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APPENDIX A
‘Twe.ve New PRINcIPLES
‘Three days before He left America, ‘Abdu’l-Baha gave a talk in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kinney in New York City. He outlined new teachings of Baha'u'llah that were not found in the sacred writings of past religions. Here they are, in condensed form:
1. A fundamental teaching of Bahda’wllah is the oneness of the world of humanity.
2. Another new principle revealed by Bahda’u'll4h is the injunction to investigate truth.
3. Baha’ lah has announced that the foundation of all the religions of God is one... This teaching is new and specialized to this Manifestation.
4. He sets forth a new principle for this day in the announcement that religion must be the cause of unity, harmony and agreement among mankind.
5. Furthermore, He proclaims that religion must be in harmony with science and reason... The harmony of religious belief with reason is a new vista which Baha'u'llah has opened for the soul of man.
6. He establishes the equality of man and woman. This is peculiar to the teachings of Baha’u lléh, for all other religions have placed man above woman.
7. A new religious principle is that prejudice and fanaticism—whether sectarian, denominational, patriotic or political—are destructive to the foundation of human solidarity.
8. Universal peace is assured by Baha'u'llah as a fundamental accomplishment of the religion of God—that peace shall prevail among nations, governments and peoples, among religions, races and all conditions of mankind. ‘This is one of the special characteristics of the Word of God revealed in this Manifestation.
9. Baha llah declares that all mankind should attain knowledge and
acquire an education. This is a necessary principle of religious belief and obser[Page 222]
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vance, characteristically new in this dispensation.
10. He has set forth the solution and provided the remedy for the economic question. No religious Books of the past Prophets speak of this important human problem.
11. He has ordained and established the House of Justice. ‘This international House of Justice shall be appointed and organized from the Houses of Justice of the whole world.
12. A specific teaching not given by any of the Prophets of the past... is the ordination and appointment of the Center of the Covenant. By this appointment and provision He has safeguarded and protected the religion of God against differences and schisms, making it impossible for anyone to create a new sect or faction of belief.’
