One God One Truth One People/Text

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ONE GOD ONE TRUTH ONE PEOPLE

Printed in U.S.A.

[Page 3]ONE GOD ONE TRUTH ONE PEOPLE

BAHA’I PUBLISHING TRUST

Wilmette, Illinois 1965

[Page 4]ONE GOD ONE TRUTH ONE PEOPLE

Some Thoughts on the Peace Encyclical of Pope John XXIII

Uco R. GIACHERY

IF WE CONSIDER the past history of mankind, we readily see that all religious institutions, from time immemorial, have been concerned with the problem of in- dividual salvation. But the needs of people in their everyday lives and in their relation to society — their freedom and general wel- fare — were too frequently matters of con- cern only when the safety and continued existence of the religious institutions were challenged and endangered. The clergy oc- cupied themselves with the beatitudes and the mystic aspects of life after death on the one hand and ritual and administration on the other. They remained insensible to the longings of the masses, particularly in the fields of learning and knowledge.

The records of all extant revealed reli- gions show clearly that in the beginning of each great faith social progress was the con- cern of religion just as was spiritual salva- tion. These were linked together as two

[Page 5]aspects of the same truth. Every Founder of a great religion announced His purpose in revealing the Divine law to be “to bring happiness in the after life and civilization and refinement of character in this.”1 As long as the fundamentals of the Founder's law were honored and practised, as long as morality and both spiritual and material learning were the basis of culture, the con- ditions of a given society advanced, and individuals attained the saving qualities of faith in God and a good character. True religion has been the very basis and root- principle of culture and civilization, the well-spring of “social progress, well-being and peace.”2

When the inner spirit of religion died away and when the clergy separated them- selves from attention to the general wel- fare, progress ceased and decline began. History speaks clearly of this rise and fall, of the disintegration and abasement, the division, ignorance and oppression that fol- low in the wake of spiritual backsliding.

The Weakening of Christianity

Let us consider Christianity. After the first three or four hundred years of constant progress in transforming human life in a vast area of the world, a change in the church and in society began. Time came when the tenets of Christianity lived only within the shell of theological theories and ritual observances, while man wandered aimlessly from despair to hope, from joy to misery. Bloody wars took place between armies of the same faith; scientific facts were denied or ignored; the Inquisition, and persecu- tion of the Jews and of the followers of Luther and of Calvin, dealt bodily blows to faith and hope. In the Christian world dur- ing the seventeenth and eighteenth centur- ies the human family clamored for some form of “political rights,” as in the French Revolution and the struggle between the

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[Page 6]American colonies and the British Crown. Not only did Christianity abandon the path of spiritual regeneration, but Islam did likewise. After pouring a new spiritual impulse into Europe that lifted its people out of the “dark ages,” Islam itself suc- cumbed to its own militant attitude of con- quest and subjugation. The result of this spiritual decay in both cultures was a strug- gle for domination and inﬂuence reaching into our century, which could have been avoided had all the religious institutions of the world prepared man for an inner belief and conviction based solely on the spiritual approach.

Human society after the time of Christ was widely regulated by a different order based on the now outworn system of master and serf, aristocrat and plebian, caste, uni- lateral economic practice and the like. Sci- entific investigation through several centur- ies was discouraged by the Christian church; indeed at times it was forbidden and its protagonists persecuted. Leaders, particularly those of Christian institutions, were caught slumbering when the first rays of light appearing on the horizon of scien- tific discoveries began to revolutionize the world and bring about a complete new or- der. Although the Renaissance of the fif- teenth century heralded the explosion to come, after one thousand years of total darkness, and gave warning of the vast up- heaval in the making, nevertheless, the leaders of Buddhism, of Islam and of Chris- tianity, missed the opportunity presented. Deeply involved as they were in the expan- sion and administration of their wide- spread domains and in the exercise of their temporal powers, they failed to see what lay ahead. They missed the opportunity to avert the catastrophic reactions which have suc- cessively beset the world for well over four hundred years.

[Page 7]Civilization Without God

During the past centuries, as has already been stated, men did here and there strug- gle for freedom, but they found little sym- pathetic response or encouragement from religious institutions that held power. His- tory teaches us that any attempts to achieve rights based on justice, freedom, truth and common interests were either opposed or denied, or drowned in blood.

We may say that the fundamental reason for this long and arduous struggle lay in an erroneous conception which insidiously grew up that religion is necessary only for the salvation of the soul and that anything pertaining to human problems, such as race, politics, freedom, social and economic needs, education, and the like, did not come within the realm of spiritual con- sideration. The solution of these human problems, therefore, was believed to lie out- side the interests of the organized religious institutions. On the other hand, govern- ments which were revolving around the principle of absolute monarchy, in which the life, possessions and happiness of the subject peoples were in the hands of des- potic rulers, never understood the spiritual aspect of a well-regulated, law-abiding, peaceful and harmonious society.

When, in the eighteenth century, a spirit of new freedom brought to birth new states and new movements, it was, however, a continuation of the Renaissance inspira- tion, with church and state separated by wide chasms. Even today, with a new spirit- ual leaven working, it is still a “city of man,” rather than a City of God, that men will be trying to build until they recognize the Source of their salvation.

The Divine Plan

One hundred years ago Bah2'1’u’llah pre- sented to the whole world a set of basic principles and laws which today constitute

[Page 8]the still unfulfilled though longed—for basis on which man can in this day found his happiness. Exiled from His native land of Persia and kept a prisoner of the Turk- ish Sultan, Baha’u’llah was awakened by the breezes of the Holy Spirit in ample time both to foresee the revolutionary techno- logical changes coming in the nineteenth century and to reveal a complete plan for the world-wide regeneration of mankind and the harmonious evolution of human society.

In His letter addressed (ca. 1868) from His prison to N asiri’d-Din, the S;hah of Per- sia, Baha’u’llah proclaimed:

“0 king! I was but a man like others, asleep upon My couch, when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Ale, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been. This thing is not from Me, but from One Who is Almighty and All-Know- ing. And He bade Me lift up My voice be- tween earth and heaven, and for this there befell Me what hath caused the tears of every man of understanding to flow. . . . I was indeed as one dead when His behest was uttered. The hand of the will of thy Lord, the Compassionate, the Merciful, transformed Me.”3

.Bah2i’u’1l2'1h, out of His great universal love for every living thing, formulated the broad, unassailable foundation for the es- tablishment of a durable peace and of a veritable “Kingdom of God” on earth. The irresistible impact of His Revelation has produced unparalleled events and changes in the world since the middle of the last century. Though men may remain unaware of the Source, it is lending a "fresh impulse” and setting a “new direction” to men’s hearts.4 \/Vorld unity is the goal toward which His Revelation is moving all human- ity.

As an element of this vast process taking place in the world, there is once again

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[Page 9]evolving an integration of divine law and human civilization, this time on a grand and global scale. There is also a growing realization of the function of religion as a collective inﬂuence on the mass of human- ity, an inﬂuence not recognized in previous ages. Baha’u’llah’s words were spoken, God’s Spirit revealed, not alone for indi- viduals for their spiritual regeneration, but to mankind as a whole—as “component parts of one indivisible entity.”5 It is from this collective spiritual awakening that will arise a new order.

The world as a whole, however, except for a handful of Baha’u’lléh’s followers, has thus far ignored not only the applica- tion but even the acknowledgment of such a mighty Revelation, trying, selectively, to adopt some of His basic principles through round-about and thorny measures and ig- noring others. The first open recognition (not, however, officially admitted) came with the universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in Paris on December 10, 1948. (The writer, as an Observer to the United Nations from the Baha’i World Community, was present at that historical meeting. He also collaborated with other representatives of many Non-Governmental Organizations in the drafting of that docu- ment, at the NGO Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, in May of that same year.)

In recent years the head of the most pow- erful Church in Christendom, after some lesser attempts by one or two of his prede- cessors, has had to admit openly the need to transfer the whole matter of “human rights" from the political-economic-social area of human activities to the more effec- tive, nobler and loftier field of a spiritual crusade. He thus has not only acknowl- edged but has come to support, almost wordfor word, what Baha'u’lléh had for- mulated and proclaimed a century before — a proclamation for which Baha’1’u’llah un-

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[Page 10]derwent untold suffering, persecution and imprisonment for nearly forty years.

It was on April 11, 1963 — while the Ba- ha’is of the world were preparing for the election of their first international body, the Universal House of Justice in Haifa at the Baha’i World Center— that Pope John XXIII issued to the world his last Pastoral letter, the Encyclical “Pacem in Terris” (Peace on Earth). For this letter he received world-wide acclaim. (It is note- worthy that this Encyclical was addressed, for the first time in history, to “All Men of Good Will,” as well as to the officials and the faithful of the Church.)

In the light of the Teachings of Bah2'1’u’llah, it will be of interest to quote from the official translation of this docu- ment. The headings are those of the writer, but they parallel the world unity

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principles of Baha’u’llah:

Community of Peoples

(1) A World Community. “. . . men are taught [by laws] how . . . the community of all peoples should act towards each oth- er . . . the establishment of such a world community of peoples being urgently de- manded today by the requirements of uni- versal common good. . . .

“Today the universal common good poses problems of worldwide dimensions which cannot be adequately tackled or solved ex- cept by the efforts of public authorities . . . in a position to operate in an effective man- ner or a worldwide basis. The moral order itself, therefore, demands that such a form of public authority be established . . . its purpose is to create, on a world basis, an environment in which the public authori- ties of each political community, its citi- zens . . . can carry out their tasks, fulfill their duties and exercise their rights with greater security.”

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[Page 11](2) Search after truth. “Every human being has the right to freedom in searching for truth . . . has the right to be informed truthfully . . . and his right to investigate the truth freely, with the duty of seeking it and possessing it ever more completely and profoundly.”

(3) Universal education. “The natural law also gives man the right to share in the benefits of culture, and therefore the right to a basic education . .

(4) Equality between men and women. . . equal rights and duties for man and woman . . . Women have the right to work- ing conditions in accordance with their re- quirements and their duties as wives and mothers . . . Since women are becoming ever more conscious of their human dig- nity, they will not tolerate being treated as mere material instruments . .

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(5) Oneness of mankind. “Human socie- ty . . . ought to be regarded above all as a spiritual reality . . . The order which pre- vails in society . . . should be inspired and perfected by mutual love . . . racial discrim- ination can in no way be justified, at least doctrinally or in theory.”

Religion and Science

(6) Oneness of God. “Men . . . are brought to a better knowledge of the true God who is personal and transcendent, and thus they make the ties that bind them to God the solid foundations and supreme criterions of their lives . . . The progress of science and the inventions of technology show above all the infinite greatness of God, who created the universe and man himself.” [What a change from the days of Galileo!]

(7) Science and religion. “It is not enough to be illumined with the gift of faith . . . And since our present age is one

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[Page 12]of outstanding scientific and technical prog- ress and excellence, one will not be able to enter these organizations [for the public good] and work effectively from within

‘unless he is scientifically competent, tech-

nically capable and skilled . . . In other words, it is necessary that human beings . . . should so live and act in their temporal lives as to create a synthesis between sci- entific, technical and professional ele- ments on the one hand, and spiritual values on the other.”

(8) Disarmament. “It is with deep sor- row that we note the enormous stock of armaments that have been and still are be- ing made in the more economically devel- oped countries with a vast outlay of intel- lectual and economic resources . . . Justice, right reason and humanity, therefore, ur- gently demand that . . . a general agree- ment should eventually ‘be reached about progressive disarmament and an effective method of control.”

(9) Atomic energy. “One must bear in mind that, even though the monstrous pow- er of modern weapons acts as a deterrent, it is to be feared that the mere continuance of nuclear tests . . . will have fatal conse- quences for life on the earth.”

(10) Spiritual solution of the economic problem. “Human beings have the natural right to free initiative in the economic field and the right to work . . . and that each worker receives a wage in keeping with the laws of justice and equity . . . peoples should set up relationships of mutual col- laboration, facilitating the circulation from one to the other of capital, goods and man- power . . .

“At the present time no political com- munity is able to pursue its own interests and develop itself in isolation, because the degree of its prosperity and development is

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[Page 13]a reﬂection and a component part of the degree of prosperity and development of all the other political communities.”

The Common Good

(11) Obedience to rulers. “When, in fact, men obey their rulers, it is not at all as men that they obey them. Through their obedience it is God, the provident Creator of all things, whom they reverence . .

(12) The Common Good. “Men, how- ever, composed as they are of bodies and immortal souls, can never in this mortal life succeed in satisfying all their needs or in attaining perfect happiness. Therefore all efforts made to promote the common good, far from endangering the eternal sal- vation of men, ought rather to serve to pro- mote it.”

These sentiments echo the pronounce- ments revealed by Baha’u’llah one hundred years ago, for which He was long subjected to exile and imprisonment. The full signif- icance of His Revelation becomes clearer with a comparison of His own statements and the papal pronouncements.

The Teachings of Bah,ci’u’lldh

(I) “My object is none other than the betterment of the world and the tranquil- lity of its peoples. The well-being of man- kind, its peace and security, are unattaina- ble unless and until its unity is firmly established. This unity can never be achieved so long as the counsels which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed are suffered to pass unheeded.” (Gl. 286)

“So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words. . . . This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations.” (GI. 28)

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[Page 14]“Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. . . . 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.” (G1. 250) '

“All the nations and kindreds will be gathered together under the shadqw of this Divine Banner . . . and will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antag- onism, the hostility of races and peoples, and differences among nations, will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race and become a single people. All will dwell in one com- mon fatherland, which is the planet itself.

. . . Whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this holy Cycle shall gradually appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its growth, and the dayspring of the revelation of its signs.” (WOB 205)

(2) . . O my brother, when a true seeker determines to take the step of search in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of Days, he must, before all else, cleanse and purify his heart, which is the seat of the revelation of the inner mysteries of God, from the obscuring dust of all ac- quired knowledge, and the allusions of the embodiments of satanic fancy. He must purge his breast, which is the sanctuary of the abiding love of the Beloved, of every defilement, and sanctify his soul from all that pertaineth to water and clay, from all shadowy and ephemeral attachments. He must so cleanse his heart that no remnant of either love or hate may linger therein, lest that love blindly incline him to error, or that hate repel him away from the truth. Even as thou dost witness in this day how most of the people, because of such love and hate, are bereft of the immortal Face,

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[Page 15]have strayed far from the embodiments of the divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of obliv- ion and error.” (fqcin 192-193)

“Only when the lamp of search, of ear- nest striving, of longing desire, of passion- ate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop his being.” (fqdn 195-196. These references also in G1. 264, 267.)

Education a Requisite

(3) “It is decreed that every father must educate his sons and daughters in learning and writing and also in that which hath been ordained in the Tablet. He who neg- lects that which hath been commanded, if he is rich, it is incumbent on the trus- tees to recover from him the amount re- quired for the education of the children; otherwise this matter shall devolve on the House of Justice. Verily We have made it an asylum for the poor and needy.” (B WF 200)

“Bend your minds and wills to the edu- cation of the peoples and kindreds of the earth, that haply the dissensions that divide it may, through the power of the Most Great Name, be blotted out from its face, and all mankind become the upholders of one Order, and the inhabitants of one City . . (GI. 333-334)

“Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently pos- sess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recog- nize the Source of his education; by yet

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[Page 16]another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Re- gard man as a mine rich in gems of ines- timable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable man- kind to benefit therefrom.” (Gl. 259-260)

(4) “Baha’u’llzih emphasized and estab- lished the equality of man and woman. Sex is not particularized to humanity; it exists throughout the animate kingdoms but without distinction or preference. . . . 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.” (BWF 241)

Oneness of Mankind

(5) “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and unity.” (G1. 288)

“Adam, the parent of mankind [symbol- ically], may be likened to the tree of nativ- ity upon which you are the leaves and blossoms. Inasmuch as your origin was one, you must now be united and agreed; you must consort with each other in joy and fragrance. . . . man must recognize the one- ness of humanity, for all in origin belong to the same household and all are servants of the same God.” (B WF 233)

“We have erewhile declared—and Our Word is the truth. Consort with the follow- ers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. Whatsoever hath led the

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[Page 17]children of men to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abol- ished. . . . The summons and the message which We gave were never intended to reach or to benefit one land or one people only. Mankind in its entirety must firmly adhere to whatsoever hath been revealed and vouchsafed unto it. Then and only then will it attain unto true liberty. . . . Behold how the generality of mankind hath been endued with the capacity to hearken unto God's most exalted Word- the Word upon which must depend the gathering together and spiritual resurrec- tion of all men. . . (GI. 94-97)

“Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcend- eth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, senti- ments, ideas and convictions of the chil- dren of men.” (WOB 42)

“O ye children of men, the fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race. . . . This is the straight path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of count- less centuries undermine its structure."

(oz. 215) The One True God

(6) “Beware, beware, lest thou be led to join partners with the Lord, thy God. He is, and hath from everlasting been, one and alone, without peer or equal, eternal in the past, eternal in the future, detached from all things, ever-abiding, unchange- able, and self-subsisting . . . Bear thou wit- ness in thine inmost heart unto this testi- mony which God Himself and for Himself

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[Page 18]pronounced, that there is none other God but Him, that all else besides Him have been created by His behest, have been fashioned by His leave, are subject to His law, are as a thing forgotten when com- pared to the glorious evidences of His one- ness, and are as nothing when brought face to face with the mighty revelations of His unity.” (Gl. 192-193)

“Regard thou the one true God as One Who is apart from, and immeasurably ex- alted 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 undis- puted sovereignty over the world of being, Whose image is reﬂected in the mirror of the entire creation. All existence is depend- ent 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 the fundamental principle.” (G1. 166)

(7) “Knowledge is like unto wings for the being, and is as a ladder for ascending. To acquire knowledge is incumbent on all, but of those sciences which may profit the people of the earth, and not such sciences as begin in mere words, and end in mere words.” (BWF 189)

“To study sciences and arts of all descrip- tions is allowable; but such sciences as are profitable, which lead and conduce to the elevation of mankind.” (BWF 195)

“The fourth teaching of Baha’u’llah is the agreement of religion and science. God has endowed man with intelligence and reason whereby he is required to deter- mine the verity of questions and proposi- tions. If religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of science they are mere superstitions and imagina- tions; for the antithesis of knowledge is ignorance, and the child of ignorance is

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[Page 19]superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between true religion and science. . . (B WF 240)

Disarmament

(8) “O kings of the earth! We see you increasing every year your expenditures, and laying the burden thereof on your sub- jects. This, verily, is wholly and grossly unjust. . . .

“O rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no more armaments save in a measure to safe- guard your territories and dominions.”

(oz. 253-254)

“Compose your differences, and reduce your armaments, that the burden of your expenditures may be lightened, and that your minds and hearts may be tranquil- lized. Heal the dissensions that divide you, and ye will no longer be in need of any armaments except what the protection of your cities and territories demandeth. Fear ye God, and take heed not to outstrip the bounds of moderation, and be num- bered among the extravagant . . (GI. 250-251)

“The time must come when the impera- tive necessity for the holding of a vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized. The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, par- ticipating in its deliberations, must con- sider such ways and means as will lay the foundations of the world’s Great Peace amongst men. Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fully reconciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the na- tions of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and

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[Page 20]of maintaining internal order within their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people, government and nations. . . .” (GI. 249)

(9) “A strange and wonderful instru- ment exists in the earth; but it is con- cealed from minds and souls. It is an instru- ment which has the power to change the atmosphere of the whole earth, and its in- fection causes destruction.” (BWF H83)

Labor and Service

(10) “They who are possessed of riches . must have the utmost regard for the poor, for great is the honor destined by God for those poor who are steadfast in patience. . . . Please God, the poor may exert themselves to strive to earn the means of livelihood. This is a duty which, in this most great Revelation, hath been prescribed unto every one, and is accounted in the sight of God as a goodly deed.” (BWF 130-131)

“It is made incumbent on every one of you to engage in some one occupation, such as arts, trades, and the like. We have made this — your occupation — identical with the worship of God, the True One. . . . Waste not your time in idleness and indolence, and occupy yourselves with that which will profit yourselves and others be- side yourself. Thus hath the matter been decreed in this Tablet from the horizon of which the sun of wisdom and divine utter- ance is gleaming! The most despised of men before God is he who sits and begs.

(BWF 195)

(11) “A king whom the pride of author- ity and independence does not withhold from being just, and whom benefits, opu- lence, glory, hosts and legions do not de- prive of the splendors of the orb of equity —such a king shall possess a lofty station and an exalted rank in the Supreme Con-

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[Page 21]course: it is incumbent on all to assist and love such a blessed being. . . (B WF 181)

“In every country or government where any of this’ community reside, they must behave toward that government with faith- fulness, trustfulness and truthfulness.” (BWF 192)

The Common Good

(12) “O people of God! Do not busy yourselves with your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will re- habilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. . . . It is incumbent upon every man, in this Day, to hold fast unto whatsoever will promote the interests, and exalt the station, of all nations and just governments. . . .”

“All men have been created to carry for- ward an ever-advancing civilization. . . To act like the beasts of the field is un- worthy of man.” (G1. 215)

“Address yourselves to the promotion of the well-being and tranquillity of the chil- dren of men. Bend your minds and wills to the education of the peoples and kin- dreds of the earth, that haply the dissen- sions that divide it may, through the power of the Most Great Name, be blotted out from its face, and all mankind become the upholders of one Order, and the inhabi- tants of one City. . . . Ye dwell in one world and have been created through the oper- ation of one Will. Blessed is he who min- gleth with all men in a spirit of utmost kindliness and love.’’ (Gl. 333-334)

“The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” (G1. 286)

“O ye elected representatives of the peo- ple in every land! Take ye counsel togeth- er, and let your concern be only for that

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[Page 22]which profiteth mankind, and bettereth the condition thereof. . . . Regard ye the world as the human body which, though at its cre- ation whole and perfect, hath been aﬂlict- ed, through various causes, with grave dis- orders and maladies. . . . That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign reme- dy and mightiest instrument for the heal- ing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one com- mon Faith.” (Gl. 254-255)

May God Forgive

“We have repeatedly revealed similar ut- terances, but they have not profited the heedless ones, for they are found to be captives to egotism and lust. Ask thou God to enable all of them to repent and return. As long as the ego is subject to carnal de- sires, sin and error continue. It is hoped that the hand of Divine mercy, and the blessings of the compassionate One may assist them all, and adorn them with the garment of forgiveness and favor; and that He may also guard them from that which impairs His Cause among His servants. Ver- ily, He is the powerful, the mighty, and He is the forgiving, the merciful!” (BWF 184)

REFERENCES l. ‘Ab(lu’l-Bah:'I,- The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 46.

2. Ibid. p. 75.

3. Shoghi Elfcndi, The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 40-4].

4. Ibid.. p. 127. . Ibid., p. 124.

1:!

ABBREVIATIONS User): Gl., Gleanings from the Writ- ings of Baha"u’lldh; Iqan, The Kitdb-i-Iqdn (The Book of Certitude); BWF, Baha"z' World Faith; WOB, The World Order of Baha"u’lla'h.

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