Author: admin

God is Not Dead- Part 2

Published April 9, 2019 by admin

Baha’u’llah tells us that the beginning of our understanding of God is that God is unknowable. Seems like a funny place to start, but the point is that the Intelligence that is at the root of all that exists is not something we can know like we know other things. We understand ideas and objects by surrounding them with our mind. In the case of material objects, we weigh them, measure them, describe their color…etc, but God is not like that in any way. God surrounds us.

One of the best explanations of this comes from the great religion of Islam- from the Prophet’s son-in-law and the founder of Islamic philosophy and theology- Ali Ibn Abu Talib (“Ali”).

God is not like any object that the human mind can conceive. No attribute can be ascribed to Him which bears the least resemblance to any quality of which human beings have perception from their knowledge of material objects…He is with every object, not from resemblance or nearness. He is outside everything but not from separation or indifference towards His creatures. He works and creates but not in the meaning of motions or actions….He has no relation to matter, time and space.

Recognizing that God is not something we can conceive of in our minds is a really critical idea. Baha’u’llah’s son ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ made this point several times in his presentations in the West.

…That which a human being would conjure up in his mind is but the fanciful image of his human condition, it doth not encompass God’s reality but rather is encompassed by it. That is, man grasps his own illusory conceptions, but the Reality of Divinity can never be grasped: It, Itself, encompasses all created things, and all created things are in Its grasp. That Divinity which man doth imagine for himself exists only in his mind, not in truth. Man, however, exists both in his mind and in truth; thus man is greater than that fanciful reality which he is able to imagine.

What we see in the world is not God himself but the attributes of God, like how a painting reflects the qualities and attributes of the painter. Sometimes referred to as the “names and attributes of God”, these qualities- that everything in creation possesses- are the essential reality of every “thing”. Everything in creation, including us, is in its essence a reflection of the qualities of God that exist within it.

Let’s go over this again with a different framing. The Baha’i Writings tell us that, while God is beyond our ability to understand, the entire creation is itself a “revelation” of the qualities of God in all creation. The qualities of God are revealed to us through the world itself. In the passage below, Baha’u’llah gives an analogy that God is like the sun and the everything we know is the light that emanates from the sun.

God is immeasurably exalted above all things. Every created being however reveals His signs which are but emanations from Him and not His Own Self. All these signs are reflected and can be seen in the book of existence, and the scrolls that depict the shape and pattern of the universe are indeed a most great book. Therein every man of insight can perceive that which would lead to the Straight Path… Consider the rays of the sun whose light hath encompassed the world. The rays emanate from the sun and reveal its nature, but are not the sun itself. Whatsoever can be discerned on earth amply demonstrates the power of God, His knowledge and the outpourings of His bounty, while He Himself is immeasurably exalted above all creatures.

Baha’u’llah also tells us that “nature is, in its essence, the expression of” God’s will. This is a very important idea because people have a tendency to look for God in “miracles” or other events that break natural law. With this one simple statement, we are being told that nature itself is the miracle, that the world as we know it itself is the expression of the Divine Intelligence that underlies all reality.

So imagine you are a drop of paint living in a painting created by a painter you can never know directly. Or, to use a modern analogy, you are living in a video game, a virtual reality. What could you know about the video game maker? Since you are living in a different dimension of reality, you simply can’t know the creator directly, but you can connect to the qualities of the painter or video game creator as they are reflected in the world you live in.

This is what Baha’i Writings tell us- that God is “revealed” to us through creation itself- “to His creation through His creation”. Some people express that they feel God within nature and the beauty of the environment. That feeling is actually us sensing the presence of God in the grandness of creation.

Every created thing in the whole universe is but a door leading into His knowledge, a sign of His sovereignty, a revelation of His names, a symbol of His majesty, a token of His power, a means of admittance into His straight Path… (Baha’u’llah)

But the most profound sense of God we can have is the revelation of God that exists within our own selves-

“Behold with the eye of the heart. Verily, thy truth, the truth of thy being, is the divinity of thy Lord revealed unto thee and through thee. Thou art He Himself, and He is thou thyself, except that indeed thou art that thou art, and He is that He is.” (The Bab)

The purpose of life is for us to connect with our Creator and express the “revelation” of God within us most fully and most perfectly. When we do this, we are at the same time coming closer to God and coming closer to our own innermost true selves- as our essence is itself a revelation of God’s beauty. Humans are like “homing pigeons” for God, those birds that, wherever you take them in the world, they always find their way back home.

We are not born with these realities evident to us. We need to be taught. As we have observed, many people have a sense of God, a feeling of something transcendent within nature and within themselves, but it can remain undefined and veiled to us, and have no impact on how they behave or treat others. Baha’u’llah describes us as “unlit candles” who don’t realize the flame potentially within us. Imagine a child, a girl, in a poor ghetto of the world who is actually the most naturally gifted mathematician who has ever lived. Without some education, the child can never demonstrate the powers that lie within her. She could go through life completely unaware of her ability. But she is lucky and gets a good teacher who, through education, brings out the qualities that she inherently possesses and makes them manifest to others. This is where revealed religion comes into our understanding of God because the founders of the great religions are the educators that bring out the qualities that lie within us.

Let’s make a simple observation. Think of the people you know who believe in God and have an active spirituality. If you are like most people, your friends who do have a close relationship with God are aligned with one of the great religions of humanity- they are Christian, or Muslim, or a religious Jew, or Hindu. In other words, the energy for their belief and enthusiasm about God is not coming from some philosophical reflections, but a spiritual connection with a religion- in most cases- a revealed religion. There are always exceptions, but it is fair to say that people who have a strong belief and conception of God are almost always connected with a Christ, or a Muhammad, or one of the other founders of the other great religions. People who aren’t connected have a belief that tends to be more latent, if they have a belief at all.

There is actually a profound statement about the nature of humanity’s relationship to God in that simple observation. While the universal revelation of God is present in all creation and within ourselves, and has been for all time, it is so general that we might not even recognize it, nor does it necessarily lead to a change in how we act or treat each other. For that reason, God speaks to us again “through His creation”, in the form of a human being who speaks our language and can manifest to us the Will of God in a manner we can easily understand and appreciate. These are the Revelations that have founded the great religions and make God “manifest” to us in a specific sense. That is why Baha’u’llah referred to the “Prophets” or “Messengers” of God as “Manifestations of God” because they manifest God’s will to humanity in a specific sense. Through them, humans learn to make these spiritual connections with themselves, with others, and with nature.

Baha’u’llah describes these Manifestations of God in many ways, using far more descriptive terms than just “Prophet’ or “Messenger”. Describing the Manifestations of God, He says-

“These sanctified Mirrors, these Daysprings of ancient glory, are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and the Repositories of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is revealed the Light that can never fade.…”

In another passage, He says they “are the channels of God’s all-pervasive grace. Led by the light of unfailing guidance, and invested with supreme sovereignty, They are commissioned to use the inspiration of Their words, the effusions of Their infallible grace and the sanctifying breeze of Their Revelation for the cleansing of every longing heart and receptive spirit from the dross and dust of earthly cares and limitations. Then, and only then, will the Trust of God, latent in the reality of man, emerge… from behind the veil of concealment, and implant the ensign of its revealed glory upon the summits of men’s hearts.”

The revelations of God are a natural phenomenon, as natural as gravity and the second law of thermodynamics. Actually, they are more like the spring time, which periodically comes and refreshes the world, causing flowers and trees to blossom and grow. A new Revelation is like a “divine springtime”, causing faith to again awaken in people’s hearts and reminding us of the spiritual connections at the root of who we are.

It is also what essentially defines our conceptions of God. So, for a Christian, his or her conception of God is formed by Christ himself, as Jesus said- “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship to the Father, has made him known”. And in another passage- “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but God who sent me. For when you see Me, you are seeing the one who sent Me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.”

Christ turned a nebulous abstract entity that we can’t quite grasp, into a reality that was palpable, that we could love in the way we love other people, a reality that was personal. In that way, by speaking to our humanity, we could then find the revelation of God within ourselves, in others, and in the rest of creation. How many people read the stories in the Gospels and found their inner selves as a result? It’s influence has been almost inconceivably great. And this all happened because God spoke in a way and through a medium we could understand. This truth was not confined to Christ, but to all the Manifestations of God. It is through them that our concepts of God are given form. It is through them that we know God’s will in a personal and specific way. As Christ said- “I am the Way, the Truth, and Life and nobody gets to the Father but through Me.” The Manifestations are not God, but they are God to us.

This fundamental principle is enormously important in understanding humanity’s relationship to God, both in history and in the modern day. Because it is the Manifestations of God that make God real to us, turn God from an abstract philosophical entity to something we can love and serve, the presence of God in our lives primarily means the presence of one of these Revelations in our hearts. They are the ones who make that intellectual and spiritual connection between the Supreme Intelligence at the root of all existence, and a good and moral life. When their power and influence on humanity wanes, so does belief in God as we no longer have the primary path we used to find Him in the first place. The reason less people believe in God today is because the religions that represented Him on earth no longer have the intellectual and spiritual power they once did. The Revelations of the past have become old.

As humanity’s knowledge of God is constantly growing and evolving, the religion of God also must be renewed. Baha’u’llah’s Revelation is the renewal of religion for our time. As He states-

“Know thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human temple. As the body of man needs a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requires a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that best befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.”

We’ll go into more detail on the concept of “progressive revelation” in the next essay, but before we leave this topic, we need to address an area of discomfort for many people with revealed religion. Appropriately, we naturally repel from the idea that we are worshipping a “man”, as opposed to a Force or some other abstract reality. A person who claims to be God seems too personal, and a part of us would probably rather keep our conceptions of God more universal. Plus, for every Christ, Muhammad, or Baha’u’llah, there are scores of pretenders who make claims to divinity, some for sincere reasons, others not. It can be truthfully be said that the overwhelming majority of people who make claim to some form of divinity are deceiving themselves and deceiving others. How do I know I’m not worshipping some crazy guy?

The beauty of divine revelation through a human being is that it makes God personal and connectable on a human level, but that also adds a human factor that can feel strange, particularly before you have had a chance to study the religion in detail. After all, the person of the Manifestation is a man, who comes from a certain culture, speaks a particular language, follows certain customs- all of which may be foreign to you.

Baha’u’llah assuages our fears in this regard, pointing out that the man is inconsequential to what we are worshipping. We are actually worshipping the Reality that shines through the man- the Revelation of God itself, and human beings can naturally tell the difference. Baha’u’llah makes this point again and again in His Writings, like in His Tablet to the King of Persia-

O King! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Knowing. And He bade Me lift up My voice between earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow…This is but a leaf which the winds of the will of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Praised, have stirred…The evanescent is as nothing before Him Who is the Ever-Abiding. His all-compelling summons hath reached Me, and caused Me to speak His praise amidst all people.

In another passage, Baha’u’llah states clearly that His whole purpose was not to call attention to Himself as a person, that he “had no intention of establishing any position or distinction for Himself. The purpose hath rather been to attract the souls, through the sublimity of His words, unto the summit of transcendent glory.. Unto this bear witness My heart, My Pen, My inner and My outer Being. God grant that all men may turn unto the treasuries latent within their own selves.”

While the Manifestations of God are human beings, the whole point is to see them in their true transcendent reality-

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all beings, the Source of infinite grace (God), … hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness (the Manifestations) to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence…From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory.

God is our true ‘Beloved” who appears in different “attire”- a different outer form- from age to age, but invites us to recognize that inner reality.

O My servants! It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the gracious favors which, in this Divine, this soul-stirring Springtime, are being showered upon you. The Day Star of His great glory hath shed its radiance upon you, and the clouds of His limitless grace have overshadowed you. How high the reward of him that hath not deprived himself of so great a bounty, nor failed to recognize the beauty of his Best-Beloved in this, His new attire.

Moreover , each of the Revelations also has a common inner Voice that we can learn to recognize and appreciate as being common to all the Revelations.

Strive, O people, to gain admittance into this vast Immensity for which God ordained neither beginning nor end, in which His voice hath been raised, and over which have been wafted the sweet savors of holiness and glory. Divest not yourselves of the Robe of grandeur, neither suffer your hearts to be deprived of remembering your Lord, nor your ears of hearkening unto the sweet melodies of His wondrous, His sublime, His all-compelling, His clear, and most eloquent voice.

As you can see, and will be more apparent as we explore the Writings of Baha’u’llah, He speaks with a Voice that is transcendent and sublime. You come to not see them as the words of a man at all. The same thing happened with Christ and the words of the Quran. In the heart of a Baha’i, as with a Christian and a Muslim, the words of the Manifestation of God are the Voice of God, spoken to us in a language and a form that we can understand and connect with. There is a mystical connection between that inner Voice of God, or the Word of God- as expressed through each of the Revelations- and our own souls. It’s hard to explain but not hard to feel. There’s a rhythm to the Word that starts our feet tapping and reverberates with us on a very intimate level.

So let’s summarize the main points. We started by reasoning from what we know about the natural world to conclude that it is reasonable to believe that there is an Intelligence at the root of all existence. We meditated a bit on that Intelligence and concluded It was vast and ancient, and we are completely dependent upon It. But we also pointed out that such an Intelligence is not the kind of thing we can encompass with our minds or meet face to face like we would something or someone else. Our relationship to that Intelligence has to be a very unique relationship, unlike any others that we have. From the Baha’i writings, and this is corroborated in the Quran and the Bible, we learned that the nature of that Intelligence is imprinted on the reality of all creation, including within ourselves, but that truth can be veiled to us without revealed religion. It is revealed religion that helps us make the connections between the spiritual things we natively feel, and educates us about the powers that lie within each of us. Those Revelations are critical to our belief and relationship to God. Without them, our belief wavers as we can no longer make the intellectual and spiritual connections to the Source of our life.

Photo by Anthony Gibson on Unsplash

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God is Not Dead

God is Not Dead

Published April 8, 2019 by admin

There is a common saying- “The God I believe in is not the same God you don’t believe in”. The saying highlights a fundamental point important in any discussion about God- we have to define what we mean by “God”. Conceptions of “God” vary greatly and what one person believes in may be nothing like what others conceptualize. If you define terms and are clear about what you are saying, people often will find that they actually believe very similar things, but label them differently. Baha’u’llah has given us a more comprehensive understanding of God than any previous revelation, and it is an understanding that is consistent with the nature of our world discovered by science, but ultimately transcends it. Let’s start with a essay about why it is reasonable to believe that there is a God, an Intelligence at the root of all being, based on our modern scientific worldview, and then we can build other ideas from there.

When we look at the natural world, as presented to us by the intellectual investigations of philosophy and science over the last several centuries, there are certain things we can comfortably conclude. First, the natural world is rational, meaning it follows consistent and logically derivable rules that are present across the known universe. Indeed, the nature of creation is mathematical. It is a remarkable and under-appreciated fact that we can make measurements in a laboratory, derive a mathematical equation, and based on purely abstract reasoning from that equation, derive further equations that then we can test back in the lab and find to be predictive of the physical system we are studying. This means that, underlying the physical processes that exist, there are abstract mathematical and rational principles that are discoverable by intelligence. In other words, the world is intelligible, and intelligible to us. In thinking about God, both of those facts are significant.

13.8 billion years ago- immediately after the Big Bang- matter in the universe consisted of just hydrogen and helium- two simple and relatively non reactive elements. Natural laws worked on those elements to produce structures of increasing complexity, that progressively manifested higher functions such as the ability to grow, reproduce, and eventually become conscious. The appearance of human consciousness was enormously significant landmark event in the history of the universe. With the appearance of humans, with our powers of rationality and inductive reasoning, nature had produced an entity that could then turn around and understand nature itself.

Imagine nature and the material stuff of existence are like a book sitting on a table. The book desired to read itself but had no power to do so, so it rearranged and evolved its own elements- the elements that made up the book itself- to create a reader who could sit beside itself and read the book. That is essentially what has happened. Nature, by creating humans, created free will, creativity, rationality, and the ability to understand itself. This simple fact, accepted by every serious thinker and scientist all over the world, is enormously significant when we address the question of what is at the ultimate root of existence. One can possibly see the natural world as mindless when it produces seemingly mindless entities, but when it produces a mind that can then turn around and explain itself to itself, we’ve crossed a threshold that profoundly changes how we should think about the ultimate nature of the universe itself.

While those observations may strongly lead us to conclude that there is an Intelligence at the root of the universe, that conclusion has a major competitor- materialistic philosophy, and it is related to science. One of the “rules” of science is that we try to avoid metaphysical assumptions about reality when doing science. We assume that the answers for why things are the way they are in the natural world reside in the natural world itself, using materialistic explanations that are confined to that world. Materialism is therefore a methodological assumption of science, and a highly useful one, because it keeps science as a coherent body of knowledge. Though highly effective as a “methodological approach”, as the “rules of the game” in science, when we broaden materialism to a philosophy of everything- the idea that nothing exists besides inanimate matter and the natural laws that define their functions- it gets more problematic. Philosophical materialism is very popular right now as it is seen as a simple and rational way of looking at the world. It is that. Moreover, it has a certain coherence that is attractive. The success of the materialistic assumptions that underlie science itself has made it even seem like a proven idea. The problem is that philosophical materialism ultimately has a very limited range of explanatory tools in its tool box to explain the broad picture of reality, seemingly too few to explain what we know about the universe. And the place it really struggles is explaining us.

Imagine you are walking in the woods and you find an iPhone sitting on the forest floor. You have never seen such a device but you begin to explore its function and soon find out about its marvelous abilities and the complexity of its structure. What is the probability that such an object could have arisen there on its own- that the natural elements could have arranged themselves mindlessly to produce such a complex and coordinated entity? Obviously, the possibility of that happening on its own is so low that nobody would regard it as a serious idea. But the iPhone is less complex than the simplest level of biological organisms.

One of the simplest biological organisms is a prokaryotic cell- the kind of cells bacteria are made of. There are billions of them on and in your body as you read this. But the prokaryotic cell is not a simple thing. If you were to shrink yourself and somehow get into a cell, you would find it to be an extraordinary dynamic and organized place. The average prokaryotic cell produces 2000 proteins/second off its DNA. Each of those proteins has a particular and very specific function and will be recycled after it completes its function. It is an environment with a whirring level of activity, all coordinated, regulated, with feedback loops and other strategies to allow the cell to structure its activity and respond to its environment. And the prokaryotic cell is one of the simplest biological organisms in creation!

The most complex biological entity in creation is the human brain, with trillions of cells, each more complex than the simple prokaryotic cell, and all coordinated together to help you do all the things you do in life. The vast range of human invention, the products of the work of millions of minds over the course of history, are not even close to creating anything as complex and coordinated as the human brain. Moreover, there are no convincing materialistic answers for why humans manifest the distinctive qualities that we do- subjective consciousness (your sense of “I”), abstract thought, commitment to abstract ethical ideals like justice and mercy, and complex language. Even our love of music is a mystery. One can imagine that answers might be forthcoming as science advances, but we are still left with a fundamental question as to how material things grew to manifest these remarkable qualities on their own.

So let’s ask that question more directly. What is the chance that all that we know about the world and ourselves came into being on its own? Materialism ultimately provides only two possibilities for how mindless matter can organize itself into complex structures capable of these extraordinary functions- random chance and determinism (sometimes referred to as “necessity”). Remember, materialism has no recourse to mind in any form. No explanation can reflect intentionality or purpose. Things must happen by chance, or they reflect the inherent nature of a piece of matter and the natural laws that act on it. That is, things happen because they are “determined” to happen that way, by an objects inherent nature, which it cannot change.

In answering the question, we can pretty much rule out chance, but will come back to it in a minute. The other possibility- “necessity” or “determinism”- is that these qualities of material things- the ability to form more complex entities that can perform higher functions- is baked into the laws of nature and matter itself such that there are “determined” outcomes that unfold over time. But what does it say about the laws of nature and matter when it is baked into them to produce mind and consciousness? A system that is set up to produce- deterministically- mind and consciousness is a system that was more likely designed by something with mind and consciousness in the first place.

So then we are back to random chance as the best materialistic explanation, but our world is so vastly improbable to have happened by chance that it’s really not a serious idea. One popular theory is that there are an infinite number of potential universes and we just happen to live in the one in which these highly improbable events have occurred. Given an infinite range of possibilities, anything is possible! This is true, but it can hardly masquerade as a serious explanation. Any detective who came to a crime scene, looked at the evidence before him, shrugged his shoulders and said that maybe there are an infinite number of universes and “anything is possible”, would lose credibility quickly.

The more one meditates on these issues, the more evident it becomes that material things and mindless laws are not good candidates to be the ultimate root of life. Materialistic philosophy, though useful as a guide for science, is too limited for more fundamental explanations of reality. That is not the fault of science. Science is only as good as its assumptions, and its assumption is that everything is material, because material things are all science can study! There’s an old story in philosophy of a drunk who is looking for the keys he lost on the street, but he is only searching one side of the street. When someone asks him why he doesn’t search the other side, he says it is because there is no light posts on that side. Think of science as the light that shines on the street. It’s natural for materialistic science to look for the kind of answers it can prove are true, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t true answers that are non-materialistic! To look at the world in a purely materialistic way is not wrong- the world is made up of material stuff- but many people are afraid to stray out from under its canopy and find ways to shine light on the other side of the street, thus depriving themselves of a broader picture of reality.

From my personal perspective, the much more coherent view is that the ultimate basis of everything that exists is not material things in themselves, nor the mindless laws that define their actions, but intelligence. Like chess pieces on a chess board that don’t move themselves, but are propelled by intelligence, nature and matter are similarly the result of intelligence. It is simply a better and more coherent explanation for the reality of the universe and how it has evolved creatures like us. I’d like to say that I’m somehow uniquely clever to come to this conclusion, but I’m not. Most of the great philosophers and thinkers in the history of the human race have come to the same conclusion.

Now we can ask a second question- what is the nature of the Intelligence that produced the universe we know? We can say with certainly that it is a vast and ancient Intelligence that far transcends any intelligence we have. As we meditate further, we recognize that we are all completely and utterly dependent on that Intelligence. Without it, we would not have lived and nothing else we know would have ever existed. Everything we have ever known is dependent on that Reality for its very existence. Acknowledging and becoming consciously aware of that truth is not to believe in a “delusion”, but rather it is to awaken to the the true reality of our situation.

There are several analogies given in the Baha’i writings to explain our relationship to the Divine Reality. One is that our relationship to the Force underlying all existence is like a fish to water. It goes without saying that a fish depends on water. It is the medium in which it moves, how it gets its oxygen, and water permeates every organ and cell of a fish so completely that it has no life without it. But is the fish aware of its dependence on the water? Does the fish even know that water exists!? It’s so permeated and dependent on water that it might not even realize that it’s there. The relationship of God to us and everything in creation is like that.

There are also a few other simple conclusions we can draw from observations of humans and human societies, that tell us a little bit more about us and our relationship to God. It is clear that belief in an Intelligence or transcendent Force at the root of all being is pretty much universal among humans, even without philosophical consideration of the question. Virtually all societies had that conception, in some form or another. We can also say that the desire for humans to connect with that Force is extremely powerful, as manifested by the universal presence of religion in all societies until the modern period. In other words, we have a “spiritual instinct” that is an inherent part of our reality and consciousness. For many people throughout history, no more noble thing could be imagined than trying to understand and connect with the Root of all existence. Religion then is an expression of what it means to be human- truly human.

Many people, including scientists and philosophers all over the world, would not disagree fundamentally with the points above. Indeed, they are not infrequently voiced by leading intellectuals the world over. When Einstein said he wanted “to know God’s thoughts, the rest are mere details”, he was expressing a desire to understand the Root of all existence, which he believed to be intelligent. The issue then becomes, not whether there is a Divine Reality at the root of all life, but the nature of that Reality and Its relationship to us and to nature. It is in our “concept of God” where humans most often disagree. The belief in God is diminishing in many parts of the world, not because we no longer have a reason to believe in God, but the way we believed in God in the past is no longer coherent with our modern reality. Our concepts of God haven’t evolved as much as our knowledge and understanding in other areas of life.

In part 2 of this essay, we will explore the concept of God that Baha’u’llah brought into the world and how that illuminates our understanding of our relationship to God.

Photo by Adrien Converse on Unsplash

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Oneness of Humanity

Oneness of Humanity

Published April 5, 2019 by admin

He Who is your Lord, the All Merciful, cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body.

The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.

It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens. (Baha’u’llah)

In every Dispensation, the light of Divine Guidance has been focused upon one central theme…In this wondrous Revelation, this glorious century, the foundation of the Faith of God, and the distinguishing feature of His Law, is the consciousness of the oneness of mankind.

Let all strive to grow in the light of the Sun of Truth, and reflecting this luminous love on all men, may their hearts become so united that they may dwell evermore in the radiance of the limitless love…When you love a member of your family or a compatriot, let it be with a ray of the Infinite Love! Let it be in God, and for God! Wherever you find the attributes of God, love that person, whether he be of your family or of another. Shed the light of a boundless love on every human being whom you meet, whether of your country, your race, your political party, or of any other nation, color or shade of political opinion. Heaven will support you while you work in this ingathering of the scattered peoples of the world beneath the shadow of the almighty tent of unity. (‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

Photo from Baha’i media bank of a children’s class in Panama.

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Oneness of Religion

Oneness of Religion

Published April 3, 2019 by admin

Baha’u’llah’s son- ‘Abdu’l-Baha’- was a great teacher and promoter of the unity of humanity. He came to America in 1912 giving introductory talks about Baha’u’llah’s Revelation. The talk below was delivered at a Unitarian Church in Washington D.C. It expresses the themes of the Oneness of God, the oneness of humanity, and the oneness of religion. Enjoy!

The doctrines and creed of this church, so capably expressed by its revered minister, are truly commendable, sanctified and worthy of praise and glorification, for these precepts are opposed to the deep-rooted religious prejudices of the day. It is evident that prejudices arising from adherence to religious forms and imitation of ancestral beliefs have hindered the progress of humanity thousands of years. How many wars and battles have been fought, how much division, discord and hatred have been caused by this form of prejudice! But inasmuch as this century is a century of the revelation of reality—praise be to God!—the thoughts of men are being directed toward the welfare and unity of humanity. Daily the mirage of imitations is passing away, and the ocean of truth is surging more tumultuously. All the existing nations had a divine foundation of truth or reality originally, which was intended to be conducive to the unity and accord of mankind, but the light of that reality gradually became obscured. The darkness of superstitions and imitations came and took its place, binding the world of humanity in the chains and fetters of ignorance. Enmity arose among men, increasing to such an extent that nation strove against nation in hatred and violence. War has been a religious and political human heritage.

Now it is enough! We must investigate reality. We must put away these superstitions. It is a self-evident truth that all humanity is the creation of God. All are His servants and under His protection. All are recipients of His bestowals. God is kind to all His servants. At most it is this: that some are ignorant; they must be educated in order that they may become intelligent. Some are immature as children; they must be aided and assisted in order that they may become mature. Some are sick and ailing; they must be healed. But the suffering patient must not be tested by false treatment. The child must not be warped and hindered in its development. The ignorant must not be restricted by censure and criticism. We must look for the real, true remedy.

All the Prophets of God, including Jesus Christ, appeared in the world for the education of humanity, to develop immature souls into maturity, to transform the ignorant of mankind into the knowing, thereby establishing love and unity through divine education and training. The Prophets have not come to cause discord and enmity. For God has wished all good for His servants, and he who wishes the servants of God evil is against God; he has not obeyed the will and emulated the example of God; he has followed Satanic leadings and footprints. The attributes of God are love and mercy; the attribute of Satan is hate. Therefore, he who is merciful and kind to his fellowmen is manifesting the divine attribute, and he who is hating and hostile toward a fellow creature is satanic. God is absolute love, even as Jesus Christ has declared, and Satan is utter hatred. Wherever love is witnessed, know that there is a manifestation of God’s mercy; whenever you meet hatred and enmity, know that these are the evidences and attributes of Satan. The Prophets have appeared in this world with the mission that human souls may become the expressions of the Merciful, that they may be educated and developed, attain to love and amity and establish peace and agreement.

In the world of existence the animal is a captive of nature. Its actions are according to the exigencies and requirements of nature. It has no consideration or consciousness of good and evil. It simply follows its natural instinct and inclination. The Prophets of God have come to show man the way of righteousness in order that he may not follow his own natural impulse but govern his action by the light of Their precept and example. According to Their teachings he should do that which is found to be praiseworthy by the standard of reason and judgment of intellect, even though it be opposed to his natural human inclination; and he should not do that which is found to be unworthy by that same standard, even though it be in the direction of his natural impulse and desire. Therefore, man must follow and manifest the attributes of the Merciful.

The imperfect members of society, the weak souls in humanity, follow their natural trend. Their lives and actions are in accord with their natural propensities; they are captives of physical susceptibilities; they are not in touch or in tune with the spiritual bounties. Man has two aspects: the physical, which is subject to nature, and the merciful or divine, which is connected with God. If the physical or natural disposition in him should overcome the heavenly and merciful, he is, then, the most degraded of animal beings; and if the divine and spiritual should triumph over the human and natural, he is, verily, an angel. The Prophets come into the world to guide and educate humanity so that the animal nature of man may disappear and the divinity of his powers become awakened. The divine aspect or spiritual nature consists of the breaths of the Holy Spirit. The second birth of which Jesus has spoken refers to the appearance of this heavenly nature in man. It is expressed in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and he who is baptized by the Holy Spirit is a veritable manifestation of divine mercy to mankind. Then he becomes just and kind to all humanity; he entertains prejudice and ill will toward none; he shuns no nation or people.

The foundations of the divine religions are one. If we investigate these foundations, we discover much ground for agreement, but if we consider the imitations of forms and ancestral beliefs, we find points of disagreement and division; for these imitations differ, while the sources and foundations are one and the same. That is to say, the fundamentals are conducive to unity, but imitations are the cause of disunion and dismemberment. Whosoever is lacking in love for humanity or manifests hatred and bigotry toward any part of it violates the foundation and source of his own belief and is holding to forms and imitations. Jesus Christ declares that the sun rises upon the evil and the good, and the rain descends upon the just and the unjust—upon all humanity alike. Christ was a divine mercy which shone upon all mankind, the medium for the descent of the bounty of God, and the bounty of God is transcendent, unrestricted, universal.

The revered minister read from the words of the Gospel, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth.” The century has dawned when the Spirit of Truth can reveal these verities to mankind, proclaim that very Word, establish the real foundations of Christianity and deliver the nations and peoples from the bondage of forms and imitations. The cause of discord, prejudice and animosity will be removed, the basis of love and amity be established. Therefore, all of you must strive with heart and soul in order that enmity may disappear entirely and that strife and hatred pass away absolutely from the midst of the human world. You must listen to the admonition of this Spirit of Truth. You must follow the example and footprints of Jesus Christ. Read the Gospels. Jesus Christ was mercy itself, was love itself. He even prayed in behalf of His executioners—for those who crucified Him—saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” If they knew what they were doing, they would not have done it. Consider how kind Jesus Christ was, that even upon the cross He prayed for His oppressors. We must follow His example. We must emulate the Prophets of God. We must follow Jesus Christ. We must free ourselves from all these imitations which are the source of darkness in the world.

I shall ask you a question: Did God create us for love or for enmity? Did He create us for peace or discord? Surely He has created us for love; therefore, we should live in accordance with His will. Do not listen to anything that is prejudiced, for self-interest prompts men to be prejudiced. They are thoughtful only of their own will and purposes. They live and move in darkness. Consider how many different nations and divergent religious beliefs existed when Christ appeared. Enmity and strife prevailed among them—Romans, Greeks, Assyrians, Egyptians—all warring and hostile toward each other. Christ, through the breaths of the Holy Spirit, united them, established fellowship among them so that no trace of strife remained. Under His standard they became united and lived in peace through His teachings. Which is preferable and more commendable? To follow the example of Jesus Christ or to manifest the satanic instinct? Let us strive with all our powers to unite the East and West so that the nations of the world may be advanced and that all may live according to the one foundation of the religions of God. The essentials of the divine religion are one reality, indivisible and not multiple. It is one. And when through investigation we find it to be single, we have a basis for the oneness of the world of humanity. I will pray for you, asking confirmation and assistance in your behalf.

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

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One God

One God

Published April 2, 2019 by admin

People sometimes ask- why is it important to believe in One God? It’s a really good question. The Oneness of God is a primary theme in the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism. Hindus also have a sense of one Force at the root of all existence, and many cultures that believed in many gods still had one God they worshipped above the others. The Oneness of God was an evolution and advancement in humanity’s conception of God and it had a lot of impact on how humans thought about the world.

Before these great religions, humans tended to see nature as the expression of forces controlled by the “gods”. It thundered because the gods were angry, rained because the gods were crying…etc. The perception of people was that they were at the mercy of these gods and the natural forces they controlled. The gods were not necessarily ethical- they were just glorified human personalities. People would make idols of these gods and sacrifice to them so that good things would happen and bad things would be avoided. Belief in these gods was more like superstition than anything else.

The Oneness of God was taught by Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad as a fundamental doctrine and it made two connections that were significant. The first was that all these other gods were nothing in the face of the true abstract Reality that was the real Source of all being. Second, that One God was an ethical God who cared about humanity and wanted humans to achieve their full potential. To be like that One God was to take on the highest virtues of humanity. With the Oneness of God, humanity’s conception of the world also went from one that was very concrete, to one that was more abstract. Being able to think and see the world in abstract terms is an evolution in human thinking and spirituality that set the stage for other advances, both intellectual and religious. The Oneness of God actually provided the basis for science because it was understood that the world was a rational place, created by a single rational and benevolent God, and not the playground for a bunch of juvenile divinities that always fought each other.

There is a story in the Gospels where Jesus is conversing with a Samaritan woman at a well. Samaritan’s were not Jews and did not worship One God, and she noted that her god was in the mountains whereas Jews worshipped theirs in the temple. Jesus told her that God was a “Spirit and needed to be worshipped in spirit and in truth”. It wasn’t the place that was important, but the worship of an abstract reality that was the essence of Truth.

The Oneness of God was further developed in the revelation of Muhammad and Islam. The fundamental teaching of Muhammad was the “Unity of God”. To say God was one was even incorrect- God was beyond numbers and shouldn’t even be thought of in those concrete terms. Even idols became non-physical. An “idol” could be a physical idol, but also an “idol” we created in our minds, anything that caused us to worship something other than One True God who was the essence of compassion and mercy. As expressed by Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law-

“To know God is to know his oneness. To say that God is one has four meanings: two of them are false and two are correct. As for the two meanings that are false, one is that a person should say “God is one” and be thinking of a number and counting. This is false because that which has no second cannot enter into the category of number…Another meaning is to say, “So-and-So is one of his people”, namely, a species of this genus or a member of this species. This meaning is also false when applied to God, because it implies likening something to God, whereas God is above all likeness. As to the two meanings that are correct when applied to God, one is that it should be said that “God is one” in the sense that there is no likeness to him among things. Another is to say that “God is one” in the sense that there is no multiplicity or division conceivable in Him, neither outwardly, nor in the mind, nor in the imagination. God alone possesses such a unity.”

Baha’u’llah built on these concepts in His Revelation. God becomes completely abstract, only knowable through the qualities He manifests in all creation, including within us, and in the Revelations that come to humanity and explain His reality and our connection to It.

“Regard thou the one true God as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably exalted above, all created things. The whole universe reflecteth His glory, while He is Himself independent of, and transcendeth His creatures. This is the true meaning of Divine unity. He Who is the Eternal Truth is the one Power Who exerciseth undisputed sovereignty over the world of being, Whose image is reflected in the mirror of the entire creation. All existence is dependent upon Him, and from Him is derived the source of the sustenance of all things. This is what is meant by Divine unity; this is its fundamental principle.”

To worship that one God is to express it in pure and holy deeds of service to all humanity, irrespective of any particular characteristic- race, religion, political party or other divisions. To worship God is to worship love and justice in pure form.

Worship thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God’s creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men. Fire and paradise both bow down and prostrate themselves before God. That which is worthy of His Essence is to worship Him for His sake, without fear of fire, or hope of paradise. (The Bab)

The Oneness of God is the truth that connects our spiritual instincts with ethical behavior. It is the basis of all exalted forms of religion.

Quote from Ali from Wikipedia, “Tawhid” article. Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash

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The Three Onenesses

The Three Onenesses

Published April 1, 2019 by admin

“Every created thing in the whole universe is but a door leading into His knowledge, a sign of His sovereignty, a revelation of His names, a symbol of His majesty, a token of His power, a means of admittance into His straight Path…” Baha’u’llah

O true companions! All humankind are as children in a school, and the Dawning-Points of Light, the Sources of divine revelation, are the teachers, wondrous and without peer. In the school of realities they educate these sons and daughters, according to teachings from God, and foster them in the bosom of grace, so that they may develop along every line, show forth the excellent gifts and blessings of the Lord, and combine human perfections….(‘Abdu’l-Baha’)

God maketh no distinction between the white and the black. If the hearts are pure both are acceptable unto Him. God is no respecter of persons on account of either color or race…. Inasmuch as all were created in the image of God, we must bring ourselves to realize that all embody divine possibilities. If you go into a garden and find all the flowers alike in form, species and color, the effect is wearisome to the eye. The garden is more beautiful when the flowers are many-colored and different….(‘Abdu’l-Baha”)

Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash

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A Light on Broad Street

A Light on Broad Street

Published March 29, 2019 by admin

At the beginning of the 20th century – a century that would see two world wars and innumerable conflicts and tragedies- Baha’u’llah’s son ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ came to America and spoke at various venues explaining the teachings of the faith his Father had started. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ came to Philadelphia, and at the invitation of the founder of Temple University, spoke at the Baptist Temple on June 9th, 1912. At the time, the Baptist Temple was the largest Protestant Church in the United States. It now functions as the Performing Arts Center for Temple University. The photo above shows members of the Baha’i community of Philadelphia gathered there for the 100 year celebration of that event.

Imagine if the Apostle Paul or Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali had come to a place and spoken. That gives you some sense of the significance of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ coming to Philadelphia and speaking on Broad Street. Indeed, it’s more significant because ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ lived with his Father for decades and was educated directly by Him, so his only formal education came at the feet of a Messenger of God. The portion below is the second part of the talk he delivered on that day. We will review the first part in another context, but this excerpt represents how ‘Abdu’l-Baha’ himself summarized his Father’s teachings. It represents a good introduction to the social principles of the Baha’i Faith. The talk was in a church, so the examples he uses are for a Christian audience. Enjoy!

Bahá’u’lláh has risen from the eastern horizon. Like the glory of the sun He has come into the world. He has reflected the reality of divine religion, dispelled the darkness of imitations, laid the foundation of new teachings and resuscitated the world.

The first teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the investigation of reality. Man must seek reality himself, forsaking imitations and adherence to mere hereditary forms. As the nations of the world are following imitations in lieu of truth and as imitations are many and various, differences of belief have been productive of strife and warfare. So long as these imitations remain, the oneness of the world of humanity is impossible. Therefore, we must investigate reality in order that by its light the clouds and darkness may be dispelled. Reality is one reality; it does not admit multiplicity or division. If the nations of the world investigate reality, they will agree and become united. Many people and sects in Persia have sought reality through the guidance and teaching of Bahá’u’lláh. They have become united and now live in a state of agreement and love; among them there is no longer the least trace of enmity and strife.

The Jews were expecting the appearance of the Messiah, looking forward to it with devotion of heart and soul, but because they were submerged in imitations, they did not believe in Jesus Christ when He appeared. Finally they rose against Him even to the extreme of persecution and shedding His blood. Had they investigated reality, they would have accepted their promised Messiah. These blind imitations and hereditary prejudices have invariably become the cause of bitterness and hatred and have filled the world with darkness and violence of war. Therefore, we must seek the fundamental truth in order to extricate ourselves from such conditions and then with illumined faces find the pathway to the Kingdom of God.

The second teaching of Bahá’u’lláh concerns the unity of mankind. All are the servants of God and members of one human family. God has created all, and all are His children. He rears, nourishes, provides for and is kind to all. Why should we be unjust and unkind? This is the policy of God, the lights of which have shone throughout the world. His sun bestows its effulgence unsparingly upon all; His clouds send down rain without distinction or favor; His breezes refresh the whole earth. It is evident that humankind without exception is sheltered beneath His mercy and protection. Some are imperfect; they must be perfected. The ignorant must be taught, the sick healed, the sleepers awakened. The child must not be oppressed or censured because it is undeveloped; it must be patiently trained. The sick must not be neglected because they are ailing; nay, rather, we must have compassion upon them and bring them healing. Briefly, the old conditions of animosity, bigotry and hatred between the religious systems must be dispelled and the new conditions of love, agreement and spiritual brotherhood be established among them.

The third teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is that religion must be the source of fellowship, the cause of unity and the nearness of God to man. If it rouses hatred and strife, it is evident that absence of religion is preferable and an irreligious man better than one who professes it. According to the divine Will and intention religion should be the cause of love and agreement, a bond to unify all mankind, for it is a message of peace and goodwill to man from God.

The fourth teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the agreement of religion and science. God has endowed man with intelligence and reason whereby he is required to determine the verity of questions and propositions. If religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of science, they are mere superstitions and imaginations; for the antithesis of knowledge is ignorance, and the child of ignorance is superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between true religion and science. If a question be found contrary to reason, faith and belief in it are impossible, and there is no outcome but wavering and vacillation.

Bahá’u’lláh also taught that prejudices—whether religious, racial, patriotic or political—are destructive to the foundations of human development. Prejudices of any kind are the destroyers of human happiness and welfare. Until they are dispelled, the advancement of the world of humanity is not possible; yet racial, religious and national biases are observed everywhere. For thousands of years the world of humanity has been agitated and disturbed by prejudices. As long as it prevails, warfare, animosity and hatred will continue. Therefore, if we seek to establish peace, we must cast aside this obstacle; for otherwise, agreement and composure are not to be attained.

Sixth, Bahá’u’lláh set forth principles of guidance and teaching for economic readjustment. Regulations were revealed by Him which ensure the welfare of the commonwealth. As the rich man enjoys his life surrounded by ease and luxuries, so the poor man must, likewise, have a home and be provided with sustenance and comforts commensurate with his needs. This readjustment of the social economy is of the greatest importance inasmuch as it ensures the stability of the world of humanity; and until it is effected, happiness and prosperity are impossible.

Seventh, Bahá’u’lláh taught that an equal standard of human rights must be recognized and adopted. In the estimation of God all men are equal; there is no distinction or preferment for any soul in the dominion of His justice and equity.

Eighth, education is essential, and all standards of training and teaching throughout the world of mankind should be brought into conformity and agreement; a universal curriculum should be established, and the basis of ethics be the same.

Ninth, a universal language shall be adopted and be taught by all the schools and institutions of the world. A committee appointed by national bodies of learning shall select a suitable language to be used as a medium of international communication. All must acquire it. This is one of the great factors in the unification of man.

Tenth, Bahá’u’lláh emphasized and established the equality of man and woman. Sex is not particularized to humanity; it exists throughout the animate kingdoms but without distinction or preference. In the vegetable kingdom there is complete equality between male and female of species. Likewise, in the animal plane equality exists; all are under the protection of God. Is it becoming to man that he, the noblest of creatures, should observe and insist upon such distinction? Woman’s lack of progress and proficiency has been due to her need of equal education and opportunity. Had she been allowed this equality, there is no doubt she would be the counterpart of man in ability and capacity. The happiness of mankind will be realized when women and men coordinate and advance equally, for each is the complement and helpmeet of the other.

The world of humanity cannot advance through mere physical powers and intellectual attainments; nay, rather, the Holy Spirit is essential. The divine Father must assist the human world to attain maturity. The body of man is in need of physical and mental energy, but his spirit requires the life and fortification of the Holy Spirit. Without its protection and quickening the human world would be extinguished. Jesus Christ declared, “Let the dead bury their dead.” He also said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” It is evident, therefore, according to Christ that the human spirit which is not fortified by the presence of the Holy Spirit is dead and in need of resurrection by that divine power; otherwise, though materially advanced to high degrees, man cannot attain full and complete progress.

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The Three Onenesses

The Three Onenesses

Published March 27, 2019 by admin

There is a popular Baha’i children’s song, sung in children’s classes all over the world, that goes like this-

“God is One, Man is One, And all the religions are One,

When everyone learns the three onenesses, we’ll have world unity.”

It’s a simple but profound song in that it expresses the essence of the Baha’i Faith. Each aspect of the three “onenesses” has deep philosophical roots and important implications for our world- and we will review all of those in these introductory essays- but you don’t have to know that detail to appreciate the fundamental truths and understand Baha’u’llah’s message.

At its heart, the Baha’i Faith is a simple and intuitive religion to understand. There is One God who is the Ultimate Source of all that exists. All human beings are part of one human race and are all brothers and sisters, a unity in the diversity of peoples and cultures. In order to educate that one human race, God has sent “revelations” to humanity- that of Christ, Muhammad, and many others- to educate the human race about its true reality and the social and ethical teachings that sustain our lives and promote our unity. Because the reality of the world is dynamic and evolutionary- matter evolves, civilization evolves, and human consciousness evolves- the revelations of God also evolve and are increasingly more comprehensive and broader in scope, revealing to us a greater and greater degree of spiritual and moral purpose.

Baha’u’llah claimed to be the latest in the series of Messengers of God with a revelation for all humanity. He said that each of the revelations of God proclaimed the same Faith, like a book with different chapters. Their teachings differ because they are revealed to different cultures and different peoples at different times in history, but their purpose and fundamental truths are the same. Baha’u’llah’s revelation and teachings represent the Will of God for humanity today.

Consider the far-reaching implications of these ideas. What if we all came to recognize that each of the great religions was part of the common heritage of all humanity, and all fundamentally true? What if we began to see each other, not as separate races and tribes, but as one people, part of one human family? How much of the conflict and pain that exists in the world are because people are trying to jockey for position and resources, for their people, for their tribe only, protecting only themselves, and not seeing the reality that humanity is one social organism?

Baha’u’llah carried out His mission in the years between 1863 and 1892. He wasn’t subtle or private about it. He spoke with the voice of God in writings stretching over nearly 40 years and sent Tablets to all the major leaders of the world at that time, both secular and religious. In His message to the kings generally, He said “Ye are but vassals, O kings of the earth, for He who is the King of Kings has appeared”. He urged them to “reconcile their differences so that their people could find rest” and scolded them for their attachments to their material wealth and war mongering, stating that such activities were unworthy of them, and “like unto the play of children”. He told them their people were “their treasures” and they should protect that treasure and care for the downtrodden, choosing for them “that which you choose for yourselves”. Representative democracy was praised but those voted in should “regard themselves as representatives of all that dwell on earth”. He declared the oneness of humanity- “the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens” and urged people to see themselves as “the leaves of one branch and the fruits of one tree”, dealing with each other with the “utmost love and kindness”. He told “contending peoples and kindreds of the earth” to “set your faces towards unity and let the radiance of its light shine upon you”, to “root out whatever is the source of contention among you” and explained that the great religions were all “ordained of God” and “reflected His Will and purpose” and to “cleave unto that which draweth you together and uniteth you”. He said the human race was like the human body, that all the various parts needed to function as a coherent whole for the world to achieve its potential. He ordained learning and education for all people, for both men and women, and declared that “women and men have always been equal in the sight of God”. Human beings were not created for conflict and “survival of the fittest”, but that which befitted the dignity of humans was “forbearance, mercy, compassion and kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth”. Moreover, Baha’u’llah announced that we were living in a very special time, unrivaled by past ages, that the “the whole earth is now in a state of pregnancy” and that the day was approaching “when it will have yielded its noblest fruits, when from it will have sprung for the loftiest trees, the most enchanting blossoms”. He said the “onrushing winds of the grace of God have passed over all things” and that “new and wondrous sciences”, and “potent and effective crafts” would come into being that would transform the world.

Baha’u’llah’s teaching and message was so far ahead of their time that it’s ridiculous. The world leaders to whom He delivered His message ignored it completely. Baha’u’llah knew this would happen, as they were all so caught up in their own magnificence that they “could not recognize their own best interests, let alone recognize a Revelation as bewildering and challenging as this”. His goal was to warn both kings and priests that the flow of history would soon leave them behind, and set out teachings that could support the new world that would emerge.

Now, 150+ years after Baha’u’llah proclaimed His message, we increasingly live in the world He promised. Kings and their kingdoms are gone, and science, knowledge, and universal ideals are the most potent forces in our world. But we continue to want to go backwards, back to the days when we clung to the divisions that separated us. Somehow those still seem comfortable, even though they have been the cause of most of the pain and tragedy humans have experienced in the last two centuries.

Progressive and successful societies are those that have instituted Baha’u’llah’s principles, promoting universal education for men and women, racial and religious equity, justice and fairness, and the spread of learning and science. Indeed, many of the people of the world hold beliefs, no matter what their nominal religion, that are more consistent with the Baha’i Faith than any traditional religion. Having said that, traditional religions have nothing to fear from Baha’u’llah’s message. If He is true, then they are true as well, but those truths have been remolded in a newer reality. It is the fulfillment of all the promises of their scriptures.

A simple way to investigate and think about Baha’u’llah’s message is to ask yourself- “If God came down from the clouds and gave a message to all humanity, what do I think he would say? What would I want Him to say?” It’s really just that simple. That’s basically the essence of it, because Baha’u’llah, like Christ and Muhammad, claimed to be doing just that. It didn’t happen with God writing a message on the clouds (and it never has!) but happened in a way it has always happened, in the flow of history, from a highly unique individual who speaks with a voice that is transcendent and sublime.

In the following essays, I’m going to introduce you to your religion. I know that that sounds presumptuous, but if Baha’u’llah’s claim is true, His teachings belong to you. They are for you to use for information and inspiration, to apply to your life. They are a gift from your Creator, a gift that we want to help you unwrap.

Photo by Adriel Kloppenburg on Unsplash

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“Introductory Essays”

Published March 21, 2019 by admin

“Introductory Essays” is a series written by the editor of Sifter of Dust on Baha’u’llah’s revelation We cover such themes as the nature of God, the purpose and fundamental unity of religion, the oneness of humanity, and other core concepts revealed by Baha’u’llah. We hope you enjoy them!

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The Love of Others

The Love of Others

Published March 20, 2019 by admin

The great religions have taught that the love of God must express itself in love for others, a truth with particular emphasis in the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. By strengthening our own faith and sense of the “love of God”, we expand our capacity to love others and ourselves, and see the world in its truest sense. We’ll end the Challenge with some wonderful quotes from ‘Abdu’l-Baha’. Enjoy!

Cleanse ye your eyes, so that ye behold no man as different from yourselves. See ye no strangers; rather see all men as friends, for love and unity come hard when ye fix your gaze on otherness. And in this new and wondrous age, the Holy Writings say that we must be at one with every people; that we must see neither harshness nor injustice, neither malevolence, nor hostility, nor hate, but rather turn our eyes toward the heaven of ancient glory. For each of the creatures is a sign of God, and it was by the grace of the Lord and His power that each did step into the world; therefore they are not strangers, but in the family; not aliens, but friends, and to be treated as such. Wherefore must the loved ones of God associate in affectionate fellowship with stranger and friend alike, showing forth to all the utmost loving-kindness, disregarding the degree of their capacity, never asking whether they deserve to be loved. In every instance let the friends be considerate and infinitely kind. Let them never be defeated by the malice of the people, by their aggression and their hate, no matter how intense. If others hurl their darts against you, offer them milk and honey in return; if they poison your lives, sweeten their souls; if they injure you, teach them how to be comforted; if they inflict a wound upon you, be a balm to their sores; if they sting you, hold to their lips a refreshing cup.
(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá)

Every imperfect soul is self-centered and thinketh only of his own good. But as his thoughts expand a little he will begin to think of the welfare and comfort of his family. If his ideas still more widen, his concern will be the felicity of his fellow citizens; and if still they widen, he will be thinking of the glory of his land and of his race. But when ideas and views reach the utmost degree of expansion and attain the stage of perfection, then will he be interested in the exaltation of humankind. He will then be the well-wisher of all men and the seeker of the weal and prosperity of all lands. This is indicative of perfection.

Thus, the divine Manifestations of God had a universal and all-inclusive conception. They endeavored for the sake of everyone’s life and engaged in the service of universal education. The area of their aims was not limited—nay, rather, it was wide and all-inclusive.

Therefore, ye must also be thinking of everyone, so that mankind may be educated, character moderated and this world may turn into a Garden of Eden.

Love ye all religions and all races with a love that is true and sincere and show that love through deeds and not through the tongue; for the latter hath no importance, as the majority of men are, in speech, well-wishers, while action is the best.”(‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá)

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