Bahai Faith; Peace -- Religious aspects -- Bahai Faith
Furthermore, the education of woman is more necessary and important than
that of man, for woman is the trainer of the child from its infancy. If
she be defective and imperfect herself, the child will necessarily be
deficient; therefore, imperfection of woman implies a condition of
imperfection in all mankind, for it is the mother who rears, nurtures and
guides the growth of the child. This is not the function of the father. If
the educator be incompetent, the educated will be correspondingly lacking.
This is evident and incontrovertible. Could the student be brilliant and
accomplished if the teacher is illiterate and ignorant? The mothers are
the first educators of mankind; if they be imperfect, alas for the
condition and future of the race.
Again, it is well established in history that where woman has not
participated in human affairs the outcomes have never attained a state of
completion and perfection. On the other hand, every influential
undertaking of the human world wherein woman has been a participant has
attained importance. This is historically true and beyond disproof even in
religion. Jesus Christ had twelve disciples and among His followers a
woman known as Mary Magdalene. Judas Iscariot had become a traitor and
hypocrite, and after the crucifixion the remaining eleven disciples were
wavering and undecided. It is certain from the evidence of the Gospels
that the one who comforted them and reestablished their faith was Mary
Magdalene.
The world of humanity consists of two parts: male and female. Each is the
complement of the other. Therefore, if one is defective, the other will
necessarily be incomplete, and perfection cannot be attained. There is a
right hand and a left hand in the human body, functionally equal in
service and administration. If either proves defective, the defect will
naturally extend to the other by involving the completeness of the whole;
for accomplishment is not normal unless both are perfect. If we say one
hand is deficient, we prove the inability and incapacity of the other; for
single-handed there is no full accomplishment. Just as physical
accomplishment is complete with two hands, so man and woman, the two parts
of the social body, must be perfect. It is not natural that either should
remain undeveloped; and until both are perfected, the happiness of the
human world will not be realized.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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