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Should the oneness of humanity be taught in all schools worldwide

loverofhumanity

We are all the leaves of one tree
Premium Member
Humanity currently is plagued with so many prejudices. We see some as racial, national and religious causing never ending wars. It seems that treaties and pacts cannot stem the tide of global conflicts and humanity seems lost as to how to solve this age old dilemma and finally establish lasting peace. But since there is no temporary solution what if there is a permanent one? However a slow fix not a quick one. There is I believe a way - through education or rather reeducation.

Let’s take religious prejudice as an example as it is the most powerful force in our world. Let me at the outset state that I believe that all the major religions are true and were revealed progressively to meet the spiritual and social needs of people at the time they were revealed. They all teach virtues and the golden rule. But over time religious leaders seeking power and control have desynchronised the religions which are all part of one unfolding process and turned them into opposing factions. “This is the changeless faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future” (Baha’u’llah) But now as a result of indoctrination, religionists reject the subsequent Teacher leading to a desynchronisation of the unfolding process of progressive revelation and evolutionary nature of religion and prejudices against the new faith.

However, now in this modern age most can investigate truth for themselves unlike past times when there was a need for clergy due to illiteracy and lack of literature, and verify that all religions are from the same source and are connected to each other not separate entities and equal, thus ending centuries of misinformation leading to prejudice, hatreds and wars.

This huge step requires courage. For us to step out of the comfort zone that only our religion is true. That all are sinners or infidels and that only our way leads to salvation. Instead, to be replaced with the mature notion that all of us belong to one human family and are of the same human DNA and that all these divisions were due to our immaturity. Otherwise it’s far better to do away with religion completely if it only causes bloodshed and war, division and prejudice. Isn’t this what is needed today to put aside our differences and put our common humanity first and teach the oneness and equality of all humankind in all the schools of the world? Would not this pave the way for a generation of well wishers of all? Although theoretically we could try and get rid of religion, eliminating racial and national prejudices would require reeducation towards oneness and equality.

So I believe all schools in the world from infancy should have included in their course the subject of the oneness and equality of all humanity and that we all belong to one human family there being NO superior race, religion, nationality or group of people. Thank you. If you agree please try and teach this concept in your school.
 
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exchemist

Veteran Member
Humanity currently is plagued with so many prejudices. We see some as racial, national and religious causing never ending wars. It seems that treaties and pacts cannot stem the tide of global conflicts and humanity seems lost as to how to solve this age old dilemma and finally establish lasting peace. But since there is no temporary solution what if there is a permanent one? However a slow fix not a quick one. There is I believe a way - through education or rather reeducation.

Let’s take religious prejudice as an example as it is the most powerful force in our world. Let me at the outset state that I believe that all the major religions are true and were revealed progressively to meet the spiritual and social needs of people at the time they were revealed. They all teach virtues and the golden rule. But over time religious leaders seeking power and control have desynchronised the religions which are all part of one unfolding process and turned them into opposing factions. “This is the changeless faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future” (Baha’u’llah) But now as a result of indoctrination, religionists reject the subsequent Teacher leading to a desynchronisation of the unfolding process of progressive revelation and evolutionary nature of religion and prejudices against the new faith.

However, now in this modern age most can investigate truth for themselves unlike past times when there was a need for clergy due to illiteracy and lack of literature, and verify that all religions are from the same source and are connected to each other not separate entities and equal, thus ending centuries of misinformation leading to prejudice, hatreds and wars.

This huge step requires courage. For us to step out of the comfort zone that only our religion is true. That all are sinners or infidels and that only our way leads to salvation. Instead, to be replaced with the mature notion that all of us belong to one human family and are of the same human DNA and that all these divisions were due to our immaturity. Otherwise it’s far better to do away with religion completely if it only causes bloodshed and war, division and prejudice. Isn’t this what is needed today to put aside our differences and put our common humanity first and teach the oneness and equality of all humankind in all the schools of the world? Would not this pave the way for a generation of well wishers of all? Although theoretically we could try and get rid of religion, eliminating racial and national prejudices would require reeducation towards oneness and equality.

So I believe all schools in the world from infancy should have included in their course the subject of the oneness and equality of all humanity and that we all belong to one human family there being NO superior race, religion, nationality or group of people. Thank you. If you agree please try and teach this concept in your school.
Here you go again.

I don't buy your premise that religious prejudice is "the most powerful force in our world". Far more powerful forces, surely, arise from competition for land or resources, the grievances of groups over perceived historical injustices and the personal power motives of rulers.

Nor do I see much value in this vague notion of "oneness" that Baha'i are always preaching about. This has been discussed on previous threads: Symptoms vs Cause
As @Altfish has pointed out, it is already commonplace for schools, at least in the western democracies, to inculcate a sense of the value and respect due to every individual human being.

I think the Baha'i attitude of emphasising the common features of religions and suggesting that all may be different ways of trying to reach the same goal is a very positive thing. But I don't see this as very relevant to school level education, let alone some kind of solution to all the problems of mankind. The Baha'i should stop overclaiming, in my view.

What I also find on occasions creepy is when Baha'i start to talk of world government. I think we should all be suspicious of religious movements that aspire to secular government. That sounds like theocracy to me.
 
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Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Humanity currently is plagued with so many prejudices. We see some as racial, national and religious causing never ending wars. It seems that treaties and pacts cannot stem the tide of global conflicts and humanity seems lost as to how to solve this age old dilemma and finally establish lasting peace. But since there is no temporary solution what if there is a permanent one? However a slow fix not a quick one. There is I believe a way - through education or rather reeducation.

Let’s take religious prejudice as an example as it is the most powerful force in our world. Let me at the outset state that I believe that all the major religions are true and were revealed progressively to meet the spiritual and social needs of people at the time they were revealed. They all teach virtues and the golden rule. But over time religious leaders seeking power and control have desynchronised the religions which are all part of one unfolding process and turned them into opposing factions. “This is the changeless faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future” (Baha’u’llah) But now as a result of indoctrination, religionists reject the subsequent Teacher leading to a desynchronisation of the unfolding process of progressive revelation and evolutionary nature of religion and prejudices against the new faith.

However, now in this modern age most can investigate truth for themselves unlike past times when there was a need for clergy due to illiteracy and lack of literature, and verify that all religions are from the same source and are connected to each other not separate entities and equal, thus ending centuries of misinformation leading to prejudice, hatreds and wars.

This huge step requires courage. For us to step out of the comfort zone that only our religion is true. That all are sinners or infidels and that only our way leads to salvation. Instead, to be replaced with the mature notion that all of us belong to one human family and are of the same human DNA and that all these divisions were due to our immaturity. Otherwise it’s far better to do away with religion completely if it only causes bloodshed and war, division and prejudice. Isn’t this what is needed today to put aside our differences and put our common humanity first and teach the oneness and equality of all humankind in all the schools of the world? Would not this pave the way for a generation of well wishers of all? Although theoretically we could try and get rid of religion, eliminating racial and national prejudices would require reeducation towards oneness and equality.

So I believe all schools in the world from infancy should have included in their course the subject of the oneness and equality of all humanity and that we all belong to one human family there being NO superior race, religion, nationality or group of people. Thank you. If you agree please try and teach this concept in your school.
I'd rather have schools teach realistic expectations as opposed to romanticized ideologies.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
Humanity currently is plagued with so many prejudices. We see some as racial, national and religious causing never ending wars. It seems that treaties and pacts cannot stem the tide of global conflicts and humanity seems lost as to how to solve this age old dilemma and finally establish lasting peace. But since there is no temporary solution what if there is a permanent one? However a slow fix not a quick one. There is I believe a way - through education or rather reeducation.

Let’s take religious prejudice as an example as it is the most powerful force in our world. Let me at the outset state that I believe that all the major religions are true and were revealed progressively to meet the spiritual and social needs of people at the time they were revealed. They all teach virtues and the golden rule. But over time religious leaders seeking power and control have desynchronised the religions which are all part of one unfolding process and turned them into opposing factions. “This is the changeless faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future” (Baha’u’llah) But now as a result of indoctrination, religionists reject the subsequent Teacher leading to a desynchronisation of the unfolding process of progressive revelation and evolutionary nature of religion and prejudices against the new faith.

However, now in this modern age most can investigate truth for themselves unlike past times when there was a need for clergy due to illiteracy and lack of literature, and verify that all religions are from the same source and are connected to each other not separate entities and equal, thus ending centuries of misinformation leading to prejudice, hatreds and wars.

This huge step requires courage. For us to step out of the comfort zone that only our religion is true. That all are sinners or infidels and that only our way leads to salvation. Instead, to be replaced with the mature notion that all of us belong to one human family and are of the same human DNA and that all these divisions were due to our immaturity. Otherwise it’s far better to do away with religion completely if it only causes bloodshed and war, division and prejudice. Isn’t this what is needed today to put aside our differences and put our common humanity first and teach the oneness and equality of all humankind in all the schools of the world? Would not this pave the way for a generation of well wishers of all? Although theoretically we could try and get rid of religion, eliminating racial and national prejudices would require reeducation towards oneness and equality.

So I believe all schools in the world from infancy should have included in their course the subject of the oneness and equality of all humanity and that we all belong to one human family there being NO superior race, religion, nationality or group of people. Thank you. If you agree please try and teach this concept in your school.
No.
 

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
This huge step requires courage. For us to step out of the comfort zone that only our religion is true. That all are sinners or infidels and that only our way leads to salvation. Instead, to be replaced with the mature notion that all of us belong to one human family and are of the same human DNA and that all these divisions were due to our immaturity. Otherwise it’s far better to do away with religion completely if it only causes bloodshed and war, division and prejudice. Isn’t this what is needed today to put aside our differences and put our common humanity first and teach the oneness and equality of all humankind in all the schools of the world? Would not this pave the way for a generation of well wishers of all? Although theoretically we could try and get rid of religion, eliminating racial and national prejudices would require reeducation towards oneness and equality.

So I believe all schools in the world from infancy should have included in their course the subject of the oneness and equality of all humanity and that we all belong to one human family there being NO superior race, religion, nationality or group of people. Thank you. If you agree please try and teach this concept in your school.

It sounds good in theory, although I also think that if humans were willing and able to do this, they would have done so already. As for the schools, most of the schools in America at least teach basic principles such as equal rights and justice for all. However, when it comes to actually practicing those principles, our society invariably falls short of the ideal.

It would appear that "teaching it" is simply not enough to get the job done.

"Equality" is also a complicated subject. When discussed in the context of US politics, it often refers to "equality before the law," but not equality in all things. It's often said that "equal rights do not produce equal outcomes," and this has become a commonly-accepted axiom in the US political culture. My own interpretation of equality is within the framework of universal human rights, which isn't really taught to the same degree as the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, or Declaration of Independence.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Its good to keep in mind that the
leaders of international idealistic
- isms of the 20th century did us no favours
I think ideological thoughts are not terrible , but there's very little practical value in addressing something that just cannot be accomplished in the world.

I'd rather stick with the reality of the world around us and navigate through a realistic straightforward lens , resulting in more pragmatic boots on the ground people coming out of the educational system.
 

Audie

Veteran Member
I think ideological thoughts are not terrible , but there's very little practical value in addressing something that just cannot be accomplished in the world.

I'd rather stick with the reality of the world around us , and navigate through them through a realistic lens
Not inherently "terrible". Thoughts
put into action can be. Unintended
consequences can be.

We recall words of the noted american
Philosoper Thoreau, to theeffect that
" if I knew someone was headed my way to
do me good, I would run for my life."
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Again too vague and general.

And "diversity" in a team is likely the
last thing you want.
So what was your answer again? Do nothing? (When I taught, I did as much 'different culture' stuff as I could within the bounds of the given curricula.)
 

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Millions of years of evolution have hard-wired small-band tribalism into our psyches. Never before in primate history has cultural diversity, specialization, or even social hierarchy, been a feature.
Legislation will not rewire our brains, but social and educational indoctrination can lay down a veneer of extra-Dunbar coöperation and tolerance. This must be constantly reïnforced, It's easily stripped away.
 
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Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Romanticised ideologies like liberty, democracy, equal rights and justice? I think the world needs to hear more about that sort of stuff, even if perfect adherence to such principles is unattainable in practice.
It's no good to anyone if there is no pragmatic way to move foreword. That means being a realist before being an ideologist.
 
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