Rastafarian and Raelian

Given the three options, namely, Rastafarian, Raelian, and Baha’i, I believe the Baha’i would likely become a world religion. It was founded in 1844 by Mirza Ali Muhammad who was a young Iranian Shi’ite Muslim at that time. The Baha’i as compared to the two religious movements was founded 86 years earlier than the Rastafarian (founded 1930) and 129 years earlier than the Raelian (founded 1973) movement. Looking at the history of the Baha’i faith, particularly how long it has existed, gives us an idea of how it has withstood the test of time and how it has grown as an institution of faith.

Aside from this consideration, the most important basis as to what could make the Baha’i faith a world religion and therefore last or exist longer than the two religions given is the very purpose of its existence. Comparing it with Rastafarian and Raelian, the Baha’i clearly has a greater scope in terms of the people who could join the faith, precisely in the sense that it’s teachings claim that God is one and so is humanity. It is not confined to just one cultural group or race and it claims that all religions are true.

In the case of the Rastafarians, it is clearly an ethnocentric faith, claiming that the black man is superior to the white man and that blacks will one day rule the world. The central theme is that redemption is something just for the blacks. On the other hand, Raelians’ main objectives were; to prepare for the coming of the Elohim and that once world peace is achieved, the Elohim would come and teach humans their extraordinary technology.

The Raelian faith is focused on the relationship of humans and the Elohim. Another important consideration which could support the claim that the Baha’i faith will likely last is its teachings compared to the two movements. The Baha’i faith teaches that in the present, science and religion must cooperate, for their teachings balances one another. Any religion contradicting science is distorting the truth. This gives us an idea that the said religion sticks to what is rational as well.

It also teaches that the freedom of each individual to pursue the truth must be protected. Great importance is given to the equality between men and women. The Baha’i faith advocates world peace by eliminating the extreme gap between wealth and poverty. Also, in attaining the goal, there is a need to establish a universal court to settle international disputes and therefore avoid possible wars. It calls for universal education and a universal language to attain world peace.

People today would agree more to these teachings than those teachings coming from the Raelians and the Rastafarians since they are reasonable, it is not only after the truth but universal justice which is more important in the world today. Another teaching which could attract people is the movement’s view of heaven and hell, claiming that they are not physical places but states of existence depending on the degree of harmony of the soul with God. Evil is not recognized as a separate force but merely the lack of goodness.

These teachings make the movement less harsh and it ceases the notion that religion is about reward whenever one does good and punishment when one does something evil. Going back to the factors or reasons why new religious movements sprung out, the Baha’i faith provides an alternative approach in living and in answering basic human questions. Though there is a strong Muslim influence on worship and this makes daily prayer and fasting during one of the nineteen months mandated, worship is uncomplicated since there is no special clergy to conduct services.

Worship only consists of prayer and readings from the writing of Baha’u’llah and often from sacred texts from other religions. The strongest argument as to why the Baha’i faith will last is that it gives respect to other religions with the main goal of unifying them since there is only one God and there is only one humanity. In this light, it is committed to universal justice and acceptance of diverse cultures in attaining universal peace. Universal peace is and will always be what we’ll be after in the coming years.

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