The teachings
of Baha’u’llah are vast in their scope, exploring as they do such themes as the
nature and purpose of Revelation, the inherent nobility of the human being, the
cultivation of spiritual qualities, and humanity’s interactions with the
natural world. The Bahá’í Writings are also replete with references to
universal peace—“the supreme goal of all mankind”—as well as explanations of
the social principles with which this peace is associated.
Among these
principles are the independent search after truth; the oneness of the entire
human race, which is the pivotal principle of the Bahá’í Faith; the abolition
of all forms of prejudice; the harmony which must exist between religion and
science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of
humankind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the
adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of
wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of
disputes between nations; and the confirmation of justice as the ruling
principle in human affairs. Bahá’ís do not view these principles as mere
statements of vague aspiration—they are understood as matters of immediate and
practical concern for individuals, communities, and institutions alike.
In October
1985, the Universal House of Justice announced the publication of a letter
addressed to the generality of humankind on the subject of universal peace,
titled “The Promise of World Peace”. Explaining the reasons underlying the
Bahá’í community’s confidence in the advent of international peace as the next
stage in the evolution of society, it stated plainly:
The Great
Peace towards which people of goodwill throughout the centuries have inclined
their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed
their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred scriptures of mankind
have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the
nations. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the
entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective.
World peace is not only possible but inevitable.
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