In addition to Nadim’s comment, I have another thought to add. I feel that the faith is personal experience and that we “who live in relative physical safety and material abundance” have our faith tested in ways which may be poles apart from ways in which the neglected elderly, for example, have their faith tested. What is so unfortunate in the case of the latter is that it is US who are responsible for this test of faith on the elderly. We, as humanity, have a long way to go in terms of how to treat our fellow human beings and this can be achieved through, as Nadim pointed out, observance of God’s most recently revealed laws and ordinances.

According to Baha’u'llah:
“The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance of deeds; he whose words exceed his deeds, know verily his death is better than his life.”

To me this says that the kind of faith which is purely personal and does not result in meaningful action is worthless. The appalling statistics you’ve mentioned provide just the kind of motivation to keep working for solutions.

That being said, the search for solutions can be limited to looking at symptoms of a problem and alleviating them one by one; essentially putting band-aids on the problem, or alternatively we can investigate why such awful things occur and work towards a lasting cure. A skilled doctor would do both… taking care of a person’s immediate needs (food, shelter, neglect, you-name-it) as well as prescribing the long-term remedy, so that eventually the patient becomes fully self-sufficient.

Baha’is believe Baha’u'llah is the latest Divine Physician whose teachings are the basis for mankind’s long-term material and spiritual prosperity, and daily we strive to put His teachings into practice in programmes of spiritual and social action. Contrary to certain assumptions, Baha’is hail from every social class, race and religion and together represent the second most widespread Faith on the planet. They are acutely aware of the suffering endured by the masses of humanity (themselves included) and are working hard to alleviate it.

Babies die in garbage dumpsters, the elderly and disabled of neglect and abuse, prisoners of torture… I could easily go on but everyone knows about such things. They happen to millions of people around the world every day and night.

It seems to me that a faith perspective needs to take account of the full breadth of the human experience, not just people who live in relative physical safety and material abundance.

I have often seen the connections between some of the new age philosophies and the spiritual truths contained in the Baha’i Writings. As Baha’is, we are so fortunate to have knowledge of the Source of these inspirations.

Thank you for your series on Happiness. It is truly enlightening.

And we cannot let go- even for a moment. That’s how precarious is the position our human egos put us- especially in “good times”. One slip and it’s along crawl back!