Salvation - Is it Safe to take a Suit's Word for it?

By Timothy Casey

Light illuminates regardless of the lamp from which it shines, and good is good regardless of who does it. So someone wearing a suit is as questionable as anyone-else.  The corollary here, is that whoever does good (abides in the teachings of Christ, etc.) has both the "Father and the Son" regardless of their lip service -  See:

[2 John 1:9] "Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

[Mat 7:21] "Not every one who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." 

Abiding in the teaching concerns actions and not lip-service. This is not about saying, "I believe", but about doing, "I believe." The happenchance possession or dispossession of knowledge is not a logical basis on which to found any idea of salvation. Conscience on the other hand, is not happenchance. Everyone has got one, it is just a matter of looking within and living the life. The New Testament has an interesting perspective on faith. According to James, true belief is founded in action, and not vice-versa:

[James 1:22] "But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves."

and:

[James 2:14] "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?
[James 2:15] If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food,
[James 2:16] and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?
[James 2:17] So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
[James 2:18] But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
[James 2:19] You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder.
[James 2:20] Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?
[James 2:21] Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
[James 2:22] You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works.
[James 2:23] Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God.
[James 2:24] You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
[James 2:25] Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road?
[James 2:26] For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead."

A similar, if not strongly worded view, is voiced in Baha'i Scripture:

"The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life."
(Baha'u'llah: Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Page: 156)

It is complete and utter nonsense, not to mention hypocritical, to condemn others because they have their own beliefs. The thoughts and life experiences of no two individuals are the same. How then can the opinions or beliefs of any number of individuals conform to the point of being indistinguishable? Consider the following:

“These are effectual and sufficient proofs that the conscience of man is sacred and to be respected; and that liberty thereof produces widening of ideas, amendment of morals, improvement of conduct, disclosure of the
secrets of creation, and manifestation of the hidden verities of the contingent world.  Moreover, if interrogation of conscience, which is one of the private possessions of the heart and the soul, take place in this world, what further recompense remains for man in the court of divine justice at the day of general resurrection?  Convictions and ideas are within the scope of the comprehension of the King of kings, not of kings; and soul and conscience are between the fingers of control of the Lord of hearts, not of [His] servants.  So in the world of existence two persons unanimous in all grades [of thought] and all beliefs cannot be found.  `The ways unto God are as the number of the breaths of [His] creatures' is a mysterious truth, and `To every [people] We have appointed a [separate] rite'(50) is one of the subtleties of the Qur'an.”
 (`Abdu'l-Baha:  A Traveler's Narrative, Pages: 91-92)

The key question that is raised by intellectual intolerance is, "How can a just God persecute an individual for maintaining beliefs in honest accordance with their conscience?" If this is so, then God disappears in a puff of iniquitous smoke because God by definition is perfect in all good things - especially justice and mercy.

Whatever is not perfect in such things is definitely not God. By way of example, Christ never said that God's forgiveness is dependant upon our knowledge or on conformity of belief. Christ only said (concerning this issue):

[Mat 6:14] "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;
[Mat 6:15] but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

and

[Luke 6:36] "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
[Luke 6:37] Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;"

This is the salvation of Christ, who's action at Calvary confirmed His words with the ultimate example lived in this teaching, and demonstrating the extreme to which it must be taken when, during His crucifixion, Christ prayed:

[Luke 23:34] ..."Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing."... 

It is so simple, and as much in black & white as anyone could hope for in translations of ancient records of word of mouth accounts. The texts of the Baha'i Faith are not so old and ambiguous and yet he the gravity of this act is recognized therein:

“You must follow the example and footprints of Jesus Christ.  Read the Gospels.  Jesus Christ was mercy itself, was love itself.  He even prayed in behalf of His executioners - for those who crucified Him  - saying, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." If they knew what they were doing, they would not have done it. Consider how kind Jesus Christ was, that even upon the cross He prayed for His oppressors.  We must follow His example.”
(`Abdu'l-Baha:  Promulgation of Universal Peace, Page: 42)

Too good to be true? Are these quotes taken in context? This all depends on the purpose of the religion of origin. In the New Testament we read:

[Matthew 7:12] "Do unto others as your would that others should do unto you; for this is the Law and the Prophets."

Not surprisingly, we read a similar mission statement in the Covenant of Baha'u'llah:

"The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissension."
(Baha'u'llah: Kitab-i-Ahd, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, Page: 220)

Certainly, the "forgive others and God will forgive you" statements fit precisely with the context defined by the Golden Rule and asserted with the addendum, "for this is the Law and the Prophets". After all, if "God is Love" {(1John 4:8,16), (Abdu'l-Baha: Foundations of World Unity; p. 73, 102. Paris Talks; p. 180, 181. Promulgation of Universal Peace; p. 159, 290, 315)} then forgiveness as salvation based on action makes far more sense than words as salvation based on possession of specific "knowledge". Aside from this, the concept outlined in Matthew 6:14 and Luke 6:37 is logical, and uncannily just. Additionally, there is no room here for justifying the crime of coercing away the individual's inalienable right to freedom of belief.