JAINISM
The three ancient religions developed on the Indian subcontinent are Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Of the three, Jainism is the oldest and smallest with 4-6 million followers. Jainism is one of the world’s oldest continuously practiced religions. Jains are found mostly in India. All three of these Indian religions share many beliefs and practices. Devout Jains follow three main principles:
1. Non-violence – This is the main principle of Jainism and the highest religious duty of all followers. Jains believe without this commitment to non-violence all religious behavior is rendered worthless. Jains believe violence destroys the soul. Jains will not kill any living thing, both plant and animal, no matter how small. Jains will not swat a mosquito or even sweep the floor in case they accidentally kill an ant. Jains will not eat root vegetables because you have to kill the plant to get the root. Jains believe all living things have souls. Of course this means Jains are strict vegetarians.
2. Many-sidedness – This second principle of Jainism says there is no absolute truth or reality. Truth and reality are complex, have multiple aspects and are ever changing. To Jains this equates to tolerance of all other religions. Jains worship numerous deities like the Hindus. Jains believe in the birth, death and rebirth cycle of reincarnation just like Hindus and Buddhists. The Jains are big on repeating religious mantras during their services because they believe it accrues them merit for rebirth.
3. Non-possessiveness – Jains disavow all worldly possessions. They keep what is necessary for survival and give away the rest.
In addition to the three principles mentioned above Jains also take an oath not to lie or steal. Jains also practice sexual continence. Jains may not abstain from all sex but they try to remain as chaste as humanly possible. Jains believe the function of all souls is to help one another and this aspect is the most common and basic component of the prayers of the faithful. Jains don’t believe in heaven or hell or judgment by any one creator god. Jains believe purification of the soul can be achieved by man himself by following the path of the four jewels:
1 . Correct view – How they see the world.
2. Correct knowledge – Know their religious scriptures called Agamas.
3. Correct conduct – Follow their main principles and vows.
4. Correct ascetics – Their self-discipline in avoiding worldliness and sensual pleasure.
Jains have temples all over India. There are two sects within Jainism and there are monasteries for both sects. In one sect the monks go around naked. They don’t own any clothes at all. The women of the sect are a little more discreet; they wear white sarees. In the other sect the monks and nuns both wear only white clothes. In the Bible God makes it clear that all the plants and animals are provided for man to eat. Non-violence is basically a good idea but it’s not required by God because sometimes you have to defend what’s yours from evil people. Not lying or stealing are also commandments of Jehovah, the one true God of creation. While some of the principles of Jainism are admirable the followers are still pagans worshipping many gods. They don’t know or believe in Jehovah or his Son Jesus Christ so they will feel the wrath of God on the last day just like all the other people of the world who engage in paganism. Jains are violating God’s first commandment to all men, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
BAHAISM
In 1844 Ali Muhammad Shirazi (1819-1850) said he received a revelation from god and started preaching a new interpretation of Shia Islam in Iran. Shirazi became the self-appointed “Bab” or “gate” for his new religion. The Bab taught that all religious faiths are fundamentally unified but simply have different manifestations of god through their founders who were actually prophets of the one god who progressively revealed himself to mankind. The Bab preached that god would send a new prophet after Muhammed with a further revelation from god and he would be the last and favorite messenger that god would send. The followers of this new religion were persecuted by Islam and Shirazi was executed in 1850. His followers fled to Iraq and under the leadership of Bahaullah, a Persian religious leader, they established the Bahai religion. Bahaullah claimed to be the prophet from god foretold by Shirazi.
Bahaism is the newest independent global belief system and the second most widespread religion after Christianity and they span the globe working to unite all religions into one. There are about five million Bahai followers who worship one all-powerful inaccessible god. While virtually all religious faiths claim exclusivity and salvation is only possible through their god, Bahaism has taken the opposite approach by being inclusive and embracing all religions under their god. Bahais see the founders of all the other religions as earlier prophets god has sent to progressively reveal the truth of god to mankind. So to the Bahai Muhammed and Jesus were both prophets of god and so were Abraham, Moses, Zoraster, Confucius and Krishna. Bahaism stresses that all people are essentially good.
The three guiding principles of Bahaism are: unity of god; unity of religion; unity of humanity. Bahaism was persecuted early on in Iraq so they then moved their worldwide headquarters and primary shrine to Haifa, Israel, where they are today. Letters from Bahaullah have been assembled into a canon of holy Bahai scripture. The Bab originally prescribed a world-embracing collective security agreement for the establishment of a temporary era of world peace referred to in Bahai teachings as the Lesser Peace. Bab preached that for the establishment of a lasting peace in the world and the purging of the overwhelming corruption it would be necessary that all people in the world unite under a universal faith; and that faith he proposed was Bahaism.
Bahaism teaches universal peace, the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people while rejecting racism and nationalism. At the heart of Bahai teachings is the goal of a, “unified world order,” that ensures world peace the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds and classes. The Bahai are working to bring all religions under the banner of Bahaism so that there will be one world religion in the end, theirs. The problem is Bab overlooked three fundamental flaws of Bahaism:
1.Bahai followers are to believe their prophet is a man of god who is greater than Jesus Christ. We know from God’s revelation to man in the Bible that Jesus Christ is not only the last prophet of God but also his Son and the author of Christianity. The work of Christ on the cross, by his sacrificial death, for the forgiveness of the sins of man is a finished work. Anyone claiming to be a prophet after Jesus Christ is a false prophet and the pawn of the devil.
2.Bahai teaches that Buddha, Muhammed, and Jesus were all equally prophets of god just like many others including Abraham, Moses, Zoraster, Confucius and Krishna. The problem with that is the teachings and beliefs of all these people are very different; some are polar opposites. If you look at it logically, we can be wrong about all the men listed above being prophets of god but they can’t all be right because of their differing views. The Bahai god couldn’t reveal progressive truths to man by sending prophets with conflicting messages.
3.Bahai denies the fundamental truths of both Islam and Christianity so the followers of both religions could never abandon their faith to follow Bahaism. Bahaism denies the fundamental truths of Christianity by denying the Trinity, the virgin birth of Jesus, the incarnation of Jesus, and the resurrection of Jesus. The Bahai also don’t believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ to set foot on the Mount of Olives on the last Day.
Hebrews 1:1-2 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the worlds.
John 14:6 – (Jesus speaking) – I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Colossians 2:9 – For in Him (Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
Acts 4:12 – Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven (except Jesus) given among men by which we must be saved.
What scares me about Bahaism is its beliefs mirror that of the one world religion foretold in the book of Revelation. I’m comforted by the fact they only have five million followers plus the fact I can’t see either Islam or Christianity giving up the core tenets of their respective faiths to go follow Bahaism. Bahaism doesn’t acknowledge Jehovah as God. Bahaism certainly doesn’t accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior like the Bible says everyone must do to have salvation. Bahaism considers Jesus to be only a prophet and not the Son of God. Bahaism misses the point that Jesus is the God Jehovah incarnated on the earth to save a sinful mankind from their sins which then allows them to have eternal life in heaven. Bahaism is a fake religion and the god they worship is a false god. All followers of Bahaism will be condemned on the last Day by Jesus Christ and sentenced to the lake of fire for all eternity.
ZORASTRIANISM
This religion has been practiced for 3500 years, making it probably the oldest continuously practiced religion in the world. This religion was based on the teachings of the Persian philosopher and prophet Zoraster who lived around 1500 BC. Zoraster claimed to have received visions from god; the one supreme creator Ahura Mazda. Zorastrianism was the first monotheistic religion and the forerunner of other religions. Zoraster was the first religious leader to recognize that the world was divided into good and evil forces, making him an inspiration to a millennia of philosophers. Zorastrianism was the state religion of the three great Persian empires of antiquity and at one time boasted millions of followers. After Alexander the Great defeated Persia the religion languished.
Zorastrianism only has 130,000 followers today. Because of Islamic persecution only 10% of Zorastrians remain in the Middle East. India has 80% of all followers of Zorastrianism and the United States has the remaining 10%. I included Zorastrianism in this study of fake religion not because of the number of followers but because of its historical significance. Wherever religions are studied the name of Zoraster and Zorastrianism will crop up so I wanted everyone to be familiar with it. There are seven primary beliefs of all Zorastrians:
1.Avesta are the sacred scriptures of the faith; they believe in the goodness of man
2.Ahura Mazda is the supreme god who is worshipped (although there are other gods)
3.The evil spirit Anga Mainyu opposes god
4.Ritual prayer must include the use of fire; in their temples a fire burns continually
5.After death the deeds of men are judged to decide whether they go to heaven or hell
6.Three future prophets will come just before the end of the world by a flood of molten metal
7.You can be defiled by handling a dead body so Zorastrians don’t bury their dead they just mount the corpses so scavengers can dispose of the human remains