Principles of the Bahá'í Faith

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The Oneness of Mankind

A fundamental teaching of Bahá'u'llá is the oneness of the world of humanity. Addressing mankind he says, "Ye are all leaves of one tree and fruits of one branch." By this it is meant that the world of humanity is like a tree, the nations or people are different limbs or branches on that tree and the individual human creatures are the fruits and blossoms thereof.

Although in former centuries and times this subject recieved some measure of mention and consideration, it has now become the paramount issue and question in the religious and political conditions of the world. History shows that throughot the past there have been continual warfare and strife among the varios nations, peoples and sects, but now...in this century of illumination, hearts are inclined towards agreement and fellowship, and the minds are thoughtful upon the question of the unification of mankind.

What incalculable benefits and blessings would decend upon the great human family if unity and brotherhood were established! In this century when the benificent results of unity and the ill effects of discors\d are so clearly apparent, the means for the attainment and accomplishment of human fellowship have appeared in the world.

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Universal Peace Upheld by a World Government

The world is in grat need of international peace. Until it is established, mankind will not attain composure and tranquility. It is necessary that the nations and the governments organise an international tribunal to which all their disputes and differences shall be referred. The decision of that tribunal shall be final.

Bahá'u'llá exhorted the rulers of the world to peace and international agreement, making it incumbent on them to establish a boared of international arbitration; that from all nations and governments of the world there should be dellegatesselcted for a congress of nations which should constitute a universal arbitral court of justice to settle international disputes.

Warfare and strife will be uprooted, disagreement and dissension pass away and universal peace unite the nations and peoples of the world.All mankind will dwell together as one family, blend as the waves of one sea, shine as the stars of one firmament and appear as fruits of the asme tree.

True civilization will unfurl its banner in the midmost heart of the world whenever a certain number of its distinguished and high-minded sovereigns - the shining exemplars of devotion and determination - shall for the good and happiness of all mankind, arise, with firm resolve and clear vision, to establish the Cause of Universal Peace. The ymust make the Cause of Peace the object of general consultation, and seek by every means in their power to establish a union of the nations of the world.

They must conclude a binding treaty and establish a covenant, the provisions of which shall be sound, inviolable and definite. They must proclaim it to all the world and obtain for it the sanction of all the human race. This supreme and noble undertaking - the real source of the peace and well-being of all the world - should be reguarded as sacred by all that dwell on earth. All the forces of humanity must be mobilized to ensure the stability and permanence of this Most Great Covenant. In this all-embracing Pact the limits and frontiers of each and every nation should be clearly fixed, the principles underlying the relations of governments towards one another defineitely laid down, and all international agreements and obligations acertained. In like manner, the size of the armamentsof every government should be strictly limited, for of the preperation for war and the military forces of any nation should be allowed to increase, they will arouse the suspision of others. The fundamental principle underlying this solemn Pact should be so fixed that if any government later violate any one of its provisions, all the governments on earth should arise to reduce it to utter submission, nay the human race as a whole should resolve, with every power at its disposal, to destroy that government. Should this greatest of all remedies be applied to the sick body of the world, it will assuredly recover from its ills and will remain eternally safe and secure.

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Independent Investigation of the Truth

God has given man the eye of investigation by which he may see and recognise truth. He has endowed man with ears that he may hear the message of reality and conferred upon him the gift of reason by which he may discover things for himself. Tis is his endowment and equiptment for the investigetion of reality. Man is not intended to see through the eyes of another, hear through another's ears nor comprehend by another's brain. Each hman creatures has individual endowment, power and responsibility in the creative plan of God.

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The Common Foundation of all Religions

The foundation of all the divine religions is one.All are based upon reality. Reality does not admit plurality, yet amongst mankind there have arisen differences concerning the Manifestations of God. Some have been Zoroastrians, some are Buddhists, some Jews, Christians, Muslims and so on. This has become a source of divergence whereas the teachings of the holy souls who founded the divine religions are one in essence and reality. All these have served the world of humanity...All have guided souls to the attainment of perfections, but amongst the nations certain immitations of ancestral forms of worship have arisen. These imitations are not the foundations and essence of the divine religions. Inasmuch as they differ from the reality and the essential teachings of the Manifestations of God, dissentions have arisen and prejudice has developed. Religious prejudice thus becomes the cause of warfare and battle.

If we abandon these timeworn blnd imitations and investigate reality, all of us will be unified. No discord will remain; antagonism will disappear. all will associalte in fellowship. All will enjoy the cordial bonds of friendship. The world of creation will then attain composure. The dark and gloomy clouds of blind imitations and dogmatic variences will be scattered and dispelled; the Sun of Reality will shine most gloriously.

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The Essential Harmony of Science and Religion

Religion must conform to science and reason; otherwise it is superstition. God has created man in order that he may percieve the verity of existence and endowed him with mind or reason to discover truth. Therefore, scientific knowlege and religious belief must be conformable to the analysis of this divine faculty in man.

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Equality of Men and Women

There must be an equality of rights between men and women. Women shall recieve an equal privelege of education. This will enable them to qualify and progress in all degrees of occupation and accomplishment. For the world of humanity posseses two wings: man and woman. If one wing remains incapable and defective, it will restrict the power of the other, and full flight will be impossible. Therefore, the completeness and perfection of the human world is dependent upon the equal development of these two wings.

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Elimination of Prejudice of All Kinds

Prejudices of all kinds - whether religious, racial, patriotic or political - are detructive of divine foundations in man. All the warfare and bloodshed in human history have been the outcome of prejudice. This earth is one home and native land. God has created mankind with equal endowment and right to live upon the earth. As a city is the home of all its inhabitants, although each may have his individual place or residence therein, so the earth's surface is one wide native land or home for all races of humankind.

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Unversal Compulsory Education

...inasmuch as ignorance and lack of education are barriers of separation amongst mankind, all must recieve training and instruction. Through this provision the lack of mutual understandng will be remedied and the unity if mankind furthered and advanced. Universal education is a universal law. It is, therefore, incumbent upon every father to teach and instruct his children according to his possibilities. If he is unable to educate them, the body politic, the representative of the people, must provide the means for their education.

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A Spiritual Solution to the Economic Problems

Among the results of the manifestation of spiritual forces will be that the human world will adapt itself to a new social form, the justice of God will become manifest throughout human affairs and huamn equality will be universally established. The poor will recieve a great bestowal, and the rich attain eternal happiness. For although at the present time the rich enjoy the greatest luxury and comfort, they are nevertheless deprived of eternal happiness; for eternal happiness is contingent upon giving and the poor arte everywhere in the state of abject need. Through the manifestation of God's great equity the poor of the world will be rewarded and assisted fully and there will be a readjustment in the economic conditions of mankind so that in the future there will not be the abnormally rich nor the abject poor. The rich will enjoy the privelege of this new econmic condition as well as the poor, for owing to certain provsions and restrictions they will not be able to accumulate so much as to be burdened by its management, while the poor will be relieved from the stress of want and misery. The rich will enjoy his palace, and the poor will have his comfortable cottage.

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A Universal Auxilliary Language

Bahá'u'llá has proclaimed the adoption of a universal language. A language shall be agreed upon by which unity will be established in the world. Each person will require training in two languages: his native tongue and the universal auxilliary form of speach. This will facilitate intercommunication and dispel the misunderstandings which the barriers of language have occasioned in the world.

Taken from Bahá'í Teachings for the New World Order by Mouhebat Sobhani