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Old 12th June 2008, 01:14 AM
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The Holy Spirit

What is your understanding of The Holy Spirit? Does your religion have a concept similar to this?
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Old 12th June 2008, 06:24 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lightkeeper
What is your understanding of The Holy Spirit? Does your religion have a concept similar to this?

The Holy Spirit is the immanent aspect of the Trinity, as the Father is the transcendent aspect.

Some theologians also see the Holy Spirit as the feminine aspect of the Trinity. It is interesting that, even though the New Testament uses the male pronoun to refer to the Holy Spirit (the noun itself is feminine in both Hebrew and Greek, but apparently the evangelists could not bring themselves to refer to God as "she"), the creeds speak of Christ as being "conceived" of the Holy Spirit as compared to "begotten" of the Father.
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Old 12th June 2008, 08:01 AM
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In the Baha'i Writings you will find reference to the Holy Spirit and we Baha'is believe it is also found in say earlier revealed Holy Books such as the Qur'an and the Bible.. In the Qur'an it is we believe the Holy Spirit that is symbolized as angel Gabriel when Prophet Muhammad received revelation in the Cave on Mount Hira while in the Gospel it is the symbol of the dove descending at the baptism of Jesus and so on.. In the Baha'i dispensation the Holy Spirit is symbolized as the Maid of Heaven..

Baha'is in my opinion however do not accept the classic Christian doctrine of the trinity believing say there are three "Persons". The Holy Spirit is for us the rays of the Sun of Truth (The Ineffable and Unknowable Essence) that are reflected in the Mirror of the Manifestations of God and These Manifestations have appeared from time to time over human history for our benefit and salvation if you will..

Here are a just a few of the many excerpts from the Baha'i Writings where the term Holy Spirit can be found:

There befell Me at the hands of him whom I have nurtured (Mirza Yahya), by day and by night, what hath caused the Holy Spirit, and the dwellers of the Tabernacle of the Grandeur of God, the Lord of this wondrous Day, to lament.

(Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 157)


Question. -- What is the manner, and what is the meaning, of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, as described in the Gospel?

Answer. -- The descent of the Holy Spirit is not like the entrance of air into man; it is an expression and a simile, rather than an exact or a literal image. No, rather it is like the entrance of the image of the sun into the mirror -- that is to say, its splendor becomes apparent in it.

After the death of Christ the disciples were troubled, and their ideas and thoughts were discordant and contradictory; later they became firm and united, and at the feast of Pentecost they gathered together and detached themselves from the things of this world. Disregarding themselves, they renounced their comfort and worldly happiness, sacrificing their body and soul to the Beloved, abandoning their houses, and becoming wanderers and homeless, even forgetting their own existence. Then they received the help of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit became manifested; the spirituality of Christ triumphed, and the love of God reigned. They were given help at that time and dispersed in different directions, teaching the Cause of God, and giving forth proofs and evidences.

So the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles means their attraction by the Christ Spirit, whereby they acquired stability and firmness. Through the spirit of the love of God they gained a new life, and they saw Christ living, helping and protecting them. They were like drops, and they became seas; they were like feeble insects, and they became majestic eagles; they were weak and became powerful. They were like mirrors facing the sun; verily, some of the light became manifest in them.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 105)
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Last edited by arthra : 12th June 2008 at 08:07 AM.
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Old 12th June 2008, 03:00 PM
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Judaism

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lightkeeper
What is your understanding of The Holy Spirit? Does your religion have a concept similar to this?

In Judaism, you'll find "God's spirit" mentioned in Torah, but not as being in any way separate from God.
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Old 12th June 2008, 03:46 PM
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The holy spirit in my understanding is that which connects the father to the son. As the father is the idea...the son is the demonstration of that idea and the holy spirit is the expereince of the idea and the demonstration ...all being one....one can not be without the other.

An idea without demonstration is just wishful thinking. A demonstration without an idea is useless action. But when an idea is backed up by action...it becomes an experience.
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