Bahaism and Its Claims: A Study of the Religion Promulgated by Baha Ullah and Abdul BahaWilson, Samuel Graham
Religion
Bahaism and Its Claims: A Study of the Religion Promulgated by Baha Ullah and Abdul Baha
Wilson, Samuel Graham
Bahai Faith -- Controversial literature
Another Bahai scheme to promote unity is the adoption of one language to
be a universal language; another is the amalgamation of all the races by
the marriage of blacks and whites, and all indiscriminately; another is
the discouragement of patriotism or any special love for one's country
or people, teaching an internationalism in the words, "Let not him glory
who loves his country, but let him glory who loves his kind." These
points need not detain us, nor need we stop to enlarge on the fact that
the new calendar, feasts, rites, laws, weights and measures, etc., tend
to disunion.
_The claims of Bahaism in regard to its relation to the movement for
peace and arbitration_ require consideration. Abdul Baha at Boston[106]
said: "Baha Ullah spread the teaching of Universal Peace sixty years
ago, when it was _not even thought of_ by the people. He sent tablets to
kings advising this." He wrote to Mr. Smiley of Lake Mohonk, "The matter
of International Peace was instituted by His Highness, Baha Ullah, sixty
years ago in Persia." Dreyfus[107] says: "Long before these ideas, i.
e., peace, brotherhood and arbitration, had taken form among us, at a
time when the Bab himself had sometimes excused the use of arms for the
propagation of religion, Baha Ullah had made these high principles the
one basis of his religion." Remey[108] states this claim yet more
strongly, saying: "Peace, arbitration, in fact universal civilization
_were unthought of_, when over half a century ago these teachers (Baha
Ullah and Abdul Baha) announced their message." Again, "Christ states
that His dispensation is to be a militant one, which would be followed
by another of peace. Baha Ullah has now brought that peace to the world.
He is the Prince of Peace who has established the foundations of peace
on earth."[109]
Now as to the facts. Bahaism certainly does advocate peace and
arbitration, in common with Tolstoism, socialism and many schools of
thought. Baha said to Professor Browne at Acca, in 1886: "This fruitless
strife, these ruinous wars shall pass away and the Most Great Peace
shall come. These strifes and this bloodshed and discord must cease and
all men be as one kindred and one family." In accordance with this,
Abdul Baha declares[110] universal peace and an international Court of
Arbitration to be fundamental principles of Bahaism. The Court will be
called the House of Justice and will be composed entirely of Bahais.
"Disputes will find a final sentence of absolute justice ... before the
Bahai House of Justice. War will be suppressed."[111]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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