when He dictated to others, He read and verified afterwards. We are very careful as to authenticity -- there are various tablets and prayers floating around that have not been authenticated and so are not considered Scripture, though they may be very beautiful and may still be used by individuals -- much as I also use various quotes, songs and stories I find on the Internet.

Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me for more information if you wish. BTW, there is a wonderful program called Ocean that is available free from http://www.bahai-education.org/ocean. It contains Scripture from many religions -- Baha'i, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. It's free and easy to search.

Answer 4

I don't find validity in this for myself because i don't accept the
concept of supreme being as a reality .

Answer 5

What your friend says is completely true.
Im a Baha'i, :)

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

None what so ever