Nimos
Well-Known Member
What was his solution, specifically?
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Trailblazer
Veteran Member
World Unity the Goal
“Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation-building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life.
“A new life,” Bahá’u’lláh proclaims, “is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth; and yet none hath discovered its cause, or perceived its motive.” “O ye children of men,” He thus addresses His generation, “the fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race… This is the straight path, the fixed and immovable foundation. Whatsoever is raised on this foundation, the changes and chances of the world can never impair its strength, nor will the revolution of countless centuries undermine its structure.” “The well-being of mankind,” He declares, “its peace and security are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.” “So powerful is the light of unity,” is His further testimony, “that it can illuminate the whole earth. The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words… This goal excelleth every other goal, and this aspiration is the monarch of all aspirations.” “He Who is your Lord, the All-Merciful,” He, moreover, has written, “cherisheth in His heart the desire of beholding the entire human race as one soul and one body. Haste ye to win your share of God’s good grace and mercy in this Day that eclipseth all other created days.”
The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahá’u’lláh, implies the establishment of a world commonwealth in which all nations, races, creeds and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must, as far as we can visualize it, consist of a world legislature, whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component nations, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system. A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvellous swiftness and perfect regularity. A world metropolis will act as the nerve center of a world civilization, the focus towards which the unifying forces of life will converge and from which its energizing influences will radiate. A world language will either be invented or chosen from among the existing languages and will be taught in the schools of all the federated nations as an auxiliary to their mother tongue. A world script, a world literature, a uniform and universal system of currency, of weights and measures, will simplify and facilitate intercourse and understanding among the nations and races of mankind. In such a world society, science and religion, the two most potent forces in human life, will be reconciled, will cöoperate, and will harmoniously develop. The press will, under such a system, while giving full scope to the expression of the diversified views and convictions of mankind, cease to be mischievously manipulated by vested interests, whether private or public, and will be liberated from the influence of contending governments and peoples. The economic resources of the world will be organized, its sources of raw materials will be tapped and fully utilized, its markets will be cöordinated and developed, and the distribution of its products will be equitably regulated.
National rivalries, hatreds, and intrigues will cease, and racial animosity and prejudice will be replaced by racial amity, understanding and cöoperation. The causes of religious strife will be permanently removed, economic barriers and restrictions will be completely abolished, and the inordinate distinction between classes will be obliterated. Destitution on the one hand, and gross accumulation of ownership on the other, will disappear. The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical development, to the increase of the productivity of mankind, to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research, to the raising of the standard of physical health, to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolongation of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral, and spiritual life of the entire human race.
A world federal system, ruling the whole earth and exercising unchallengeable authority over its unimaginably vast resources, blending and embodying the ideals of both the East and the West, liberated from the curse of war and its miseries, and bent on the exploitation of all the available sources of energy on the surface of the planet, a system in which Force is made the servant of Justice, whose life is sustained by its universal recognition of one God and by its allegiance to one common Revelation—such is the goal towards which humanity, impelled by the unifying forces of life, is moving.
“One of the great events,” affirms ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “which is to occur in the Day of the manifestation of that incomparable Branch is the hoisting of the Standard of God among all nations. By this is meant that all nations and kindreds will be gathered together under the shadow of this Divine Banner, which is no other than the Lordly Branch itself, and will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, the hostility of races and peoples, and differences among nations, will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself.” “Now, in the world of being,” He has moreover explained, “the Hand of Divine power hath firmly laid the foundations of this all-highest bounty, and this wondrous gift. Whatsoever is latent in the innermost of this holy Cycle shall gradually appear and be made manifest, for now is but the beginning of its growth, and the dayspring of the revelation of its signs. Ere the close of this century and of this age, it shall be made clear and evident how wondrous was that spring-tide, and how heavenly was that gift.”
The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 202-205
Wildswanderer
Veteran Member
Maybe we don't get sad anymore because we have complete knowledge and discernment. Sadness is a result of sin, ultimately.Depends on what you believe or how you understand the scriptures I guess. Personally I think there are two options.
1. It doesn't matter.
2. Something with the scriptures is out of order.
Revelation 21:4
4 - He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Assuming that Revelation is true and we go with (1), it wouldn't matter, because in order for there to be no mourning or crying of lost ones, bad experiences etc, the only solution seem to be a complete memory wipe or there will be some serious gaps in peoples memories, which wouldn't really make sense. This obviously also raises the question of why we are even here to begin with if we are not going to remember anything anyway. Makes this old "Earth thing" kind of pointless and a waste of time.
Alternatively Revelation is not correct, which means that we have no clue what is going on.
Personally I don't think any of them makes any sense, so yet another reason for why im skeptical about this whole thing I guess
Nimos
Well-Known Member
What I understand by this, is not a solution but rather a vision of what would be nice, and for most of it I don't disagree. I wished for world peace when I was a kid as most other have as well. That is a common vision of a child, despite every adult probably agreeing with this, we also know that how this world peace should be gain is not. And therefore we have no solution. I bet you China would be happy to take care of the world as the rulers, if every other nation freely agreed to let them. In that case you would have peace right? Or maybe Russia would like it as well? or the Americans? Or EU? all options could potentially give peace, and make one unified nation of all people.
But it is nothing but a vision, there is no specific solution being presented here except the assumption that people will somehow figure it out, how on Earth do you imagine that China, Russia, US and EU are going to agree to live under one rule? Simply ignoring the rest of the world for now.
"All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race and become a single people."
Everyone could become an atheist and the problem of religion is solved as well. What is the solution here? How would everyone adhere to one religion? What is his solution to get certain Islamic groups to stop killing atheists? How do you stop the terrorists?
"The one true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words…"
What true God is he talking about? I don't think there is a God, Im pretty sure the Hindus also would like to know which one this is?
So what is the solution to convince approx. 1.35 billion Hindu people (not including the atheists) about who this true God is?
Honestly I could give you a similar vision as this, in fact I think almost any person on Earth could. Just look at how difficult it is for them to agree on anything regarding the Climate, which is literally causing massive damage to us, Chinas president didn't even bother to show up to the event?
firedragon
Veteran Member
I believe, what you heard is pretty much hearsay. No offence, I understand your contention.
Ponder This
Well-Known Member
If the medium is physical, then perception and interaction is physical.
If the medium is spiritual, then perception and interaction is spiritual.
In a material existence, people take material forms.
In a spiritual existence, people take spiritual forms.
Recognition is by association. Something in your self is associated with the thing which you identify.
If we were to open up a person and remove his physical heart and present it, you would not recognize that physical heart as the person because you would look upon it physically and not see anything which you associate with the person, physically speaking.
On the other hand, you could be sitting by yourself in silence with no one else around you and have thoughts which you recognize by association with a person you know, in the absence of physical forms. There exists a mental image of a person within your mind - a mental image associated with a physical appearance or with physical interactions that forms from the time which you spent interacting with a person in physical space. There is a whole dynamic of physical memory.
When it comes to questions of spirit, it comes to the question of essence. And the dilemma of essence is that it is both tangible and intangible. The physical reality that we perceive is temporary and illusory.
Essence is not merely what we perceive or experience in a temporal physical reality. The essence of a person is not and was not merely the apparent physical form to which you associate. The spiritual reflects on the physical experience in subtle ways and while in this physical life we can perceive the spiritual influences by refinement of spiritual perception.
As for perception in the afterlife, in a hypothetical heaven... well people have very different ideas about what that Heaven is. While the mind is a vehicle to spiritual perception, one of the obstacles to spiritual perception is the things that we imagine to be so. The mind can imagine things which are unreal as well as things that are real.
If someone desires to know, then perhaps he should spend time in earnest devotion to that higher principle by which things are known. Prayer, meditation, contemplation.
First of all, I find neither in the Bible nor Jesus offered Heaven to everyone.
For example: The people who died before Jesus' died were Not offered Heaven:
( John 3:13; Matthew 11:11; Acts of the Apostles 2:34; Hebrews 11:13; Hebrews 11:39 )
In Scripture, one's spirit is a neuter "it" - see Ecclesiastes 12:7 B - and not a person.
The only people offered Heaven are like the people of Luke 22:28-30; Daniel 7:18.
The majority of people are offered: Everlasting Life on Earth.
Meek humble people are the ones who will inherit the -> Earth - Psalms 37:9-11,29; Matthew 5:5
Remember: ALL the people Jesus' resurrected were resurrected back to life being physically healthy.
So, someone who died deformed or without a limb will be resurrected complete or whole.
I asked similar questions years ago as mentioned above.
One man told me he'd be happy just to wear a picture of how he used to looked at the end of his life.
In that way, at first people could recognize him on Resurrection Day (Jesus' 1,000 year Day governing over Earth)
Marriage vows end at death. Who would you live with in heaven if you had married many women? Would you be bothered by many people visiting?
I suppose that you would just know who the other spirit was.
However, what if your memory of earth was erased once you entered heaven? If so, you wouldn't recognize the loved ones.
Really??? Before Jesus, Jews could not get into heaven?
Sheldon
Veteran Member
You don't think that is a little bit facile? Stopping Hitler might have been possible if the Weimar republic hadn't been a fledgling democracy that was heavily indebted for it's post war economy to the USA. When the US economy collapsed and they called in the debts, that destroyed the German economy and democracy with it, leaving a power vacuum for the vengeful nationalists like Hitler and the Nazis.
If you want to see how powerful and divisive populist politics that exploit fear and prejudice can be look no further than Donald Trump's presidency.
What was need was a free and balanced press, checks and balances against the power of government, and a strong constitution to ensure a smooth transfer of power in legitimate elections. The US has all that and Trump still managed to convince millions that the only way he, and by extension them, could lose an election was if the other side cheated, and that before a single vote had been cast.
Peace is not a cause brought about by woolly sentiment or a state of mind, it s achieved by relentless effort in the upkeep and fight for democracy and human rights. If any deity wants this then it is not reflected in any religion I've seen.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
Then you have not seen my religion.
World peace was not the deity's purpose for humanity until this age, and that is why it never came about in previous ages with the previous religions.
“One of the great events,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá has, in His “Some Answered Questions,” affirmed, “which is to occur in the Day of the manifestation of that Incomparable Branch [Bahá’u’lláh] is the hoisting of the Standard of God among all nations. By this is meant that all nations and kindreds will be gathered together under the shadow of this Divine Banner, which is no other than the Lordly Branch itself, and will become a single nation. Religious and sectarian antagonism, the hostility of races and peoples, and differences among nations, will be eliminated. All men will adhere to one religion, will have one common faith, will be blended into one race, and become a single people. All will dwell in one common fatherland, which is the planet itself.”
This is the stage which the world is now approaching, the stage of world unity, which, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assures us, will, in this century, be securely established. “The Tongue of Grandeur,” Bahá’u’lláh Himself affirms, “hath … in the Day of His Manifestation proclaimed: ‘It is not his to boast who loveth his country, but it is his who loveth the world.’” “Through the power,” He adds, “released by these exalted words He hath lent a fresh impulse, and set a new direction, to the birds of men’s hearts, and hath obliterated every trace of restriction and limitation from God’s Holy Book.”
Religion and Social Evolution
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Trailblazer
Veteran Member
It is a vision, but it is more than a vision. The solution will come when people change and realize that it is in their best interests to come together in unity for a common purpose. We can clearly see that this is already starting to happpen with the global warming crisis.
We cannot look at the world as we see it now as a basis for what will happen in the future. This is an an entirely new age, the likes of which humanity has never seen before. History will not repeat itself so things will never be the same again. Humanity will continue to progress from this time forward, it will never backslide again, and a new world order will emerge, the likes of which humanity as never seen before. This is what Jesus meant by the kingdom come they will be done, He was referring to the Kingdom of God that will be built upon earth, by humans. Of course al of this is the Baha'i belief.
Everyone will never become an atheist because 93% of the world population are believers, and how would that solve any problems? The only viable solution to end the disunity and disagreement between religious people is for everyone to be gathered under one common Faith. I believe that will happen in the future because Baha'u'llah wrote that was ordained by God, and everything that God has ordained comes to pass eventually. Baha'u'llah did not say what the Faith will be called since we don't know when this will happen.
“That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This, verily, is the truth, and all else naught but error.” The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 91
According to Baha'i beliefs there is only one true God, but obviously there are many different conceptions about this God. The only way that will ever change is if everyone adheres to one common Faith, as I explained above. Obviously this is not going to happen any time soon and we won't see it within our lifetimes.
It won't be a matter of convincing people as people will change of their own free will. Of course this is impossible to envision if we look at how divided the world is now, but if one has the Baha'i vision they can envision it.
Sorry I was Not more clear about everlasting life on Earth.
ALL who died 'before' Jesus died (includes King David - Acts of the Apostles 2:34) were Not offered Heaven (John 3:13)
Please notice the people of Hebrews chapter 11 because they are still asleep in the grave - Hebrews 11:13; Hebrews 11:39.
Unfaithful Jews proved un-faithful and were Not like the faithful people of Luke 22:28-30; Daniel 7:18.
The people resurrected to Heaven have two (2) jobs to do according to Revelation 5:9-10.
They serve with Jesus in Heaven for a thousand years ( Revelation 20:6 )
* They serve as kings with Jesus taking care of governmental responsibilities for people living on Earth.
* They serve as priests with Jesus taking care of spiritual duties towards people of Earth.
Please notice the position that David will have after he is resurrected on Earth at Isaiah 32; Ezekiel 34:24.
Since the ones resurrected to Heaven (Revelation 2:6; 2:10; 5:9-10) have two (2) jobs to do for the people of Earth to me it would seem unlikely if they did Not recognize loved ones on Earth.
In Scripture, I find there are two resurrections:
One resurrection is for people who are like the people of Luke 22:28-30.
They are those holy ones/saints of Daniel 7:18.
They govern over Earth with Jesus for a thousand years over the humble meek who inherit the Earth as Jesus promised at Matthew 5:5 from Psalms 37:9-11,29.
Nimos
Well-Known Member
It would solve the issue of people blowing up and mistreating others because they believe that is what their God want.
It might be in their best interest, I don't think anyone would disagree with that. But we also know that it is simply not going to happen on its own. You have to remember that hardly anything is being done, unless a company or government can earn or benefit from it, these things are not done out of common sense, but because it could hurt the money purse.
World spends $423 billion a year to subsidize fossil fuels, UN research says. A recent U.N. report found that governments were on track to produce more than twice the levels of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be needed to keep rising global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
I don't know if you have ever heard of the Venus project? This is a guy, or group of people trying to change the economy by redesigning how things are done, with ideas of how you could do it. Whether it would work or not, I have no clue, but at least this is an idea of how you would achieve it.
And as a vision I like it, especially the changes to how the economy works, since something has to change in how we do things now, as I can't see how such system would ever solve the issues we have or even survive into the future. But I also think that this is a bit of a vision, despite being a lot more solid than simply assuming that everyone will somehow get along and unite behind one God.
So Baha'u'llah is not the only one that thought of this being good, but without any actual solution of how to solve things, its basically as useful as that of someone wishing for world peace in my eyes, and to me it seems like you obviously like what he had to say, but also I think you have to much faith in it simply somehow is going to sort itself out.
Again, I see no solutions presented in what you write, of how these conflicts are going to be solved?