The
INDEPENDENT Investigator II
Published by Sacred Square Publishing Australia sacredsquarepublishing.com info@sacredsquarepublishing.com First published 2009 This edition published 2019 © Text – Tahirih Lemon, 2009, 2019 © Illustrations – Andri Evaris, 2019 The moral right of the author has been asserted. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright restricted above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owners and publisher of this book. A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia
ISBN: 978 0 6485851 1 4 (pbk) Cover design by Leisa Jones, Soigné Beauty & Design Typeset by Helen Christie, Blue Wren Books Illustrations by Andri Evaris Printed in Australia
Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One Did God really create the world or did something else make it? How can we have free will if God already knows what we are going to do in this world? Could there be more than one God, but we don’t know about them? Is all of God’s creation good? People say God is everywhere. Is that true?
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Chapter Two Will there be another manifestation like Baha’u’llah? Will another Prophet come to earth? Are the Manifestations born as normal children then bestowed amazing personalities and virtues later in life? Is Jesus God’s son?
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Chapter Three Do people who do not believe in God go to heaven? Can people not go to the next world? Why do people die? Do animals have their own next world? In the next world, will we have new bodies, or will we not need them? How is it determined whether you go to the Abha Kingdom or not? How will we communicate with people in the next world if we do not have a mouth? When a person dies who did good things in life, do they go to the same place as a person who has done bad things?
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If we have no physical features how can we meet and recognise people when we die? What happens to people who commit suicide? Chapter Four What happens at a Baha’i Funeral? Why can’t Baha’is be cremated? If you are a Baha’i do you have to have a Baha’i wedding? What happens if you get divorced? What happens to the children?
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Chapter Five 43 Will the human race become extinct? 45 How can we have peace if there is so much war and people are suffering? 46 If God wants everyone to be equal, why does He create disabled people? 48 Why shouldn’t we just enjoy this world? 50 Should we eat meat? 51 What is considered excessive hunting? 52 Do Baha’is believe in execution? 53 Why do some faithful Baha’is become Covenant-breakers? 54 Does God listen to and answer your prayers? 55 Chapter Six Why can’t we have alcohol in moderate amounts? What if you had alcohol in your food and you did not know? What if someone gave you drugs, and you took them because you thought they were prescribed medication? Why are Baha’is allowed to smoke? Isn’t is another mind-altering drug? How do you know alcohol affects your soul and smoking doesn’t?
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Chapter Seven 65 Why become, a Baha’i? 67 Is it wrong to be in a different religion? 68 If a religious war broke out, can Baha’is defend themselves? 69 What can we do as Baha’is to help the world? 70 Will people turn against the Baha’is? 72 Besides making the world a better place, do we have any other purposes in life? 74 Why do we have to pray every day? 75 Glossary 77 Bibliography 78
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Introduction This book contains the answers to additional questions asked by young people just like yourself. It is entitled The Independent Investigator II as it is the second book in this series. It is very important that you independently investigate spiritual truth for yourself. One of the principles of the Baha’i Faith is the independent investigation of truth. It is important that you decide for yourself what is true and just. This is highlighted by the following words of Baha’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’i Faith: “ O Son of Spirit! The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My lovingkindness. Set it then before thine eyes.” (Hidden Words in Arabic, No. 2) Keep investigating and continue to seek answers to your questions.
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Did God really create the world or did something else make it? There are a number of different theories regarding how the earth was created. Schools generally teach the ‘Big Bang’ theory. However, if you go to a Christian school, then the story of creation described in Genesis from the Bible is taught. Abdu’l-Baha makes it very clear that God did in fact create the world and all of its creatures. “The Creator of all is One God. From this same God all creation sprang into existence, and He is the one goal, towards which everything in nature yearns.” (Abdu’lBaha, Paris Talks, p. 51) Abdu’l-Baha also explains that the earth did not come into existence suddenly but formed gradually passing through various transitions. This is emphasised in the following quotes: “ But it is clear that this terrestrial globe in its present form did not come into existence all at once, but that this universal existence gradually passed through different phases until it became adorned with its present perfection.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 182) “ Then it is clear that original matter, which is in the embryonic state, and the mingled and composed elements which were its earliest forms, gradually grew and developed during many ages and cycles, passing from one shape and form to another, until they appeared in this perfection, this system, this organisation and this establishment, through the supreme wisdom of God.” (Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 183)
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The story of creation found in the Bible has spiritual meanings and is not to be interpreted literally. This is made evident by the following quote: “We Baha’is do not believe in Genesis literally. We know the world was not created in seven days, or six, or eight, but evolved gradually over a period of millions of years, as science has proved. As to where the idea of a seven-day week originated, it is certainly very ancient, and you should refer to scholars for an answer.” (Lights of Guidance, p. 494)
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How can we have free will if God already knows what we are going to do in this world? Just because God knows what we are going to do does not mean that He has preordained or caused our actions. This is explained by Baha’u’llah in the following quote: “ Every act ye meditate is as clear to Him as is that act when already accomplished. There is none other God besides Him. His is all creation and its empire. All stands revealed before Him; all is recorded in His holy and hidden Tablets. This foreknowledge of God, however, should not be regarded as having caused the actions of men, just as your own previous knowledge that a certain event is to occur, or your desire that it should happen, is not and can never be the reason for its occurrence.” (Gleanings, p. 150) In this earthly life we have free will. That is, we only have control over our actions, good and bad. The gift of free will in this life is to provide us with the opportunity to develop our spiritual or higher nature. This is stressed by Abdu’l-Baha in the quote below: “In the choice of good and bad actions he is free, and he commits them accordingly to his own will … inaction or the movement of man depend upon the assistance of God. If he is not aided, he is not able to do either good or evil … So this condition is like that of a ship which is moved by the power of the wind or steam; if this power ceases, the ship cannot move at all. Nevertheless, the rudder of the ship turns it to either side, and the power of the steam moves it in the desired direction …”
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“ In the same way, in all the action or inaction of man, he receives power from the help of God; but his choice of good or evil belongs to man himself.” (Some Answered Questions, pp. 248–250)
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Could there be more than one God, but we don’t know about them? There is only one God. There has only ever been one God and there will only ever be one God. This is made clear and evident in the following quotes by Baha’u’llah: “ God was alone; there was none else besides Him. He, now, is what He hath ever been. There is none other God but Him, the One, the Incomparable, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the Most Great.” (Gleanings, p.192) “ Now concerning thy reference to the existence of two Gods. Beware, beware, lest thou be led to join partners with the Lord, thy God. He is, and hath from everlasting been, one and alone, without peer or equal, eternal in the past, eternal in the future, detached from all things, ever-abiding, unchangeable, and self-subsisting. He hath assigned no associate unto Himself in His Kingdom, no counsellor to counsel Him, none to compare unto Him, none to rival His glory. To this every atom of the universe beareth witness …” (Gleanings, p. 192)
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