SeventhValley

O.k. something I have been wondering if we as Baha'i know ultimately God is unknowable, so….. then why worry what God thinks or how do we know God is in fact God?

We cannot even contemplate the manifestations which is why Abdu’l Baha is so popular.

Do you think when our souls progress to the point of being a manifestation then we will understand?

ahanu

We can know God indirectly through the signs we perceive in nature. For example, Abdu'l-Baha sees imperfection in nature, so this means God is the exact opposite: perfect. You can't stare directly into the Sun without damaging your eyes, but you can know the effects of its influence upon Earth. We can talk about God indirectly, but not directly. Saying God is unknowable doesn't bring into question the status of God. Whether or not you think God is knowable or unknowable, God is still God.

LordOfGoblins

As we grow toward Baha'u'llah we grow toward God and get a better understanding of what he's like and his revelation.
Im not sure exactly how that works yet but that's how I understand it.
But we can never comprehend God himself, his reality...

BruceDLimber

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeventhValley Do you think when our souls progress to the point of being a manifestation, . . .?

We never--and indeed CAN never--progress to that point!

Just as an animal can progress in animal perfections but never become a human, so we can progress in human perfections but can't ever become a Manifestation, that being an entirely different order of creation.

We may acquire more understanding in the Next Life (though still as humans), though I can't say this for sure.

Peace, :-)

Bruce

SeventhValley

Good answers everyone I will have to meditate on these for a bit.

Essence of GOD

the real question is,
once we reach our ultimate stage, lets say our god like stage in which we are full of wisdom and knowledge.
what then?

bravado

I don't think for a minute that there is any "ultimate stage", nor us coming anything close to god-like (although if we had any inkling of what our souls would experience in the subsequent worlds of God we might by moved to think it as god-like). That's the perplexity of infinity -- when the soul comes into being it begins an infinite journey towards perfection and the misconception of an ultimate station fades away.
I'm no spring chicken, and when I was in my teens I kind of saw myself as pretty wise and intelligent. But it seemed the more I learned the more I realised I had so much more to learn and I wasn't so clever after all. This realization has repeated itself a hundred times throughout my life and I expect that is the nature of spiritual development as well. It's all about the journey. Would we want it any other way?

armin

It is the true Essence of God that is unknowable unto men. He has revealed clear proofs of His existence, His Holy Books and His Manifestations, and as His creatures we are obliged to do our utmost to please our Father and to fulfill our very purpose of existence.

Speaking from a different perspective, it has been shown again and again from the history of the religions of bygone ages that heeding His Call is indeed the greatest and only path to prosperity for humanity.

SeventhValley

O.k. Thanks for the thoughts to meditate on all.

He is The One 19

Are you familiar with the 7 valleys and the story of Thomas Breakwell?

Iconodule

A religion with an ultimately unknowable or unnatainable God where the promise of Saint Peter in Partaking in the divinity is impossible is a sad religion.