Are Baha'i Christian?

The Biblical answer is No! But Baha'i will answer, 'yes.' They claim the foundations of Christianity and the religion of Baha'u'llah are one. The foundations of all the divine Prophets and Holy Books are one. The difference among them is one of terminology only.
The Baha'i Faith is essentially rationalistic. "We must not accept traditional dogmas that are contrary to reason, nor pretend to believe doctrines which we cannot understand. To do so is superstitious and not true religion."

Because of this inclination to reject any doctrine that does not seem reasonable to them, Baha'i interpret allegorically, rather than literally, the biblical doctrines of the Holy Trinity, the bodily Resurrection of Christ, the existence of angels and evil spirits, and the doctrines of heaven and hell. Yet, despite this insistence that everything must be understood in order to be believed, they hold that God Himself is impersonal and unknowable. He can only be perceived indirectly through the reflection of his Manifestations - Jesus being ONLY ONE of these NINE, in no manner superior to the other eight.

Baha'i deny that man fell through Adam from his original spiritual and moral state. They affirm that no one is "essentially" bad or evil, but merely imperfect. Sins are characteristics of the lower, baser plane of nature, and education brings deliverance from them. Baha'u'llah taught that men ought not to confess their sins to one another, for this would lead to humiliation and abasement, which he taught, are contrary to God's will.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. [James 5:16]

Foundations of Christianity vs. Baha'u'llah

Baha'i will argue that whoever acts completely in accordance with the teachings of Christ is a Baha'i. The purpose, they claim, is the essential meaning of Christian, not the mere word.

The purpose is the sun itself and not the dawning points. For though the sun is one sun, its dawning points are many. We must not adore the dawning points but worship the sun. We must adore the reality of religion and not blindly cling to the appellation Christianity. The Sun of Reality must be worshiped and followed. We must seek the fragrance of the rose from whatever bush it is blooming - whether oriental or western.

Baha'i reject the foundation of Christianity - the essential meaning of Christian.

Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which Christianity rests - not one of several manifestations as Baha'i insist.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:6]

As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message - which is also what they were destined for. [1 Peter 2:4-8]

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. [Acts 4:12]

Concerning salvation, Baha'u'llah said, "Whoso keepeth the commandments of God shall attain everlasting felicity." And Abdul Baha stated that there is no sin-atoning value in Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. So inadequate was his concept of redemption that Baha'u'llah was able to say of himself: "Fix your gaze upon Him who is the Temple of God amongst men. He, in truth, hath offered up his life as a ransom for the redemption of the world."

The Central conflict between Baha'u'llah's concept of salvation and the biblical revelation on the subject is best shown in where Baha'u'llah stated: "Every age has its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require." In contrast to this, the Bible teaches that the one universal problem of man throughout the ages is sin, his state of moral guilt and consequent alienation from God. Thus the one remedy - the only possible remedy for mankind's dilemma - is the death of Jesus Christ for our sins, a sacrifice sufficient to save all who turn to Him for all time as God tells us in Hebrews 10:10-18.