BAHA'I thread III - feel free to ask of Baha'i any questions

[arthra]

Rinnie wrote above:

So it is IMPOSSIBLE for Baha’i to be conceived without original sin, unless you can prove his Mother and Father were saved from it also.

Could you show me that teaching?

My comment:

Well Rennie my understanding is that Baha’is don’t believe in “original sin”… that’s what many Christians believe so it’s not our belief to begin with…

*But the mass of the Christians believe that, as Adam ate of the forbidden tree, He sinned in that He disobeyed, and that the disastrous consequences of this disobedience have been transmitted as a heritage and have remained among His descendants. Hence Adam became the cause of the death of humanity. This explanation is unreasonable and evidently wrong, for it means that all men, even the Prophets and the Messengers of God, without committing any sin or fault, but simply because they are the posterity of Adam, have become without reason guilty sinners, and until the day of the sacrifice of Christ were held captive in hell in painful torment. This is far from the justice of God. If Adam was a sinner, what is the sin of Abraham? What is the fault of Isaac, or of Joseph? Of what is Moses guilty?

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 120

 

[arthra]

Rinnie asked:
*
Do you guys have baptism? Why if you do? ANd if you do not why?

My reply:

Briefly Rinnie Baha’is do not practice any ritual of “Baptism” as you do in Christianity.

The performance of baptismal celebration would cleanse the body, but the spirit hath no share; but the divine teachings and the exhortations of the Beauty of ABHA will baptize the soul. This is the real baptism. I hope that thou wilt receive this baptism.

*~ Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v2, p. 327

Some Baha’is do have a “naming ceremony” but it’s not a required ritual*:

“Thou hast asked regarding the naming of children: When thou wishest to name a babe, prepare a meeting therefore; chant the verses and communes, and supplicate and implore the Threshold of Oneness and beg the attainment of guidance for the babe and wish confirmated firmness and constancy; then give the name and enjoy beverage and sweet-meat. This is spiritual baptism.”

~ 'Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of 'Abdu’l-Bahá, pp. 149-150)

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 138)

 

[SteveVH]

Rinnie wrote above:

So it is IMPOSSIBLE for Baha’i to be conceived without original sin, unless you can prove his Mother and Father were saved from it also.

Could you show me that teaching?

My comment:

Well Rennie my understanding is that Baha’is don’t believe in “original sin”… that’s what many Christians believe so it’s not our belief to begin with…

*But the mass of the Christians believe that, as Adam ate of the forbidden tree, He sinned in that He disobeyed, and that the disastrous consequences of this disobedience have been transmitted as a heritage and have remained among His descendants. Hence Adam became the cause of the death of humanity. This explanation is unreasonable and evidently wrong, for it means that all men, even the Prophets and the Messengers of God, without committing any sin or fault, but simply because they are the posterity of Adam, have become without reason guilty sinners, and until the day of the sacrifice of Christ were held captive in hell in painful torment. This is far from the justice of God. If Adam was a sinner, what is the sin of Abraham? What is the fault of Isaac, or of Joseph? Of what is Moses guilty?

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 120

Well, Abdu’l-Baha didn’t understand the Christian position very well at all then. No Christian believes that those who had died prior to Christ’s sacrifice were “held captive in hell in painful torment”. He also has no idea whatsoever of the Christian doctrine of original sin. After reading this, I would not trust a word the man said or wrote when commenting on Christianity and its doctrines. He obviously spent no time in learning about that which he comments.

 

[arthra]

Well, Abdu’l-Baha didn’t understand the Christian position very well at all then. No Christian believes that those who had died prior to Christ’s sacrifice were “held captive in hell in painful torment”. He also has no idea whatsoever of the Christian doctrine of original sin. After reading this, I would not trust a word the man said or wrote when commenting on Christianity and its doctrines.

Nonetheless Steve… We don’t accept “original sin”…

original sin

noun 1. Theology . a. a depravity, or tendency to evil, held to be innate in humankind and transmitted from Adam to the race in consequence of his sin.

b. inclination to evil, inherent in human nature.

1. Roman Catholic Theology . the privation of sanctifying grace in consequence of the sin of Adam.

 

[SteveVH]

Nonetheless Steve… We don’t accept “original sin”…

original sin

noun 1. Theology . a. a depravity, or tendency to evil, held to be innate in humankind and transmitted from Adam to the race in consequence of his sin.

b. inclination to evil, inherent in human nature.

1. Roman Catholic Theology . the privation of sanctifying grace in consequence of the sin of Adam.

It doesn’t matter if you accept it. If one is going to criticize it then they should criticize what is really believed, not what is incorrectly asserted by the one criticizing. That is called building a straw man. It is evident from his comments that he doesn’t understand the doctrine, therefore he cannot credibly criticize the doctrine.

 

[frazelle09]

Hello all. This is my first, humble post. i was looking over this exciting thread and thought i might be able to contribute something…

Apart from power of the Word Itself to prove to someone the validity of Their claim to be the Mouthpiece of God for Their Day perhaps we could also take into account other “signs” which might help us see if we are on the right track, so to speak.

One of the “other” signs which this thread has tried to address are the miracles that are associated with each of the Manifestations of God. In the previous religions great emphasis was placed on these as proof of validity. In my understanding of Bahá’í, Bahá’u’lláh Himself has instructed the believers not to place any emphasis on the miracles associated with His Ministry.

However, each Manifestation of God has made predictions about future events that individuals can corroborate.

Each Manifestation has stated that They speak with the Voice of God.

Each One brings Teachings that they say that when they are put into practice will bring about certain desirable states in humanity - love, peace, unity, elimination of prejudice, well-being, etc.

And, finally and probably not the last, each one has created a civilization, founded on His Teachings. These civilizations are born, grow and flourish and gradually die out, but they are proof of the efficacy of the Spirit breathed into mankind at a certain stage of its development and provide the foundation for the appearance of the next Manifestation of the outpouring Grace of a loving Creator.

i hope that the above lends some light to this wonderful thread.

Have a great afternoon!

 

[SteveVH]

Hello all. This is my first, humble post. i was looking over this exciting thread and thought i might be able to contribute something…

You are very welcome here.

Apart from power of the Word Itself to prove to someone the validity of Their claim to be the Mouthpiece of God for Their Day perhaps we could also take into account other “signs” which might help us see if we are on the right track, so to speak.

Good idea!

One of the “other” signs which this thread has tried to address are the miracles that are associated with each of the Manifestations of God. In the previous religions great emphasis was placed on these as proof of validity. In my understanding of Bahá’í, Bahá’u’lláh Himself has instructed the believers not to place any emphasis on the miracles associated with His Ministry.

Yes, we have discussed some of those.

However, each Manifestation of God has made predictions about future events that individuals can corroborate.

Each Manifestation has stated that They speak with the Voice of God.

Each One brings Teachings that they say that when they are put into practice will bring about certain desirable states in humanity - love, peace, unity, elimination of prejudice, well-being, etc.

What about forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life. Only Christ suffices.

And, finally and probably not the last, each one has created a civilization, founded on His Teachings. These civilizations are born, grow and flourish and gradually die out, but they are proof of the efficacy of the Spirit breathed into mankind at a certain stage of its development and provide the foundation for the appearance of the next Manifestation of the outpouring Grace of a loving Creator.

The Catholic Church has been around now for about 2000 years and is not close to dying out; in fact its number increase each year. When do you think it should start dying out?

 

[daler]

Another problem you claim Baha’i was sinless. How?

Did he have a human mother and father? If so this is a false statement.

Jesus had a human Mother. She was saved from original sin at the MOMENT of her conception by God.

So she can be called sinless.

We are all born into original sin at the moment of our conception. We are saved from Original sin in Baptism.

Do you guys have baptism? Why if you do? ANd if you do not why?

So it is IMPOSSIBLE for Baha’i to be conceived without original sin, unless you can prove his Mother and Father were saved from it also.

Could you show me that teaching?

If I am not mistaken you guys deny sin at all. Or am I wrong.

I have been so busy the last few weeks and haven’t got to read everything. So sorry if that was answered.

Rinnie,
. Thank you for your posts and the spirit of good will and obvious sincerity. As Arthra has mentioned, Baha’is do not believe in the concept of “original sin”, thus the distinction of deriving divinity from having no earthly father is not considered a test for whether or not Jesus was the Messiah. (We would likewise agree that His Mother Mary was not guilty of original sin.)

. Adam was without father “or” mother. So was Eve, unless Adam’s rib is counted.

. Then there is Melchizadec:

. “This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means ‘king of righteousness’; then also, ‘king of Salem’ means ‘king of peace.’ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” Hebrews 7:1-10

. As to “sin”

"O Son of Man!

Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to this I bear witness."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us:—

. “The worst human quality and the most great sin is backbiting, more especially when it emanates from the tongues of the believers of God. If some means were devised so that the doors of backbiting could be shut eternally, and each one of the believers of God unsealed his lips in praise of others, then the teachings of His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh would be spread, the hearts illumined, the spirits glorified, and the human world would attain to everlasting felicity.”

 

[daler]

You only need to seek “independent verification” if you are going to require it of others, which you have.

Steve,
. The following is probably not what you have specifically asked, concerning independent historical accounts of events during Baha’u’llah’s lifetime, but you may find it interesting.

. These are a few of the many headlines across the country during Abdul Baha’s 9 month visit to America in 1912.

centenary.bahai.us/news

 

[arthra]

Arthra, which of is these quotes is from an independent source not associated with the Baha’i faith?

Thanks.

These are from Western diplomats and scholars:

Well the sources in bold are from non-Baha’i sources…

At the same time, they seized the Báb and tied him again to the fatal post. This time the execution was effective. Muhammadan justice and ecclesiastical law had asserted themselves. But the crowd, vividly impressed by the spectacle they had witnessed, dispersed slowly, hardly convinced that the Báb was a criminal. After all his crime was only a crime for the legalists and the world is indulgent toward crimes which it does not understand." (M.C. Huart’s “La Religion du Báb,” pp. 3-4.) “An extraordinary thing happened, unique in the annals of the history of humanity: the bullets cut the cords that held the Báb and he fell on his feet without a scratch.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid Ali-Muhammad dit le Báb,” p. 375.) "By a strange coincidence, the bullet only touched the cords which bound the Báb, they were broken and he felt himself free. Uproar and shouts arose on all sides, no one understanding at first what it was all about." (Ibid., p. 379.)]

(Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 514)

M.C. Huart was a French orientalist who wrote an early study of Babism
archive.org/details/8ZSUP92_64

A.L.M. Nichols was a French consular official in Iran

Regarding Tahireh also known as Qurratu’l-'Ayn:

The other missionary, the woman to whom I refer, had come to Qazvin. She was without doubt, at the same time, the object of the Bábís highest veneration and one of the most strikingly fascinating manifestations of that religion." (Comte de Gobineau’s “Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” p. 136.) “Many who have known her and heard her at different times have stated that, for a person so learned and so well read, the outstanding characteristic of her discourse was an amazing simplicity and still, when she spoke, her audience was deeply stirred and filled with admiration, often in tears.” (Ibid., p. 150.) “Although the Muhammadans and Bábís speak in the highest terms of the beauty of ‘Consolation of the Eyes,’ it is beyond dispute that the intelligence and character of this young woman were even more remarkable than has been related. Having heard, almost daily, learned conversations, it seems that, at an early age, she had taken a deep interest in them; hence it came about that she was perfectly able to follow the subtle arguments of her father, her uncle, her cousin and now her husband, and even to debate with them and frequently to astonish them with the power and keenness of her mind. In Persia, one does not frequently see women engaged in intellectual pursuits but, nevertheless, it does sometimes occur. What is really extraordinary is to find a woman of the ability of Qurratu’l-'Ayn. Not only did she carry her knowledge of Arabic to an unusual degree of perfection, but she became also outstanding in the knowledge of the traditions of Islam and of the varied interpretations of the disputed passages of the Qur’án and of the great writers. In Qazvin, she was rightly considered a prodigy.” (Ibid., p. 137.)]

(Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 629)

**
Comte de Gobineau** above was a French diplomat stationed in Persia.

Not mentioned above but a detailed account provided of Babi history.
**
Professor E.G. Browne** (1862-1926) of Cambridge University who visited Iran and also travelled to 'Akka to meet Baha’u’llah and has left accounts of these journeys

See:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Granville_Browne

British diplomat

Sir Justin Shiel, Queen Victoria’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Tehran, wrote to Lord Palmerston, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on July 22, 1850, regarding the execution. The letter, can be found in its original form as document F.O. 60/152/88 in the archives of the Foreign Office at the Public Records Office in London.
**
Baron Viktor Rosen** (1849-1908), who was director of the Oriental Department of the University of St. Petersburg.

He saw the importance of studying the new religion and secured the assistance of a number of Russian consular officials and researchers in collecting manuscripts and gathering information…

patheos.com/Library/Bahai/Origins/Historical-Perspectives.html

and see:

bahai-library.com/ioannesyan_baron_rosens_collection

 

[PRmerger]

It is understandable that those who have no miracles to claim would deem them unnecessary.

True, this.

But there have been purported “miracles” stated in this thread:, i.e. the 750 soldiers and others. You only need to seek “independent verification” if you are going to require it of others, which you have.

'zactly.

 

[PRmerger]

There is no Catholic Faith, it seems, if the “physical” resurrection did not occur.

Exactly.

As the sacred writer professes: if Christ is not rise, our faith is in vain.

 

[PRmerger]

Every “day” in which a Manifestation appears, is a day of resurrection and judgement.

Yes. This is very Catholic, Sen!

This day of resurrection and judgement occurs each and every hour of the day in the Catholic universe, from the rising of the sun to its setting. For each and every hour of the day the sun is setting somewhere where the Catholic Holy Mass is being offered.

 

[daler]

Evil is being overcome where? In the west sexual licentiousness is growing at an ever increasing rate. In africa poverty and illiteracy are ever present. The islamic world is killing itself and its enemies. Where is evil being overcome exactly? I see the same old problem which only God with one magnificent sweep of his hand can fix and no other force. You may place your faith in humanity, but humanity has shown itself incapable time and time again.

Ignatian,
. My own understanding is that it takes some “real time” for the Message of any of the Manifestations of God to sink in, to be accepted, and the effect of the “teachings” then bares fruit. Hence, it is not accomplished in short order. It never has been. That would necessitate a cessation of free will, one of the inherent characteristics of being human.
. Rather, there is a gathering together and a separation taking place, as in the vision “For out of His Mouth goeth a two-edged sword”. Baha’u’llah says that as the sword is a dividing instrument, the Word of God also divides believer from non-believer. Not just at one moment, but historically, as civilization unfolds in response both to and from the Manifestation of God and the effects of His Word.

. “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. Each time that Most Mighty Instrument hath come, and that Light shone forth from the Ancient Dayspring, He was withheld by ignorant physicians who, even as clouds, interposed themselves between Him and the world. It failed, therefore, to recover, and its sickness hath persisted until this day. They indeed were powerless to protect it, or to effect a cure, whilst He Who hath been the Manifestation of Power amongst men was withheld from achieving His purpose, by reason of what the hands of the ignorant physicians have wrought.”

Summons of the Lord of Hosts

. Even as the religion brought by Moses took centuries to unfold, as did the teachings of Christ to take root, and the Dispensation of Muhammad to occur, we are as yet in the beginning stages of the Baha’i Cycle. Already the nations have responded in the creation first of the League of Nations, which was clearly insufficient, then the United Nations, which was a major improvement credited with preventing or lessening the unchecked spread of numerous wars, facilitating levels of international communication and cooperation never previously seen in human history. We have in fact come a long way from the automatic triggers which created WWI and WWII. Even today, we see consultation on the misuse of poison gas in Syria, in all the headlines, rather than the widespread use as in WWI, or the atomic warfare of WWII as being unacceptable. Hence, signs of progress are apparent.

 

[daler]

Yes. This is very Catholic, Sen!

This day of resurrection and judgement occurs each and every hour of the day in the Catholic universe, from the rising of the sun to its setting. For each and every hour of the day the sun is setting somewhere where the Catholic Holy Mass is being offered.

Explanation of “Resurrection” in writings of the Bab.

The Day of Resurrection is a day on which the sun riseth and setteth like unto
any other day. How oft hath the Day of Resurrection dawned, and the people of
the land where it occurred did not learn of the event. Had they heard, they
would not have believed, and thus they were not told!

When the Apostle of God [Muhammad] appeared, He did not announce unto the
unbelievers that the Resurrection had come, for they could not bear the news.
That Day is indeed an infinitely mighty Day, for in it the Divine Tree
proclaimeth from eternity unto eternity, `Verily, I am God. No God is there but
Me’. Yet those who are veiled believe that He is one like unto them, and they
refuse even to call Him a believer, although such a title in the realm of His
heavenly Kingdom is conferred everlastingly upon the most insignificant
follower of His previous Dispensation. Thus, had the people in the days of the
Apostle of God regarded Him at least as a believer of their time how would they
have debarred Him, for seven years while He was in the mountain, from access to
His Holy House [Ka’bah]? Likewise in this Dispensation of the Point of the
Bayán, if the people had not refused to concede the name believer unto Him, how
could they have incarcerated Him on this mountain, without realizing that the
quintessence of belief oweth its existence to a word from Him? Their hearts are
deprived of the power of true insight, and thus they cannot see, while those
endowed with the eyes of the spirit circle like moths round the Light of Truth
until they are consumed. It is for this reason that the Day of Resurrection is
said to be the greatest of all days, yet it is like unto any other day. VIII, 9.
– The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 78

Jesus says he is the “resurrection” with the same meaning as above – that is,
Jesus is the Prophet (“Son”) of God for that era. The “dead” who believe in him
refers to the spiritually dead who gain everlasting life by believing in Christ.

. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”

 

[PRmerger]

Jesus says he is the “resurrection” with the same meaning as above –

Absolutely not!

The “dead” who believe in him
refers to the spiritually dead who gain everlasting life by believing in Christ.

. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”

Amen!

 

[daler]

Absolutely not!

Amen!

. “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”

PR I would suggest that Jesus indeed resurrected the belief in God, which was the essence of the teachings of Moses, and that He gathered the fruit of the tree of the religion of Moses, which He planted. Jesus harvested the fruit of that sacred Tree, then, even as a seed is within the new fruit, planted the seed of His Faith, to be harvested by the next Manifestation of God.

There are always parallels in nature, from material to the spiritual, to be understood. Some seeds to not grow, and fail to mature, such that when the Owner of the Vineyard comes, they do not offer Him the fruit of belief in Him which was offered to them in the form of a seed in the previous season.

This is not the fault of Moses, that some of His seeds did not mature into fruit to be harvested by Jesus, nor is it the fault of Jesus that some of the seeds He planted are yet not ripe, for “free will” is an inherent characteristic of a spiritual seedling.

Even as Jesus said:

. “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”

. It is also true that “he that doth not believe, though he were alive, yet shall not live…”

 

[Servant19]

These are from Western diplomats and scholars:

Well the sources in bold are from non-Baha’i sources…

At the same time, they seized the Báb and tied him again to the fatal post. This time the execution was effective. Muhammadan justice and ecclesiastical law had asserted themselves. But the crowd, vividly impressed by the spectacle they had witnessed, dispersed slowly, hardly convinced that the Báb was a criminal. After all his crime was only a crime for the legalists and the world is indulgent toward crimes which it does not understand." (M.C. Huart’s “La Religion du Báb,” pp. 3-4.) “An extraordinary thing happened, unique in the annals of the history of humanity: the bullets cut the cords that held the Báb and he fell on his feet without a scratch.” (A. L. M. Nicolas’ “Siyyid Ali-Muhammad dit le Báb,” p. 375.) "By a strange coincidence, the bullet only touched the cords which bound the Báb, they were broken and he felt himself free. Uproar and shouts arose on all sides, no one understanding at first what it was all about." (Ibid., p. 379.)]

(Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 514)

M.C. Huart was a French orientalist who wrote an early study of Babism
archive.org/details/8ZSUP92_64

A.L.M. Nichols was a French consular official in Iran

Regarding Tahireh also known as Qurratu’l-'Ayn:

The other missionary, the woman to whom I refer, had come to Qazvin. She was without doubt, at the same time, the object of the Bábís highest veneration and one of the most strikingly fascinating manifestations of that religion." (Comte de Gobineau’s “Les Religions et les Philosophies dans l’Asie Centrale,” p. 136.) “Many who have known her and heard her at different times have stated that, for a person so learned and so well read, the outstanding characteristic of her discourse was an amazing simplicity and still, when she spoke, her audience was deeply stirred and filled with admiration, often in tears.” (Ibid., p. 150.) “Although the Muhammadans and Bábís speak in the highest terms of the beauty of ‘Consolation of the Eyes,’ it is beyond dispute that the intelligence and character of this young woman were even more remarkable than has been related. Having heard, almost daily, learned conversations, it seems that, at an early age, she had taken a deep interest in them; hence it came about that she was perfectly able to follow the subtle arguments of her father, her uncle, her cousin and now her husband, and even to debate with them and frequently to astonish them with the power and keenness of her mind. In Persia, one does not frequently see women engaged in intellectual pursuits but, nevertheless, it does sometimes occur. What is really extraordinary is to find a woman of the ability of Qurratu’l-'Ayn. Not only did she carry her knowledge of Arabic to an unusual degree of perfection, but she became also outstanding in the knowledge of the traditions of Islam and of the varied interpretations of the disputed passages of the Qur’án and of the great writers. In Qazvin, she was rightly considered a prodigy.” (Ibid., p. 137.)]

(Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 629)

**
Comte de Gobineau** above was a French diplomat stationed in Persia.

Not mentioned above but a detailed account provided of Babi history.
**
Professor E.G. Browne** (1862-1926) of Cambridge University who visited Iran and also travelled to 'Akka to meet Baha’u’llah and has left accounts of these journeys

See:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Granville_Browne

British diplomat

Sir Justin Shiel, Queen Victoria’s Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Tehran, wrote to Lord Palmerston, the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on July 22, 1850, regarding the execution. The letter, can be found in its original form as document F.O. 60/152/88 in the archives of the Foreign Office at the Public Records Office in London.
**
Baron Viktor Rosen** (1849-1908), who was director of the Oriental Department of the University of St. Petersburg.

He saw the importance of studying the new religion and secured the assistance of a number of Russian consular officials and researchers in collecting manuscripts and gathering information…

patheos.com/Library/Bahai/Origins/Historical-Perspectives.html

and see:

bahai-library.com/ioannesyan_baron_rosens_collection

Fascinating stuff arthra.

What a great collection of objective recollections you have put together!!

 

[Sen_McGlinn]

… I see the same old problem which only God with one magnificent sweep of his hand can fix and no other force. You may place your faith in humanity, but humanity has shown itself incapable time and time again.

Bahais tend to be irrepressibly optimistic, seeing the hand of God at work in all things.

There’s an article on this in Huffington Post today.

**Are We Becoming a World Civilization?
**
… Professor David Christian, who teaches “Big History” and started the “Big History Project” in collaboration with Bill Gates, notes … that you can see a clear trend, both in the evolution of the universe and of life on earth, towards ever greater levels of organization and complexity. …

Thomas Friedman, … describes how the forces that converged early in the twenty-first century will, if they continue, "be seen in time as one of those fundamental shifts or inflection points, like Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, the rise of the nation-state, or the Industrial Revolution – each of which … produced changes in the role of individuals, the role and form of governments, the ways business was done and wars were fought, the role of women, the forms religion and art took, and the way science and research were conducted… "…

According to the poll at the bottom, 94% of people who ready HuffPost articles about world civilization coming, think it’s coming soon to an outlet near you. and me. and, in fact, near all of us.

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

Interestingly the Baha’i revelation laid down all the laws to achieve this outcome. Baha’u’llah then sent letters to the leaders of the world and the churches.

They all rejected the Most Great Peace. Baha’u’llah then wrote again, told them of their downfall and now they had rejected the Most Great Peace they must cling to the lesser peace. Baha’u’llah then laid the foundation to achieve the Lesser Peace. To date the councils have not been fully put into practice.

There are numerous writings on this topic, here is one - reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BWF/bwf-6.html

Regards Tony

Following the bahai precepts would not end all evil. Death would still be around via abortion, via disease, via Murder and other matters. No matter all the laws you place on men, all the restrictions you will see evil still. Mankind cannot save itself, God must do it. But it seems bahai want to believe mankind can create a one universal government utopian society with them at the top and judging between all.