Course:Meetings for teaching/Oneness of God/study questions

Study Questions & Sample Answers

1. Transcendent Reality and True Belief

Questions: According to Bahá'u'lláh (Gleanings, sec. 93), what distinguishes a true believer in the Unity of God from one who has erred? How does this alter human attempts to imagine or describe the Divine Essence?

Sample Answer: A true believer regards God as One who is immeasurably exalted above all human comparisons, likenesses, and mental constructs. Anyone who mistakes human analogies or mental images for God Himself has erred grievously. This implies that "oneness" in relation to God does not refer to a numerical or physical singularity that human reason can fathom, but to an absolute transcendent reality far beyond creaturely comprehension.

2. Creator vs. Creation

Questions: What is the fundamental principle of Divine Unity as outlined in Gleanings (sec. 84), and how does it prevent the error of pantheism (believing creation is a partner of or identical to God)?

Sample Answer: The fundamental principle of Divine Unity is that all existence is entirely dependent upon God, and from Him alone is derived the source and sustenance of all things. A true believer recognizes the signs of God's revelation in every created object, but clearly distinguishes the creature from the Creator. Creation reflects God's attributes as a mirror reflects light, but creation itself is not a partner, extension, or equal to the Divine Essence.

3. The Manifestations and Divine Will

Questions: What is the essential meaning of the Unity of God regarding the Manifestations of God and Their station?

Sample Answer: The essential meaning of God's Unity is expressed through His Manifestation, Who acts as the flawless mirror reflecting the Unknowable's Will to humanity. Furthermore, the Oneness of God implies the equal station and unity of purpose among all of God's Manifestations; though They appear in different ages with different ordinances suited to the times, They utter the same spiritual truth from the same divine Source.

4. Reflection of Divine Perfections in Humanity

Questions: How does the reality of human nature reflect the Oneness of God differently than the rest of creation, according to 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Some Answered Questions (par. 81:6)?

Sample Answer: While every created object proclaims a single name or attribute of God, the reality of man is a universal reality that serves as the seat for the revelation of ALL divine perfections and attributes (e.g., sight, hearing, power, wisdom). The divinity of God—which is the sum total of all perfections—casts its ray upon the human mirror, enabling humans to comprehend and manifest divine virtues.

5. Practical Expression in Action and Evolution

Questions: According to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, how must belief in the Unity of God be expressed in this Dispensation, and how is God's oneness visible in the laws of existence?

Sample Answer: Belief in Divine Unity cannot remain a mere intellectual or verbal assertion; in this Day, it must be expressed through living a life characterized by divine virtues and perfections. Furthermore, as 'Abdu'l-Bahá states in Some Answered Questions (Ch. 51), "The law of God is one; the evolution of existence is one; the divine order is one," meaning all creation is governed by a singular, harmonious cosmic order and law originating from the One Supreme Ruler.

6. Uniqueness as a Proof of Divine Oneness

Questions: How does the absolute uniqueness of every individual created entity serve as a proof of the Oneness of God?

Sample Answer: 'Abdu'l-Bahá points out that even if all the granaries of the world were filled with grain, no two grains would be identical in every respect. Because every single created thing possesses a unique distinction and no exact repetition of a divine appearance occurs, this boundless uniqueness across all created beings manifests the singleness, uniqueness, and oneness of their Creator.