The One Guidance
If Christians of all denominations and divisions should investigate reality, the foundations of Christ will unite them. No enmity or hatred will remain, for they will all be under the one guidance of reality itself.
~ Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 198
Having lived as a Christian for many years, I remember vividly the problems that arise between different denominations of the Church. With so many different sects whose beliefs all come from the same message from Christ it always bothered me that they let petty differences that were the result of man’s intervention keep them apart. During the time they were arguing over how to do communion, if people could marry outside the denomination or if baptism required a few drops of water or a full body immersion, they were bickering over thins that were irrelevant to God’s will and making a mockery of it. I have always appreciated that the Baha’i Faith has not fractured into sects, though I fear that it may happen one day. We are directed in the Kitab-i-Aqdas to not allow that to happen, but sometimes what is written does not come to pass.
Jay,
Our paths sound similar, but I advise caution in being critical of Christians who take the details of their Faith seriously. I was very serious about the Word of God, which, in fact, is very explicit about some of the things you mention. As with all Holy Writings, the reader is advised to diligently research to understand and follow explicitly, as the rewards for doing so are great.
The antidote to the problem you describe can be found in Jesus words "By this shall all men know you, that you have love one for another". And "A new commandment I give to you, that you have love one for another"
This clarification of focus helps the Christian understand what is important for public consumption, vs. understanding of things which we might feel compelled to believe and adhere to privately.
Yet if our public behavior, our interactions with others, and the relationships we have with others, are not characterized by love, we then need to examine ourselves in the light of the Word of God to determine how to change that.
Examining one self is exactly what I would like to see people do, but also to dig deeper, become knwoledgeable of things outside of their immediate frame of reference, to be familiar and comfortable with another way of thinking and new ideas. In order to have love for one another, we must be accepting and tolerant that people may be do things differently. I may chant the greatest name 95 times a day, read a Hidden Word and recite the obligatory prayer. Another person may pray on his knees before going to bed, another wear only certain types of clothing while not mixing meat and dairy, and still someone else spend some time everyday in quiet meditation. These are all different methods of communing with the same God, so why do we let these differences keep us apart instead of celebrating the diversity that is worship?