THE SEARCH FOR A JUST SOCIETY

JOHN HUDDLESTON

GEORGE RONALD                       1989

PART 15

Chapter 27: The Big Picture

In discussing the Bahá’í Faith’s credentials as an effective world-embracing progressive movement there are two questions which require immediate attention.

The first relates to the fact that it is an independent religion with its own Prophet-Founder. It is not merely a sect of, say, Christianity or Islam. A large number of people, both religious and agnostic alike, are so used to the idea that all the familiar great religions are centuries old that they find it difficult to accept that one which is new can be a genuine revealed religion with the real power to change society. This is, of course, not very rational. Perhaps the most effective response is to review the evidence regarding the personality of the Founder, the quality of His teachings and their relevance to the needs of our time, and, above all, the impact there has been on His followers. These issues will be discussed briefly in the coming chapters.

The second question which arises when discussing a religion as a potential world progressive force is in a sense more fundamental: the widespread perception that all religion is contrary to science and therefore essentially a fraud. This is a view which has become common in parts of Europe and other Western countries in particular. This reaction is understandable. Most religions and their sects have beliefs and practices which indeed seem to be contrary to the evidence of science. Major forces in Christianity, in particular, have taken an aggressive stand against science, for instance in the persecution of Galileo when he produced scientific evidence that the earth revolved around the sun and not the reverse as the Church taught. More recently, attempts have been made to deny evolutionary theories and to maintain that the universe was literally made 6,000 years ago during a period of seven days. A long record of bloody quarrels about obscure theological issues, a belief in a static universe in which every man had his place which he should accept without question, and support for oppressive rulers, not to speak of corruption of religious institutions, have all combined to associate religion with superstition and reaction.

Science and religion

Bahá’u’lláh said that truth is one, and that therefore religion and science cannot be in conflict. If some aspect of a religious teaching is clearly in conflict with concrete evidence provided by science, then that teaching is superstition and it is science which is concrete. For this reason science does not oppose religion, but rather strengthens it by helping to clear away the superstition obscuring true religious teachings:

When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions and unintelligent dogmas, shows its conformity with science, then will there be a great unifying, cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars, disagreements, discords and struggles – and then will mankind be united….

The Bahá’í view is that science and religion are complementary; civilization requires both in order to progress. Religion is concerned with morals and spiritual requirements, and when it is weak, science, which helps with the material needs of man, is likely to become narrow in its view, arrogant and dangerous. On the other hand, when science is underdeveloped, the essence of religion can be veiled by ritual and superstition. It should be remembered, however, that in the short run at least, science is not necessarily objective:

Science is no inexorable march to truth, mediated by the collection of objective information and the destruction of ancient superstition. Scientists, as ordinary human beings, unconsciously reflect in their theories the social and political constraints of their times. As privileged members of society, more often than not they end up defending existing social arrangements as biologically foreordained.

• One distinctive aspect to the Bahá’í view of the evolution of man is the idea that he has always had the potential to be ultimately what he has become, just as the acorn, though humble in size and appearance, has the potential to become a mighty oak. From this perspective evolution not only results from ancestry and environment but involves also the fulfilment of inherent potential.

The Bahá’í Writings show that it is hardly surprising that man has difficulty understanding the idea of God, who is the Creator of  a universe so vast and complex that it is in itself beyond man’s comprehension. God is thus on a much higher plane of existence.

• The Bahá’í Writings refer to God as that ‘Unknowable Essence’. Though the essence of God is unknowable, the Writings maintain that there is evidence in the universe of the existence of God and that man has the capacity to see such evidence.

 

The nature of man

The task of searching for God is part of the process of developing our spiritual or higher qualities, and this point leads logically to discussion of the Bahá’í concept of the nature of man. In modern times all progressive movements have been initially motivated by a belief in the natural goodness of man – Rousseau’s noble savage – which will be revealed once political, social and economic obstacles have been removed by reform or revolution. This optimistic view has been badly damaged in recent years because it does not seem to explain the experiences of our time, ranging from the holocaust of the Jews to the sometimes demoralizing effects of the welfare state on people. In reaction the prevailing view has swept around to the other extreme which sees man as essentially greedy, selfish, and aggressive. This is not far from the traditional Christian belief that man is innately sinful. It is certainly a view which undermines progressive movements, because it suggests that in the end nothing can be achieved. It is also unsatisfactory, because it too fails to explain human experience, such as the lives of the saints, the voluntary abolition of slavery, and the human rights movement.

The Bahá’í view lies in between these two extremes and embraces the concept that there are two sides to the nature of man. One side relates to his physical being – what he has in common with the animal and which motivates a drive to physical survival (the acquisition of the necessities of life: food, clothing, shelter) and the continuation of the species. The second side of his nature comes from those transcendental powers which distinguish him from the animal, and which find expression in love and concern for the well-being of others, and in a need for a meaning to life beyond mere physical existence. It is the Bahá’í view that the purpose of man is to develop this ‘spiritual’ side of his nature. When this happens man starts to fulfil his own destiny; he is noble, creative and happy, and the result is the advancement of civilization.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.

When man fails to follow his true destiny and allows his higher nature to atrophy, then his physical side will dominate; qualities which in moderation are necessary for his well-being become extreme and destructive. The qualities of physical preservation turn into selfishness greed, material lust, laziness, lying, decadence viciousness and violence, and society sinks into barbarism. Within limits – such as those imposed by time and place of birth, parents, mental and physical capability, health, accidents of nature – man has a free choice to follow the pull of either self. This means each person is responsible for his own actions. It is recognized that the lives of people vary greatly: some have much greater difficulties to contend with than others. What is important is not so much absolute standards, but how far the individual progresses toward the highest standards from the point of departure. Thus much is expected in absolute terms from those who are fortunate in their circumstances.

• The view that the purpose of life is to develop the spiritual side of man’s nature and in so doing to create an ‘ever-advancing civilization’, is seen in the context of a larger concept: a belief in a spiritual life after the physical existence has ended.
• Bahá’u’lláh said that man, in his physical existence, is given the opportunity to develop those spiritual qualities which he will require when he becomes a purely spiritual being.
• In the same way a child in the womb develops limbs, eyes and ears for the time when he or she is born into the world.
• The Bahá’í Writings say that the nature and joy of the future spiritual life is quite beyond anything man can experience as a physical being, and in consequence there is a limit to what he can learn from the Great Educators.

 

The nature of the soul after death can never be described, nor is it meet and permissible to reveal its whole character to the eyes of men. The purpose underlying their (the messengers of God) revelation hath been to educate all men, that they may, at the hour of death, ascend, in the utmost purity and sanctity and with absolute detachment, to the throne of the Most High. The world beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother.

• All people survive after death, but at different levels of spirituality. The higher the level, the greater the understanding and joy in the creation of God.
• All become aware of their level after death, so that those who have only achieved a low level, because of their failure to grow when in the physical existence, will have cause for regret.
• This is the state that religions have called hell. Hell, too, is the state of mind of the man still living in the physical world who has allowed his spiritual qualities to wither away.
• Man should not spend his life in contemplation of what is to come. His duty is to look to his life and actions during his physical existence.
• If he does this, the future spiritual life (which in any case can be only the subject of conjecture) will look after itself when the time comes.
• Man should seek God’s assistance in the development of his spiritual qualities through meditation, prayer and fasting.
• Meditation frees man from his environment, liberates his mind from conscious direction, and allows it to contemplate the essence of reality.
• One specific act of meditation which Bahá’ís are enjoined to practise is to bring themselves to account at the end of each day.
• The very act of prayer, which is for the benefit of man, not God (who has no need of it) induces feelings of humility, detachment, and contemplation of the things which really matter in life, and in so doing gives new strength.
• This is particularly true of those prayers revealed by the Founders of the great religions, which always deal with the loftiest sentiments of man rather than those that are material or selfish.
• Because prayer is of such value in supporting the spiritual side of man’s nature, it is a moral obligation for a Bahá’í to pray at least once a day.
• Bahá’ís also observe a fast once a year for a period of 19 days during the month of March, when they abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset.
• The purpose of the fast, an act of self-discipline, is to strengthen the sense of detachment from the material side of life, and at the same time to increase one’s appreciation of those things which are daily taken for granted.
• It is often argued that there cannot be a God because if He existed, He would not have subjected mankind to so much apparently unnecessary suffering. The Bahá’í Writings say that pain is an instrument of education, by which man can become detached and grow spiritually:

 

The mind and spirit of man advance when he is tried by suffering. The more the ground is ploughed the better the seed will grow, the better the harvest will be. Just as the plough furrows the earth deeply, purifying it of weeds and thistles, so suffering and tribulation free man from the petty affairs of this worldly life until he arrives at a state of complete detachment. His attitude in this world will be that of divine happiness. Man is, so to speak, unripe: the heat of the fire of suffering will mature him. Look back to the times past and you will find that the greatest men have suffered most.

• The pain inflicted on men by the injustice of society is perhaps the greatest challenge of all, and the whole thrust of the Bahá’í community is to meet this challenge.

 

The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice.

• It is important to keep a sense of proportion with material things. They can be enjoyed when the opportunity is there; but it is unwise and unhealthy to become attached to them.
• Most important of all is the appreciation that the most profound sources of happiness are not to be found  in material things but in matters of the spirit, the growth of the higher nature of man.

 

The cycles of religions