Why are Abrahamic religions so quick to condemn Poly/Pantheistic religions as Satanic

[Booko]

Now that is beyond a silly thing to ask for. Why would anyone even want that? (To say nothing of assigning such a power to a human)

Why would anyone want a little evidence to believe in something extraordinary?

Seriously? You're asking me that?

A demon is not something that gets "interpreted"

You missed the point. Events do get interpreted. You know, events like "why did my cow get sick?" In the past we might've thought it was because someone put a curse on the cow or God was mad at us for sinning.

Now we know there are these things called...germs.

Or take my cousin, who is very seriously schizophrenic. Is she "possessed" or is it a psychological condition?

In the past when her "personalities" broke out people would've interpreted that as demon possession. And with the lack of any serious knowledge about the brain, really that was not a totally crazy interpretetation. I mean it sure looks something like demon posession.

However, unless demons can be warded off with doses of lithium, I think her problem has nothing to do with demons and has to do with brain malfunction of some sort.

So yes, "interpretation" has everything to do with this situation.

Show me a case where the only possible interpretation is demons and I'll think about it. And the data had better be readily observable, which a story I cannot examine firsthand is not.

Otherwise, I'll stick with this:

1731. Evil Spirits

"As to the question of evil spirits, demons and monsters, any references made to them in the Holy Books have symbolic meaning. What is currently known among the public is but sheer superstition."

(From a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá: Spiritualism and psychic Phenomena, p. 3)

1732. Influence of Evil Spirits

"You have asked regarding the influence of evil spirits. Evil spirits are deprived of eternal life. How then can they exercise any influence? But as eternal life is ordained for holy spirits, therefore their influence exists in all the Divine worlds."

(From a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Mrs. Ella Goodall Cooper: Daily Lessons Received at 'Akká p. 78, 1979 ed.)

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 512)

 

[Booko]

A firing squad of 750? Who were these people, and what was wrong with them?

It was a "miracle" -- otherwise known as a highly improbable event.

I think smaneck didn't mention that the Armenian Christian officer of that firing squad was not keen on the idea of executing the Bab, but the Bab assured the officer that if he did his duty everything would be ok.

When 750 rifles missed on the first try, the Christians refused to do anything the second time, and they had to bring in another squad to perform the execution.

The likelihood that 750 rifles muskets anything that close is very nearly nil. I mean even if they intended to miss they're not that accurate.

It was reported in the Western press as well, but I'm not sure what that press was using for sources.

There was a Russian playwright, Isabel Gravinsky, that wrote a play about the Bab back in...1904? It was translated into French and German, I believe. I read the French version many years ago.

I do not believe the Muslim interpretation, that "if only he had kept his wits about him." If that had been G-d's will, that is what a manifestation of G-d would have done.

Pretty much. Jesus could've avoided Crucifixion as well, but as we know that wasn't what God had in mind.

 

[BruceDLimber]

The Baha'i scriptures endorse almost all religions as legitmate and of God!

Which religions are not considered legitimate, then? I'd be interested to know where contemporary Baha'i draw the line.

There's no "short list," but obvious examples would be satanism, the Jim Jones cult, and aum shinriko.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[razeontherock]

Why would anyone want a little evidence to believe in something extraordinary?

Seriously? You're asking me that?

No, I asked you why would anyone want demons around them, much less to see them.

 

[razeontherock]

The likelihood that 750 rifles muskets anything that close is very nearly nil. I mean even if they intended to miss they're not that accurate.

My comment you responded to here was a joke, but that is funny.

 

[smaneck]

It is far more likely that books that did not conform to the normal beliefs were simply marginalized in favor of the books that would be put in the Tanakh without there being a sinister ulterior motive. I wasn't there, but actively suppressing knowledge is simply not Jewish.

The issue which is being ignored here is the fact that those books which end up in the canon were written earlier than the ones which were not (Daniel being the sole exception.)