What are the differences between the baha'i faith and cao dai?

Answer 1

I am looking at the Wikipedia article on Cao Dai, and notice some similarities, and some differences. Here are some of both:

• Similarity: Both are monotheistic.
• Similarity: Both are fairly recent. (Cao Dai is more recent, though.)
• Difference: The article states that Cao Dai is synchretistic. The Bahá'í Faith is not synchretistic - it is based (according to Bahá'í belief) on God's relevations to the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.
• Difference: According to Cao Dai, before God existed there was the "Tao". In the Bahá'í Faith, God is the origin of everything else. Nothing existed "before God".
• Difference: Cao Dai seems to be more restricted to Viet Nam, and people all over the world who originated in Viet Nam. The Bahá'í Faith is more global in nature.

ANSWER 2:

The following re Cao Dai is according to Religion Factswith "differences" shown in [brackets]:

1) "Cao Dai (a.k.a. Dao Cao Dai or Caodaism) is a syncretist Vietnamese religious movement with a strongly nationalist political character...

[Baha'is are completely apolitical.]

2) "Cao Dai draws upon ethical precepts from Confucianism, occult practices from Taoism, theories of karma and rebirth from Buddhism, and a hierarchical organization(including a pope) from Roman Catholicism...

[The Baha'i Faith draws nothing from other existing religions and/or cults, especially the occult, but has its own Book of Law (Kitab'i-Aqdas) and manner of administering the Faith's affairs. It teaches that reincarnation is a non-existent manmade concept, and there are no hierarchal individual leaders.]

3) "Its pantheon of saints includes such diverse figures as the Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Pericles, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo, and Sun Yat-sen."

[Baha'is believe the Buddha, Jesus Christ and Muhammad to have been Messengers of God who brought Revelations from God. There are no "saints" in the Baha'i Faith but, if there were, the appearance of those listed alongside God's Messengers would probably constitute blasphemy. :-) ]