Why aren’t we learning?

[loverofhumanity]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. Wars have plagued us for centuries and religions continue to conflict.

Why aren’t we learning lessons from our past? We have billions of religious people but no peace.

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

 

[JustGeorge]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. wars have plagued us for centuries and religions continue to conflict.

Why aren’t we learning lessons from our past? We have billions of religious people but no peace.

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

The US celebrated 'Juneteenth' yesterday. So, I wouldn't say there's no social progress at all...

I'm not sure these things are linear, though. Things will improve in one area, decline in another. And so it goes, and goes...

Materially, as well. Lifespans here are declining, and its harder for this generation to make ends meet than it was for the generation before it.

It'll all keep changing...

But, in my opinion, spirituality is personal. It has nothing to do with progressing and declining.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. ...

Absolutely.

Slavery is a universally accepted social standard, women are predominantly viewed as property (except, perhaps, for a few employed as temple prostitutes), child sacrifice is a widely embraced, while petty rulers posture and promote themselves as gods.

If only we could make at least some progress.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Absolutely.

Slavery is a universally accepted social standard, women are predominantly viewed as property (except, perhaps, for a few employed as temple prostitutes), child sacrifice is a widely embraced, while petty rulers posture and promote themselves as gods.

If only we could make at least some progress.

Thats what I’m referring to. People like Vivian Silver.

 

[F1fan]

It’s apparent that the religious traditions have not prepared people to evolve socially, and in many ways cause social retardation and conflict. Look at Christian nationalism and creationism in the USA, they are not only inhibiting progress but causing intolerance.

No religion has really been able to prepare people living in technologically advancing societies to manage the challenges. What we need are experts in the social sciences to help guide young people and societies to understand and manage how we live.

The affects of social media on young people is having serious consequences and experts are identifying the causes and proposing solutions. We see religious people and right wing politicians saying that science can’t be trusted and to fall back on obsolete and failed traditions.

If you want progress you need to be progressive.

 

[Link]

There is progress to a great degree. However, why haven't we reached justice and peace?

(1) It's because believers trusted disbelievers too much. They really believed all that talk about human rights was sincere at a point.

(2) It's because "believers" don't enjoin good and forbid evil like they should, and as such majority of "Muslims" end up loving dunya and failing their duty towards God.

(3) It's because sorcery of Iblis and his forces has never been taken seriously. As a result people are still blind to the family of Mohammad (s) in the Quran and other things like being blind to slavery never being allowed by God.

(4) Believers who know better are not striving hard enough in God's way.

(5) People despair at meeting Imam Mahdi (a) and don't prepare themselves to meet him and accept his miracles and words and personality as a result, few participate in God's plans on laylatal Qadr.

(6) Apathy towards unjust rulers ruling Muslim nations is due to love of dunya and Muslims have become apathetic towards unity and justice.

(7) The falsehood has upper hand so still most of the world does not know the truth.

My answers all keep in mind that only believers can set aright things and is not expected of disbelievers and that the earth can only set aright with a leader from God.

 

[icehorse]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. Wars have plagued us for centuries and religions continue to conflict.

Why aren’t we learning lessons from our past? We have billions of religious people but no peace.

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

Many reasons:

- The worldwide oligarchy is keeping billions of people financially unstable and hence fearful.
- Magical thinking is often the result of being fearful, and it's easier than critical thinking.
- Humans are very susceptible to propaganda.
- Religion tends to be divisive.

Please, let's not conflate spirituality with religion. Religions largely despoil spirituality

 

[Quintessence]

Setting aside for the moment that I don't believe in the myth of progress since it is axiomatic for the purposes of the opening post...

... I just don't agree that that there hasn't been so-called "progress" on these fronts. Perhaps more importantly, religious journeys are inherently personal and individual. It doesn't make sense to measure and compare to the entire species as a whole. Look at individual human lives. I started off as a kid as one of those idiot religion-hating atheists and today I have a flourishing religious practice that continues to bring joy and happiness to not just my life, but those of others. Others can call that a failure if they want, but I sure won't.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. Wars have plagued us for centuries and religions continue to conflict.

Why aren’t we learning lessons from our past? We have billions of religious people but no peace.

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

Probably because the older generations that had learned their life lessons pass away ,and new generations have to learn their own lessons themselves, because they in general ignore the older generation, so the cycle starts all over again.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Thats what I’m referring to. People like Vivian Silver.

Please don't presume to leverage the death of Vivian Silver. It's shallow and disrespectful.

You wrote: "Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. ..."
For the record: Mankind did not kill this peace activist. Terrorists did.

 

[Rival]

What would this progress look like to you?

 

[sun rise]

I take the OP to mean why is spiritual progress so slow.

Part of the answer is readiness. Real progress means that the old structures must give way to new ones and people resist change, especially drastic change even if it's beneficial.

 

[CG Didymus]

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms.

Not at all? Not even you and the other Baha'is in the world?

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

You, supposedly, know the answer and you know how to fix the problem. People have got to listen to God's latest manifestation. He, it is believed, is the "Divine Physician." Any answers the rest of us might give is probably wrong.

So socially, what does the Baha'i Faith believe is needed? Equality of men and woman? That's happening. Equality of the races? Slowly getting better. But how much did Baha'is participate in these things happening?

Spiritually? Lots of choices out there on how to become more spiritual. Meditate? Pray? What is the Baha'i answer to this? Everyone get together and love everybody?

But the Baha'is have an answer to control materialism too. Baha'is say to abolish the extremes of wealth and poverty. And what else? The Baha'i Faith has a plan to make everything work just like God had planned. What is that plan?

You could tell everybody, but that's the problem... will anybody believe you and believe that plan will work?

 

[Vinayaka]

Not at all? Not even you and the other Baha'is in the world?

You, supposedly, know the answer and you know how to fix the problem. People have got to listen to God's latest manifestation. He, it is believed, is the "Divine Physician." Any answers the rest of us might give is probably wrong.

So socially, what does the Baha'i Faith believe is needed? Equality of men and woman? That's happening. Equality of the races? Slowly getting better. But how much did Baha'is participate in these things happening?

Spiritually? Lots of choices out there on how to become more spiritual. Meditate? Pray? What is the Baha'i answer to this? Everyone get together and love everybody?

But the Baha'is have an answer to control materialism too. Baha'is say to abolish the extremes of wealth and poverty. And what else? The Baha'i Faith has a plan to make everything work just like God had planned. What is that plan?

You could tell everybody, but that's the problem... will anybody believe you and believe that plan will work?

Hey, you're not supposed to finish the bait and switch tactic for them. That's too smart for a non-______.

 

[Spice]

IMO, this world is a place created for the purpose of advancing one's soul to true sanctification. It is also my opinion that Jesus was the first to meet that spiritual goal and that is why he said he would be seen no more. Revelation says he is the Father's first born of the dead and is now a pillar never "to go out any more."

Of course I don't know the secrets of the Great Mystery, but reincarnation and the individual soul's journey to sanctification over however many lives it takes, makes the Tanaka and the Gospels come together for me. So, if the Preacher is adamant in Ecclesiastes that nothing is new under the son, and all else is vanity (or vapor), and Jesus preached of "conquering the world" for the kingdom "in our mist" as well as we will pay "every last copper," then it makes sense that conditions of humanity is progressing slowly, because once a soul meets sanctification they are out of the rebirth cycle, leaving only we strugglers here to improve The Way for others to follow.

 

[CG Didymus]

Hey, you're not supposed to finish the bait and switch tactic for them. That's too smart for a non-______.

Yeah, if they have the answer, let's hear it. But really, no progress on spirituality? I've grown a little bit just by everybody here sharing their beliefs.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. Wars have plagued us for centuries and religions continue to conflict.

Why aren’t we learning lessons from our past? We have billions of religious people but no peace.

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

Perhaps this is not so much a religious question as it is one of the science of human nature. I suggest looking into E.O. Wilson's "On Human Nature," or Professor Jacob Needleman's "Why Can't We Be Good." Needleman, by the way, is religious, so you might wonder why I would recommend him -- it's because he is a very profound thinker, and deserves to be heard. I don't agree with everything he says, but I am awed by his insights.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

It’s apparent that the religious traditions have not prepared people to evolve socially, and in many ways cause social retardation and conflict. Look at Christian nationalism and creationism in the USA, they are not only inhibiting progress but causing intolerance.

No religion has really been able to prepare people living in technologically advancing societies to manage the challenges. What we need are experts in the social sciences to help guide young people and societies to understand and manage how we live.

The affects of social media on young people is having serious consequences and experts are identifying the causes and proposing solutions. We see religious people and right wing politicians saying that science can’t be trusted and to fall back on obsolete and failed traditions.

If you want progress you need to be progressive.

And to be progressive, the very first thing you have to do is know where the hell you are! And then where you want to be, and identify the roadblocks and how to avoid them. That is why I constantly come back to the need to understand our own human nature. That is, of course, one of the core themes of Humanism.

 

[Trailblazer]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. Wars have plagued us for centuries and religions continue to conflict.

Why aren’t we learning lessons from our past? We have billions of religious people but no peace.

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

As @JustGeorge said, mankind has made some social progress, and we are continuing to make more as time goes on.

I believe that the reason humanity has not made much spiritual progress is because humans have become increasingly materialistic.
I don't believe the Baha'i Faith is needed for humans to make spiritual progress, because the Bible contains all that would be necessary for mankind to progress spiritually. The problem is that most people don't follow the teachings of Jesus and take them seriously because they are so attached to material things and things of the flesh.

 

[Madsaac]

Humanity has come a long way scientifically. We are able to reach for the stars and communicate instantly over thousands of miles.

Yet mankind has not advanced in the social or spiritual realms. Wars have plagued us for centuries and religions continue to conflict.

Why aren’t we learning lessons from our past? We have billions of religious people but no peace.

Why has humanity failed to progress socially and spiritually but only materially?

I think humanity has made progress socially and spiritually, for example, just look at the increase in women's rights and I think our tolerance of different backgrounds have improved as well.

Religion has many positive sides to it but may I say that these improvements have gained more momentum with reduction in religious beliefs, it's no coincidence.

Before science, most people were religious, but that has certainly changed over the last few hundred years, in line with our increasing acceptance of others.