Bahá’ís believe that there is but one religion, revealed progressively through the ages by various Manifestations of God—rather than absolutely by any one of them—to assist humanity along the pathway to maturity. Bahá’u’lláh, the Manifestation of God for this Day, does not differ in reality from the Manifestations of the past Who, as He explained, “abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech, and proclaim the same Faith” and “differ only in the intensity of their revelation and the comparative potency of their light.”
Bahá’u’lláh’s son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, stated plainly: “The religion of God is one religion, but it must ever be renewed. …it is the educator of humankind, but still, it needs must be made new. When thou dost plant a tree, its height increaseth day by day. It putteth forth blossoms and leaves and luscious fruits. But after a long time, it doth grow old, yielding no fruitage any more. Then doth the Husbandman of Truth take up the seed from that same tree, and plant it in a pure soil; and lo, there standeth the first tree, even as it was before.”
To develop a greater understanding of the unity of religion, refer to the topics “The Oneness of Religion” and “The Changeless Faith of God,” which expand on the subject from a Bahá’í perspective. For collaborative study of this and other topics, please call the Bahá’ís of Comox (250.702.3041).