Three Onenesses
From Freepedia
The Three Onenesses are three simple core assertions central to the theology of the Bahá'í Faith. They are:
- The Oneness of God
- The Oneness of Religion
- The Oneness of Humanity
This is also referred to as the Unity of God, Unity of religion, and Unity of mankind.
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Unity
The principle of unity is very highly emphasized in the Bahá'í writings. One of the most common quotes of Bahá'u'lláh is "So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth." (Gleanings, p. 288)
These three principles of unity reflect a unity between themselves. A single, all powerful God, revealing His message through a series of divine Educators, regarding them as one progressively revealed religion, to one single humanity, who all possess a rational soul and only differ according to color and culture.
This idea is fundamental not only to explaining Bahá'í beliefs, but explaining the attitude Bahá'ís have towards other religions. Bahá'ís regard other religions as not just divinely inspired, but part of their own religious history. Bahá'u'lláh in many places gives the idea that denying any of the Manifestations of God is equivalent to denying all of them, and God Himself. In other references `Abdu'l-Bahá said that a Bahá’í will choose death over denial of any of the great Prophets, whether Moses, Muhammad or Christ. (`Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p. 56)
This creates a dynamic where Bahá'ís are comfortable studying the Bible and Qur'an, and attending a variety of religious services, while the feeling is not mutual with regards to adherents of those religions.
The acceptance of every race and culture in the world has brought Bahá'í demographics an incredible diversity, becoming the second most widespread Faith in the world, and translating its literature into over 800 languages.
The Oneness of God
- There is but one supreme deity, God.
- Bahá'u'lláh writes on this subject:
- "So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind or heart, however keen or pure, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowable Essence..." [1]
The Oneness of Humanity
- Main article: Bahá'í Faith and the Unity of Humanity
- There is but one humanity; all people are equal in the sight of God.
- "Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship."
- (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 288)
- "Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship."
- The Bahá'í Writings emphasize the value of cultural and individual differences as flowers of one garden.
- "It [the Faith] does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnic origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world... Its watchword is unity in diversity..." [2]
The Oneness of Religion
- Main article: Bahá'í Faith and World Religions
- There is but one religion, progressively revealed by God to mankind.
- Bahá'u'lláh claimed to be the most recent, and not the last, in a series of divine Educators which include Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, and others. Regarding the relationships of these Educators, which Bahá'ís refer to as "Manifestations of God" Bahá'u'lláh writes:
- God hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God . . . They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory. [3]
- Bahá'ís often refer to this concept as Progressive revelation, meaning that God's will is revealed to us progressively, as we mature and our capacity to understand also grows.
