Bahá'u'lláh and the New EraEsslemont, J. E. (John Ebenezer)
Religion
Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era
Esslemont, J. E. (John Ebenezer)
Bahai Faith; Bahá'u'lláh, 1817-1892
Now I want to tell you about the law of God. According to the
divine law, employees should not be paid merely by wages. Nay,
rather they should be partners in every work. The question of
socialization is very difficult. It will not be solved by strikes
for wages. All the governments of the world must be united, and
organize an assembly, the members of which shall be elected from
the parliaments and the noble ones of the nations. These must plan
with wisdom and power, so that neither the capitalists suffer
enormous losses, nor the laborers become needy. In the utmost
moderation they should make the law, then announce to the public
that the rights of the working people are to be effectively
preserved; also the rights of the capitalists are to be protected.
When such a general law is adopted, by the will of both sides,
should a strike occur, all the governments of the world should
collectively resist it. Otherwise the work will lead to much
destruction, especially in Europe. Terrible things will take
place.
One of the several causes of a universal European war will be this
question. The owners of properties, mines and factories, should
share their incomes with their employees, and give a fairly
certain percentage of their profits to their workingmen, in order
that the employees should receive, besides their wages, some of
the general income of the factory, so that the employee may strive
with his soul in the work.
Bequest and Inheritance
Bahá’u’lláh states that a person should be free to dispose of his
possessions during his lifetime in any way he chooses, and it is incumbent
on everyone to write a will stating how his property is to be disposed of
after his death. When a person dies without leaving a will, the value of
the property should be estimated and divided in certain state proportions
among seven classes of inheritors, namely, children, wife or husband,
father, mother, brothers, sisters and teachers, the share of each
diminishing from the first to the last. In the absence of one or more of
these classes, the share which would belong to them goes to the public
treasury, to be expended on the poor, the fatherless and the widows, or on
useful public works. If the deceased has no heirs, then all his property
goes to the public treasury.
There is nothing in the law of Bahá’u’lláh to prevent a man from leaving
all his property to one individual if he pleases, but Bahá’ís will
naturally be influenced, in making their wills, by the model Bahá’u’lláh
has laid down for the case of intestate estates, which ensures
distribution of property among a considerable number of heirs.
Equality of Men and Women
One of the social principles to which Bahá’u’lláh attaches great
importance is that women should be regarded as the equals of men and
should enjoy equal rights and privileges, equal education and equal
opportunities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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