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The resurrection and ascension of Christ, if taken literally, are contrary to science and to reason. Bahá'u'lláh’s teachings say that any religion which is contrary to true science is nothing more than superstition. (101:6) Science has proved that there are stars in space millions of light years away from us. If the physical body of Christ were to ascend into a heaven beyond this universe, the journey would not be completed yet. It would take millions of years, and He would still be ascending. Mathematicians, during the 1840s, scoffed at those literal-minded Bible scholars who said Christ would soon appear "on a cloud". Clouds, they said, are vapours which rise from the earth, they do not "come down". They also pointed out that Christ would have to make hundreds of thousands of "solo flights" if all the world were to see Him, because of the curvature of the earth. [See Thief in the Night, pp. 1-5.] (101:7) Obviously, the coming, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ were symbolical. (101:8) If Christ really had risen physically from the dead, then all His patient love and teaching would be fruitless. Men would believe in Him solely because of this miracle, and not because of a sincere, voluntary effort on their part to turn toward God. A miracle of this nature would compel the wickedest sinner to repent. The sheep and the goats would both respond to the force of this prodigy, and moral values would be set aside. Belief would be brought about by coercion. This is contrary to the spirit of the teachings of Christ, as well as to those of all the Messengers of God.
(101:9)
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