The
nations and religions are steeped in blind and
bigoted imitations. A man is a Jew because his
father was a Jew. The Mohammedan follows implicitly
the footsteps of his ancestors in belief and
observance. The Buddhist is true to his heredity
as a Buddhist. That is to say they profess religious
belief blindly and without investigation, making
unity and agreement impossible. It is evident
therefore that this condition will not be remedied
without a re-formation in the world of religion.
In other words the fundamental reality of the
divine religions must be renewed, reformed,
revoiced to mankind.
From the seed of reality, religion has grown
into a tree which has put forth leaves and branches,
blossoms and fruit. After a time this tree has
fallen into a condition of decay. The leaves
and blossoms have withered and perished; the
tree has become stricken and fruitless. It is
not reasonable that man should hold to the old
tree, claiming that its life forces are undiminished,
its fruit unequalled, its existence eternal.
The seed of reality must be sown again in human
hearts in order that a new tree may grow therefrom
and new divine fruits refresh the world. By
this it means that the nations and peoples now
divergent in religion will be brought into unity,
imitations will be forsaken and a universal
brotherhood in the reality itself will be established.
Warfare and strife will cease among mankind;
all will be reconciled as servants of God. For
all are sheltered beneath the tree of His providence
and mercy. God is kind to all; He is the giver
of bounty to all alike, even as His Holiness
Jesus Christ has declared that God “sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust;” that
is to say, the mercy of God is universal. All
humanity is under the protection of His love
and favor, and unto all He has pointed the way
of guidance and progress.
Progress is of two-kinds, material and spiritual.
The former is attained through observation of
the surrounding existence and constitutes the
foundation of civilization. Spiritual progress
is through the breaths of the Holy Spirit and
is the awakening of the conscious soul of man
to perceive the reality of divinity. Material
progress insures the happiness of the human
world. Spiritual progress insures the happiness
and eternal continuance of the soul. The prophets
of God have founded the laws of divine civilization.
They have been the root and fundamental source
of all knowledge. They have established the
principles of human brotherhood or fraternity
which is of various kinds, such as the fraternity
of family, of race, of nation and of ethical
motives. These forms of fraternity, these bonds
of brotherhood are merely temporal and transient
in association. They do not insure harmony and
are usually productive of disagreement. They
do not prevent warfare and strife; on the contrary
they are selfish, restricted and fruitful causes
of enmity and hatred among mankind. The spiritual
brotherhood which is enkindled and established
through the breaths of the Holy Spirit unites
nations and removes the cause of warfare and
strife. It transforms mankind into one great
family and establishes the foundations of the
oneness of humanity. It promulgates the spirit
of international agreement and insures universal
peace. Therefore we must investigate the foundation
reality of this heavenly fraternity. We must
forsake all imitations and promote the reality
of the divine teachings. In accordance with
these principles and actions and by the assistance
of the Holy Spirit, both material and spiritual
happiness shall become realized. Until all nations
and peoples become united by the bonds of the
Holy Spirit in this real fraternity, until national
and international prejudices are effaced in
the reality of this spiritual brotherhood, true
progress, prosperity and lasting happiness will
not be attained by man. This is the century
of new and universal nationhood. Sciences have
advanced, industries have progressed, politics
have been reformed, liberty has been proclaimed,
justice is awakening. This is the century of
motion, divine stimulus and accomplishment;
the century of human solidarity and altruistic
service; the century of universal peace and
the reality of the divine Kingdom.
(Abdu’l-Bahá, Foundations of World
Unity, p. 82)
For further information contact:
North: 452-0335
Central: 452-4346
South: 459-3131
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