Contributing To The Civilisation-Building Proces
B aha'is across the globe,are striving to promote the principle of the oneness of humankind and the convictions anderpinning it: that the rational soul has no gender, race, ethnicity or class, a fact hat renders intolerable all forms of prejudice, not the least of which are those chat prevent women from fulfilling their Dotential.That the root cause of prejudice signorance, which can be overcome through educational processes, ensuring education does not become the property of aprivileged few. That science andreligion are two complementary systems of knowledge and practice by which human beings come to inderstand the world around them and chrough which civilisation advances; that celigion without science soon degenerates not superstition and fanaticism, while science without religion becomes the tool of crude materialism; that true prosperity. the fruit of a dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual requirements of life, will recede out of reach as long as consumerism continues to act as opium to the human soul. That justice, as a faculty of thesoul, enables the individual to distinguish truth from falsehood and guidesthe investigation of reality; that, when appropriately brought to bear on social issues, justice is the single most important instrument for the establishment of unity; that work performed in the spirit of service to one's fellow human beings is a form of prayer, a means of worshipping God. The Baha'i community is dedicated to the long-term process of learning that this task entails, an enterprise in which increasing numbers from all walks of life, from every human group, are invited to take part. How to bring people of different back grounds together in an environment which, devoid of the constant threat of conflict and distinguished by its devotional character, encourages them to put aside the divisive ways of a partisan mindset, fosters higher degrees of unity of thought and action, and elicits wholehearted participation? How to administer the affairs of a community in which there is norulingclass with priestly functions that can lay claim to distinction or privilege; how to enable people to break free from the confines of passivity and the chains of oppression in orderto engage in activities conduciveto their spiritual, social and intellectual development; how to help youth navigate through a crucial stage of their lives and become empowered to direct their energies towards the advancement of civilisation? How to create dynamics within the family unit that lead to material and spiritual prosperity without instillintherising generations feelings of estment towards an illusory "other" orrring any instinct to exploit those relertothis category? Howto make it possifor decision making to benefit fromadiversity of perspectives through a coative process which, understood as thcollective investigation of reality, prodetachment from personal views, givimportance to valid empirical informdoes not raise mere opinion to the staof fact or definetruth as the compronbetween opposing interest groups? To explore questions such as thesand the many others certain to arise.Baha'i community has adoptedamooperation characterised by action, retion, consultation and study-studyinvolves not only constant referencewritings of the Faith but also the scieanalysis of patterns unfolding.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are A Baha'i Approach views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: A Baha'i Approach and Speaking Tree,Times of India
Contributing To The Civilisation-Building Proces
B aha'is across the globe,are striving to promote the principle of the oneness of humankind and the convictions anderpinning it: that the rational soul has no gender, race, ethnicity or class, a fact hat renders intolerable all forms of prejudice, not the least of which are those chat prevent women from fulfilling their Dotential.That the root cause of prejudice signorance, which can be overcome through educational processes, ensuring education does not become the property of aprivileged few. That science andreligion are two complementary systems of knowledge and practice by which human beings come to inderstand the world around them and chrough which civilisation advances; that celigion without science soon degenerates not superstition and fanaticism, while science without religion becomes the tool of crude materialism; that true prosperity. the fruit of a dynamic coherence between the material and spiritual requirements of life, will recede out of reach as long as consumerism continues to act as opium to the human soul. That justice, as a faculty of thesoul, enables the individual to distinguish truth from falsehood and guidesthe investigation of reality; that, when appropriately brought to bear on social issues, justice is the single most important instrument for the establishment of unity; that work performed in the spirit of service to one's fellow human beings is a form of prayer, a means of worshipping God. The Baha'i community is dedicated to the long-term process of learning that this task entails, an enterprise in which increasing numbers from all walks of life, from every human group, are invited to take part. How to bring people of different back grounds together in an environment which, devoid of the constant threat of conflict and distinguished by its devotional character, encourages them to put aside the divisive ways of a partisan mindset, fosters higher degrees of unity of thought and action, and elicits wholehearted participation? How to administer the affairs of a community in which there is norulingclass with priestly functions that can lay claim to distinction or privilege; how to enable people to break free from the confines of passivity and the chains of oppression in orderto engage in activities conduciveto their spiritual, social and intellectual development; how to help youth navigate through a crucial stage of their lives and become empowered to direct their energies towards the advancement of civilisation? How to create dynamics within the family unit that lead to material and spiritual prosperity without instillintherising generations feelings of estment towards an illusory "other" orrring any instinct to exploit those relertothis category? Howto make it possifor decision making to benefit fromadiversity of perspectives through a coative process which, understood as thcollective investigation of reality, prodetachment from personal views, givimportance to valid empirical informdoes not raise mere opinion to the staof fact or definetruth as the compronbetween opposing interest groups? To explore questions such as thesand the many others certain to arise.Baha'i community has adoptedamooperation characterised by action, retion, consultation and study-studyinvolves not only constant referencewritings of the Faith but also the scieanalysis of patterns unfolding.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are A Baha'i Approach views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: A Baha'i Approach and Speaking Tree,Times of India