One God One Truth One People/Text

One God One Truth One People by Ugo Giachery

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[Page 1] ONE GOD

ONE TRUTH

ONE PEOPLE

Some Thoughts on the Peace Encyclical of Pope John XXIII by Ugo R. Giachery [Page 2] ©1965 National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U. S. A.

Printed in U.S.A. [Page 3] ONE GOD

ONE TRUTH

ONE PEOPLE

BAHÁ’Í PUBLISHING TRUST Wilmette, Illinois 1965 [Page 4]

ONE GOD ONE TRUTH ONE PEOPLE

Some Thoughts on the Peace Encyclical of Pope John XXIII

Ugo 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 individual salvation. But the needs of people in their everyday lives and in their relation to society — their freedom and general welfare — were too frequently matters of concern only when the safety and continued existence of the religious institutions were challenged and endangered. The clergy occupied 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 religions show clearly that in the beginning of each great faith social progress was the concern of religion just as was spiritual salvation. 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 conditions 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 themselves from attention to the general welfare, progress ceased and decline began. History speaks clearly of this rise and fall, of the disintegration and abasement, the division, ignorance and oppression that follow 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 persecution of the Jews and of the followers of Luther and of Calvin, dealt bodily blows to faith and hope. In the Christian world during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the human family clamored for some form of “political rights,” as in the French Revolution and the struggle between the [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 succumbed to its own militant attitude of conquest and subjugation. The result of this spiritual decay in both cultures was a struggle 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, unilateral economic practice and the like. Scientific investigation through several centuries 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 scientific discoveries began to revolutionize the world and bring about a complete new order. Although the Renaissance of the fifteenth century heralded the explosion to come, after one thousand years of total darkness, and gave warning of the vast upheaval in the making, nevertheless, the leaders of Buddhism, of Islám and of Christianity, missed the opportunity presented. Deeply involved as they were in the expansion and administration of their widespread 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 successively 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 struggle for freedom, but they found little sympathetic response or encouragement from religious institutions that held power. History 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 consideration. The solution of these human problems, therefore, was believed to lie outside the interests of the organized religious institutions. On the other hand, governments 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 despotic 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 inspiration, with church and state separated by wide chasms. Even today, with a new spiritual 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 Bahá’u’lláh presented 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 Turkish Sultán, Bahá’u’lláh was awakened by the breezes of the Holy Spirit in ample time both to foresee the revolutionary technological 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 Násiri’d-Dín, the Shah of Persia, Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed:

"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.... 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."a

Bahá’u’lláh, out of His great universal love for every living thing, formulated the broad, unassailable foundation for the establishment 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. World unity is the goal toward which His Revelation is moving all humanity.

As an element of this vast process taking place in the world, there is once again [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 humanity, an influence not recognized in previous ages. Bahá’u’lláh’s words were spoken, God’s Spirit revealed, not alone for individuals 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 Bahá’u’lláh’s followers, has thus far ignored not only the application 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 ignoring 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 Bahá’í World Community, was present at that historical meeting. He also collaborated with other representatives of many Non-Governmental Organizations in the drafting of that document, at the NGO Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, in May of that same year.)

In recent years the head of the most powerful Church in Christendom, after some lesser attempts by one or two of his predecessors, 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 effective, nobler and loftier field of a spiritual crusade. He thus has not only acknowledged but has come to support, almost word for word, what Bahá’u’lláh had formulated and proclaimed a century before - a proclamation for which Bahá’u’lláh un- [Page 10] derwent untold suffering, persecution and imprisonment for nearly forty years.

It was on April 11, 1963 — while the Bahá’ís of the world were preparing for the election of their first international body, the Universal House of Justice in Haifa at the Bahá’í 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 noteworthy 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 Bahá’u’lláh, it will be of interest to quote from the official translation of this document. The headings are those of the writer, but they parallel the world unity principles of Bahá’u’lláh:

Community of Peoples

(1) A World Community. ". . . men are taught [by laws] how... the community of all peoples should act towards each other the establishment of such a world community of peoples being urgently demanded today by the requirements of universal common good....

"Today the universal common good poses problems of worldwide dimensions which cannot be adequately tackled or solved except by the efforts of public authorities . . . in a position to operate in an effective manner 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 authorities of each political community, its citizens can carry out their tasks, fulfill their duties and exercise their rights with greater security." [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..."

(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

. are (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 [Page 12] of outstanding scientific and technical progress 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, technically 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 scientific, technical and professional elements on the one hand, and spiritual values on the other."

(8) Disarmament

"It is with deep sorrow that we note the enormous stock of armaments that have been and still are being made in the more economically developed countries with a vast outlay of intellectual and economic resources. . . Justice, right reason and humanity, therefore, urgently demand that ... a general agreement 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 power of modern weapons acts as a deterrent, it is to be feared that the mere continuance of nuclear tests . . . will have fatal consequences 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 collaboration, facilitating the circulation from one to the other of capital, goods and manpower...

"At the present time no political community is able to pursue its own interests and develop itself in isolation, because the degree of its prosperity and development is [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, however, 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 salvation of men, ought rather to serve to promote it.”

These sentiments echo the pronouncements revealed by Bahá’u’lláh one hundred years ago, for which He was long subjected to exile and imprisonment. The full significance of His Revelation becomes clearer with a comparison of His own statements and the papal pronouncements.

The Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh

(1) “My object is none other than the betterment of the world and the tranquillity of its peoples. The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable 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.” (Gl. 28) [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.” (Gl. 250)

“All the nations and kindreds will be gathered together under the shadow of this Divine Banner . . . and will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, 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 common 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 acquired 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, [Page 15] have strayed far from the embodiments of the divine mysteries, and, shepherdless, are roaming through the wilderness of oblivion and error.” (Íqán 192-193)

“Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, of passionate 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.” (Íqán 195-196. These references also in Gl. 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 neglects that which hath been commanded, if he is rich, it is incumbent on the trustees to recover from him the amount required 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.” (BWF 200)

“Bend your minds and wills to the education 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 . . .” (Gl. 333-334)

“Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet [Page 16] another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.” (Gl. 259-260)

(4) “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. . . . 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.” (Gl. 288)

“Adam, the parent of mankind [symbolically], may be likened to the tree of nativity 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 oneness of humanity, for all in origin belong to the same household and all are servants of the same God.” (BWF 233)

“We have erewhile declared — and Our Word is the truth. Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. Whatsoever hath led the [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 abolished. . . . 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 resurrection of all men. . . .” (Gl. 94-97)

“Naught but the celestial potency of the Word of God, which ruleth and transcendeth the realities of all things, is capable of harmonizing the divergent thoughts, sentiments, ideas and convictions of the children 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 countless centuries undermine its structure.” (Gl. 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, unchangeable, and self-subsisting . . . Bear thou witness in thine inmost heart unto this testimony which God Himself and for Himself [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 compared to the glorious evidences of His oneness, 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 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 the fundamental principle." (GI. 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 descriptions is allowable; but such sciences as are profitable, which lead and conduce to the elevation of mankind." (BWF 195)

"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 [Page 19] superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between true religion and science. . . .” (BWF 240)

Disarmament

(8) “O kings of the earth! We see you increasing every year your expenditures, and laying the burden thereof on your subjects. 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 safeguard your territories and dominions.” (Gl. 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 tranquilized. 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 numbered among the extravagant . . .” (Gl. 250-251)

“The time must come when the imperative 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, participating in its deliberations, must consider 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 nations of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and [Page 20] of maintaining internal order within their territories. This will ensure the peace and composure of every people, government and nations. . . .” (Gl. 249)

(9) “A strange and wonderful instrument exists in the earth; but it is concealed from minds and souls. It is an instrument which has the power to change the atmosphere of the whole earth, and its infection causes destruction.” (BWF 183)

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 beside yourself. Thus hath the matter been decreed in this Tablet from the horizon of which the sun of wisdom and divine utterance is gleaming! The most despised of men before God is he who sits and begs. . . .” (BWF 195)

(11) “A king whom the pride of authority and independence does not withhold from being just, and whom benefits, opulence, glory, hosts and legions do not deprive of the splendors of the orb of equity — such a king shall possess a lofty station and an exalted rank in the Supreme Con- [Page 21] course: it is incumbent on all to assist and love such a blessed being. . .” (BWF 181)

“In every country or government where any of ‎this’ this‎ community reside, they must behave toward that government with faithfulness, 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 rehabilitate 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 forward an ever-advancing civilization. . . To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man.” (Gl. 215)

“Address yourselves to the promotion of the well-being and tranquillity of the children of men. Bend your minds and wills to the education 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. . . . Ye dwell in one world and have been created through the operation of one Will. Blessed is he who mingleth 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.” (Gl. 286)

“O ye elected representatives of the people in every land! Take ye counsel together, and let your concern be only for that [Page 22] which profiteth mankind, and bettereth the condition thereof. . . . Regard ye the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. . . . That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith.” (Gl. 254-255)

May God Forgive

“We have repeatedly revealed similar utterances, 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 desires, 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. Verily, He is the powerful, the mighty, and He is the forgiving, the merciful!” (BWF 184)

REFERENCES

1. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 46.

2. Ibid. p. 75.

3. Shoghi Effendi, The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 40-41.

4. Ibid., p. 127.

5. Ibid., p. 124.

ABBREVIATIONS USED: Gl., Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh; Iqan, The Kitáb-i-Íqán (The Book of Certitude); BWF, Bahá’í World Faith; WOB, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh.