Baha'i Perspectives

nava January 31st, 2009

A quick perusal of the headlines of any of the world’s major news sources would offer you ample opportunity to characterize God as “wrathful”.  Assuming, of course, that your perception of God is as one who interacts with and is responsible for many of the things that occur in our world.  Or even a vision of a God who intervenes, or is at least able to intervene, would also allow for this characterization.

After all, would a kind God allow innocent children to be sold into sexual slavery?  Would a merciful God allow genocides to wipe out entire segments of the population in often vicious and painful ways?

These are just a few questions you could ask if you started to really think about God and His role in our world — especially in today’s world.

On the other hand, you could think of Him as less wrathful but more vengeful — maybe this is the punishment meted out to a heedless society who has ignored His call all throughout the ages.

I certainly have no quick and easy answers.  The very fact that one of the fundamental beliefs in the Bahá’í Faith is that God is unknowable in His essence makes it impossible for me to really know what any of His attributes are.  Wrathful or vengeful?  Merciful and All-Loving?  I really couldn’t say.

However, in the Bible, it says,

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

This clearly signifies that we can only know God through His Messengers, so inasfar as we as a species are concerned, Jesus is God.  Baha’u'llah is God.  Or as close as we’ll ever get.  (I realize this is a heavy statement and could be a topic in and of itself, but, maybe in a latter post we can address God as unknowable, yet still personal, and known through His Prophets and Messengers.)

So, when I think of Jesus, I don’t think wrathful, I certainly don’t think vengeful; but I absolutely think, “merciful” and “loving”.  When I think of the life of Baha’u'llah, I think of His infinite kindness, His abounding generosity, His ceaseless forgiveness.  These attributes don’t seem to square with a God of wrath or vengeance.

So maybe it’s our concept of wrath that is askew.  Maybe what we perceive to be wrath is actually mercy.

Baha’u'llah says,

“My calamity is My Providence.  Outwardly it is fire and vengeance, but inwardly, it is mercy and light.”  (emphasis mine)

Then how does one reconcile a God who allows the current calamities and crises to engulf a planet seemingly drowning — albeit it in the flames of its own depravity — with a God who is merciful, and kind, loving and forgiving?

We’ll have to wait until Part II to address these themes…

Tags: God

• General Interest , News & Current Affairs
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elliott January 28th, 2009

Following the spirit of Negin’s article “Religion or Science: Do we have to choose?”, we tackle specific points regarding science and religion to reinforce an understanding of their harmony with one another.

• Arts & Culture , Inspiration
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iman January 19th, 2009

Sometimes I’m disappointed in my words or actions especially if I feel I’ve contradicted my beliefs.  Disappointed, not so much for fear of punishment, but more out of a sense of shame in the sight of God.  Actually I’d be really happy (sort of) to accept my due punishment. How, then, would I know what the punishment is/was/will be?  I realized its something too complex to ponder for too long and that we’ll never be able to fathom even the slightest of the essence of true reward and punishment, true Justice; God’s Justice.  I read this quote, by the Bab, recently and it has had me thinking ever since:

Indeed shouldst Thou desire to confer blessing upon a servant Thou wouldst blot out from the realm of his heart every mention or disposition except Thine Own mention; and shouldst Thou ordain evil for a servant by reason of that which his hands have unjustly wrought before Thy face, Thou wouldst test him with the benefits of this world and of the next that he might become preoccupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.

This quote threw my rudimentary ideas of reward and punishment into disarray….”hmmmmm, that lottery I won was a reward from God?…. no wait, was it a punishment?”  It seems that to try to compartmentalize one’s life (our limited understanding may make us do so) into a series of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, ‘rewards’ and ‘punishments’ would be entirely false.  With regards to justice, Baha’u'llah says:

The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to be sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment. And in another connection He hath uttered the following in the eloquent tongue: Justice hath a mighty force at its command. It is none other than reward and punishment for the deeds of men. By the power of this force the tabernacle of order is established throughout the world, causing the wicked to restrain their natures for fear of punishment.

Suggestions of what we can do — instead of dwelling on the dubieties of reward and punishment — are to reflect on our actions, strive to correct these actions if necessary, move on with the understanding that God’s grace and forgiveness will deal with us justly at some stage in our earthly life (or afterlife),  and all the while to remember:

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.”

Tags: guilt, justice, punishment, reward

• Baha'i Concepts
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negin January 15th, 2009

Evolution or creationism? Neuroscience or spirituality? Body or soul?

Historically, the clashes between science and religion have been many. Still to this day, they are often regarded as two opposing worlds. Some of the typical incidences we remember are the medieval scientist Galileo who, to the horror of the Catholic Church, discovered that the earth revolves around the sun, and not vice-versa. Or more recently, Darwin’s theory of evolution, which in the mid-nineteenth century caused revolt among religious communities. In modern times, the opposition revolves around such hot topics as stem cell research, in-vitro fertilization and abortion.

Working and studying in the world of natural science and medicine, this opposition is not always easy to deal with. Facts and theories about the human nature are often presented without paying any attention to the spiritual/metaphysical aspect of creation. Most people, however, find it difficult to accept that we are strictly under the control of signal substances and chemical reactions. Even within the world of science, people are open to alternative theories.

An article published in “The Independent”, in October 2008, describes alterations in the conflict between science and religion, and comes to the conclusion that most people today prefer not to identify themselves with any of the extreme viewpoints. The author states:

Academic discussion on the relationship between science and religion is genuinely exploratory, not polarized… The danger is that between the strident secularists and the fanatical fundamentalists some important middle ground is being squeezed out.

However, within previous religions it has been rare to find principles or attitudes that support modern scientific progress, hence opposition has arisen. Many recent developments in world affairs and the scientific field have put religion — and its moral and ethical standards — to the test, and meeting those demands has not been an easy task for religious communities.

The teachings of the Bahá’í-Faith on the harmony between religion and science provide a comprehensive, as well as logical, viewpoint on the relationship between the two. Abdu’l-Baha, in the early 20^th century, said:

Religion and science are the two wings upon which man’s intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism.

For me, being a part of this modern society and trying to make a career within a scientific field, having a sound attitude toward science and religion has been indispensable. Leaning on the words of Abdu’l-Baha, and studying the lessons from His great work “Some Answered Questions“, I have been able to say:

Evolution and Creationism. Neuroscience and spirituality. Body and soul.

Tags: education, religion, science

• Baha'i Concepts , General Interest , Society
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nooshin January 12th, 2009

Since I wrote my last post, (in which I highlighted some passages from “The Promise of World Peace“)  thousands more lives have been lost through war and conflict, both old and new.  It may seem as if we are on a never-ending cycle of hate and destruction, with no capacity for peace.  I feel it is important, however, not to lose hope, or sight of the fact that humans are spiritual beings, created noble.

I draw much strength and optimism from the Baha’i Writings, which give clear guidance on the disease, as well as the remedy, which afflicts humanity.  “The Promise of World Peace”, written by the Universal House of Justice in October 1985, provides an excellent overview on this topic. In this post, as in the last, I would like to share passages which explain the Baha’i perspective on our planet’s future.

There are some issues which the House of Justice highlights as having immediate relevance to establishing world peace:

Racism, one of the most baneful and persistent evils, is a major barrier to peace. Its practice perpetrates too outrageous a violation of the dignity of human beings to be countenanced under any pretext.

The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. … The solution calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches.

Unbridled nationalism, as distinguished from a sane and legitimate patriotism, must give way to a wider loyalty, to the love of humanity as a whole…. The advantage of the part in a world society is best served by promoting the advantage of the whole.

Religious strife, throughout history, has been the cause of innumerable wars and conflicts, a major blight to progress, and is increasingly abhorrent to the people of all faiths and no faith.

The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged prerequisites of peace. … Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of human endeavour will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international peace can emerge.

The cause of universal education, … deserves the utmost support that the governments of the world can lend it. For ignorance is indisputably the principal reason for the decline and fall of peoples and the perpetuation of prejudice.

A fundamental lack of communication between peoples seriously undermines efforts towards world peace. Adopting an international auxiliary language would go far to resolving this problem and necessitates the most urgent attention.

So, what are the practical mechanisms which will move us towards global peace?  Firstly, “world order can be founded only on an unshakeable consciousness of the oneness of mankind, a spiritual truth which all the human sciences confirm”. The House of Justice points out that the acceptance of this truth is a prerequisite if we are to reorganize the world to achieve universal peace.  Shoghi Effendi is quoted, explaining that the principle of the oneness of mankind, far ”from aiming at the subversion of the existing foundations of society, it seeks to broaden its basis, to remold its institutions in a manner consonant with the needs of an ever-changing world. … It does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnical origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world. It calls for a wider loyalty, for a larger aspiration than any that has animated the human race. It insists upon the subordination of national impulses and interests to the imperative claims of a unified world. It repudiates excessive centralization on one hand, and disclaims all attempts at uniformity on the other. Its watchword is unity in diversity“.

One of the major issues which needs to be addressed is that of collective security, and “the inevitable curtailment of unfettered national sovereignty as an indispensable preliminary to the formation of the future Commonwealth of all the nations of the world… Some form of a world super-state must needs be evolved, in whose favour all the nations of the world will have

• willingly ceded every claim to make war,
• certain rights to impose taxation and
• all rights to maintain armaments, except for purposes of maintaining internal order within their respective dominions.

Such a state will have to include within its orbit an International Executive adequate to enforce supreme and unchallengeable authority on every recalcitrant member of the commonwealth; a World Parliament whose members shall be elected by the people in their respective countries and whose election shall be confirmed by their respective governments; and a Supreme Tribunal whose judgement will have a binding effect even in such cases where the parties concerned did not voluntarily agree to submit their case to its consideration”.

A world community in which all economic barriers will have been permanently demolished and the interdependence of capital and labour definitely recognized; in which the clamour of religious fanaticism and strife will have been forever stilled; in which the flame of racial animosity will have been finally extinguished; in which a single code of international law—the product of the considered judgement of the world’s federated representatives—shall have as its sanction the instant and  coercive intervention of the combined forces of the federated units; and finally a world community in which the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have been transmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship—such indeed, appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by Bahá’u’lláh, an Order that shall come to be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturing age.

Tags: peace

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