WORLDORDER

APRIL, 1945

E s s e n t i a l B a h á T T e a c h i n g s — Horace Holley

A N e w A t t i t u d e in E d u c a t i o n — Phyllis Hall

A N e w R h y t h m , Editorial — Garreta Busey

T h e P o w e r t o U n i f y t h e W o r l d — Seymour Weinberg

“ L e t D e e d s , N o t W o r d s B e Y o u r A d o r n in g ”— Mary A. McClennen

T e a c h i n g b y t h e E a r l y A m e r i c a n B e l i e v e r s — Mariam Haney

V is io n , Poem — Clara E. Hill

S p i r i t u a l H o u s e c l e a n i n g — Marguerite True

W i t h O u r R e a d e r s

15c

THE BAHAM MAGAZINE

World Order was founded March 21, 1910 as Bahai News, the first organ of the American Bahà’is. In March, 1911, its title was changed to Star of the West. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appeared under the name of The Bahai Magazine. The issue of April, 1935 carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bahai Maga­zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. The present number represents Volume XXXVI of the continuous Bahà’i publication.

WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, HI., by the Publishing Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahà’is of the United States and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, Gertrude K. Henning, Horace Holley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.

Editorial Office Mrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

69 A b b otsford Road, W in n etk a , III.

Publication Office 110 Linden A venue, W ilm e tte , III.

C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A.

A pril, 1945, Volum e XI, Number 1

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States; its territories and posses­sions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 15c. Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to World Order Magazine, 110 L'nden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. Entered as second class matter April 1, 1940, at the post office at Wilmette, 111., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1944 by BaháT Publishing Committee. Title registered at U. S. Patent Office.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTED ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

WORLD ORDERT ise B aiaà’i M a g a z in e

Volum e XI A pril, 1945 Number 1

Essential Bahà’i TeachingsHORACE HOLLEY

I.Baha’î : N ame of a World

Faith

BAHÀ’Î is the name of the World Faith which in less

than one hundred years has spread to sixty countries, trans­lated its sacred literature into forty-two languages, and brought into spiritual fellowship a host of persons who had been estranged by prejudice of race, class and creed. A point of unity, a center of agreement, a basis of recon­ciliation for the diverse peoples of mankind!

The word Bahai means glory. A Bahà’i is one who accepts the Faith founded by BaháVlláh, whose name means Glory of God. His Faith brings a mighty re­newal of hope in the triumph of righteousness on earth; it quick­ens the spirit of understanding which binds the soul to God; it offers a source of pure and un­defiled spiritual knowledge; it

rekindles the flame of devotion and love which are the true happiness of man.

“0 Son of Man!” the Prophet reveals, “I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.”

When you hear or see the name Bahai9 think of it as a sign-post pointing you along the safe highway leading through the turmoil, the suffering, the chaos and the upheavals of this day to the haven of certitude and peace. The Bahà’i Faith offers each of us a glorious gift—per­fect trust in the fulfilment of the Creator’s promise to mankind. Have we turned away from that promise as an illusion of the childhood of the human race? Have we abandoned even the idea of a Divine promise as a superstition which will not en­dure the test of modern science? Have we lost hope in the coming

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of justice because creeds and sects have disagreed? Do we feel discouraged because strife, prej­udice and materialism have so far brought every mighty people and proud civilization to eclipse?

There is a clear Bahai answer to these arguments of doubt and unbelief.

It is that for every Divine promise there has been a time and also a way of fulfilment. To attain to assurance of this supreme spiritual mystery is the greatest privilege bestowed upon human beings.

Time and way of fulfilment: The time is whenever the Mani­festation of God, the holy Prophet and Messenger, comes to earth, age after age, to revive faith, restore the Divine law, and to enlarge the foundation of civi­lization. The way is through the living spirit of faith, sacrifice, unity and understanding which He inspires among men. From earliest times, revealed religion has demonstrated the validity of God’s promise, for through its power, and its power alone, has civilization been re-created out of wreckage and destruction.

“Every one of them,” says Bahà’uTlàh of the Prophets, “is the way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the

Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His truth, and the signs of His glory.” “The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Reli­gion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the hu­man race,” the Bahà’i teachings declare, “and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men.” “There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or reli­gion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God.”

Our very time, the Bahà’i be­lieves, is the Promised Day of the gathering together of the long-scattered peoples and their welding together, in the flame of a common agony, into one organ­ic union, one race, one faith, one mankind. Our worldwide suffer­ing is the outer sign that the lim­itations of the past, the separa­tions, the prejudices, are one by one being overthrown by the force of the truth that man is one. “The whole human race hath longed for this Day,” Bahá’- uTláh has said, “That per­chance it may fulfil that which well beseemeth its station, and is worthy of its destiny.”

II.What Are The BaháT

Principles?“Heavenly teachings applica­

ble to the advancement in human

3baha’î teachings

conditions have been revealed in this merciful age,” the Bahà’i Faith declares. “This reforma­tion and renewal of the funda­mental reality of religion consti­tute the true and outworking spirit of modernism, the unmis­takable light of the world, the manifest effulgence of the Word of God, the divine remedy for all human ailments and the bounty of eternal life to all mankind.”

Why are new truths and spir­itual principles necessary? Be­cause our characters and our vir­tues reflect the needs and condi­tions of an age that has passed away. Human beings have be­come adapted to life in relative­ly small, self-sustaining and in­dependent societies. Our out­look and our habits were formed when no one had to consider what people might be doing or plan­ning in other parts of the world. Therefore humanity is today in dire need of a broadening of out­look, a clarification of vision and a re-education in ideas and hab­its, so that we can master the problems of a civilization that has suddenly expanded to in­clude the whole world. Science has created this new and greater world, but men’s emotions are still trying to lag behind in the village of yesterday.

The Bahà’i principles are world principles. They produce men and women who can rise

above prejudice of race, class and creed and meet the tasks which destiny has set for us in this new age. They are the first lessons we are to learn in order to develop our latent powers and resources as members of a human race which has come to its hour of supreme destiny.

Ponder the significance of these principles, for they offer our souls and minds the tools, they must have in order to solve the problems of our time.

There are thirteen of these principles in the following sum­mary:

“The oneness of the world of humanity. The protection and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The foundation of all religion is one. Religion must be the cause of unity. Religion must accord with science and reason. Independent investigation of truth. Equality between men and women. The abandonment of all prejudices a m o n g mankind. Universal peace. Universal education. A universal language. Solution of the economic problem. An inter­national Tribunal.”

What is the source of these truths?

The Bahà’i teachings declare that spiritual truth is revealed to man by the Manifestation of God, and to attain it we must have faith in its divine source and origin. To accept spiritual truth

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we must practice it in our lives, for passive belief is a form of denial and not a proof of accep­tance. The new life offered to us by the Bahà’i Faith calls for he­roic action and true understand­ing. In essence, the Bahà’i princi­ples mean that human nature can and will be regenerated, and this inner change of spirit is what distinguishes revealed truth from philosophy, policy or partisan program.

The Bahà’i answer to the prob­lem of t r ansmut ing world chaos into world order sounds both warning and assurance. “People are holding to the counterfeit and imitation, negli­gent of the reality which unifies, so they are bereft and deprived of the radiance of religion. . . . The world of humanity is walk­ing in darkness because it is out of touch with the world of God.. . . When a divine, spiritual illumination becomes manifest . . . when divine instruction and guidance appear, then enlight­enment follows, a new spirit is realized within, a new power de­scends and a new life is given. It is like the birth from the animal kingdom into the king­dom of man.”

It is yesterday’s limited and divided world which is being purified and reshaped on the an­vil of universal war. Tomorrow’s world is to arise when this proc­

ess is complete— a world which answers to the ancient promises of religion in all races and to the deepest hopes in the heart of all peoples of earth. The suffer­ings through which we pass are no mere historical incident but a manifestation of the Will of God. Therefore the victory of truth is assured, but the path is the path of sacrifice until we become wor­thy to serve the cause of truth. “Unity is the expression of the loving power of God,” ‘AbduT- Bahá has said.

III.The Baha’i Concept Of Man

“0 Son of Man! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty an­cient, imperishable and everlast­ing.”

These words of BaháVlláh summon us to seek and find a true understanding of our own beings. They create a place of peace where for these few mo­ments we may open our souls to new light, new truth and new life. For BaháVlláh continues this majestic theme of man’s spiritual nature and his victory over death and hate and fear:

“0 Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.”

“0 Son of Spirit! Noble have

5BAHà’Î TEACHINGS

I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.. . . Wherefore, free thyself from the veils of idle fancies and enter into My court, that thou mayest be fit for everlasting life and worthy to meet Me. Thus may death not come upon thee, neither weariness nor trouble.”

Age after age the Creator speaks through the words of His Manifestations, establishing on earth a Source of love and truth and law—a wellspring where the sincere soul may find comfort and strength. Centuries have passed since the Messenger walked among men to be their quickener, their educator and their guide. The souls of men have become darkened, devoid of assurance in immortality, un­certain of the path, and uncon­scious of the social laws and principles which fulfil God’s pur­pose on earth. Hence the grad­ual development of problems be­tween race, class, nation and creed, incapable to all seeming, of solution through peaceful means. For peace had left the human heart, and when peace leaves the heart, conflict becomes the principle of existence.

Now the Manifestation has re­turned to earth for the renewal of the spiritual life, and in the words of BaháVlláh we find the consolation, the courage, and the

meaning, without which our lives become a burden and a torment.

“0 Son of Spirit! The spirit of holiness beareth unto thee the joyful tidings of reunion; where­fore dost thou grieve? The spirit of power confirmeth thee in His cause; why dost thou veil thy­self? The light of His counte­nance doth lead thee; how canst thou go astray?”

The Bahà’i teachings also have a less mystical explanation of the reality of man:

“Man is intelligent, instinctive­ly and consciously intelligent; na­ture is not. . . . Man is the dis­coverer of the mysteries of na­ture; nature is not conscious of these mysteries herself. It is evi­dent therefore that man is dual in aspect; as an animal he is sub­ject to nature, but in his spiritual or conscious being he transcends the world of material existence. His spiritual powers being nobler and higher, they possess virtues of which nature intrinsically has no evidence; therefore they tri­umph over natural conditions. . . . Therefore you must thank God that He has bestowed upon you the blessing of life and exist­ence in the human kingdom. Strive diligently to acquire vir­tues befitting your degree and station. . . . Ascend to the zenith of an existence which is never beclouded by the fears and fore­bodings of non-existence.”

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Man’s soul, like the fruitful tree, appears first in the condi­tion of the seed. That is why the materialists deny spiritual reality —they look at the small, hard husk of the seed and feel that the tree can never develop from it. They look upon physical person­ality and condemn as unscientific the faith that supernatural powers and immortal being are latent and concealed within. That is why the Manifestation of God returns to the world in its hour of doubt and denial. He is the Divine Gardener who cultivates the soul of man, guiding its de­velopment until the fruitful tree of faith and assurance stands in the Paradise of the love of God. “The purpose of the creation of man is the attainment of the supreme virtues of humanity through descent of the heavenly bestowals.”

IV.Religious Unity

The crucial task of this age is to establish cooperation as the fundamental law of human life. Power must be found to create world unity or the nations perish.

We have seen the principle of strife and competition develop down the ages from tribe to city, and from city to nation, until now the world is overwhelmed by war. In modern times, when the nations were not in conflict, class and race dissension arose to im­

peril the structure of civilization. The condition we call “peace” has not been peace but prepara­tion for renewal of violence. No moral or ethical force exist­ing in the past has been able to prevent this development of strife nor transmute the agencies of civilization into instruments for the promotion of the law of God.

Why could not the nineteenth century, with all its knowledge and culture, attain the goal of universal peace? Because, as the Bahà’i Faith steadfastly upholds, mankind was fatally divided in its allegiance to its divine Crea­tor. Without unity of faith and agreement on the spiritual teach­ings which set forth the purpose of human life, the aim of our ex­istence, and the laws and princi­ples which come from God and are to be obeyed by governments as well as by peoples and races, there can be no political nor eco­nomic unity. Spiritual unity is the source and cause of all true cooperation among men. Single­ness of faith is the gate which stands between the age of war and the age of peace, between a war-torn humanity and a human­ity which has attained the bless­ings of God.

But just what, I ask, is reli­gious unity? The Baha’i teach­ings illumine this vital question with calm, radiant light. Reli­gious unity is union in acceptance

7BAHÀ’Î TEACHINGS

of and obedience to the prophet and messenger whom God sends to each age. Religious unity is union in the spirit and in the law of God. The worldly conception of tolerance between conflicting creeds and sects is not unity— it is merely agreement to disagree. In such an attitude there is no true conception of brotherhood among men nor oneness of divine Truth.

BaháVlláh utters the true call to unity in these words: “0 con­tending peoples and kindreds of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of this world’s great Luminary en­velop the whole earth, and its in­habitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. . . . There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heav­enly Source, and are the subjects of one God.”

The mysterious connection be­tween spiritual truth and world unity was set forth by Bahá’- u’ilàh more than seventy years ago in this statement: “Thatwhich the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mighti­

est instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved ex­cept through the power of a skilled an all-powerful and in­spired Physician.”

The Bahà’i teachings have given the world an entirely new perspective on the history of re­ligion. The Bahà’i looks upon each successive Revelation as an added chapter in the Divine Book. The Bahà’i acknowledges that all the prophets and messen­gers came from the one God and were one in spirit and in pur­pose. Each prophet has renewed the spirit of faith, and revealed a greater degree of truth to meet the needs of an evolving race. Again we turn to BaháVlláh for the essence of the matter: “Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute. God, the Creator, saith —there is no distinction whatso­ever among the Bearers of My Message. They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret. To prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest, is in no wise to be permitted.”

Thus it becomes clear that the basis of universal spiritual agree­ment has been firmly laid, since the followers of each Prophet are

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required to recognize that all other Prophets were divinely in­spired. The contention and dis­pute about matters of truth and conscience has been annulled. The substitution of man-made creeds and philosophies for Rev­elation has been forbidden. The eternal path to God has been cleared of the debris which for so long has hidden the Way. “The Prophets of God should be regarded as Physicians whose task is to foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity.”

V.The Oneness of Mankind

In this great age of the matur­ity of mankind, the very essence of spiritual truth has been re­vealed in the teachings of Rahá’- uTláh. Former times, because of conditions of limitation, could only realize as prophetic hope what today has become the fun­damental principle of human ex­istence. Yesterday our life was the life of race, or class or na­tion; today our life has become dependent upon the consumma­tion of the unity of all mankind.

Step by step the successive faiths disclosed the coming of a kingdom of righteousness and peace. Bahà’u’ilàh’s declaration of the oneness of mankind signal­ized that this our day and age

will realize the divine assurance of victory.

BaháVlláh declared: “The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words—Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illumine the whole earth.”

“In this way,” the Bahà’i teachings explain, “His Holiness Bahà’u’Uàh expressed the one­ness of mankind, whereas in all religious teachings of the past, the human world has been repre­sented as divided into two parts, one known as the people of the Book of God, or the ‘pure tree’ and the other the people of in­fidelity and error or the ‘evil tree.’ The former were consid­ered as belonging to the faithful and the others to the hosts of the irreligious and infidel; one part of humanity the recipients of divine mercy and the other the object of the wrath of their Crea­tor. His Holiness Bahà’u’Uàh re­moved this by proclaiming the oneness of the world of humanity and this principle is specialized in His teachings for He has sub­merged all mankind in the sea of Divine generosity.”

But the Bahà’i teachings like-

9BAHÀ’Î TEACHINGS

wise warn that spiritual truth, once revealed, cannot be evaded nor annulled by human device. “Humanity has, alas, with in­creasing insistence, preferred, instead of acknowledging and adoring the Spirit of God as em­bodied in His religion in this day, to worship those false idols, un­truths and half-truths, which are obscuring its religions, corrupt­ing its spiritual life, convulsing its political institutions, corrod­ing its social fabric, and shatter­ing its economic structure. . . . The chief idols in the desecrated temple of mankind are none other than the triple gods of Nationalism, Racialism and Com­munism, at whose altars govern­ments and peoples . . . are, in various forms and in different degrees, now worshipping.

“The theories and policies, so unsound, so pernicious, which deify the state and exalt the na­tion above mankind, which seek to subordinate the sister races of the world to one single race, which discriminate between the black and the white, and which tolerate the dominance of one privileged class over all others— these are the dark, the false, the crooked doctrines for which any man or people who believes in them, or acts upon them, must, sooner or later, incur the wrath and chastisement of God.”

All our conceptions of life

have been plunged into the caul­dron of world conflict, but what will emerge is the pure gold of truth, free from the dross of tra­ditional pride and prejudice which has set one people against another in all generations of past history. Those who can realize the oneness of mankind in this hour have attained the strong foundation of assurance which nothing can impair.

As the Bahà’i teachings re­veal: “The real brotherhood is spiritual, for physical brother­hood is subject to separation. The wars of the outer world of existence separate mankind but in the eternal world of spiritual brotherhood separation is un­known. Material or physical as­sociation is based upon earthly interests but divine fellowship owes its existence to the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual brotherhood may be likened to the light while the souls of hu­mankind are as lanterns. The incandescent lamps here are many, yet the light is one.”

VI.The B aháT House of

WorshipWith the help of donations

made by Bahà’is of the Orient, Europe, Africa and South Amer­ica, the American Bahà’is are constructing an imposing and beautiful edifice to serve as the House of Worship of a world

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Faith. Here is the real “inter­religious” activity and program of our age, for the Bahà’is whose devotion and unity have raised this Temple entered the Cause of BaháTťlláh from the different inherited creeds and sects of Christianity, Judaism, Muham- madism and the religions of the Far East. By their solidarity and agreement, Bahà’uTlàh’s call to the oneness of the religion of God has been given substance and reality.

The BaháT House of Worship is located beside Lake Michigan, in Wilmette, Illinois, a few miles north of Chicago. Its architec­tural design and its method of construction have succeeded no­tably in creating an adequate physical symbol of the divine truth which Bahà’u’Uàh revealed for the needs of this age.

The visitor in approach ing the building sees first the great cir­cular dome, then the clerestory and gallery, and last the main- story, the pylons and the eight­een circular steps surrounding the structure at its base and lead­ing to the nine entrance doors. The Bahà’i House of Worship is a nine-sided structure, and later this basic principle of nine will be carried out in a scheme of gardens and walks when the land­scaping work is done.

The outside diameter of the eighteen steps is 202 feet. The

dome stands 136 feet above the main floor. The main floor it­self has a diameter of 153 feet.

What the visitor finds most in­teresting is the treatment of the outer surface of the building. This consists of an intricate scheme of decoration embodying the symbols of former religions, carried out in architectural con­crete, the units of which were cast in molds made from hand-carved models. This new plastic medium is a mixture of crushed quartz and white cement, producing a brilliant white surface.

But these considerations, while interesting, are to the Bahà’is only important because the edi­fice is like a mirror which can reflect into the outer world the spirit and meaning of an entirely new revelation of God. Other­wise they would not have at­tempted to add one more to the thousands of churches and tem­ples already in existence. The universality of religion is en­shrined in this new edifice for the world to recognize and re­vere, when the needs of a broken humanity to build a new, world civilization on the shattered ruins of the past become so powerful that mankind will willingly leave the struggle and conflict of creed and sect behind. The Bahà’i House of Worship reflects the new age because it is an agency for the unification and reconcili-

b a h a ’î t e a c h in g s

ation of the people and not an instrument for their continued separation in the name of faith.

The proof and evidence of this universality, already attested by the diversity of religious origin of the believers themselves, is clearly indicated in the fact that in this House of Worship there will never be any professional clergy or religious leader, no sermons and no ceremonial. Those who enter will find them­selves in an atmosphere of prayer and meditation, and the only words to be uttered are the words of the Prophet of God. To the Bahà’is, daily life is the arena for the practice of spiritual truths, and worship is a myste­rious invocation of power to live according to His will.

There is no need for human imagination or dogma when we have such sublime utterances as these words of Bahà’uTlàh: “0 Children of Men! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Pon­der at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since We have created you all from the same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with

the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and ac­tions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest.”

Just as the coming of the physi­cal springtime is revealed by the appearance of the new leaves and buds, so the spiritual spring- time of the new Prophet becomes manifest in new truths which stir the heart of mankind. “The gift of God to this enlightened age,” the Bahà’i teachings declare, “is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and the fundamental oneness of religion.”

Human beings today have been given the greatest mission ever laid upon mankind ; the con­struction of a society of justice and peace. Before we can build, we must have the pattern of peace in our hearts and the practice of justice in our lives. This is the meaning of the Bahà’i House of Worship, its distinction and its glory—those who follow Bahá’- uTláh build upon the pattern of peace which God has ordained !

These scripts were presented over Sta­tion WAIT, Chicago, in six consecutive broadcasts during September and October, 1942, under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly.

A New Attitude in EducationP H Y L L IS H A L L

MR. WILLIAM SAROYAN inhis book Inhale and Ex­

hale1 tells of a supermouse who exhorts his fellow mice in their basement chamber with these words: “They’ve got traps up there now with cheese in them. You go to get the cheese and something comes down over you and kills you. . . . Stay away. . . . It is better to go hungry and be alive than to get a little piece of cheese in your mouth and then be killed.”

It is easy for us in the world of man to understand the traps for mice, but there are traps for men, too. One of these is the habit of evading facts, because of the comfort this escape brings to our emotions. Life will not allow of our evasions; by its harshest law we must either go forward or back. When the path seems too difficult, we often re­fuse to go forward and fall back, flee, avoid the issue and fall into the trap of evasion that kills the freedom of spirit that is every man’s heritage.

Bahà’u’ilàh brings these words to help us rise from the basement chamber of our undeveloped selves; “Bring thyself to account

each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning. . . . ”

On the whole we do not find it easy to follow this advice. We find it easier to go right on dis­liking or being afraid of people and customs that we do not un­derstand. It is hard to call our dislikes and fears to a reckoning each day, and to see them for what they are.

Yet, when race riots, political wars, religious bigotry, or too tardy acceptance of scientific dis­coveries, kill something that we hold dear, we are apt to blame God for the misfortune. It would be more honest to blame our re­fusal to subscribe to the prin­ciple of the independent investi­gation of truth. Our refusal to go forward with a questing mind and an open heart brings us into a cul de sac where circum­stances either destroy us, or force us to scale the wall of blindness that blocks our progress.

Dr. John Granrud, Superinten­dent of Schools, in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, is the leader of an educational plan that was suggested to his com­munity by the 1939 National Conference of Christians and Jews.'Published by Random House, 1936.

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Springfield is a typical Ameri­can city, where more than forty different nationalties and their fusions compose a tapestry of divergent backgrounds for its cit­izens. Here, indeed, is a setting where neighbor might well mis­understand his neighbor; and sus­picion of the unknown run rife.

Dr. Granrud’s theory is that prejudice is a virulent disease of the spirit, based on ignorance, and that it must be prevented and controlled intelligently, just as we work to circumscribe the spread of contagious diseases of the body. His plan is to inspire honest and disciplined thinking in the community as a whole. Al­though he works primarily with the children in the schools, he reaches adults through the press, radio, cinema, libraries, church­es, and study and service clubs.

From the pre-school days to the graduation of the Springfield child, the school system attempts to help him eliminate the fear of the unknown with the tool of hon­est, courageous, friendly and spirited investigation.

Pamphlets explaining what the small child will encounter upon enrollment in the nursery school reassure all concerned, and en­courage pre-entry visits to the school to familiarize the young­sters with the setting for their new experience.

The teachers themselves have

no fear that racial, religious, or political prejudice will jeopar­dize their own professional po­sitions. The group responsible for hiring school personnel is deliberately made representative of divergent racial and religious groups. Well publicized methods of choosing teachers on a merit basis give these school em­ployes a feeling of personal security that helps them create a sympathetic and friendly at­mosphere for the children.

In these classrooms the differ­ences in the ethical origins of the boys and girls are not the cause of unfriendly suspicion, but rath­er serve as delightful points of departure, through which they, as a group, can explore more of the wonders of this wide world.

Thus the Springfield schools try to build a social structure consonant with the needs of this world, where the goal of brother­hood pyramids from a broad foundation of divergent alle­giances and particular loyalties.

As the young people continue through the grammar grades in the Springfield, Massachusetts, public schools, another potent fear is subtracted from their so­cial attitude, and that is the fear of making a mistake. Mistakes are faced as facts without emo­tional overtones. When a mis­take is made, the energy often squandered in useless blame and

14 WORLD ORDER

recriminations is harnessed to an honest effort to correct the mis­take.

The history of the world, the story of what their forefathers accomplished both in this coun­try and in the nations of the old world, is studied objectively. They learn that then, even as now, mistakes were made, and they look at the results and try to render a just account. Although they find that none of the heroes of the past or of the present hold a flawless record, yet they dis­cover that they can profit by their good example. They note that in the long run the ideas that bring the greatest good to the greatest number survive, no mat­ter what furor of antagonism sur­rounded their birth.

Through the social studies these pupils try to bring to light the reasons why people will listen to and believe malicious rumors. Here these young people learn to guard against the common hu­man weakness of following blind­ly anyone who will put into words any dissatisfaction with life that lies voiceless in the heart. Through their studies, they dis­cover the necessity for keeping informed, in order to guard against being hemmed in by mis­information, for they learn that people who are ignorant of the facts readily trust anyone who feels as they do and sympathizes

with their plight, and who seems to speak with authority, even though he offers no intelligent solution to their problem. ,

When these children reach the Junior High School, the entire so­cial science course is devoted to the study of how our own govern­mental procedures have grown out of the practices of older civ­ilizations. Those whose ancestry stems recently from the countries abroad take particular pride in the contributions that their free­dom loving ancestors have made in overcoming tyranny. The knowledge that the love of free­dom and justice is old in the heart of humanity strikes root- depth in all their hearts.

The growing awareness of the fact that American democracy is the fruit of the ideals of people from all over the world gives them the feeling of the flexibility of their government, and of their own power and responsibility to improve its expression through their own lives. This is in accord with the words of Shoghi Effendi in The Goal of a New World Or­der. “ . . . Legal standards, political and economic theories are solely designed to safeguard the interests of humanity as a whole, and not humanity to be crucified for the preservation of the integrity of any particular law or doctrine.”

Further on in the course of

NEW EDUCATION 15

study, the points of similarity in the great world religions are stud­ied, and a sympathy and respect for the faith of their fellows replaces the ignorance and ridi­cule that too often attend sectar­ian belief. In harmonizing di­vergent convictions of faith, the common denominator struck by the Word of God in all religions is emphasized, e. g. the principle of treating others as we would wish them to treat us.

On entering High School, these budding men and women, in fur­ther search for the common ground that binds them, first trace their own family trees, then study those of other students. To­gether, they learn the climatic conditions, history, language, tradition, thought and habits that differentiate the peoples of the world.

From this study of their own family lives, they trace the growth of human social evolution —trace it from the formation of tribal solidarity, through the con­stitution of the city-state, expand­ing into the institution of inde­pendent and sovereign nations. Here in the microcosm of their classroom they can envisage the possibility of “a world organi­cally unified in all the essential aspects of its life . . . and yet in­finite in the diversity of the na­tional characteristics of its fed­erated units.”

When the pupil is ready to graduate, if he wishes to enter the working world, he is recom­mended for employment on the basis of skill. If a business firm calls for the best worker they have in a certain line, the best worker in the graduating class is sent, regardless of his com­plexion, or the land of his birth. If the potential employer is prej­udiced in the area of race, re­ligion, or nationality background pertinent to the potential em­ployee, the school confers with the firm, and often persuades them to give the young man or woman a chance to prove through merit his worthiness to hold the job. These tyros in the field are usually retained, and become effi­cient ambassadors of good will, promoting better public relations for others of their particular minority group.

Dr. Granrud and his fellow ed­ucators in Springfield, Massachu­setts, are helping the children in their schools to build an attitude of wide loyalty to the welfare of the generality of mankind. They create this feeling, not with words alone, but by attempting to have the school community function in a manner that is imperative to the claims of a unified world, for only through function can effec­tive structure be built.

This article is one in a series which will present signs of progress in world affairs.

"(Editorial ~A NEW RHYTHM

THERE is considerable stress in the teachings of Bahá’-

u’ilàh on regularity in certain ob­servances. Why is this important? If one tries to live in accordance with the broad fundamental prin­ciples given to us for this day. is not that enough? Why should there be so much emphasis on the daily prayers, on attendance at the Nineteen-Day Feasts, and on the regularity, not the amount of one’s gifts to God?

One reason for this is that the repetition of such observances sets up a rhythm within the lives of individuals and in the Com­munity as a whole, which adds to their power and which must eventually spread throughout the world.

Few of us realize how depen­dent we are for our well-being on the rhythm by which we live. Physically we require sleep every twenty-four hours and food three times a day. Life would stop were it not for the beating of our hearts and the expansion of our lungs with unfailing regularity. And our minds as well as our bodies work more efficiently if they are subjected to regular dis­cipline.

So it is with the spiritual as­pect of our lives. As our bodies become emaciated without the daily intake of food, so without daily prayer, our souls dwindle and grow weak. As our bodies need regular exercise, so also do our souls: the spiritual energy which we attain by prayer must be given out in regular service to God and to humanity. This prin­ciple of systole and diastole ap­plies also to our material re­sources. In proportion to what we take in, we must give out, with a regularity that in itself may af­fect our capacity for giving.

But there is a larger beat to the rhythm of the Bahà’i life, marked by the Nineteen-Day Feast. Here is renewed that com­panionship in the love of God which is as important to our nourishment as are our daily de­votions. Worshipping together, consulting together, breaking bread together, we feed that sense of unity which is the foundation of the new order and remove any obstructions to the flow of com­munity spirit which may have grown up between us. This regu­lar association with our fellows, this periodic renewal of unity in

16

NEW RHYTHM 17

the worship of God, will, as it extends to all men, become the pulse, the mighty heart-beat of mankind.

The Bahà’i year rises to its highest point in the spring of the year. After the purifying period of the fast, the new year is inau­gurated on the first spring day with the joyous feast of Naw-Rúz, followed a month later by the Ridván, greatest of all festivals, twelve days which commemorate Bahà’uTlàh’s announcement of His mission and which see the renewal of Bahà’i institutions throughout the world. A cluster of commemorative events in the fall refresh the spirit of devo­tion and prepare the Community for the winter, which comes to an end with the fast.

The rhythmical patterns of our lives are not our own, but are im­posed upon us by the civilizations in which we live. Indeed many of the difficulties which we experi­ence today, in this shift between civilizations, are due to the fact that, whether we realize it or not, we are moving to two rhythms, one of which has become mechan­ical and comparatively lifeless. It is a little like trying to dance to two orchestras, one playing three-four, the other four-four time. The result is helpless stag­gering.

The old rhythm persists and

we still dance to its measure, but the original musical content has been lost. Sunday is becoming, instead of a day of worship and rest, a “week-end” of pleasure­seeking. The climax of the year is still Christmas, haggard from inordinate, compulsory buying, the most materialistic of our holi­days. The others also—Thanks­giving, New Years, Easter— drained for the masses of their spiritual significance, have be­come only family reunions or periodic landmarks in the pur­suit of pleasure.

The old rhythm persists, but a new beat may even now be heard, and a new harmony. One hun­dred years ago, when the Báb proclaimed Himself to be the Primal Point in a newly created world and foretold the advent of Bahà’uTlàh, only eighteen per­sons could hear the opening pro­phetic strains of that earth-shak­ing symphony. It set their lives in a new rhythm, which pulses throughout the world with such increasing volume and intensity that it must soon shatter the old patterns and construct life anew. Only as we move with that music and follow the insistent regularity of its beat shall we become im­bued with its harmony and thoroughly informed of its theme*, the majestic reiteration of the nearness of God. —G. B.

Tîie Power to Unify the WorldSEYM OUR W EIN B ER G

“TTISTORY has shown that jLJl there have always been

wars and that there will always be wars,” is the current expres­sion of pessimism today. History, however, far from being merely a record of man’s wars, is actu­ally the story of the growth and evolution of peace.

In the earliest days the area of peace was confined to the family. Warfare consisted of struggles between families, that is, family feuds. The struggle or survival and the necessity for cooperation resulted, however, in the expan­sion of the area of peace to the tribe, a federation of families. Warfare no longer consisted of strife between families but of struggle between tribes.

The evolution of peace contin­ued through the development of cities, states and eventually of na­tions. Although they have during the last one hundred years be­come physically and economical­ly united, the nations are at war. The growth of science, the inter- pendence of national economics, and the unity of the world in the physical spheres of travel and communication have changed the character of that warfare so that

it is now disastrous to both victor and vanquished. It can no longer be permitted. The area of peace must, if civilization is to survive, be extended to the international area. That point in the evolution of the world has been reached where the area of peace must and will be extended to the interna­tional sphere. And when that happens, the dream of lasting peace uttered by the poets, seers, and prophets of old, will become a reality, for no area will remain outside the realm of organized government.

The ideal of universal and last­ing peace is no longer a utopian dream but a vital necessity. It is the most logical step in the evolu­tion of peace from family to tribe to city-state to nation and finally to world-government. Yet, while the establishment of a World Commonwealth would be the ideal solution to the problem of lasting peace, it appears that something more is needed. The war has created a strange para­dox; while it has forced an in­creased consciousness of the one­ness of the world upon humanity, it has also increased the intensity of prejudice— religious, racial,

18

POWER TO UNIFY 19

patriotic, economic and political —which prevent the establish­ment of a world government.

There is an antidote to hatred and prejudice, an antidote which can nullify and remove the obsta­cles to a World Commonwealth and that antidote is love, love of fellow-men. The message of un­selfishness, love and cooperation, preached by the founders of all great religions and most specifi­cally emphasized by Jesus, can certainly abolish hatred and prej­udice. The problem is to inject the antidote into the hearts of the people.

But even if we could overcome the obstacles of hate and preju­dice, the task of establishing a World Commonwealth would still be difficult. The peoples are too diversified in language, customs, social and religious codes, and economic practices to permit such a unification. It would not stand up even if the major powers agreed, because the forces tend­ing towards disunity seem to be stronger than those tending towards unity.

Indeed if there only were a un­ifying force strong enough to overcome the disunifying forces of nationalism, different social and religious codes and economic practices, a World Common­wealth could be sustained.

Let us examine history to see if such a force exists. There is

only one force which has exhib­ited the required power, one force that has moved and transformed millions of men in the past: re­ligion. Religion—the force that raised the Jews from slavery to the highest state of civilization in the world; the force that promul­gated Christianity in all the four corners of the globe; the force that Muhammad brought to the wild, savage tribes of the Middle East to raise them miraculously from barbarism to the highest state of civilization—is the force for which we are searching.

It is clear that religion, the love of God, is the one factor capable of unifying the world, and not only has religion the re­quired power, but its qualities— love, unselfishness and coopera­tion—would automatically erad­icate the hates and prejudices which are now arbitrarily divid­ing an otherwise unified world.

If there only were a religion which everyone—Jews, all sects of Christians, Muhammadans, Hindus and Buddhists— could really believe in and accept as true; if there only were a one Universal Cause, one Common Faith which could unite all the peoples of the earth, a World Commonwealth could be organ­ized and lasting peace could be established.

There is one Universal Cause, one Common Faith which can and

20 WORLD ORDER

will unite all the peoples of the world; and despite the fact that this great religion contains every­thing that constitutes a great religion; — an amazing origin, Holy Scriptures, prayers, tradi­tions and most important of all a Prophet—a Divine Revelator— and in one hundred years has at­tained millions of followers, the West knows very little of it. “Born about the middle of the nineteenth century in the darkest Persia, assailed from its infancy by the forces of religious fanati­cism, this Faith has, notwith­standing the martyrdom of its Forerunner, the repeated banish­ment of its Founder, the almost life-long imprisonment of its chief promoter and the cruel death of no less than twenty thou­sand of its devoted followers, succeeded in diffusing quietly and steadily its spirit throughout both the East and the West and has established itself in no less than sixty countries of the world.”

Despite the steady growth and spread of this Faith, despite an amazing origin and history, com­parable to that of Judaism, Christianity and Muhammadan­ism, despite the existence of a body of literature revealed by its Prophet over seventy years ago, dealing specifically with the problems of the world today and moreover specifically solving

them; the Western World—in the midst of a struggle which has “deranged its equilibrium, sun­dered its nations, disrupted the homes of its peoples, wasted its cities, uprooted its institutions and harrowed the souls of its in­habitants”— remains wrapped in the darkness of materialism and unbelief; for it continues to ig­nore the one movement that can actually realize the “four free­doms” as well as establish the universal, lasting peace which everyone craves.

This religion is known as the Bahà’i Faith and it was founded by a great prophet, Bahà’uTlàh, which is an Arabic name mean­ing “Glory of God.” Bahà’uTlàh did not deny the stations of the Prophets before Him but rather reaffirmed them. Moses is ex­tolled as “He, who conversed with God” ; Jesus as the “Spirit of God” ; and Muhammad as “The Apostle of God” ; while BaháVlláh claimed to be the Father promised by the Hebrew Prophet, Isaiah, the return of Christ in the “Glory of the Father,” the Mihdi foretold by Muhammad and the Great One promised in the Holy Books of all the revealed religions. His Mission, He repeatedly stated, was to unify mankind, effect the Brotherhood of Man, and usher in the Golden Age and establish the Kingdom of God on Earth,

POWER TO UNIFY 21

“the day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation nor learn of war any more.”

Over seventy years ago while imprisoned in the fortress city of ‘Akká, Palestine, “BaháVlláh formulated the principles of that new and divine civilization which by His advent He claimed to have inaugurated.” These principles have been summarized by ‘Abdul- Bahá, the eldest son of Bahá’- uTláh and the appointed Inter­preter and Exemplar of His teachings, as follows:

1— Mankind is one organic whole.

2— The foundation of all re­ligion is One.

3— The independent investiga­tion of Truth must be made by each individual.

4— Religion must be the cause of unity.

5— Religion must be in accord with science and reason.

6— Prejudice of all kinds must be forgotten.

7— Men and women must be given equal opportunities

8— Universal Peace must be brought about.

9— All must be educated.10— The solution of the eco­

nomic problem is spiritual.11— A universal language must

be chosen.12— An international tribunal

must be established.

From prison, BaháVlláh wrote to Queen Victoria: “That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its people in One Universal Cause, One Common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired physician.”

How can one determine that BaháVlláh is the skilled, all- powerful, and inspired physican, that the Faith He founded, the Bahà’i Faith, is the One Univer­sal Cause, the One Common Faith which can and will unite all the peoples of the world? One can determine this by:1— The mazing origin of this

Faith, comparable, indeed surpassing the origin of all other great religions.

2— The tremendous power which this Faith has already ex­hibited in the welding to­gether of Jew, Christian and Muhammadan, white and colored— all sects, all the different peoples of this earth into a true, real brotherhood of man, a power similar to that which was exhibited by Christianity.

3— The very lives of its Fore­runner, the Báb, and its founder, BaháVlláh, again

22 WORLD ORDER

paralleling the lives of the previous Prophets.

4— The Teachings of the Faith, reaffirming as they do, all the spiritual teachings of the past Prophets and adding thereto that which the world so vi­tally needs today.

5— The very spirit, fullness and atmosphere of this Faith con­taining as it does that which is found in every true reli­gion.

Added to all this, the Bahà’i Faith is the only religion that specifically deals with the prob­lems of lasting peace facing the world today and is the only re­ligion that specifically solves them.

If Bahà’uTlàh did come to usher in the Golden Age and to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth, why are we in the midst of this terrible war? Did Noah come before or after the flood? Did Jesus come before or after the fall of the Roman Em­pire? Bahà’uTlàh as the Prophets before Him had done, offered humanity the Ark, the Ark of Religion, to prevent them from being drowned in the flood—the flood of materialism. “In a hun­dred volumes,” Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Faith, has written, “the repositories of price­less precepts, mighty laws, unique principles, impassioned exhorta­

tions, reiterated warnings, amaz­ing prophecies, sublime invoca­tions, and weighty commentaries, Bahà’uTlàh proclaimed as no prophet before Him had done, the Mission with which God had entrusted Him. To emperors, kings, princes and potentates, to rulers, governments, clergy and peoples, whether of the East or of the West, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim or Zoroastrian, He addressed for well-nigh fifty years and in the most tragic cir­cumstances those priceless pearls of knowledge and wisdom that lay hid within the ocean of His matchless utterance”— and He was denied! Today the flood has overtaken and surrounded us as He predicted it would.

“Must humanity,” the Guard­ian of the Faith has asked; “tor­mented as she now is, be afflicted with still severer tribulations ere their purifying influence can pre­pare her to enter the heavenly kingdom destined to be estab­lished on earth? Must the in­auguration of so vast, so unique, so illumined an era in human history be ushered in by so great a catastrophe in human affairs, as to recall, nay, surpass the appalling collapse of Roman Civilization in the first centuries of the Christian Era? Must a series of profound convulsions stir and rock the human race ere BaháVlláh can be enthroned in

POWER TO UNIFY 23

that can extricate it from its en­tanglements.”

God has not foresaken His children. The solution to the problem of lasting peace is here, a gift from God. But the battle for universal, lasting peace must be won not on the battle­field but in the heart of every individual. That is why it is in­cumbent upon everyone to ex­amine the Bahà’i Faith honestly, with an open mind, an unpreju­diced eye and a pure heart.

“Let Deeds, Not Words Be Your Adorning”

Mary A. McClennenI dreamed that a multitude walked in the valley, a stricken host

in the darkness of the trees, with no sun and no joy. They circled the foot of the hills desperately longing for the touch of the sun. In my dream I saw the sun, where the green pastures sloped up, and the grass shone in its light. I cried out for joy and ran to attract attention, but not one person even turned his face. Then I knew that I was not worthy, and turning my face to the sun I implored its grace: “0 Thou my God, behold me standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire, and wishing naught else except Thy good pleasure.”

This faded soul of mine became alive at the touch of the Sun, this longing heart found abundant joy, this person found a direction forever,— and this spirit soared high over the hills in the light of the Sun of Truth.

In the midst of this joy, a hand touched my sleeve, and a voice close to my ear whispered, k<Brother, from whence comes the dazzling light that is shining on your face?”

the hearts and consciousness of the masses, ere His undisputed ascendency is universally recog­nized and the noble edifice of His World Order is reared and established?

“The whole of mankind is groaning, is dying to be led to unity and to terminate its age­long martyrdom. And yet it stub­bornly refuses to embrace the light and acknowledge the sover­eign authority of the one power

Teaching by the Early American BelieversMARIAM

TEACHING consisted not only in sharing the Message with

new souls, but the believers them­selves were being taught, and they realized more and more that theological dreams had to be set aside and only the reality of religion accepted and passed on to others. The unknown tomor­row was not a matter of concern. There might be tests and trials in the vista of the future (and there were, many of them) but those dear pioneers could sing, “Joy to the World, the Lord is Come,” with a clarified vision for at long last the real history of the be­ginning of the Faith in the land of its birth (Persia) had been brought to them by teachers from the Orient.

Bahà’i teachers from the Near East were sent to this country by ‘AbduT-Bahá as early as 1898 to further instruct and as­sist the believers. In the early part of 1900 Abdel Karim Ef- fendi of Tihrán, Persia, gave a series of talks in New York City and Chicago. In 1900, also, Mirza Khorassani of Cairo, Egypt, and others, spent some time in this country, particularly in Chicago; and from about 1901 to 1905 Mirza Abu’l-Fadl, who was considered in the Orient

HANEY

the greatest religious historian of his time, was in this country.* This great teacher was saintly, completely severed, impersonal, and rendered inestimable serv­ices to the Bahà’i Cause in every city he visited. He served with all heart and soul and put all his spiritual gifts and graces into the work in New York City and nearby places; in Chicago, Washington, D. C., and other centers. He was also a spiritual gift to Green Acre, in Eliot, Maine, where his great intellect and spiritual graces and fervor were used to the glory of God and to the furtherance of His Cause. Mirza Abu’l-Fadl was ex­plicit in his statements: he had the gift of teaching and was exact and accurate in the thoughts he conveyed. Bahà’is and non-Bahá’ís benefited great­ly while he was in this country, and teaching had a tremendous impetus. In 1902 his book, The Bahai Proofs, was printed and published in Washington, D. C.

* Mirza Abu’l-Fadl was famous in the Orient for his learning and sincerity, and as the author of many books on deep philosophical and religious subjects. He had resigned from a position of the highest honor in Persia as President of the Royal College of Tihrán, to embrace the Bahà’i religion, and was imprisoned in dungeons for three years for his faith.

24

TEACHING 25

Another impetus to teaching was through the early pilgrim­ages of very fortunate Americans who traveled to 6Akká and Haifa to see ‘AbduT-Bahá. Some went as early as 1898, and every suc­ceeding year in all this pioneer period Bahà’is made the longed- for pilgrimage to the Prison in ‘Akká, regardless of the almost insurmountable difficulties at­tending the journey. How it was all accomplished with Turkish soldiers and officials of the Old Turkish regime always on guard is another one of those stirring events in the Bahà’i Cause which may well be classed as a miracle. Without exception these pilgrims felt the marvelous influence of the Spirit emanating from the Master, the superhuman benig­nity always manifest, the mag­netism of His personality; they heard the Holy Words and teach­ings directly from Him; they were able to talk and walk with Him.

On their return these Ameri­can pilgrims would always bring back to the friends a record of the teachings and instructions they received. These notes were like manna from heaven, and teaching would again be greatly accelerated, for these holy in­structions acted like magic on the spirits and many a soul be­came confirmed through them.

As the years passed the be­

lievers were growing more and more in the knowledge of God and in wisdom and were daily more eager to convey the Bahà’i Message to others. Accents of hope and praise could be heard at all times; there were always discoveries and more discoveries about the great Spiritual Light of the Cause, about the power in the teachings; knowledge was deepened, belief was sacred and precious. Bahà’i communities were increasing; many, many classes for teaching the Bahà’i Faith were formed all over the country; the friends acted as if not one single waking moment of life could they afford to lose,6 Tor unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much re­quired” (Bible) ; responsibility implies accountability. The little groups were aflame; life itself was of tremendous import; not a single moment was insignificant. Day and night the believers were thinking how best to serve the Cause; there were no compro­mises, “The time of superficiality (had) gone by and the Cycle of Reality (had) appeared” (Tab­lets, ‘AbduT-Bahá) ; God spoke through His Manifestation, and there was no middle ground.

From the very beginning the believers made contact with ‘AbduT-Bahá through sending a letter to Him indicating their acceptance of the Faith and ask-

26 WORLD ORDER

ing innumerable questions. Tab­lets* were received in reply, and gradually these Tablets assumed very large proportions. The greatest spiritual teaching in all history was accomplished through the receipt and dis­semination of these Tablets and the instructions therein, for ‘AbduT-Bahá not only answered all these questions, but inter­preted and elucidated the teach­ings of His Father BaháVlláh, solved intricate problems and upon His followers showered His divine love and kindness.

As it was necessary to share these precious instructions, cer­tain believers voluntarily arose in different parts of the country and had the great privilege of making typewritten copies of these Tablets which were given wide circulation among the Bahà’is not only in this country and Canada, but throughout the world, and this effort might in truth be called the first Bahà’i teaching service from America to other countries. One friend in particular developed what might well have been called an Inter­national Bureau of Information, for it was a big teaching activity. Through these tablets ‘Abdu’l- Bahá bestowed the Water of Life Eternal not only upon the recipi-

* Communications from ‘AbduTBahá were called Tablets. They were written in Persian or Arabic, and were translated into English.

ents of the Tablets but upon many others.

No matter what question was asked and answered (and every conceivable question was pre­sented to Him from the naming of children to the most com­plicated scientific and philo­sophical subjects and the most profound spiritual and religious doctrines), ‘AbduT-Bahá invari­ably stressed over and over again very specific subjects such as firmness in the Covenant, unity of the believers, the peace of the world, the oneness of man­kind, and the greatest of these was firmness in the Covenant for upon this depended success in every effort and in all teaching plans. This instruction so often repeated, prepared His followers in no uncertain way to meet the inevitable tests and trials which would come to them some day, for they could not always carry on amid such spiritual sweetness and peace as characterized the very early days.

Proceeding further with this historical sketch of our early Bahà’i days in this country, we seem suddenly to be living and functioning in that precious group of devoted pioneer friends. What a thrill the Spirit gives us as we picture Lua Getsinger, the first woman teacher of our Faith in this country, as she carries the Bahà’i Message to Cali-

TEACHING 27

fornia in the early summer of 1898, for the Pacific coast also was, by the bounty of God, to be a planting ground for the seeds of the Bahà’i Truth at the begin­ning of this period. With inspired intensity of feeling, with the ardor of the zealot, Mrs. Get- singer traveled from New York to Chicago, and then to San Fran­cisco to give the Bahà’i Message to Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst and a group of her friends.

It was Mrs. Hearst and some members of that same group who were among the first American Bahà’is to visit ‘AbduT-Bahá in the Most Great Prison in ‘Akka, Palestine. The Hearst party, so- called, divided into groups, some sailing from New York in Sep­tember 1898. Stopping en route in Paris and Egypt, a few of the group finally arrived in the Pres­ence of 4AbduT-Bahá in Decem­ber 1898; others of the party arrived in February 1899.

During that memorable year of 1899 the Bahà’i pioneer teach­ing began at the home of Mrs. Helen S. Goodall in Oakland, California, after the return of her daughter, E l l a Goodall Cooper (who was one of Mrs. Hearsťs party). From this cen­ter the Bahà’i Cause spread to the surrounding communities of Berkeley, Fruitvale, Burlingame, and several other towns around

the Bay, as well as to Geyserville and other places.

The home of Mrs. Goodall in Oakland remained the Bahà’i Center for northern California for many years. What a bounty it was for all those who partici­pated in the teaching work con­tinually accomplished there week after week! The powerful spirit­ual forces which were at work manifested in the lives of the various personalities, and Mrs. Goodall’s attitude of firmness and devotion was an example and encouragement to all.

Strong convictions, a charm devoid of worldliness but defi­nitely spiritual, purity of pur­pose, capacity to distinguish Truth from error, the genuine from the counterfeit, the ideal and very real longing to live in peace and unity with their sisters and brothers in Faith were some of the memorable characteristics of that early group.

Is it any wonder that the Re­vealed Word went forth from that Center! Every friend who becam e a regular attendant spread the Bahà’i Message as far and as widely as possible; they ceased to look through the spectacles of their former faiths, and concentrated on the Reveal­ed Teachings of today so gener­ously bestowed upon them, and the way the Revealed Words were treasured was so beautiful

28 WORLD ORDER

a thing to witness that one feels a chapter will one day be re­corded on this subject at the proper time and in the proper place.

As to southern California: the pioneer days of the Bahà’i Faith there undoubtedly began in 1901 when Mrs. Emily Goodwin who lived in Hollywood (part of Los Angeles) was en route to Alaska for a visit, stopped off in San Francisco and Oakland and con­tacted Mrs. Goodall who gave her the Message. It was not until 1903, however, that Mrs. Good­win told her friend, Mrs. Rosella Dennis, about the Bahà’i Faith.

VISION

Clara E. HillLife now rides high — the sea to me is singing, Golden the turning waves of glittering sheen, Over and over against the shoreline flinging Foam ripples— breaking, falling glossy green. Among mist-minted rose the mountains dream; Still as a picture silhouetted pine.Space is no more save where the white sails shine.

Here visions of new worlds come to my mind, Most beautiful, wrought of tranquility.I know once more that hope and faith are kind To bring the ways of man to harmony.“Reach higher, soul, the Infinite is near,” Sea-songs at sunset speak in accents clear.

Immediately Mrs. Dennis com­municated with Mrs. Goodall in Oakland and invited her to come to Los Angeles. This Mrs. Good- all did almost at once, and while there gave Mrs. Dennis further teachings and instructions and confirmed her in the Faith, as well as sharing with her all the available Bahà’i literature.

From this small beginning in southern California, the Bahà’i Teachings eventually spread to the nearby cities, such as Pasa­dena, Glendale, Santa Barbara, San Diego and other cities.

Number two in a series of notations on Bahà’i activity in North America from 1893 to 1921.

Spiritual HousecleaningM A R G U ER ITE T R U E

NOW that most of us have finished our spring house­

cleaning, and set our homes in order, I am wondering how many of us have ever thought of the need of housecleaning our minds and hearts? We clean house be­cause we wish to be in tune with the new season, that season when everything in nature is renewed, when the spring rains have freshened the earth of its wintry accumulation of dust and dirt, and when the spring winds blow the useless branches from the trees. All nature is revived, and we feel the need of reviving the homes in which we live. So we spend much time and money, re­modeling a house, refurnishing and scrubbing up a room, in order that we may be in the same atmosphere of the newness of spring.

But have we ever stopped to think how much longer we live with our souls than we do with our houses? For that soul with which we have lived so long is the part of us that lives on after our body has ceased to live. Therefore, since the soul may be likened to our “spiritual” house, should we not consider it to see if it is in tune with the spring­

time, and up-to-date, and very habitable, too? For BaháVlláh tells us: “0 son of being! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckon­ing; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shall be called to give account for thy deeds.” Many of us may feel that there are many cobwebs of doubt and uncertainty lingering in our hearts and our minds, that there is the dust of accumulated traditions, customs, and creeds still collected on the shelves of our conscience. And yet, we shrug and think, “Some day I’ll tackle it, but not now.”

To be living harmoniously with oneself, one must develop in all ways— spiritually, physi­cally, mentally. Therefore, if one concentrates only on the physical or mental planes, little wonder that he is often “frustrated” . For he may be up to date in his dress, but is he up-to-date in the most basic part of his living — his spiritual living? Or is he still trying desperately to reconcile the teachings of past ages with the needs of today?

When wé clean our houses, and get into the cupboards, and drawers, we examine each thing

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we find there, to see if we really need it or not. If we do, we keep it; if not, we discard it. This same principle of “independent investigation of truth” applied to the spiritual realm by Bahá- V lláh, would help us greatly in doing our spiritual house­cleaning. We would find many old prejudices, out-moded cus­toms and traditions, still tucked away in our spiritual closets, and used at certain times each year. But if we really investigated these prejudices, customs, and traditions, we would find them out of place in a changing and modern world. And we would see that the only reason that we cling to them is that we have not found anything better and we are therefore afraid to give them up.

But if, when cleaning house, we see that our old curtains are too much in need of repair to put up again, we discard them and search for some new ones, ones that blend in with the back­ground we already have, but which also add something “new” to the room to freshen it and bring life into it. In the same manner, we should discard the things in our thoughts and hearts which are not in accord with the needs of our day, and search for something new which will answer the needs of our age.

To many thousands in the world today, the Teachings of BaháVlláh have supplied just that —- the new teachings which are the Divine Remedy to the ills of today. For many years have our learned leaders striven to improve the conditions of the world and yet we seem to be farther from it than ever before. We are beginning to realize that man-made teachings are not enough. Just as we sometimes need an expert’s advice in dec­orating, or refurnishing a home, so we seem to need an Expert’s advice on setting our spiritual house in order. And when the world needs some housecleaning, God sends His Prophet or Mani­festation to advise the world what to do. Usually, the world ignores the Manifestation, and tries to patch its troubles up as best it can; but usually it sees even at that time, that it needs more than just human intelli­gence to prescribe the remedy. And then years after the Mani­festation dies, the people study His teachings and see that, after all, they were the perfect remedy.

Today, we would do well to study the teachings of Bahá­V lláh, and to see if His Words do not supply the necessary im­petus for our work on a better world!

WITH OUR READERS

NEWS from the worldwide cele­bration of the Bahà’i Centenary

last May still comes to us, this time from New Zealand. Canon C. W. Chandler is one of New Zealand’s outstanding Episcopalian clergymen and also writes a daily column for one of New Zealand’s daily papers. The following selections from this column reflect Canon Chandler’s thoughts after attending the New Zealand Centenary banquet:

“All great religions are the length­ened shadows of single individuals, and many great names are perma­nently linked with single causes— Lincoln with anti-slavery, and Bahá’- u’ilàh with the oneness of mankind. The fact that He has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth is one of many Christian truths that has been well nigh lost to our age and generation. Well might God have sent another prophet into the world to proclaim again this message of unity. Before passing judgment let us heed the advice which Gamaliel gave to the Sanhedrin with regard to Peter and John who were charged with preach­ing in the name of Jesus: Tf this thing be of man it will come to naught, but if it be of God it cannot be stopped.’ Because men have loved darkness rather than light, they have, in every age, been light quenchers and in consequence of this they still grope in the darkness of unbelief.

“It was as one of three hundred guests at the Bahà’i dinner last Tues­day night, when the Bahà’i commu­nity i n ------------- together with otherassemblies throughout the world,

were celebrating the centenary of the com m encem en t of Bahà’u’ilàh’s prophetic m ission, th a t these thoughts came to me. I would that many other clerical representatives of various Christian and non-Chris­tian denominations had been present. As it was, the Jewish Rabbi, a Chinese minister, another Anglican priest and myself were alone, al­though many apologies had been re­ceived. We were not there as repre­sentatives of our respective congre­gations, but as individuals who appreciated the significance of the gathering.

“The Bahà’is, who place their em­phasis upon the oneness of all re­ligions, and upon the need of an inter-racial and international fellow­ship, on the urgent task of building a New World Order (of which phrase they are the originators) have a mission which is as distinctive as it is important. There is so much na­tionalism in our established churches that nothing short of the violent im­pact of a new enthusiasm for basic truths that lie buried beneath our forms and ceremonies can rekindle apostolic zeal for the wider issues of universal fellowship and peace. . . .

“Religion, reduced to its least com­mon denominator, is the love of God through love of one another. As things are today, one wonders wheth­er this lofty ideal will ever be real­ized. Last Tuesday’s happy function helped to confirm my own instinctive belief that it will, and that from this long night of infamy and shame, mad dreams and momentary awakenings, we shall emerge tr iu m p h an t —

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cleansed, purified and ennobled, and able to see God in the humblest of His creatures, as well as 4in the star and in the stone, in the flesh and soul, and in the clod.’ ”

# » *

Those who are not familiar with Bahà’i teachings, as well as those of us who claim that we are, will find Horace Holley’s article “Essential Bahà’i Teachings” most valuable in its comprehensive and straightfor­ward setting forth of the Teachings of BaháVlláh, and will see and feel how perfectly these teachings supply the desperate need of the world to­day. Mr. Holley is well known as the secretary of the National Spirit­ual Assembly of the Bahà’is of the United States and Canada and as one of the editors of this magazine.

The thoroughgoing plan for edu­cation for true democracy which is being successfully carried out in the public schools of Springfield, Massa­chusetts, is receiving the attention of progressive educators and publicity on the radio and in magazines. In her article “A New Attitude in Edu­cation,” Phyllis Hall gives us some of the outstanding features of this plan. This is Miss Hall’s first con­tribution to World Order. She is a teacher in the Goodrich, Michigan, public schools and was formerly a member of the Detroit Bahà’i com­munity. This is the third in our “Formation of a World Society” series showing signs of progress toward Bahà’i standards.

Garreta Busey’s editorial “A New Rhythm” suggests a meaning to Bahà’i Holy days, Feast Days and other institutions for this New Day which perhaps some of us had not thought about before.

Seymour Weinberg is a new Bahà’i who learned of the Faith

when he was stationed in an army camp in Georgia. Our readers will remember his statement of faith which we printed in this department in November last. That statement and his contribution to this issue entitled “The Power to Unify the World” testify to his deep convic­tion as to the Source of the unifying Power.

In our February number we began a series of reminiscences by Mariam Haney telling of the early days of the Bahà’i Faith in America which make us familiar with our early pioneers in America and how the Cause was spread. As we pointed out in the February number, Mrs. Haney herself was one of the active ones. This issue contains the second installment of the series which was crowded out of the February number.

Mrs. Marguerite True whose arti­cle “Spiritual Housecleaning” ap­pears in this issue is a frequent contributor to World Order. Mrs. True is secretary of the Bahà’i Na­tional Contacts Committee. Her home is in Grosse Pointe, Mich.

The World Security Conference to be held by the Allied Nations in San Francisco this month has the possibility of inaugurating the “Les­ser Peace” foretold by BaháVlláh. In honor of this momentous occasion we are publishing a Supplement con­taining Bahà’i teachings on universal peace. * * *

The following is taken from a letter bringing a gift subscription of World Order magazine to a Junior College: “The more we can circulate this magazine containing such won­derful writings, the sooner will we reach the masses which our Guardian wishes us to do. . . . It seems the, magazine improves with every new copy.” — The Editors

Bahá’1 World Faith

This book contains a representative selection of the Writings of BaháVlláh and of ‘AbduT-Bahá, and is the largest collection of Bahà’i literature in English translation now available in one volume.

A detailed Table of Contents and an Index make the Bahà’i teach­ings readily accessible for study as well as reading and meditation.

The plan of the book arranges the contents in nine chapters, as follows:—

Part One—Writings of BaháVlláhChapter One—The Great Announcement Chapter Two—The Promised One Chapter Three—The Life of the Soul Chapter F our—Laws of the New Age Chapter Five—The Mystery of God

Part Two—Writings of ‘AbduT-BaháChapter Six—The Faith of Bahau9llah Chapter Seven—Soul, Mind and Spirit Chapter Eight—The Loom of Reality Chapter Nine—The Divine Plan

Each of these chapters has been treated as a unit of significance, and the sequence of the nine chapters conveys a sense of the unfold- ment of the Bahà’i Dispensation in the Tablets of BaháVlláh, His Will and Testament, the Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and in His Testament and Plan for the World Order of BaháVlláh.

The passages selected have been taken from fifteen different pub­lications as well as from the National Archives.

Printed on thin light paper and bound in green fabrikoid. 465 pages. Per copy, $1.50.

Baha’î Publishing Committee

110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

Words of BaháVlláhInscribed Over the Nine Entrances of the

House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois

1. The earth is but one country; and man­kind its citizens.

2. The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me.

3. My love is My stronghold; he that entereththerein is safe and secure.

4. Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner.

5. Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for Mydescent.

6. I have made death a messenger of joy to thee; wherefore dost thou grieve?

7. Make mention of Me on My earth that inMy heaven I may remember thee.

8. 0 rich ones on earth! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust.

9. The source of all learnings is the knowl­edge of God, exalted be His glory.

1I

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MAY. 1945

“RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW”---Ruhiyyih Khaniim

GETTING READY FOR THE Pmcn-—-H. A. Overslreet

“TI—IE M0sT IMPORTANT Nl./\"I‘TEPi Is T0 Fouwn A TEMPLF‘Mrs. Corinne True-

THE SEARCH F‘OR TRUTH, l:§fdizorial——-Bertl1a. Hyde Ki.rkpats-i<Trk

PREPAMNT; FOR A- POST-\y/AR W0RL1)—--Ali M. Y:.1zcli

EARLY T'RA(TI1§]§lN'G A-C']7l'V1TY’—--Nl3fi21Hl Haney

W1TH OUR HEADERS

AGAZITHE BAH/5;’ I’‘I5:

E

World Order was founded March 21, 1910 as Bahzfi News, the firstorgan of the American Baha’is. In March, 1911, its title was changedto Star of the Wee. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appearedunder the name of The Bahd’i Magazine. The issue of April, 1935carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bah¢i’i Maga-zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI of the continuous Baha’ipublication. ' 1 A

‘*--.

WORLD ORDER is published -monthly in Wilmette, 111., by the PublishingCommittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahé’is of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, Gertrude K. Henning, HoraceHolley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.

Editorial Ofiice ,Mrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

69 Assorsroan Roan, WINNETKA, ILL.

- Publication Oflice110 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILL.

C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A.

,

MAY, 1945, VOLUME XI, NUMBER 2

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and posses-sions;‘for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 15c.Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to WorldOrder Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Vliilmette, Illinois. Entered as second classmatter April 1, 1940, at the post ofice at Wilmette, Ill., under the Act of March3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1945 by Baha’i Publishing -Committee. Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Oflice. _

CHANCE or ADDRESS snouu) BE REPORTEDONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

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A The Bahé’i Magazine

VOLUME XI MAY, 1945 NUMBER 2

»

“Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New”q nunfvrin xHAN1'iM

THE Centenary came upon usvery much like the sunrise

which, long before our parentorb soars above the horizon,casts its premonitory ray overthe earth and awakes and excitesthe face of creation. First it wasthe entering of the one hundredand first year of our history, onMarch 21 st, 1944, that made ourpulses beat quicker, for theglorious time was near. Then itwas just ahead of us. Heartsbegan to sing with expectation;our paces accelerated; dailytasks began to glow in the lightof expectation -—- the very hoursseemed to he running on swifterfeet to meet the Day of Days,May 22nd. We were envelopedin a veritable storm of rushingand as the eve before that sacredeve that saw the inception of theBahéfi Era fell, preparationswere moving to a climax; al-ready the pilgrims had arrived;already the rooms and halls were

spotless and waiting to welcomethe throng of believers whowould pour in on the morrow;already the Shrines were adornedwith candlesticks and vases toreceive the lights and the flowersdestined for the great feast onthe following night.

There was little sleep for anyone -—— for what need had we ofsleep at such a time as this? Wewere riding the wave of joy thatthe celebrations cast before them.Everything must be perfect.Messages must be delivered tothis and that person, last minuteinstructions carried out, the finalpolishing applied to everythingin sight, the hundreds andhundreds of roses, freshly cut,placed in water that they mightbe in their prime next day.

Over a hundred and fiftyBaha’is gathered during themorning and afternoon of the22nd. A great tent, a gift of theIndian believers during ‘Abdu’l-

34 wonLD onnsnBahé’s lifetime, had been pitchednear the Oriental Pilgrim Houseon Mt. Carmel as a meeting placefor the women and children. Theopening ceremony of the cen-tenary commemoration was totake place at exactly two hoursand eleven minutes after sunset,in the Shrine of the belovedMartyr Prophet of Shiraz, atthe very moment when one hun-dred years earlier He had saidto the youthful Mulla Husayn“Behold, all these signs aremanifest in me!” and had thenproceeded, with dignity andmajesty, to lift the veil on a newera in human history.

The Guardian had alreadyproceeded after dusk to the HolyTombs to himself arrange thedisposition of the flowers andlights. With his own hands hehad copiously sprinkled thethresholds and floors with thefragrant and intense perfumemade of the essence of damaskroses. The believers were thensummoned, the women enteringthe eastern, the men the western,side of the Béb’s Shrine. As themen filed past the Guardian heanointed the hand of each withthat same sweet scented oil. Whata vision greeted our eyes as weentered the door! The white-washed walls, the simple archescurving above the two thresholdsof the inner shrine of the Bab,(which face each other and per-

mit a full view of the floor be-neath which His body rests),were flooded with brilliant light.The center chandelier, crystal,gold and blue, hung glisteningwith candles; on either side ofit electrically lighted chandeliersblazed; beneath the apex of eacharch over the two thresholdsglobes of pale roseate glassglowed; at the head and at thefoot of His resting place greatcandelabra raised their nineburning fingers in long rows;at the corners of the beautifulpaisley shawl stretched in themiddle of the rich rugs thatcover the floor of this innershrine stood five-armed candle-sticks, making pyramids offlames; along the sides othercandles flickered until glass,silver, polished brass and lightseemed to sparkle from thresholdto threshold. Over the wide spacethus formed hundreds and hun-dreds of crimson and apricot-hued roses lay, a veritable carpetof flowers. To the left and rightof this band of light and flowersstood two immense, ornate vasesfrom which sprang, fountain-like, huge clusters of deep redleaves and blossoms. The twothresholds were thickly spreadwith white jasmine on one sideand white roses on the other,amidst which were interspersedvases of flowers in vivid tones ofred and blue. In the upper cor-

RING IN THE NEW 35ners of the western room stoodgreat bunches of Easter lilies,casting their delicate and poig-nant fragrance into the alreadyrose-laden air.

It seemed to me at least, (asI gazed into that shimmeringcrucible of light and color), thatmighty, invisible bells were ring-ing somewhere, in some worldwe could not see, and that theirvoices were crying:“Ring out the old, ring in the new . . .Ring out the false, ring in the

true . . .Ring out the want, the care, the

sin .. . .Ring in the love of truth and

right . . .Ring out the thousand wars of old,Ring in the thousand years of

peace.”

Ring out the old, ring in thenew! in peal on peal of joyousthunder.

One hundred years of glory—but of bloodshed, of persecution,of abasement -—-- had passed. Anew hundred years was risingup before us, not more blessed---—for that could never be -——- butbringing the seeds of the first tofruition; bringing nearer to theworld the day when the King-dom of God shall come on earthas it is in heaven.

As I listened to the voice ofthe Guardian chanting I thoughtof the One that lay beneath thatflower-strewn brilliant floor; of

His youthfulness, His gentleness,His bitter trials and disappoint-ments; of how they put Himbefore a firing squad and riddledHis breast with bullets. I thoughtof the day the Master, then anold man, with His silvery hairflying about His beautiful face,had laid the little casket contain-ing the Bab’s earthly remainsaway for all time in a greatmarble sarcophagus in the vaultbeneath that floor, and how Hehad then bowed His head on itslip and wept and sobbed froman over filled heart until all thosewho stood in reverence at thatsolemn moment, wept with Him.

How small, how unworthy weseemed to be in that room onsuch an occasion! Great thingscome like a thief in the night andfind us unprepared and thenother men, at other times, lookback and say “What a blessingfor those who were there; whatan hour to have been alive!”

We then left the Shrine of theBab and entered the adjacentTomb of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, He whohad built that Shrine and whohad said that every stone of ithad been raised and placed inposition through infinte pains onHis part and‘ the shedding ofmany tears. A century had nowpassed since His birth on theself same night the Bab declaredHis mission, and the lovinghands of the Guardian had

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36 woatn onnnndecked His tomb, too, withcandles and flowers, only herethe roses were a carpet of deepviolet-pink, spreading the wholelength of His resting place.

On very rare occasions in lifeis it given to people to climb outof themselves, to surmount foreven a few seconds the bondsof time, of self, and the limita-tions they impose. But for a fewbrief hours we seemed to havecast the world behind us andbecome free of the trammels ofthe flesh. So great was the joy,so simple and compelling thebeauty of those moments whenwe attained the apex of ourexpectations, when we could, ifonly for one instant, in one greatinner flash, see the panorama ofspiritual events in their properperspective, that it lifted us upinto the realm of eternal reality,the World of God, where thereis neither past nor present norfuture, but only the truth of Hiscreation and the brightness ofHis worlds of everlasting life.We stood before the ocean ofHis Bounty —- yet how littleseemed the measures we pos-sessed with which to take awayour portion!

Slowly the world and its bur-den of living came back to usand tightened its coils about usonce again. We had pilgrimagedout beyond our limitations; fora few hours, (or for a few

moments, each according to hisown capacity), we had beenfree; now, happy, excited, grate-ful, we returned to earth again.Long after midnight the meetingslasted, the men in the presenceof the Guardian, the women fore-gathered in the pavilion pitchedfor them. The friends feastedwith elated hearts. Poems andprayers were chanted and read-ings from the Centenary Reviewwritten by Shoghi Effendi him-self for this great anniversary.

As we listened, the trials andsufferings of the Founders ofour Faith seemed very near andreal on this day when their fol-lowers the world over were tast-ing some of the first fruits oftriumph. As scenes of sorrow, ofbitter deprivation and persecu-tion rose before us, so too, inter-mingled with them like light withshadow, was the ever-presentpicture in the mind’s eye of whatthe believers elsewhere weredoing on this glorious occasion!The friends gathered in the whiteMother Temple of the West,radiant, joyous faces, representa-tive of all North America, everyState and every Province, andthose of the Latin AmericanRepublics too, gazing for thefirst time on western soil, in theNew World, on the portraitof the holy Bab; the lofty-domed auditorium of the Templehugging them in in a peace and

RING IN THE NEW 37security unknown to the outerworld. The Indian believers, ex-cited, enthused, reaping the re-ward of a truly stupendouseffort which swept the Causeforward within the space of afew years into many virginStates, and multiplied centersand assemblies in an almostmiraculous manner. The Britishfriends, convening their conven-tion and courageously and deter-minedly launching upon a week-long public Centenary Exhibitionin the heart of bombed andendangered London. The Egyp-tian Baha’is, foregathered intheir newly completed Nation-al Administrative Headquarters,proudly stepping forth in theirtrue colors in a mighty ~ strong-hold of Islam. The ‘Iraq be-lievers, firm, devoted, persever-ing, holding their celebrationslikewise in their own Headquar-ters in that city blessed beyondmeasure by Baha’u’llah’s reve-lation of His glory in one of itsgardens. And last, butnot byany means least, our thoughtshovered about that little Housein Shiraz where He, the Bab,declared Himself, now the Meccaof the eager Persian representa-tives of His Faith who pilgrim-aged there to do Him honor, toglorify His humility, to beweepHis sufferings, to laud His pre-cious life,‘ to recall His sorrowsand death, and to place on the

floor of the room in which Hefirst asserted His world-shakingclaims, a silken carpet in thename of “Shoghi, the Servantof His Threshold”, as well asto convene, during nine days,their annual convention in theprecincts of that sacred House.

Though the center of the Faithwas deprived, because of war,of welcoming on a befittingscale representatives from distantparts of the Baha’i world, yetdid it receive a full portion ofblessing and give out, onceagain, to the body of the Causethat never-failing animus which,ever since Baha’u’llah’s arrivalin ‘Akl<e in I868, has radiatedfrom this unique spot. As theheart pumps blood with forceand strength to the furthermostcapillaries of the system, so theGuardian distributed to all themembers of the Baha’i worldnews, glad tidings, hopes andinstructions for the future. It wasso thrilling to hear, (it wasalmost vocal, the sense of near-ness was so acute), the newsthat poured in from the delegatesin all the Baha’i conventions,East and West; reports of suc-cesses, numbers, new undertak-ings, good wishes, requests forprayers, expressions of devotionand gratitude. . . . Time andspace faded away and we allseemed to be in the same placeinwardly, as, indeed, we are, if

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33 wontn ormznwe but saw with the eye of thespirit.

May the 23rd, our festivitiescontinued on Mt. Carmel; in themorning the women, in the after-noon, the men, visited the Inter-national Archives. With whatmemories we gazed upon theportraits of the Bab and Baha-’u’llah. Their writings, theirrobes, their relics appeared ina new light. How swiftly thehundred years seemed to havepassed as I held the preciousdress of the Bab in my hands, ofgreen taffeta-—--(green beloved byHim no doubt as the emblem ofHis sacred lineage, His kinshipto Muhammad). His hair wasthere too, a few short, fine,brown strands; parings from Hisnails, kept for over ninety yearsby devout followers of His; alittle box containing fragmentsof wood from the original casketenclosing His remains and whichhad been preserved since the day‘Abdu’l-Baha entombed them forthe last time. It seemed as ifonly a few days ago He musthave been alive and walking thestreets of S_hiraz---;—not possiblya whole century ago! As we allgathered close to view these his-toric mementos of the martyrProphet of our Faith, we couldfeel the times changing. Somethere were amongst us whohad known Baha’u’llah Himself,daughters of one of his half-

brothers; one, the oldest of these,had herself from her childhoodwaited upon the mother of‘Abdu’l-Baha and been with herwhen she died and had likewisebeen present in the Mansion, atBahji, during Baha’u'llah’s lastillness and when He ascended.Already those days of nearnesswere receding; when these oldwomen passed away who wouldstand amongst us and with weep-ing eyes say “yes, I rememberseeing that in His hand . . .”?

Most of the adults present hadknown ‘Abdu’l-Baha personallyfor long years. But soon thatgeneration too will be rolledaway into the past and no livingmemory amongst us recall Him.We all felt our privilege verykeenly as we gazed on thesethings in the archives, which areat present lodged in the roomsadjoining the Bab’s and theMaster’s tombs. From the dayswhen Baha’u'llah resided inBahji, and these old women hadentered His presence and seenthese very tajs, we now lookedupon with such reverence, on Hisown blessed head, there wasalready a gap. We younger oneslooked upon them with enviouseyes. You saw the face of theProphet! You waited on, listenedto the voice of, and received giftsfrom, the King of Kings! And itwas only day before yesterday!Already the day before that is

RING IN THE NEW 39gone. No one is left who cantouch the relics of the Bab withtremulous lips and flowing eyesand say “I saw Him!”

And yesterday is gone too.Though so many knew the be-loved Master, though so manypresent had received their namesand the names of their childrenfrom Him and had still in theirhomes many a gift of His, or atablet, or something used by Him--—yet for us who are younger isthat a closed door too, now. Thatwas yesterday, gone for ever. ThePerfect Exemplar is laid awayto rest. 100 years ago He wasborn. These are His things, thesethe shoes, the fez, the robes, thewatch He wore-—but He is gone.And even as we perceived thesethings we perceived our ownprivileges too. Our day too hasits special sweetness, for we arestill near. Near in point of timeto these three glorious figures,and very near and folded still inthe intimate phase of the Cause.We enter within the Shrines; westand close, close to the sacredresting places; we are near theGuardian; he comes to us,speaks to the friends, chants inthe Holy Tombs, walks the gar-den paths; the pilgrims clusterbehind him, ask their questions,are often alone with him dayafter day and have his discourseand his presence all to them-selves.

And yet, in thirty-five years,what immense changes haveswept over Mt. Carmel since‘Abdu’l-Baha laid the Bab’s bodyto rest in 1909. The Master Him-self is now laid away beneaththe floor of the adjoining shrine—-but this we know is not Hispermanent resting place. TwoOriental Pilgrim Houses arebuilt in the vicinity of the Tomb,one during His days, one addedby the Guardian. But these, wemay well suppose, will some daygive way to the requirements ofa far greater inflow of pilgrims.The terraces the Master envis-aged, and Himself commenced,now stretch from the Shrines toalmost join the main road ofthe German Colony --—-— but theyare but a skeleton, constructedby Shoghi Eflendi in anticipa-tion of the mighty scheme ofapproach to the Bab’s Sepulchrewhich must some day be under-taken.* On the other side of themain highway, running now tothe crest of Mt. Carmel and pass-ing behind the Shrines, are thenewly laid out gardens whichsurround the beautiful monu-ments marking the graves of theMaster’s Family, all built sinceI

"'From the crown of the mountain to theGerman colony at its foot the lands of theShrine now stretch, approximately 140,000square meters, all permanently dedicatedto the Bab's Resting Place and exemptedfrom taxation by Government and Munici-pality alike.

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49 wonto onnnnHis sister passed away in 1932,and where His mother, Hisbrother and His wife now alsorest.

Change is swiftly sweepingover this old mountain of theprophets. Since the day whenBaha’u’llah pointed with Hisown hand to the spot, and in-structed His beloved Son tobring the Bab’s body and buryit there, events have leaped for-ward. We can only suppose theywill go on doing so at an everincreasing tempo.

So as we intimately visitedthe archives, held our meetingsinformally together, and sawwhat the requirements of almosttwo hundred people were, ourminds naturally turned to thefuture and we envisioned thedays, perhaps nearer than werealize, when thousands will bepilgrims, and the days beyondthose days, hanging as yet onthe dim fringes of time, whenmillions will be pilgrims. Andour celebrations seemed infinitelynear and precious, and we knewthe time was not far off whenothers would be envying us ourdays as we envied those whosaid “I remember when Baha-’u’llah wore that in the Man-sion” or “I remember when theMaster returned with those fromAmerica.”

On the afternoon of the 23rdthe Guardian recapitulated (in

the men’s meeting) the thrillingand moving history of the re-mains of the Bab from that blacknight when, following upon Hismartyrdom, they were thrown outon the edge of the moat of Tabrizfor animals to devour and werelater rescued and concealed forsixty lunar years, through the di-rect and unsparing vigilance ofboth Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha, till they were finally en-tombed by the Master himself.For those six decades they were aheavy, one might almost say aheart-breaking, load on theirminds. Moved from place toplace; always in the gravestdanger should their whereaboutbecome known to the enemies ofthe Faith; at one time their re-pository broken open by thieves;at another their exact place ofconcealment lost to the knowl-edge of all save Baha’u’llah, anda very few of His relatives, whowere in exile with Him, theymade the journey, secret, circuit-ous, over half a century in dura-tion, from Tabriz to Haifa insecurity. Now, on the Centenaryof the Bab’s Declaration, theGuardian announced for the firsttime that a design had been madeat his instruction and acceptedby him for the completed struc-ture of the Shrine, comprising acolumned arcade enclosing theoriginal building on four sidesand surmounted by a lofty

—

RING IN THE NEW P41dome, resting on an intermediaryeight-sided story. This conceptwas pursuant with the wishesof ‘Abdu’l-Baha who had desiredthat the building should be sur-mounted by a dome. But not onestone of the stones blessed by histears and labours should ever beremoved. His structure was thecore, sacred and precious beyondthe embellishments of art, and itwas now to be enclosed in a shellof beauty befitting the station andglory of the beloved Martyr-Herald of our Faith, and yet re-vealing the original building onall sides.

This announcement, accom-panied by an exhibition of themodel, was made together withthe glad-tiddings that the nextand third Mas_hriqu’l-Adljtkar ofthe Baha’i world would be con-structed, circumstances permit-ting, in Tihran on the large areaof land already purchased forthat purpose by the Persianfriends, and that these twomighty tasks were amongst thefirst undertakings which must belaunched upon in the course ofthe second Baha’i century.

After another visit -— at thehour of twilight --— to the twintombs of the Bab and the Master,the Baha’is, men and women,gathered in the hall of theOriental Pilgrim House to hearthe record of a prayer chantedby ‘Abdu’l-Baha and to view the

motion picture taken of Him inI912 during His visit to Amer-ica. The majestic figure, withunutterably sweet and beautifulface and the sad and loving eyes,moved the hearts of us all. Thiswas followed by colored lanternslides showing views of theBaha’i Temple in Wilmette, thefriends gathered on its steps atconvention time, the NationalBaha’i Headquarters, variousconferences and summer schoolgroups, and other Baha’i prop-erties. Gasps of delight and en-thusiasm could be heard as thebelievers gazed on the greatwhite House of Worship restingon green swards, flanked by theblue waters of Lake Michigan,and surrounded by lofty trees.

On May the 24th, all the pil-grims and believers proceededto Bahji, near ‘Akka, where, inthe afternoon, the final meetingof our centennial celebrationswas held in the shadow ofBaha’u’llah’s Tomb. The Baha’is,gathered about the Guardian onthe lawn, listened to his discourseon the progress made by theFaith and to the narrative ofthose trials and episodes thatdistinguished the lifetime of‘Abdu’l-Baha, many of whichwere vivid in the memories ofthose present. As the sun west-ered into the sea, we entered theHoly Tomb.

Green and white wove a pat-

iii

42 wontn onnnntern of peace and calm into thegathering dusk of the interior.The bushes and vines and tall,slender trees, stood still andethereal in the little center gar-den. Only the small inner roomof the Shrine, beneath the floorof which Baha’u’llah’s remainsrest, was brilliantly lighted withflickering candles, old-fashionedfrosted globe chimney lamps andelectricity, the nature of theouter room, with its large sky-lights, precluding any illumina-tion there owing to the black-outregulations.

It was His Faith’s anniversarywe were celebrating. We came toHim with hearts full of gratitudeand realization. The Bab hadsaid: “For all that hath beenexalted in the Bayan is but as aring upon My hand, and I Myselfam, verily, but a ring upon thehand of Him Whom God shallmake manifest . . . He turnethit as He pleaseth, for whatsoeverHe pleaseth, and through what-soever He pleaseth.” And yet theone hundred years gone by werefrom the declaration of His.Herald’s mission. This was notreally Baha’u’llah’s anniversary;that would come in 1963. 1963-—-what would His Faith havegiven to the world by then? Westood under the shadow of war,in a darkness brought by war.

All the evil, all the ruin andsorrow and suffering He had

cautioned us against for fortyyears, the godlessness, perversityand blindness He had seen wax-ing within men's hearts, hadcome to fruition. The centenaryof our Cause had fallen in themidst of a world convulsionthat carried on its flood watersever greater treasures of ouryouth, our wealth, our optimism,our hopes away into oblivion.In the nineteen years ahead, be-fore we again gathered for ahundredth anniversary in HisHoly Tomb, what of good andill would befall humanity? Howmuch would the Baha’is accom-plish during these two pricelessdecades that lay before them?We had done much——-—and yet solittle! Well over half a centuryago Baha’u’llah had written:“And if the friends had beendoing that which they were com-manded, now most of those onearth would be adorned with therobe of faith.”

Somewhere in the past therehad been grevious failures onour part. Would we now takewing? Would we at last becomecompletely, utterly Baha’is, menof the New Creation, breathingthe rarified air of those moun-tain tops Baha’u’llah discoveredto our eyes and whose paths Hehad laid down for our feet?Everything we had: There beforeus, strong, assured, tried in thefires of suffering and tempered

RING IN THE NEW 43to a fine point, stood our leader,our Guardian. Both we and theCause were safe in such handsas his. A doer to his finger tips;a man of vision, iron determina-tion, indomitable courage; aman who never hesitated beforeany danger or compromised withany circumstance, however over-powering and compelling itmight seem to be. In a world ofhalf-tones, of muddied values, hisstandard was fleckless, his eyesharp and true, his voice unfalt-ering.

Our treasury was full: Awealth of literature was ours,neither open to question as toauthenticity nor open to misin-terpretation. Our foundation waslaid by the blood of martyrs, bythe spread of the Faith for a hun-dred years until almost everyland on the planet had receivedsome tiding of its message. OurAdministration, thanks to thetireless and persistent insistenceof Shoghi Effendi, had at lastemerged from its embryonicstate and was rapidly growinginto the suitable medium it wasdesigned to be for the expressionof Baha’i community life andthe furtherance of the welfareof mankind. Youth marchedunder our banner. The insignifi-cant, the obscure, the unqualifiedhad discovered, particularly dur-ing the last seven years of teach-ing enterprise in the New World,

that the Cause of Baha’u’llah wasa golden talisman that openeddoors no humble man everdreamed he would pass through.We had begun to taste the sweet-ness of the power God conferson those who go forth to serveHim and had seen indeed that“should a man, all alone, arisein the name of Baha and put onthe armor of His love, him willthe Almighty cause to be vic-torious, though the forces ofearth and heaven be arrayedagainst him.” We had come toknow that there are spiritual aswell as physical laws in thisworld and that our Faith canlaunch the frailest bark into thewildest torrent and yet steer itsafely to victory.

The measure of success or themeasure of failure which thenext nineteen years must hold forthe Cause directly, and forhumanity indirectly, depends onour wills. What do we Baha’isintend to do? How firmly are wegoing to grasp the sword ofaction? How daring are ourhearts? Victory, like Spring,must come, but will it be ourvictory or that of others, whowill look back with scorn andpity on us and say that such anopportunity as lay between theyears 1944- and 1963 the Baha’isof those days let slip betweentheir fingers!

Getting Ready for the PeaceH. A... OVERSTREET

IT IS fitting in this house ofworship that we should talk

of peace, for peace is its founda-tion. It is fitting that we shouldtalk of universal peace, for uni-versality is the heart and soulof its design.

We are still a world at war.When peace comes, will we beready, all over the world, to say:“There shall be no more war.”

I speak here tonight as anAmerican; but I hope I speak,too, as a citizen of the world.I hope I speak in the spirit ofyour own beloved Master whenhe said: “The earth is but onecountry, and mankind its citi-zens.”

In a number of months --— ayear perhaps ~——- (we hope it willnot be longer) —- the war willbe over. We shall be deliriouswith joy because no guns willany longer be murdering humanbeings; because the weak willnot need to hide; the strong willno longer have to offer them-selves as a brave sacrifice forfreedom. The war will be overand peace will be begun. Willit be a beautiful, exciting peace?Will it be a peace of upbuild-ing? A singing, creative peace——-all mankind putting their mindsand wills together to make a

world fit for the spirit of man?We hope it will be. But with

our hope is mingled a great fear.We may miss the adventureahead of us. We may be so tired,so sick of all the cruelty anddestruction, of all the uncer-tainty and disruption of life thatwe shall want to relax, to getback to the beloved routines offamily life and of chosen work.We shall want to join our friendsand let the world “go hang”.That was the way it was last time.It may be that way again. If itis, we shall miss another of thegreat chances —- perhaps thegreatest chance -— given us bythe ages.

To be forewarned, however,is to be forearmed. We of theolder generation in America arenot happy at the way we behavedlast time. Perhaps the best wecan now do will be to keep onreminding ourselves and remind-ing the younger generation howwe fell away from the task. Itmay warn us not to do it again.

Also, we of the older genera-tion are not happy at the waywe allowed the great cause ofworld union to become the foot-ball of the pettiest and meanestpolitics. This time we must putpetty and mean politics aside.

PEACE 45

The deepest hopes of mankindwill be at stake; and we must notagain sell those hopes for amiserable mess of political pot-tage. Also, we are not happy aswe remember the shifting inde-cisiveness of the last peace—how we shuttled back and forthbetween a severity that was toosevere and a generosity that wastoo generous. Nor are we happyat the mistakes we made aboutour enemy, the Germans, thrust-ing upon them a democracy forwhich they were quite unpre-pared, and remaining utterly ob-livious to their determined willfor another war.

I think the chief function ofus older ones will be to insistthat this time we get our mindsprepared for the job. Peace willnot come as a happy surprise,like a bird’s song in springtime.It will have to be worked for,sweated for, perhaps fought for.Not everyone will want the samekind of peace. Some will wantthe kind that will be merely anirritant for another war. Somewill want the kind that will failto rectify the iniquities that havemade wars in the past and willmake them in the future. Somewill want a peace that is kindto the enemy; some will want aharsh and inhuman peace. Somewill merely want what is goodfor their special kind of busi-ness. Some will want a peace

that will make us the mostpowerful nation in the world.A peace that is to be wise andjust must spring from minds thathave learned to be wise and just.

We shall have to be sunclearabout a number of things.

In the first place, we must beconvinced, this time, beyond theglimmer of a doubt, that here-after nations can no longer goit alone. We ought now to knowthat a world of completely in-dependent nations is a world ofpotential lawlessness. It is aworld in which any strong, ill-motivated nation can descendwith violence upon its neighbornations. It is a world in whichonly force can be protection; aworld, therefore, in which small,peace-loving nations can have nosecurity of existence. It is aworld in which the strong na-tions must be forever preoccu-pied with making themselvesstronger.

There is no need to repeat thearguments. If, after all the argui-ments we have heard and all thetragic experience we have had intwo world wars, we are still notconvinced of the need for a worldunited against aggression, thenGod help the world. It will goto its destruction, because of theincurable stupidity of its people.

But to organize a world unitedagainst aggression will not beenough. If the United Nations,

46 wonto onnznwith their world police, per-petuate the same old racial ex-ploitations and economic im-perialisms that have been thesources of wars in the past, thenthey will perpetuate wars amongus. We must be prepared, there-fore, to work not only for inter-nationalism but for that type ofinternationalism which is eco-nomically and socially demo-cratic. This means that we mustkeep an alert eye on all the newefforts to monopolize or cartelizeeconomic resources, as well asall efforts to perpetuate forms ofimperialistic domination. . . .

It is necessary for us to realize,therefore, that we have a delicateand difficult job ahead of us.After the war is over, Germaneducation, both in the schoolsand outside the schools, must notbe allowed to remain the mor-ally perverting -thing the Germanleaders have made it to be. . . .

Who will do the changing? Allour democratic scruples cry outagainst imposing reforms fromthe outside. Americans will neverwant to impose their educationalsystem upon Germany; nor willthe English want to impose theirs;nor the Russians. It may be thatwe shall have to find a solutionthrough some kind of world bodyof educators——a body of men andwomen who, passionate for thepeace of the world, will suggestmodifications of the old mili-

taristic and authoritative formsof German education. Such abody, if it is wise, will find thoseGermans of democratic mind andexperience (there will be manyof them abroad and some inunderground Germany) who willbe best able to help Germanycreate new forms of educationcompatible with what is best inthe German spirit.

We shall have to be sunclearabout this. Nothing short of afundamental reorientation of theGerman mind and character willmake the Germans safe for theworld...

We shall want to be clear abouta third point. This is not just awar between ourselves and Ger-many, nor between ourselves andall the Axis powers. There is atendency always to see a war interritorial terms: the enemy overthere, we over here. This war isdifferent. The enemy is every-where—all over the world——--evenamong ourselves. They may sitby our side at a public dinner;may live in the next apartment;may be making speeches in Con-gress. Every occupied countrynow realizes that the enemy werein their midst long before theNazis came: Quislings in Nor-way; Lavals in France; DutchNazis in Holland; Belgian Nazisin Belgium. Spain has its Falang-ists; Argentine its native Fascists.We in America have our Ameri-

PEACE 47

can Fascists.The lines of this war extend

all over the world. The fight isbetween two kinds of people.This is the fundamental thing toremember. The fight is betweenpeople, on the one hand, whowant power for themselves, spe-cial rights for themselves; peo-ple who believe that in race, orfinancial strength, or cleverness,they are worthier than the rest,and that their special worthinessgives them the right to take whatthey please; to be ruthless ifneed be; to be downright cruelif cruelty will get them what theywant-——it is a fight between suchruthless, power-seeking peopleand people who want all humanbeings to have equal rights tolife and freedom and the pursuitof their happiness.

The fight is between a demo-cratic order of life and a fas-cistic order of life. Fascism, inall its forms, is the arrogant as-sertion of special privilege. De-mocracy is the denial of specialprivilege. It is the aflirmationthat all men are born equal intheir right to life, liberty and thepursuit of their happiness. Fas-cism sets man against man; di-vides rather than unites. Fascism,therefore, is and always has beenthe breeder of war. Democracyencourages man to cooperatewith fellow man; it unites ratherthan divides. Democracy, there-

fore is and always will be theprerequisite of peace.

Long ago one of the greatmasters of life formulated forus the law of civilized behavior:“Do unto others as you wouldhave others do unto you.” Inother words, give every humanbeing the same chances for lifethat you would yourself like tohave. On the other hand, allthrough the centuries, the mis-understanders and misusers oflife have formulated the counterrule: Do unto others whateverkind of doing will get you whatyou want. “It is the eternalstruggle,” said Lincoln, “be-tween two principles. The one isthe common right of humanityand the other divine right ofkings. It is the same spirit thatsays, ‘You toil and earn breadand I’ll eat it.’ No matter inwhat shape it comes . . . it is thesame tyrannical principle.”

(Ours, therefore, is the world‘old fight for human decency. Wehave to be clear about this. Weare fighting to get rid of allforms of oppression, wherever orwhatever they may be. We, inAmerica, are fighting for whatwe call our American dream.

Two forms of inequality todaybegin to appear to us as par-ticularly odious: one, the in-equality of rights as betweenNegro and White in America;two, the inequality of respect as

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43 wonto onnznbetween Occidental and Oriental.All fair-minded Americans knowthat our treatment of the Negroesis inconsistent with our demo-cratic pretensions. Unfortunately,there are many Americans who,in this matter, are not yet fair-minded. I

Second, there is the inequalityof respect as between Occidentand Orient. We, of the occidentalworld, and particularly we ofAmerica, have never yet beenfully enough aware of our occi-dental provincialism: we havesimply taken it for granted thatwe of the West are the preferredbrand of human beings. We as-sumed that we had the best po-litical forms and the best indus-trial forms; so what more neededto be said. For generations, wehave regarded the Orient asnegligible, to be treated withmore or less of contempt.

This, too, must go. The feelingwe have had that we are theMaster Hemisphere is not veryfar removed from the idea ofthe Master Race.

If there is to be world peace,there must be world respect. Weshall have to think of all cultures-——-eastern or western—--as havingequal right to grow in theiressential ways. For the arroganceand intolerance of our traditionalCultural Monism, we must sub-stitute the generosity and respectof Cultural Pluralism.

I shall not speak except inpassing about the ugly blot ofanti-Semitism. With shame be itsaid, there are Americans whowillingly and deliberately spreadthat ugliness among us. It showshow unfinished as yet is the jobof democracy. It shows hownecessary is the strengthening ofa spiritual sense of what democ-racy is about.

It is probably true that manyAmericans have never dreamedthe American dream. They havesimply accepted this land as theplace of their opportunity. Butthe American dream is morethan that. It is a dream that in-cludes others -—- includes themnot as persons to be tricked andpersecuted, but as persons towhom we say: “Come along;we’ve got a land to build . .. . aland of freedom . . . a landwhere things will be better forour children than they were forus. We don’t care whether you’rerich or poor, Methodist or Pres-byterian, Jew or Gentile, whetheryou speak with an accent or inBoston English, come along.”Something like that is the Ameri-can dream . . . and anti-Semitismjust doesn’t fit into it. So out itmust go . . . from our own landas well as from the rest of theworld.

This, then, is the third pointwe must be clear about. We mustknow Fascism in all its forms;

PEACE 49and deliberately, courageously,following in the spirit of all theliberals of the past, we musteradicate it from our midst.

In one of his last letters, Ben-jamin Franklin wrote: “Godgrant that not only the love ofliberty but a thorough knowledgeof the rights of man may per-vade all the nations of the earth,so that a philosopher may sethis foot anywhere on its surfaceand say, ‘This is my country.’ ”

But there is a warning we mustgive ourselves: Rome was notbuilt in a day: world coopera-tion and world peace will not beachieved at a stroke.

Those of us who have chosenour favorite blueprint of a worldunion, may have to learn a cer-tain patience. Already the oppos-ing forces are drawn up in battlearray. There are those who areall out for a world organization;and there are those who, at thedrop of a hat, are ready to fightall plans that imperil the sov-ereignty of their nation or themagisterial omnicompetence oftheir empire.

Before so vast an undertakingas union of the world can beachieved, men must be given timeto grow accustomed to so novelan idea. This we failed to do afterthe last war. The League of Na-tions was thrust upon a peoplewhose habits of mind were nation-alistic. The shock was too great.

It may be that world associa-tion will have to come quietly,step by step, without any toogreat invasion of our traditionalnationalistic loyalties. As a mat-ter of fact, it is already comingthat way. The United NationsRelief and Rehabilitation Ad-ministration is the first modestorgan of world government gen-erated by this war. Even it wasopposed; but not successfully,because the reason for its exist-ence was too obvious to be de-nied. There is a job that willhave to be done and it can bedone only by the combinedstrength and wisdom of theUnited Nations. People will haveto be fed; cities rebuilt. A unitedhumanity must bring relief to thevictims of this most terrible ofall wars.

Here, then, is the first of ourworld undertakings. There willbe many more. The monetarysystems of the devastated coun-tries must be restored and re-organized. This will call for aUnited Nations Monetary Ad-ministration. Manufacturing mustbe resumed; business rebuilt; ac-cess to raw materials established.This will call for a United Na-tions Economic Administration.Schools must be rebuilt; educa-tion restored; the profound prob-lem of what to do about German(and later, Japanese) educationmust be solved. For that we shall

50 wonto oannnrequire a United Nations Educa-tional commission.

As one problem after anotheris tackled; as one united nationscommission after another is or-ganized and settles to its work,we shall begin to get used to theidea that we live in a world whereworld-wide problems must behandled on a world-wide basis.Without our knowing it, we shallslip into the habit of thinking inworld terms. And before weknow it, we will have passed outof the tradition of nationalisticthinking and be functioning interms of world interdependence.

Finally, we will need tostrengthen ourselves with a basicconfidence. We in America havenot suffered much from the im-pact of war. Our cities have notbeen bombed. We have witnessedhere nothing of the war’s horrorand devastation. It sometimesseems as if we hardly know thata war is on. Those who have lostloved ones perhaps feel differ-ently. But the bulk of Americansseem hardly aware of the pro-found crisis through which ournation and our world are pass-ing. Hence to many of us therewould appear to be small hopethat Americans will be passion-ate about making the kind ofpeace that needs to be made.

We need to take heart out ofwhat is happening in the warcountries. Those people are not

apathetic. Among them there issuch a surge of democratic pas-sion as the world has never yetexperienced. In undergroundFrance they wait for the daywhen free France will assert herright to a new democratic wayof life. In Jugoslavia, they fightand they wait. In Poland theywait. In Belgium. In Holland. InDenmark. In Norway. In Czech-slovakia. In Greece. In China.Democracy was never as passion-ate a desire among people in allthe world before. These peopleare not apathetic. These peoplewill surge forth when the lastgun is fired, and woe betide anygovernment, in exile or at home,that tries to deny them their dem-ocratic freedom.

We must build ourselves a newimage of war’s end. The oldimage is that of a swarming ofpolitical stuffed shirts around apeace table; of endless, futile,pontifical talk; of papers drawnup and papers torn up; of agree-ments reached that are no agree-ments; of a peace that will makeno peace. This is the image thatthe last war’s end left on ourminds.

Perhaps we can begin to builda new image: the image of a newchance for all of us . . . literallyfor all of us. We haven’t donehalf of what we might do withour world. We have left it poorand divided and fear-ridden

PEACE 51when we might have made it richand united and courageously gen-erous. We have had all the ma-terials; all the technical brains.What we have lacked has beena motive, an impulse, a will, asense of great values. What weneeded was to wont a more de-cent world so desperately thatwe would plunge passionatelyinto creating it.

Perhaps we shall never havethat will; but if, by any chancewe were to have it, we wouldbecome the most excited peoplein the world. There would besomething ahead of us . . . some-thing tremendous to do . . . aworld to create.

When the war ends, we shallhave a chance never before givenin all the history of the world.This war has done more to reveal

the basic cleavages of life thanany war ever fought. It has donemore to shake men, everywhere,out of complacency, out of asense that God’s in His Heavenand all’s right with the world.Never sin all history has the soulof man been so deeply stirred.Never has the world been so ripeto take up the challenge of anew world to create.

A few months now——~—God grantthat they may be few——and thegreat excitement of peace will beupon us: the excitement of anend that is to be a beginning; theexcitement of going back towhere we were, but also of mov-ing forward to where we wantto be. -ii

Address delivered on the program ofthe Baha’i Centenary, Wilmette, Illinois,May 19-25, 1944.

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The world is, in truth, moving on towards its destiny. The inter-dependence of the peoples and nations of the earth, whatever theleaders of the divisive forces of the world may say or do, is alreadyan accomplished fact. Its unity in the economic sphere is now under-stood and recognized. The welfare of the part means the welfare ofthe whole, and the distress of the part brings distress to the whole.The Revelation of Baha’u’llah has, in His own words, “lent o freshimpulse and set tr new direction” to this vast process now operating inthe world. The fires lit by this great ordeal are the consequences ofmen’s failure to recognize it. They are, moreover, hastening its con-summation. Adversity, prolonged, world-wide, amictive, allied to chaosand universal destruction, must needs convulse the nations, stir theconscience of the world, disillusion the masses, precipitate a radicalchange in the very conception of society, and coalesce ultimately thedisjointed, the bleeding limbs of mankind into one body, single,organically united, and indivisible. .

--——-SHOGHI EFFENDI

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“The Most Important MatterIs to Found a Temple”

‘ MRS. CORINNE TRUE

AFTER the very warm wordsof welcome from Mr. Harry

C. Kinne, President of the Wil-mette Village Board, who amongother things said, “When peopleask me, where is Wilmette, I tellthem, if you want to locate Wil-mette, just locate the Baha’iTemple. There’s where Wilmetteis” our hearts are set aglowwith the Centenary spirit. Wewant to tell the world about thegreat bounty bestowed not onlyon our village, but upon the en-tire continent of America, be-cause of its being the home ofthe first Baha’i House of Wor-ship in the Western Hemisphereand designated by ""Abdu’l-Bahaas the Mother Temple fromwhom a hundred thousandTemples will be born, not onlyin America, but in the five con-tinents of the globe. G

To know what such a Templestands for is absolutely essential,if we discern the meaning andimportance of such a Divine In-stitution. How better can this beimparted to the friends gatheredhere tonight than to give you‘Abdu’l-Baha’s own words. Ad-dressing a national gathering ofBaha’is held in Chicago in theinterest of this Temple, ‘Abdu’l-

Baha said: “Among the institutesof the Holy Books is that of thefounding of places of Worship,that is to say, an Edifice orTemple is to be built in orderthat humanity might find a placeof meeting, and this is to be con-ducive to unity and fellowshipamong them.

“The real Temple is the‘ veryWord of God: for to it allhumanity must turn, and it isthe Center of Unity for all Man-kind. It is the Collective Center,the cause of accord and com-munion of hearts, the sign of thesolidarity of the human race, thesource of life eternal.

“Temples are the symbols ofthe divine uniting force, so thatwhen the people gather there inthe House of God, they may re-call the fact that the law hasbeen revealed for them and thatthe law is to unite them... Theywill realize that just as thisTemple was founded for theUnification of Mankind, the lawpreceding and creating it cameforth in the manifest Word--—that is why His Holiness, Baha-’u’llah, has commanded that aplace of worship be built for allthe religions of the world; thatall religions, races and sects may

. TEMPLE 53come together within its uni-versal shelter; that the proclama-tion of the Oneness of Mankindshall go forth from its opencourts of holiness . . .”

On March 21., 1909, delegatesfrom thirty-six cities in Americainaugurated the first NationalConvention. It was held in Chi-cago. The chief work accom-plished at this Convention wasthe election of nine of the dele-gates present to form an organiza-tion incorporated under the StateLaws of Illinois, whose sole pur-pose was to further in every waythe building of the Mas_hriqu’l-Aflakar and take title to the landupon which this beautiful edificenow stands.

The patience of our Wilmettefriends has been sorely triedthroughout the many years it hasrequired to bring about so mag-nificent a building, but today, asthey see it standing so majesticin its beauty, all are filled withpride. Baha’is from all parts ofthe globe have joined AmericanBaha’is in so prodigious anundertaking, and from the fiveContinents and the Isles of theSea have come contributions.‘Abdu’l-Bahé said, in 1908, toMr. and Mrs. Kinney of NewYork City: “Contributions forthe Masl1riqu’l-Adhkér are mostimportant. Notwithstanding themiserable condition of Persia,money has poured in and is still

coming for this purpose, al-though many families are ex-tremely poor; so poor that theyscarcely have enough to keepthem. Nevertheless they havegiven towards it. For many yearsthe Viiest has contributed towardsthe East. And now through theMercies and Bounties of God, amiracle has been performed, andfor the first time in the historyof the world, the East is con-tributing to the West.”

The Mafl1riqu’l-Ad_hk:-ir is themonument raised by the B:-1ha’isof the entire world to the Teach-ings of Bahé’u’llah.

“The body of the humanworld,” ‘Abdu’l-Baha declared,“is sick. Its remedy and healingwill be the Oneness of the King-dom of Humanity. Its life is theMost Great Peace. Its illumina-tion and quickening is love. Itshappiness, the attainment ofSpiritual perfection.”

And now may I close withthese words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé:“May the Love of God be spreadfrom this city, from this Meet-ing, to all the surrounding Coun-tries. Nay, may America be-come the distributing center ofSpiritual Enlightenment. . . . ForAmerica has developed powersand capabilities greater andmore wonderful than any otherNation.”-

Address delivered on the program ofthe Bahéfi Centenary, May 19-25, 1944.

"""'_"'£::fil'i0ria[l

The Search for Truth

THE claims of Bah5.’u’llahand of the Baha’i Faith are

great. No claims could begreater. Their very magnitudecauses many to turn away fromthem. Yet they are of the utmostimportance to every individualsoul and to the future peace andprosperity of all mankind. To-day the world is in dire straits.From many directions the cry israised that humanity’s desperateneed is a vital and pure religion;that a great spiritual awakeningmust permeate the nations if wecan hope to rebuild our world onthe basis of lasting peace.* Andthis is just the need which theBahé’i Faith claims to meet. Itis a world religion with powerfulspiritual dynamic.

The followers of the Baha’iFaith claim that the words ofBahé’u’llah stir men’s hearts andrecreate their souls; that theybring light to a darkened world;that they probe to the roots ofhumanity’s ills and pronouncethe remedy; that they are, intruth, the basis for that world

‘A notable example of this cry is Dr.Trueblood"s recent book, The Predicamentof Modern Man, reviewed in the Februaryissue of this magazine and condensed inthe -March issue of The Reader’: Digest.

unity and peace for which alllong; and, moreover, that theycome from no human source.

The Baha’i Faith claims thatDivine Revelation is not con-fined to past ages, but that inthis present time Bahé’u’1lah hasspoken as the Mouthpiece of Godrevealing God’s will for today,pouring forth spiritual bounties.To the followers of Christ Baha-’u’llah says that in His comingthe promise of Christ to returnin spirit and reveal a fullermeasure of truth than His dis-ciples were able at that time tocomprehend has been fulfilled.Can any event in history bemore important than this?

There are many friends of theBahé’i Faith who accept the loftysocial and ethical program whichBahé’u’lléh has unfolded and setin motion but who fail to findand feel the spiritual forces ofthis newly born Faith becausethey do not search deeply intothe words of Baha’u’lléh and‘Abdu’l-Bahé. Spiritual truth isdiscerned only by those whosincerely desire. “Let the flameof search burn with such fierce-ness within your hearts,” urgesBahé’u’lléh, “as to enable you to

TRUTH 55

attain your supreme and mostexalted goal.”

Christ spoke of this seekingfor truth as seeking for theKingdom of God. So great andsincere must be the desire thatsearch for it comes before allother things. “Seek ye first theKingdom of God.” A man willsell all that he has for the pearlof great price. In Baha’u'llah’swords, “The seeker must needssacrifice his all.” Baha’u’llahgives us many qualifications ofthe true seeker. He must have apure heart, without prejudice.“He must so cleanse his heart,”He warns us, “that no remnantof either love or hate may lingertherein, lest that love blindlyincline him to error, or that haterepel him away from the truth.”He must be independent, notrelying on previous or inheritedbeliefs or on what another maysay. “Man must seek reality him-self, forsaking imitations andadherence to mere hereditaryforms,” ‘Abdu’l-Baha says. Pa-tience and humility are needed.For in the Valley of Search “thewayfarer rides on the steed ofpatience” and the seeker “mustnever exalt himself above any-one, must wash from his heartevery trace of pride and vain-glory.” Surely he will “put histrust in God” praying forguidance.

Such are the lofty qualifica-

tions set by Christ and Baha-’u’llah for those who would searchfor truth on the spiritual planeof the inner life. It is on thisplane that freedom from doubt,assurance and great joy are therewards of search. But it is quitepossible to start this search fortruth on the rational plane.Probably this is where most ofus start. Here, too, the seekermust have an open mind, freefrom prejudice and desire truthmore than his own opinion. Sucha soul, if he be earnest, willcontinue on what ‘Abdu’l-Bahahas called the long road from thehead to the heart.

On whichever plane one isseeking never was it easier toinvestigate a new revelation fromGod than it is today in thiscountry, where there is religiousfreedom and the printed Word iseasily obtainable in libraries orby purchase. There are booksabout the Baha’i Faith, and thestories of the lives of the Bab,Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha;there are the words of Baha-’u’llah and of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. NoMessenger from God comes with-out complete proof of His mis-sion and His station.

This fresh Revelation fromGod, the All-Wise and All-Know-ing, is not meant for just a few.It is a call to each and everysoul in the whole world.

-——-B. H. K.

Preparing for a Post-War WorldALI M. YAZDI

EVERYBODY is talking aboutworld peace and world se-

curity. Statesmen of the majorpowers, writers and commenta-tors, capitalists and workers, allare virtually agreed that someform of world order is not onlydesirable, but imperative. Theconcept of world order has atlast emerged from the conflictof ideas, and has now attainedwidespread support. Steps arebeing taken to give body to thisconcept.

It is hard at first to appraisethe significance of this develop-ment. It is so tremendous in itsimportance that one needs timeand perspective to visualize itsscope. To the members of theBaha’i Faith in particular, thisis no less than the fulfillmentof a prophecy ‘and a longawaited day. It is the culmina-tion of nearly a hundred yearsof efiort, during which theBaha’is worked steadfastly forworld organization and peace.Their path was far from easy.First, they met violent persecu-tion and even martydom. Thou-sands of them gave their livesfor this ideal and this Faith.Later, as they spread over theglobe, other obstacles, less cruelbut equally disheartening, stood

across their way. Sometimes itwas indifference and compla-cency. At other times, it was atolerant sympathy. And again, itwas cynical skepticism. Peoplewould say, “Your principles arenoble, but they are impractical”.Or, “You can’t change humannature”. Or, “We have alwayshad wars and we shall alwayshave wars”. And so on, and soon! Then, after two world warsand the interim period of falsehopes and disillusion, the tidebegan to turn. Then, in dramaticsuccession: The InternationalFood Conference, The UnitedNations Relief and Rehabili-tation Administration, BrettonW'oods, Dumbarton Oaks, andnow, the World Security Con-ference in San Francisco!

Here we are, faced with theopportunity we have long beenhoping and working for, ——- theopportunity to build the founda-tion of a stable, just and peacefulworld. Let every thoughtful manand woman stop and take stock,lest history, looking back on thisday, will tell our children andtheir children, how close wecame, and how tragically we

lfailed .Let us take stock. We are

entering the last and most violent

POST-WAR WORLD 57phase of a long and cruel war.Military victory is in sight. Vic-tory will give us all anotherchance. But the war, by itself,has solved nothing. The basicproblems that brought about thiswar are still with us, and willstill be with us when thewar is ended ~———- unless effectivemeasures are taken.

Here, we are faced with adilemna. On the one hand, thereare the idealists who maintainthat nothing short of a basicchange in the methods and insti-tutions of the world will bringabout a permanent solution tothe problem of war. Too long,they say, have statesmen andbusinesmen relied on piecemealand temporary expedients thatproved to be but surface reme-dies for deep-seated ills. On theother hand there are the realists,the practical men, who maintainthat you can only deal with theworld as it is, and not with theworld as it should be. What goodare ideals, they say, if you can'tapply them?

What the world really needsis a plan, a course of action, thatwould be idealistic, yet prac-tical; a comprehensive and basicplan, where all phases of humanactivity would take their placesas coordinated and integral partsof one organic whole, yet a planwhich would serve as an ultimategoal, a definite ideal to be

achieved in successive stages,according to a long range pro-gram. This would avoid the falsestarts, the delays and waste mo-tions, and would hold out theheartening assurance that everyday would bring humanity nearerto its goal and ideal of perma-nent peace. If such a plan werepossible, hopes would rise high,and we all could start now todo our part in the reconstructionof the world.

Such a plan does exist! Sucha plan was formulated in itsbroad outlines over seventy yearsago by Baha’u’llah, the Founderof the Baha’i Faith. In this greatplan, the world will ultimatelycease to function as a group ofindependent and hostile units,and will emerge as a vast com-monwealth of nations, sovereignand self-respecting, yet coopera-tive and interdependent. Therewill be a worldglegislature, whosemembers, representing the wholeof mankind, will enact the neces-sary laws to regulate the life andthe relationships of all races andpeoples. A world executive willapply these laws, and a worldpolice force will enforce them.A world tribunal will equitablysettle all disputes that may arisebetween the different elements.A world language will be taughtin all the schools as an auxiliaryto the mother tongue. A worldscript, a world literature, a uni-

58 wonu) oansaform at and universal system ofcurrency, of weights and meas-ures, will simplify and facilitateintercourse and understandingamong the nations.

This world order of Baha-’u’llah is not a synthetic plan tobe superimposed from without orfrom above, but a living or-ganism, which will develop fromwithin, and will grow outwardand upward. It draws its life andits power from the spiritual na-ture of man, long neglected oreven dismissed as non-existent,or of little bearing on the mentaland material achievements of so-ciety. It is, in brief, a renascenceof religion, the latest stage in thelong spiritual evolution of hu-manity, and the fulfillment of theprophesies of the Founders ofpast religions. It is the re-estab-lishment of religion as the neces-sary and logical basis, and thelife force of a just and progres-sive civilization,

In the world order of Baha-’u’llah, which will be the fruitof a directed and conscious evo-lution over a number of yearsand generations, the peoples ofthe world, while loyal to theirrespective countries, will at thesame time be conscious of theiruniversal responsibilities, willentertain respect and love towardall their fellowmen, regardlessof nationality or race, will recog-nize the guiding hand of God,

will play their parts as membersof a great spiritual fellowship ofuniversal men and women, with-out which no universal structurewill long endure.

This is no halfway compro-mise. This is the logical and ulti-mate goal of the social andspiritual development of man,--~a development that started withthe individual and the family,and radiated outward to thetribe, the city-state, and finallyto the nations’ boundaries wherenow it stands, struggling for thefinal leap.

This is the goal toward whicha harassed humanity must strive.This is the ultimate goal towardwhich all plans, all efforts, allagencies must point. Our presenttask is to build the foundationfor this world order, to createthe necessary environment favor-able to the progress of suchideals, reinforcing and accelerat-ing what is essentially a processof evolution toward a worldcommunity. The creation of aworld security organization is arequired step in this direction.It is the “Lesser Peace” pre-scribed by Baha’u’llah andclearly restated by His son,‘Abdu’l-Baha.

It can readily be seen thatmany, if not most of the coopera-tive undertakings in the social,economic, and other humani-tarian fields can thrive only in

POST-WAR woarn 59an atmosphere of peace and con-fidence among nations. Yet thesevery undertakings would carryus a long way toward our objec-tive of a world community andpeace. This vicious circle mustbe broken, and it can be brokenby the establishment of an en-forced peace, based on a solemripact among the nations and peo-ples of the world, and supportedby force of arms, if necessary.This must be done now, while thehorrors and futility of war arestill with us. The unity that wasborn of war in the face of com-mon danger, and the fruitfulresults of cooperative effort inthe conduct of the war will pro-vide the bond that will insurethe success of this first steptoward world order.

The resulting period of peacewill truly be the pioneeringphase of our long range programto build a new world——pioneer-ing with all its enthusiasm, itssuspense, its dangers, its suc-cesses and disappointments, andabove all, its irresistible driveand unquenchable faith. Duringthis period of enforced peace,the positive, concrete agencies

for the development of a unitedhumanity will be formed andbuilt up, their beneficial effectsreaching into every field ofhuman endeavor. Institutions willrise that will foster the spirit ofoneness and peace, and thisspirit, in turn, will strengthenthese institutions and extend theirinfluence. Then the momentum ofthe unity which was born of warwill no longer be needed, and animposed peace will graduallygive way to a peace born of theunited will and cooperative effortof a world community, workingfor the spiritual and materialwell-being of man, wherever hemay be.

“Then”, in the words ofShoghi Effendi, “will the comingof age of the entire human racebe proclaimed. . . . Then will thebanner of the Most Great Peacebe hoisted. . . . Then will a worldcivilization be born, flourish, andperpetuate itself, a civilizationwith a fullness of life such asthe world has never seen nor canas yet conceive.”iii

This is one in a series oi articles whichwill present signs of progress in worldaflairs.

-

God’s greatest gift to man is that of intellect, or understanding.I hope that you will use your tmderstanding to promote the unity and

tranquillity of mankind, to give enlightenment and civilization to the people,to produce love in all around you, and to bring about the Universal Peace. t

-—-‘ABnU’L-Barri

Early Teaching ActivityMARIAM HANEY

IT IS certain that when a greatSpiritual Light comes into the

world, an opposing force is like-wise sure to raise its head. Ithas ever been so in the inceptionof all great and divine religioussystems. “It must needs be thatoffenses come”. However, themore antagonisms and attacksagainst the Faith, the more loyal,courageous and steadfast becamethe faithful among the faithless.Tests merely became a challengeto firmness and no cause fordespondency. If any one at-tempted in one way or anotherto cause division among the be-lievers, that one merely madea thorny path for himself with-out in the least disturbing Baha’iunity. To quote ‘Abdu’l-Baha:“God’s Will is independent ofhuman opinion” . . . “Comparethe days of the Manifestation ofthe Beauty of Abha (Baha-’u’llah) with the days of Christ;consider this is identically likethat and the same doubts andopposition are put forth (by thepeople).”

‘Abdu’l-Baha had warned thefriends time and again of thenecessity for unity and that testswould be severe, “Verily, thedoors of tests will be opened”. . . “How could the disciples of

His Holiness Christ, attain toany spiritual development if theydid not undergo trials and tests.”. .. . “Know that this Cause isprogressive. All the obstacles ofthe world cannot hinder it.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha said of His in-structions: “I send thee spiritualfood . . . that food is the divineadvices and exhortations re-3vealed in the Tablets and thespiritual outpourings of thebreath of the Holy Spirit.”

So the believers continuedtheir teaching activities person-ally or in little groups fortifiedby the divine instructions.

Teaching the Baha’i Faith dur-ing the pioneer years was alsoeffectively assisted by the Baha’iswho acted as interpreters andtranslators, for they served bothteachers and teaching indefatig-ably, and their notable work ispart of the history of the Causefor they contributed a vital serv-ice down through the years.

The demand for printed litera-ture about the Faith was sourgent and insistent that as earlyas 1900 a few books and pamph-lets were published. It is amaz-ing, however, to note how quicklythe printing of Baha’i literaturedeveloped. From a very smallbeginning the progress of this

EARLY TEACHING ACTIVITY 61phase of Baha’i teaching wasquite extraordinary. The Ba’ha’iPublishing Committees, both inChicago and New York, func-tioned vigorously, but since theseCommittees did not control pub-lications in that pioneer period,many individuals themselves pub-lished and personally paid forbooks about the Cause.* ManyBaha’is published pamphlets andlittle booklets themselves, andgenerously shared them with thebelievers, who in turn passedthem on to inquirers withoutcost. Indeed in that wonderfulpi®1'1661‘ period of the Baha’iFaith up to 1912, teaching wasvery definitely and effectivelyaccelerated through these Baha’ipublications; and all this wasaccomplished, too, without anyspecific official Baha’i Fund todraw on at that time. The ab-sence of commercialism in con-nection with this work was char-acteristic of all kinds of Bahafiservice. It is recalled that‘Abdu’l-Baha sent this instruc-tion: “Concerning the income ofthe printing and publishing so-ciety . . . it must be expendedfor charitable purposes.”

Another unusual teaching ac-

*One notable instance was the publica-tion of the first edition of Answered Ques-tions, compiled by Laura Cliflord Barney,who spent a year in ‘Akka, Palestine, re-ceiving from ‘Abdu’l-Baha answers to herquestions. This authoritative publicationwill always be vital to the teaching of theCause.

tivity at that time was the tourof two American Baha’i teachersto India, for the purpose of visit-ing the believers and spreadingthe Baha’i Message. Wide pub-licity was given to the Cause inevery place they visited, andtheir teaching activities tookthem to most of the large citiesin India. This is mentioned be-cause the tour was undertakenin obedience to an instructionfrom ‘Abdu’l-Baha. It shows howfrom the early times He calledAmerican believers to teach evenin foreign lands.

At this period of the Causethere were no regularly or-ganized teaching plans. Teachingwas an individual matter and itwas accomplished through studyof the Revealed Words and thepower of the Holy Spirit. How-ever, it so happened that manyBaha’is were always traveling toand fro across the Continent forone purpose or another, mostlyfor business reasons, and as thegreatest business in the world toa Baha’i is to spread the Messageof this New Day, traveling meantthat the seeds of Truth werewidely scattered. Furthermore assoon as it was known that aBaha’i could speak to groups,that Baha’i was invited to nearbycities, and many a fireside groupwas confirmed in this way.

It was most glorious to wit-ness the intense sincerity in these

T-

62 wontn ORDERteaching activities -—- the results,the happiness created. It mightbe mentioned, too, in connec-tion with teaching that the homeof almost every Baha’i was openas a teaching center and forservice to the Cause in one wayor another. Mention could bemade of many wonderful homes,

and some of these homes becamefamous among non-Baha’is aswell as Baha’is, for the love andsincerity of the friends and devo-tion to their Faith was a true“living of the life” which oftenawakened and attracted many.Very interesting stories could berelated of this type of service. ibig and little, in every Baha’i

community where teaching wasbeing accomplished regularly;

Number three in a series of notations onBaha’i activity in North America from1893 to I921.

The passion of Jesus Christ, and indeed His whole public ministry, aloneoffer a parallel to the Mission and death of the Bab, a parallel which nostudent of comparative religion can fail to perceive or ignore. In the youth-fulness and meekness of the Inaugurator of the Babi Dispensation; in theextreme brevity and turbulence of His public ministry; in the dramaticswiftness with which that ministry moved towards its climax; in the apostolicorder which He instituted, and the primacy which He conferred on one of itsmembers; in the boldness of His challenge to the time-honored conventions,rites and laws which had been woven into the fabric of the religion HeHimself had been born into; in the riile which an officially recognized andfirmly entrenched religious hierarchy played as chief instigator of the out-rages which He was made to sufler; in the indignities heaped upon Him; inthe suddenness of His arrest; in the interrogation to which He was subjected;in the derision poured, and the scourging inflicted, upon Him; in the publicaflront He sustained; and, finally, in His ignominious suspension before thegaze of a hostile multitude--in all these we cannot fail to discern a remarkablesimilarity to the distinguishing features of the career of Jesus Christ.

v —-SHOGHI EFFENDI, in God Passes By

WITH OUR READERS

IT SEEMS especially fitting that weare able to make this May number

of World Order, in part, an anni-versary number of the Centenarycelebration a year ago. Doubtlessmany of us are reflecting on themysterious guiding and protectingforces which made it possible tocelebrate the Centenary so gloriouslya year ago and yet prevent us fromholding the usual annual conventionthis year.

At any rate it is truly a bountythat we have received from Haifathe deeply moving account of thecelebration services held at theshrines of the Bab and ‘Abdu’l-Bahain time for this issue. It is a bounty,too, that this account has been writ-ten by Ruhiyyih Khaniim, the wifeof Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian ofthe Baha’i Faith. Her vivid descrip-tions, the reflections which passedthrough her mind, carrying us inspirit to the place and the occasion.We see the shrines in their beauty, intheir profusion of flowers and theirdazzling light. We live the experiencewith her and celebrate the occasionwith our Oriental brothers andsisters.“ T

Also available for this number aretwo of the talks given at the Templeat Wilmette during the Centenarycelebration which were not at handbefore. “Getting Ready for thePeace” was the talk given by Dr.Harry Allen Overstreet, guest speakerMonday evening, May 22nd. Dr.Overstreet has recently retired fromthe faculty of the College of theCity of New York where he taughtfor a number of years. He is the

author of New Horizons and otherstudies in the contemporary outlook.As we read this address delivered ayear ago we realize how far short westill are of being ready for the peace.

“The Building of the Temple,” isthe talk given by Mrs. Corinne Truethe first evening of the Centenarycelebration when the general subjectwas “The Universal House of Wor-ship.” Mrs. True has long served theCause in many ways but her namewill always be especially associatedwith the building of the Temple. Itwas she to whom for years we sentour contributions and who served ininnumerable ways to further theTemple construction. Mrs. True’shome is in Wilmette. With these twotalks, Mrs. True’s and Dr. Over-street’s, World Order has now cov-ered quite completely the Centenaryaddresses.

Baha’is watch eagerly the stepstoward the establishment of enduringpeace which are being taken atYalta, Dumbarton Oaks and SanFrancisco. The article “Preparingfor a Post-war World,” by Ali M.Yazdi was a talk given by MarionYazdi over Station KYA on Marchllth. This radio broadcast wassponsored by the San FranciscoBaha’i Assembly and was the open-ing one in. a new series of talks on“Foundations of Universal Peace”and was prepared in anticipation ofthe Security Conference set for April25th in San Francisco. World Orderpresents this talk as a contribution inits Formation of a World Societyseries begun in our January issue.

We are printing the third install-

“W

r.__,__,_,i-Z__w

64 wontn ORDERment of “Early Teaching Activity inAmerica,” by Mariam Haney. Inthese reminiscences Mrs. Haney takesus vividly to the beginnings of theBa.ha’i Faith here in the UnitedStates and acquaints us with thebelievers and workers in those days.We spoke more at length in regardto Mrs. Haney’s own activities in theFebruary number. Her home forsome time has been in Washington,D.C.

Every age demands the search fortruth, but especially is it necessaryto be an open-minded seeker in thesedays of turmoil when to find the pathwhich leads to reconstruction andpeace is imperative. Mrs. Kirk-patrick’s editorial points to the direc-tion in which to start search.

I ‘I’ I-

In addition to the accounts ofCentenary celebrations in differentcountries which World Order hasprinted in its main section and inthis department is the story of theobservance in Lima, Peru, one of ourvery youngest Assemblies. “Morethan forty friends,” our correspond-ent writes, “attended the talks givenin the home of the Barredas, uponthe Declaration of the Bab, the im-portance of the Baha’i Teachings inthe world’s destiny and their signifi-cance to Peru, and about ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Nine persons assisted in theprogram. No publicity was issued asthis Assembly has not yet reached acondition requiring permission fromthe government to hold public meet-ings.”

Baha’is will recall that SefioraBarreda, in whose home the Cente-nary meeting was held, was the one

who represented her Assembly lastJuly when several delegates fromLatin America who had been unableto get to the celebration at Wilmettein May were entertained by the NSAat Wilmette and consulted with itabout Inter-American afiairs andproblems.

This group in Peru has been activefrom the beginning and looks for-ward enthusiastically to more activityand progress. Our correspondentquotes their secretary: “Because ofthe geographical location, the historyand the deep culture of this greatrepublic, it is to be expected thatPeru will become an importantcenter of the civilization of the WestCoast of South America. And Limabeing the capital, with its port andits communications with the interiorand all other parts must become theseat of that center. With so manyfavorable conditions it follows as anindisputable consequence that Limamust also be the center for the Baha’iwork on the Pacific Coast of SouthAmerica. If Peru was once thecradle of Inca culture and home ofthe Spanish Viceroys of South Amer-ica, who would say that it does nothave conditions favorable for beingthe center of Baha’i work?”

It I I-

The Baha'i Cause spreads itself inmysterious ways. A crossword puzzlepublished in a Spanish languagepaper has this definition for one ofthe words to be- supplied: “Mirza AliMohamed, Reformador persa (I820-l870) .” The answer, “Bab” fits intothe puzzle although the dates arewrong.

—-THE Enrroas

"1'|

, Baha’i Literature

Clecnings from the Writings of Bahci’u’llcih, selected and translated byShoghi Effendi. The Baha’i teachings on the nature of religion, the soul,the basis of civilization and the oneness of mankind. Bound in fabrikoid.360 pages. $2.00.

The Kitdb-i-fqdn, translated by Shoghi Effendi. This work (The Bookof Certitude) unifies and coordinates the revealed Religions of the past,demonstrating their oneness in fulfillment of the purposes of Revelation.Bound incloth. 262 pages. $2.50.

Prayers and Meditations by Bahd’u’lMh, selected and translated by ShoghiEffendi. The supreme expression of devotion to God; a spiritual flamewhich enkindles the heart and illumines the mind. 348 pages. Boundin fabrikoid. $2.00.

Bahd’i Prayers, a selection of Prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah, the Baband ‘Abdu’l-Baha, each Prayer translated by Shoghi Effendi. 72 pages.Bound in fabrikoid, $0.75. Paper cover, $0.35.

Some Answered Questions. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s explanation of questions con-cerning the relation of man to God, the nature of the Manifestation,human capacities, fulfillment of prophecy, etc. Bound in cloth. 350pages. $1.50.

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The oneness of mankind. uIndependent investigation of_trutl_1..The foundation of all religions is one.Religion must be the cause of unity".Religion must be in accord with science and

reason.Equality‘ between men and women.Prejudice of all kinds must be forgotten.Universal peace.Universal education. -Spiritual solution of the economic problem.A universal language.An international tribunal.

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WOHLD ORDER is I published monthly in Wilmette," ILL, by the PublishingCommittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahé'ris of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITOR5: Garreta Busey, ‘Gertrude Ki. rHe-nnillgt HoraceHolley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick. i ' ._ _ ‘ - "

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The Bal1é’i Magazine

VOLUME XI June, 1945 NUMBER 3

Mankind Can Establish PeaceG. A. SHOOK _

MANY peace plans have beenproposed in the past and

many are now under considera-tion. We are concerned here,however, with somewhat specificinjunctions that have come to usthrough the writings of thefounder of the Baha’i Faith,Baha’u’lla'.h. These have beenamplified by His son, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the expounder and inter-preter of the Faith and also bythe Guardian of the Faith,Shoghi Effendi.

Like all great world teachers,Baha’u’llah laid the foundationfor a new civilization. DuringHis exile, through numerous let-ters, He called upon the leadersof the world to establish, whatHe termed, the Most GreatPeace. This, as we all know, theyfailed to do and then He ad-monished them with the words,“Now that ye have refused theMost Great Peace hold ye fastunto this, the Lesser Peace, thathaply ye may in some degreebetter your condition and thatof your dependents.”

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Commenting upon this LesserPeace Baha'.’u’llah addresses therulers of the world with thesesignificant words, “Be reconciledamong yourselves, that ye mayneed no more armaments savein a measure to safeguard yourterritories and dominions. . . .Be united, O kings of the earth,for thereby will the tempest ofdiscord be stilled amongst you,and your peoples find rest. . . .Should anyone among you take-up arms against another, rise yeall against him, for this is naughtbut manifest justice.”

And this cannot take placewithout a supra-national state,which includes an “. . . Inter-national Executive adequate toenforce supreme and unchal-lengeable authority on everyrecalcitrant member of the com-monwealth; a World Parliamentwhose members shall be electedby the people in their respectivecountries and whose electionshall he confirmed by their re-spective governments; and aSupreme Tribunal whose judg-

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65 WORLD oaonament will have a binding effecteven in such cases where theparties concerned did not volun-tarily agree to submit their caseto its consideration.”

When the states (nations) ofthe world relinquish some oftheir unfettered national sov-ereignty and form a Common-wealth of Nations (a federation)with a world Super-State, asdescribed above, then and onlythen will world peace and worldjustice be possible and perma-nent. j

The Lesser Peace is con-cerned primarily with the cessa-tion of warfare. It is universal,yet it, in itself, cannot bringforth the new civilization, theGolden Age, which prophets,poets and seers have predictedfor thousands of years but itis the beginning of this GoldenAge.

World peace cannot be broughtabout without some kind ofworld justice. World dominationis not world peace. lt is clear toevery intelligent person that any-thing less than world peace, thatis, universal peace, cannot be en-during. The machinery for estab-lishing this peace, "Abdu’l-Bahéwarned us many years ago, mustbe the concern of every indi-vidual on earth.

Today after blundering into asecond world war we see the im-

perative need of a Common-wealth of Nations sustained bya world government or worldSuper-State. The nations must befirmly bound together. But thisCommonwealth of Nations mustbe something more than a mereassociation. It must be a livingorganism which exists for thesake of the people of the world,all that dwell on earth. A worldstate which is merely an associa-tion of independent nationsmanifestly cannot establish worldjustice. If each nation maintainsits own army and navy and hasthe right to make war, then it isobvious that wars will continue.

There are then, two importantthings about this Commonwealthof Nations and these are stressedin the Baha’i Peace Plan.

In the first place, it must existfor the people of the world.

In the second place, each na-tion must necessarily give up cer-tain rights to govern itself.

We need hardly to add thatthere must be some sovereignpower to which each nation sur-renders some of its rights. TheLeague of Nations had no suchsovereign power.

These two principles are in-separable, interdependent. Youcannot have a Commonwealth ofNations which exists for the peo-ple unless the independent na-tions surrender certain rights. If

ESTABLISH PEACE 67the nations surrender no rights,if they retain their complete in-dependence, then the Common-wealth of Nations exists for thenations and not for the people.

This government of ours existsfor the people of Massachusettsas well as the people of NewYork and consequently the in-habitants of both states enjoy thesame rights. But suppose thatNew York for example, shouldprevent the flow of interstatetrade by high tariffs, could wethen say that our governmentexists for the people? Let us re-member that there are somerights which each state willinglysurrenders to the sovereignpower, in this case the centralgovernment in Washington.

Now of course no nation todayis willing to yield any, or at leastnot much, of its sovereign power.Each nation desires to maintainits present independence. This isonly natural, but a little reflec-tion will show that no “civilsociety”, so called, could beestablished or maintained ifevery individual within the so-ciety retained the right to governhimself, that is, retained his com-plete independence. Moreover, ifwe will reread the history of theUnited States we will see that nostate has suffered anything bysurrendering in order to establisha government by and for the peo-

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ple. To be sure, it took a civilwar to make this point clear toevery section of the country butit is clear enough now.

On the other hand, there arereal dangers in a strong centralgovernment with too much powerand it is therefore very signifi-cant that in the Baha’i conceptof a Super-State this objection iscovered. In discussing the gen-eral problem of world unity, thegoal which we are now approach-ing, Shoghi Effendi says, “Theunity of the human race, as en-visaged by. Bahé’u’lléh, impliesthe establishment of a worldcommonwealth in which all na-tions, races, creeds and classesare closely and permanentlyunited, and in which the auton-omy of its state members and thepersonal freedom and initiativeof the individuals that composethem are definitely and com-pletely safeguarded.”

And again, “Let there be nomisgivings as to the animatingpurpose of the world-wide Lawof Baha’u’llah. Far from aimingat the subversion of the existingfoundations of society, it seeks tobroaden its basis, to remold itsinstitutions in a manner conso-nant with the needs of an ever-changing world. It can conflictwith no legitimate allegiances,nor can it undermine essentialloyalties. Its purpose is neither

63 WORLD ononn

to stifle the flame of a sane andintelligent patriotism in r men’shearts, nor to abolish the systemof national autonomy so essentialif the evils of excessive centrali-zation are to be avoided.”

Surely no one could object toa plan which seeks to broadenthe basis of the existing founda-tions of society.

At present We cannot grasp thefull significance of Ba.ha’u’llah’splan for world solidarity but wecan indicate, in a general way,the direction in which the worldmust move in order to establishan instrument for the considera-tion of world peace.

The world leaders of todaywho have passed beyond thelimits of a narrow and brutalnationalism realize that somekind of world conference mustbe held so that we can seriouslyconsider the question of uni-versal peace.

Over seventy years ago Baha-’u’llah, anticipating the tentativeplansthat are now under con-sideration, wrote, “The timemust come when the imperativenecessity for tl1e holding of avast, an all-embracing assem-blage of men will be universallyrealized.” ‘Abdu’l-Baha elabo-rates upon this theme in severalplaces. In a letter written by Himto the Central Organization for aDurable Peace, the Hague, 1919,

He speaks of the formation ofthe Supreme Tribunal by human-itarians well versed in interna-tional matters. The members ofthis Supreme Tribunal are to bechosen from a larger number ofdelegates who represent all thenations of the world.*

There is a question in theminds of those who would reallylike to see a new order, namely,suppose we do establish uni-versal peace in our time, whatassurance do we have that theworld will not return again toinfantilism and indulge in war-fare. Perhaps the clue to thisquestion lies in the very word“universal”. When peace be-comes universal it will be per-manent. Does anyone imaginethat the United States, for ex-ample, will ever return to a con-federacy in which each state hasthe right to declare war? Wehave evolved into this stage ofinterstate unity with its con-comitant of interstate peace, andnaturally we are not going to re-turn to a condition of stateanarchy.

The Baha’i Faith stresses aprinciple that makes the returni|{q

*Baha’is look at the San Francisco con-ference as an encouraging step toward theorganization of the world, but it is plainthat the plans proposed do not fulfillBaha'u’llah’s plan for the Lesser Peacesince all nations are not represented and itis not proposed that nations give upsovereignty.-—-Editors’ Note.

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ESTABLISH PEACE 69to a stage of anarchy inconceiv-able. It maintains, and with thesanction of history, that the col-lective life of humanity is evolv-ing. Wiorld unity, world federa-tion, implies the coming of ageof humanity. Just as man reachesa stage of maturity so the collec-tive life of humanity reaches itsstage of maturity. It is now pass-ing through the stages of adoles-cence which is the stage ofmaking blunders.

Let no one imagine, however,that this process of evolution issomething that works automati-cally. It requires ceaseless en-deavor on the part of those whohave vision and courage. Thesudden flare for religion that wewitness today cannot be cited asevidence that the world is justnaturally becoming more spirit-ual. Man is becoming morespiritual because he is facing acatastrophe which he would havegladly avoided. Man is the vic-tim of forces which he canneither understand nor control.

Should anyone imagine thatworld unity is impracticable lethim but glance over the historyof the Baha’i Faith. There areBaha’i communities in over sixtycountries of the world and ineach of these communities theideal of world unity, worldsolidarity, and universal brother-hood is fearlessly upheld. The

citizens of these centers are anintegral part of and are loyal totheir respective governments, forloyalty to one’s government (theBaha’is believe) is a divine com-mand. Moreover in the WorldOrder of Baha’u’llah there is no“. . . attempt to suppress the di-versity of ethnical origins, ofclimate, of history, of languageand traditions, of thought andhabit, that diflerentiate the peo-ples and nations of tl1e world.It calls for a wider loyalty, fora larger aspiration than any thathas animated the human race.”These citizens have attained tothis “wider loyalty” and this“larger aspiration.”

This should convince any fair-minded reader that World Fed-eration is not utopian, imprac-ticable.

If we admit that small hetero-geneous groups can be found inwhich “national rivalries, ha-treds, and intrigues” have ceasedand where “racial animosity andprejudice” have been replacedby “racial amity, understandingand cooperation,” we must admitthat the same condition can ob-tain on a larger scale. For thisuniversality is not of any oneclass, creed, or race, but ratherit is common property of humanbeings who have been revivedand sustained by one commonFaith. N

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70 wonu) ORDERIn conclusion it may be well

to utter a word of warning. Thevarious events to which we havealluded such as the end of thewar, the Lesser Peace, the adventof world justice and the spirit-ualization of the world, cannotbe divided up as isolated eventsin time which follow one anotherin some kind of sequence. Thisshould be obvious to any ob-server today.

Taking the world, as a whole,we cannot say that at some par-ticular hour or day warfare willcease and then the rulers willbegin to make plans for theLesser Peace, following whichthe new age will begin to dawn.Even if all warfare should sud-dcnly cease, and this is highlyimprobable, is there any indica-tion that racial animosities, tomention but one of the world’sacute problems, will also ceaseat the same hour?

As far back as 1920 ‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote, “the ills from whichthe world now suffers will multi-ply; the gloom which envelopesit will deepen. . . . The Balkanswill remain discontented. Itsrestlessness will increase. TheVanquished Powers will continueto agitate. They I will resort toevery measure that may rekindlethe flame of war. . . ..”

Those who read these wordsand realized their import never

imagined for a moment thatWorld War I was a war to endwar. On the contrary they saw,at least vaguely, the operation ofthose disruptive forces that madeanother war inevitable.

As we know, the work of re-covery has really begun. Theforces of integration and destruc-tion are both operating andthey are conspiring to bringforth a new age... Moreover theywill continue to operate for sev-eral decades. The aftermath ofthis war will be far more devas-tating than the war itself.

In this political confusion andeconomic distress the majority ofthe world’s recognized leaders,forgetful of the fact that we areliving in a rapidly evolvingworld, are trying to uphold out-worn institutions, obsolescent so-cial theories and antiquatedtraditions.

To be sure some see the hand-writing on the wall but they lackcourage. How, they confidentlyask, can we convince any nationthat the only way to safeguardthe interests of its peoples is tosurrender enough of its sov-ereignty to create a WorldFederation?

A few have courage and theysee the significance of the hour.

These are they who mustestablish the Lesser Peace.

One more point, which is

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ESTABLISH PEACE 71stressed over and over again inthe Baha’i writings, must not beoverlooked. Mankind — not nat-ural law, climate, or any otheragency —-- is responsible for thisinternal disintegration of society,and mankind must suffer.

In the words of the Guardian,“Adversities unimaginably ap-palling, undreamed of crises andupheavals, war, famine, andpestilence, might well combine toengrave in the soul of an un-heeding generation those truthsand principles which it has dis-dained to recognize and follow.

“A paralysis more painfulthan any it has yet experiencedmust creep over and further af-flict the fabric of a broken so-ciety ere it can be rebuilt andregenerated.”

However, we should not dwelltoo much on the immediatefuture which is dark and oppres-sive. Instead let us reflect a littleupon the kind of civilization thatwill obtain when the human raceis freed from the curse of warand injustice. “Who can doubtthat such a consummation—the

coming of age of the human race-—must signalize, in its turn, theinauguration of a world civiliza-tion such as no mortal eye hathever beheld or human mind con-ceived?” This will come with TheMost Great Peace which implies“. . . the spiritualization of theworld and the fusion of all itsraces, creeds, classes and na-tions. . . .” This will take a verylong time and cannot be estab-lished by the unaided efforts ofman. It requires a common Faith.Baha’u’llah calls upon the rulersof the world to establish theLesser Peace. But He does notask the religious leaders toestablish a universal religion.This is beyond them. His wordsare explicit. “That which theLord hath ordained as the sov-ereign remedy and mightiest in-strument for the healing of theworld is the union of all its peo-ples in one universal cause, onecommon Faith. This can in nowise be achieved except throughthe power of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physi-cian.”

The contrast between the accumulating evidences of steady consolidationthat accompany the rise of the Administrative Order of the Faith of God,and the forces of disintegration which batter at the fabric of a travailingsociety, is as clear as it is arresting. Both within and outside the Bahéfiworld the signs and tokens which, in a mysterious manner, are heralding thebirth of that World Order, the establishment of which must signalize theGolden Age of the Cause of God, are growing and multiplying day byday. . . . --——-SHOGI-II EFFENDI

Pioneer ,Iourney—ParaguayVIRGINIA OBBISON

THE teacher in foreign landshas a special agony, and to

follow the devoted and selflessElisabeth Cheney, who had estab-lished a small group of believerstwo years before under greathandicap, was not easy to con-template. However, the last lookat Santiago da Chile, with itsmorning veil of smoke and mist,from the plane as it circled be-fore the flight over the conqueredCordillera of the Andes, was asymbol and omen of what mighttranspire on the new venture. Itseemed fitting that Roberto Her-rera Ramirez, the first aviatorto fly over the Andes with apassenger—-twenty-two years ago-—--a Chilean, and destined to beone of the first believers inBal1a’u’lléih in Chile, shouldcome to the airport with hisbrave wife, Eugenia, to bid mefarewell. They, while still young,see his dream of continental airtravel realized, his effort, withits tragic result of crash andlong illness, recognized and re-warded by his government.

The hour’s flight over thebrown and snowy white moun-tains seemed but a few minutesof smooth ecstacy. About four-teen years ago Martha Rootwended her way over the steep

and tortuous trails on muleback.For her, there was no lollingcomfortably, gazing out in rap-ture, or reading of the morningpaper while skimming over thedangerous gorges and past themenacing peak of the Aconcagua.Martha had to hang on everyminute for days, desperately try-ing to avoid sliding down themule’s neck, or slipping intoeternity over a precipice.

The four hours over the Argen-tine pampas revealed only a vastflat cultivated plain, without anyvisible gauchos. The biggest busin all experience carried us intoBuenos Aires, South America’smost modern city, but there ismuch reminder of Paris in itstree-lined boulevards, sidewalkcafes and European architecture,now being crowded by the new.

During the two weeks’ stay inBuenos Aires, I met most of theBahéfiis, and as usual, deep rootsof friendship were quickly putdown. South America’s firstBaha’i martyr, May Maxwell, byher love and sacrifice, seems tohave inundated these lands withher spiritual presence. She couldnever endure the cold, theysay, especially spiritual coldness.Now the warm and shady peaceof Quilmes is her abode, and

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PARAGUAY 73the refuge of all who approachit. The hours spent there withEtta Mae Lawrence, dear dedi-cated pioneer, and Haig Kevor-kian, will not be forgotten. Cour-age to face Paraguay was gainedthere, I think.

The mystic chain of Baha’ilove is strong; in Montevideo italso held our hearts. The friendseverywhere are growing throughtests and obstacles secured bylove. The Guardian has indi-cated great and important respon-sibilities for Argentina. Thesedevoted friends have the will andcapacity for accomplishment.

The early morning hydroaviéntrip started with a long and pro-found swoosh through the watersof the Rio de la Plata before itsrelease into the air. The Deltaand Tigre, seen from the air,were quite unlike the place ofwaters, boats, flowers and sweet-colored colonial houses that Ihad visited some days before.Flying up the wide and latertwisting, turning river-—-stoppingat several small and primitivetowns, we came, after about fivehours, over Asuncion, set in abend of the river in the midstof the tropical lush plain thatis Paraguay. Across the riverfrom the small but modern portcould be seen only green trees,undergrowth and the red, redearth—---the smoke, blue misty, ofcharcoal burning in the distance.

As I emerged from the portalone, after the usual customsprocedure, I found it a bit sur-prising to see a few cows wander-ing about loose; not many peoplewere about, as it was the middleof the day and siesta time. It wasrather lonely. The hotel, with itsdark columned interior patio wasnearby. I could hardly wait tomeet the Baha’is. Only one who

tried it can imagine the sen-sations of the first days. Panicwas in my heart. I began to ap-preciate Elisabeth Cheney’s task,and uttered supplications for thefruition of her great labors.Soon the two devoted believers,Josefina Pla and CenturionMiranda, were found by direc-tions and much walking-—--thereare few telephones in Asuncién.They had kept alive the Faith inspite of obstacles and inexperi-ence.

In the small gathering of ourfirst Feast celebrated together,two persons who had been loyallystudying, declared themselves be-lievers. This was great encour-agement, but the encountering ofthe “waiting servants” in a coun-try strange, and with few op-portunities, presented a bafliingproblem. Then one day, in amost miserable moment, came aletter from our beloved Guard-ian. It arrived with its divineencouragement and mysteriousaction-provoking effect. Then my

74 woarn oannnperturbation ceased!

Shortly, I found myself estab-lished in a private home recentlyturned into a pension. Here werediscovered the first of the newcrop, as the duefia and her tal-ented daughter soon became be-lievers. Through them and theother friends new contacts weremade. Soon a radio interviewwas proposed, on the subject,Motion Pictures... After writingthe script the night before andhaving the Spanish corrected thenext morning, we went on theair, and the Sacred Name ofBaha’u’llah was mentioned forthe first time from Paraguay. Itwas a precious moment when theName soared clearly by shortwave over all of South America.The interviewer became a be-liever soon after, and also ayoung technician.

Later there were invitations tosing on the radio. By helpingthus on a program in honor ofone of Paraguay’s poets, I gainedthe opportunity of meetingwriters and musicians. Abilitiesseem to sprout in most extraor-dinary ways on a pioneer ven-ture. The equipment of a diplo-mat, psychologist, accountant andphysican would be no smalladvantage! t

How well the Guardian fore-saw needs when he advised mein a cable to “exercise patience”!Having patience while eternally

waiting for believers, or any-thing at all, in these lands ofslow tempo, is a state which any-one must cultivate, should hewish to remain in one piece.

Many meetings, celebrations,Feasts took place in what hadbecome for the time, our Bahé.’iCenter. Every day brought some-one to hear of the Faith, or achance to present it. Talks weregiven to the Theosophists and tothe Rosicrucians. At a banquet,the guest of honor, Sir EugeneMillington Drake, well-lovedEnglishman known all overLatin-America for his generosity,charm, and the direction of Cul-tural Affairs for Great Britain,was seated between two Baha’is.There, for the first time I en-countered the brilliant youngpoet Augosto Roa Bastos, laterto become much impressed bythe Faith.

Wandering about the streets ofAsuncion, picking one’s wayamong the sharp cobblestonesand admiring the sweet littledonkeys, laden with vegetables,meat, fruits, and their little (al-ways) women riders with longhair in a knot sticking out inback, and nearly always with acigar in their mouths and, in hotweather, a large, black umbrellaaloft, is the accompaniment tosowing the Greatest Name in theatmosphere of this land. Brilliantblue is the sky when not con-

PARAGUAY 75vulsed with thunder storms.Feathery flowering trees of violetjacaranda bloom. Flaming colorsare everywhere. Curious flat-twigged trees with bunches ofyellow-pinky flowers bursting outof the ends, later to sprout largewaxy green leaves, are thejasmine-mango trees. Papayas,guayavas and kapoc trees areabundant. The latter have trunkslike coca-cola bottles with thornssticking out all over them. Theflowers are like orchids, and thefruit like huge avocado pears.And then the kapoc silk popsout and runs over with a mostfantastic effect. At Feasts weused quantities of large gar-denias as they cost only six centsfor a dozen!

Our Baha’i house, being typi-cally Paraguayan, had rooms ina long row, all opening ontoeach other, and also having hugedouble doors opening onto thelong patio. The well was nearbyand a small grove of orange treesand jasmine vines grew in thecleanly swept garden. And pen-sionistas were bound to hear ofthe Faith. Some Brazilians andsome Argentinians left with anew outlook and the determina-tion to find the Baha’is in theircountry.

Many persons who do not be-come believers right away areexcellent “carriers” and there isalways the hope that sometime

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they will convince themselves inan ardent moment.

Speaking of the Faith in thevillage of Luque, which wereached by means of a littlewooden-car train drawn by around fat locomotive followedby two little cars full of fuelwood, chugging, spewing smoke,and then the return in the eve-ning, watching sparks from ourengine (not so different from thehuge lantern-eyed fireflies) arenice to remember.

The poet, Julio Correa, gave aparty there in his lovely oldquinta, in honor of a neighbor-ing poet. Many of us, includingJosefina Plé, and Gertrude Eisen-berg, trouped there that day. Hiscolonial house, shaded by hugeold trees, had a column-sup-ported porch all around it. Cowsstalked about, not bothering tohide their disapproval of somany strangers taking theirshade. Chickens wandered in andout of the house. The poets re-cited their latest poems, al-though during business hours,they might be bankers, engineers,philosophers or actors. SilaGodoy played his intimate andexquisite instrument, the guitar,like a young Segovia. Barbecuedpork (delivered in wheelbar-rows), dulce de caiia (sugarcane drink), empanadas (a sortof meat pie seen with variationsall over South America) and

76 WORLD onmzzapotato salad were devoured onthe porch near the immensebread-fruit tree.

Life is still fairly simple inParaguay in spite of the strugglebetween the old ways and thenew which are fast taking pos-session. Unbelievable changesare under way, such as the hugenew airport, new hospitals(where goats and families willnot be permitted to live with thepatient), new roads, sanitary sys-tems, and public health pro-grams. Of these gifts and im-portations from the United States,many have been fearful, butothers begin to see the deep sig-nificance of all this physicalactivity as the preparation forthe spiritual and material unionof the countries of the WesternHemisphere. The North Ameri-cans charged with these works,have as yet no conception of thedeeper meaning and are not in-terested in knowing. Paraguay isemerging in a phenomenal man-ner from its age-old slumberinterrupted by tragic wars whichlately have destroyed most of itsmale population. Its disturbanceis tortuous, and occurs underprotest, but its awakening isinevitable.

With Gertrude Eisenberg, theirpioneer and teacher, the Baha’isof Asuncion del Paraguay, as thefruit of Elisabeth Cheney’sinitial impulse and many sacri-fices, established their first Spirit-ual Assembly in April, I944-.

A multitude of persons haveheard of the Faith in this mys-terious flowering land. A curiousacceleration of confirmation hastaken place—the wishes of thebeloved Guardian have had theireffect. The destiny of this lovedcountry is being seized and isanimating an awaiting people.

I shall remember Paraguayfor its poets, its perfumed musicunder the brightest of moonsbeside the Southern Cross, itsflaming flowering trees, its lov-ing sensitive souls, eagerly listen-ing to the creative Words ofBaha’u’llah which tell of theirliberation from age-old cares.The Guardian wrote: ‘We are atlast beginning to see the firsttangible response to Baha’u’llah’swords addressed in the Aqdas tothe Presidents of the AmericanRepublics: ‘The lights of theFaith are kindling in these dis-tant lands and will shine, nodoubt, with a wonderful bril-liance in the days to come’ ”.

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O Son of Man!For everything there is a sign. The sign of love is fortitudeunder My decree and patience under My trials. ---BAH.5L’u’L1.IiH

Signs of the TimesANNAMARIE KUNZ HONNOLD

AS SHOGHI EFFENDI soaptly states, “The principle

of the Oneness of Mankind--thepivot round which all the teach-ings of Baha’u’llah revolve——isno mere outburst of ignorantemotionalism or an expressionof vague and pious hope. . . .”So powerful is Baha’u’llah’sPlan that in less than one hun-dred years following His teach-ings “the world’s equilibriumhath been upset. . . .” “Bothwithin and outside the Baha’iworld the signs and tokens which,in a mysterious manner, areheralding the birth of that WorldOrder . . . are growing andmultiplying day by day.”

Hardly a day passes withoutour discerning signs pointing inthe direction of tomorrow’s worldorder. Take our newspapers, forexample. We read of the in-credible destruction caused bythe wars. But we read, too, of anInternational Business Confer-ence, of an International CivilAviation Conference, of a Dum-barton Oaks or World SecurityConference. Regardless of whatwe may think of all the pre-liminary plans and undertakings—-be they right or wrong--weare impressed with their inter-national aspect. Here representa-

tives of many nations sit peace-fully around the conference tablein an attempt to iron out prob-lems common to all in a har-monious manner.

Speaking of newspapers, letus examine for a moment butone, The Sunday New YorkTimes Book Review and Maga-zine sections. Such reviews areexcellent sources through whichto feel something of the pulseof our age. New books are re-viewed with skill; outstandingthinkers contribute thoughts per-taining to present-day problems.And while reading, the Baha’ioften is deeply moved as hediscovers still further signs ofthe times.

The sections appearing on No-vember I9, I944, will serve asa sample. In the Magazine Sec-tion Morris D. Waldman gives usA Bill of Rights for All Nationsin which he says:

“It is obvious, of course, thatthe questions of world organiza-tion, spheres of influence, WorldCourt and international policeare the basic elements uponwhich the future of world peacerevolves. But realists in interna-tional affairs are painfully awarethat no system of world organi-zation, no matter how magnifi-

78 woarn oannacently idealistic or realisticallypractical, can long endure in aworld full of minor tensions. Asuper-plan for world peace mustfirst be created, but if it is tosucceed it must provide a meanswhereby people of diverse back-grounds may live together inpeace and harmony. Withoutsuch planning to supplement themaster blueprint for world peacethere exists little hope for anenduring peace. The problem ofracial and religious minorities isthus one of vital importance.”

The Baha’i here finds a visionbeyond the Lesser Peace, an un-conscious striving toward Baha-’u’llah’s Most Great Peace. Inanother article Russell W. Daven-port praises the energies whichWendell Willkie, who, we know,outgrew the limitations of a po-litical figure, exerted “in everywaking moment” during his lastmonths toward the cause of “OneWorld.” And here Eduard Bones,president of Czechoslovakia,looks to the post-war era andsays that if we lookfar aheadwe need not feel pessimistic. Hesees man in his fight against theevil systems in the world butsays it “will be part of a greaterstruggle for a moral and ideo-logical renaissance which is totransform the life of wholeclasses and nations.” And in theBook Review section appears areview of Franz Werfel’s Be-

tween Heaven and Earth. Werfelpredicts that in the “culminationof the realistic outlook,” as thereviewer puts it, man will bearoused to a spiritual revolution.The book is “a serious call for aspiritual man to become vocaland active in world renewal.” '

In recent months an astonish-ing number of books and articleson proposed ways to world peaceand order have appeared. Spacepermits us to mention but a fewfound in the Times. In The Timefor Decision Sumner Welles ad-vocates the speedy establishmentof the basis for a world organi-zation and the use of force tomaintain peace (July 23, I944) .Hugh Gibson in The Road toForeign Policy (July 23, 194-4-)recommends for this country a“policy of international collab-oration”, as the reviewer states,“to promote world peace throughthe preservation and strengthen-ing of representative govern-ment”. Clair Wilcox, Professorof Economics at Swarthmore Col-lege, says in a Magazine articleentitled “We Can’t Live Aloneand Really Live” (October 8,194-4»):

“VVl1at is needed today is amultilateral convention pledgingall the nations of the world tosimultaneous and sharp reduc-tion of all the barriers of trade.”

And then again Charles Rum-ford Walker (November 5,

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SIGNS 79I94-4-) speaks of the sacrificenecessary to have peace:

“We must pay in terms ofliquidated prejudices and longoverdue reforms in the treatment,for example, of our racialminorities.”

Speaking of races, the Baha’isees hopeful beginnings on theracial front. Lillian Smith, awhite woman in the deep South,vividly portrays the plight of theNegro in Strange Fruit and inwriting of her novel (May 28,I944) says it “is concerned withthis restricting, crippling frameof segregation”. The Times alsoprinted “A Negro’s Plea forUnderstanding” (November 12,I944). Here Harry V. Richard-son, Chaplain of Tuskegee Insti-tute, states that “Only as all haveopportunity to attain similar ad-vantages is anyone secure in anadvantage he happens to hold.”

The Baha’i views religion asthe bedrock of a lasting peaceand world order. In this connec-tion it is of interest to learn thatAlfred M. Bingham in The Prac-

tice of Idealism (September 24-,I94-4~) sees man not only in awar but also in five revolutions,one of which is the struggle of“tribal religions against a dawn-ing world religion of universalbrotherhood”, as the reviewerputs it.

These brief thoughts give buta superficial glimpse of signs ofthe times which have appearedin but one newspaper over aperiod of a number of months.However, they give evidence ofthe “universal fermentation” ofthe Plan and Spirit of Baha-’u’llah. Be it understood, never-the-less, that no other present-day plan and spirit correspondprecisely to those of Baha’u’llah.His plan overshadows all othersin depth and vision, in wisdomand inclusiveness. The Baho’i ishopeful in discovering frequentsigns leading to the only perfectway -—-- the world order ofBahé.’u’llah.*

This article is one in the series whichwill present signs of progress in worldaffairs.

The revelation of Baha’u’llah . . . should be viewed not merely as yetanother spiritual revival in the ever-changing fortunes of mankind, not onlyas a further stage in a chain of progressive Revelations, nor even as theculmination of one of a series of recurrent prophetic cycles, but rather asmarking the last and highest stage in the stupendous evolution of man'scollective life on this planet. The emergence of a world community, theconsciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization andculture . . . should . . . be regarded . . . as the furthermost limits in theorganization of human society. . . . —-Suocnt EFFENDI

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ENFORCEMENT OF THE SPIRITUAL LAW

I I ‘HE pressure of social neces-sity has in recent times laid

upon the civil state responsibilityfor the application of legislationof a type previously associatedwith the affairs of religion,ethicsor social philosophy. Governmenttoday has become controlled byopinions and beliefs reflectingrapid changes in the environ-ment which call for programsand policies exceeding the tradi-tional functions of the state.

The very basis of governmentis, of course, concern with themoral code. Protection of lifeand property has been the essen-tial purpose of social organiza-tion in historic times. Withoutthe Mosaic code society could notevolve beyond the meager andhazardous experience of the earlytribe. There is no inherent reasonwhy the civil state should notbecome the guardian of idealsand virtues revealed since Moses,though history records the la-mentable fact that governmentshave followed and not led themasses along the road of spirit-ual evolution.

One of the first examples ofthe new development in legisla-tion was socialism. All govern-

ments during the past centuryhave enacted measures of a so-cialistic nature. In certain casessocialism has become the wholephilosophy of the state, replac-ing traditional economics with alegal code and substituting statepower for the adjustments of in-dividuals and private firms. Sofar no one can assert that thistrend is anything more than ex-periment, for the socialistic struc-ture has not been created buttaken over without compensation,in the form of expropriation ortaxes, from the wealth previouslyaccumulated. The fact to em-phasize at the moment is that,for many people, the attainmentof socialistic legislation is thefulfilment of moral responsi-bility. When we can make thestate do it, there is no longer anyreason why the individual shouldsacrifice himself for others.

,Another example of effort totransfer responsibility from theindividual to the state was theprohibition of liquor. Genera-tions of ethical education andspiritual struggle seemed to ter-minate when the state forbadethe manufacture and sale of in-toxicating liquors. The result

SPIRITUAL LAW 31proved conclusively that thereare either aspects of truth whichcannot be applied by the police,or stages in the evolution of so-ciety when individual consciencemay not rely upon the collectivesocial will.

Today a third example comesinto view as various legislativebodies in the United States, in-cluding the federal legislature,concern themselves with specificmeasures aimed to prevent theelement of racial and religiousprejudice from determining theconditions of employment. Theemployer, under such legislation,will be obliged to accept em-ployes on some standard of per-sonal fitness without reference tothe color of their skin or thedoctrines of their church. Thatis, the right of the citizen ascitizen becomes supreme overthe exigencies of any creed, raceor class. The whole mass of thepeople, through their one collec-tive agency, the state, decide thatprejudice no longer has any rightto assert itself in the economicfield, and take such steps as maybe necessary to bring the indi-vidual employer into obediencewith the new conception ofsociety.

These examples have intenseinterest to the Baha’is, for theBaha’i knows that new spirituallaws and principles have been

revealed by Baha’u’llah whichrevolutionize human life, remov-ing the barriers behind whichpolitical, theological and eco-nomic infections start, and dis-closing the majesty of a divineplan for the entire world. TheBaha’is know that the workingout of the new era will be evolu-tionary, one stage at a time, andtherefore to see the operation ofthe Plan one must be aware ofthe Revelation which is itssource, its motive power and theguarantor of its realization.

There are two considerationswhich come to us as we ponderthe process of social regenerationat its present stage.

First, the civil state is calledupon to do the work of religionin so many instances because thedivision of the ancient religioninto many denominational bodiesdenies the people any unity ofmoral example and expression.While the Baha’is make raceunity a matter of virtue, theformer faiths make it a matterof state legislation. The state hasbecome more representative ofthe moral needs of the peoplethan tlze churches. Second, theeffectiveness of legislation in-tended to apply justice to humanrelations is not the power of thepolice but the power of virtue—that is, of conscious obedience tothe higher will. What we are wit-

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32 WORLD oannanessing is the bankruptcy of in-stitutional religion. It is nolonger possible for any churchto inculcate the necessary virtuesinto the intricate, internation-alized society of today. There-fore it has become incumbentupon the states to create humani-

tarian legislation. But there re-mains a vast distinction betweenthe soul and government; to re-move this fatal abyss there mustneeds be further stages in thedisintegration of the old orderand the rise of the new.

---H. H.

Gon’s New DavEdwirma Powell Clifiorcl

NO longer alone on a storm-tossed crestNeed stand a soul, of peace bereft.

God’s voice, that spoke through the Prophets of yore,From Sinai’s plain or Jordan’s shore,From India’s isles, or Arabia’s sands,Hath spoken today its loving commands,And the he-art that is plowed and narrowed by painCan still find peace and live again.“Come,” the voice of Baho.’u’llah cries,“Come, all ye that are men, arise!Come, ye humble; come, ye poor,Enter at last the open door.With the word of power I now proclaimThe Oneness of God, His Truth the same;His children, one vast family, all,Who never in vain on Him shall call.“This Truth of God, His flaming light,Shall scatter superstition’s mightThis Word of God, the Spirit’s Sword,Shall conquer all hearts in the name of the Lord.His holy Prophets, a glorious band,Revealed to us now, united stand,And the shining hosts of the faithful throng.Sing all together the Triumph Song:“The Kingdom of God on Earth shall stand,And His Spirit reign o’er every land;United, all men shall bow the knee,And, with clearer vision, His Glory see.Oh, great is the message Baha’u’llah brings,Harken ye learned, bow down ye kings,The dark clouds of night shall soon pass away,Arise, greet the dawn of God’s New Day!”

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Baha’i Youth in PersiaRUSTAM PAYMAN

YOUTH the world over are in-terested in action. They like

to go places and do things. It isno accident that they have figuredprominently in nearly every rev-olutionary movement of the lastthree decades. Youth may notalways see clearly or act wiselybut they show the will to setthings right rather than be con-tent with conditions that are ad-mittedly bad. Lame arguments tothe effect that things have alwaysbeen this way or that they couldbe worse fail to appeal to youngpeople.

The Baha’i Faith, with its em-phasis on action and its elevationof service to mankind to the rankof prayer, naturally makes senseto young minds which are notconfused with prejudices andfears. ‘Abdu’l-Baha will foreverbe the best of examples for youngpeople for He embodied cour-age, strength of purpose, andself-sacrifice, and had a sense ofhumor. Turning farther back inthe pages of Baha’i history, wefind the Radiant Youth who gaveHis life for human unity and themultitudes of God’s heroes whosedeeds of matchless devotion re-main a constant challenge to allmen of good will. Other move-

ments have called forth sacrifice,but has any other cause changedthe heart of man in such way asto cause him to regard all hisfellow human beings as brothers?This unique and blessed Faithdoes not claim exclusive posses-sion of truth and goodness butrequires its followers to associatewith people of every creed andof no religion, and with those ofevery racial group, class, andnation in a spirit of friendship.

The power of the Baha’i Faithto ermoble human character hasbeen amply demonstrated in theland of its origin for, under itsinfluence, members of other re-ligious communities who hadbeen looked down upon havebeen exalted. Minorities, insteadof being despised, are accordeda place of honor; individuals arenot condemned for following thebeliefs of their forefathers butare accepted on the basis of per-sonal merit. In a Baha’i elec-tion, if two individuals haveequal capacity and fitness foroffice, the one who has come froma minority group, such as Jewishor Zoroastrian, is given thepreference.

The reader may be surprisedto see that a Persian is writing

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34 ~ WORLD onnnnabout administrative questionsinstead of more mystical topics.Americans think of Persia as acountry of nightingales androses, of jasmine-scented gar-dens, of romance and song. Theyexpect the Persians to be dream-ers. But this is only part of thepicture and as Persia andAmerica come closer togetherspiritually and materially, simi-lar hopes and desires and com-mon ways of thinking will cometo light. Let us go on to theactivities of the Persian Baha’iyouth.

The affairs of the Baha’iyouth are directly in the handsof the National Youth Commit-tee, a body appointed by theNational Spiritual Assembly ofPersia. The number of membersmay vary but it has recently beenthirteen. The same persons serveon three subcommittees whichhave charge of correspondence,education, and the annual youthsymposium. The members arenot necessarily youth; I was theonly member under twenty-oneand there were several pastforty. It is recognized that when-ever qualified youth can befound they should be appointedand the National Youth Com-mittee has recommended thatyouth be appointed to local com-mittees when they have therequired ability.

Both the main committee and

the subcommittees meet weekly.The officers are chairman, secre-tary, treasurer, and recordingsecretary. The subcommittee oneducation plans training for allthe Baha’i youth in Persia. Theone on correspondence handlesall communications from localyouth committees and from theNational Youth Committees ofother countries but letters inreply are submitted to the Na-tional Youth Committee for ap-proval before sending. TheSymposium subcommittee plansfor Persia the meeting that isheld annually throughout theBaha’i world. The questions putto the youth in connection withthis event vary from year to yearbut they are invariably relatedto action designed to make lifein Persia healthier and happier.In 1943, the central questionwas, “How can you aid the poorto attend school?” The youthwere not content to say that theybelieved in universal educationbut they really did somethingabout it. In I944, they wereasked:

H-ow can you contribute to thehealth and hygiene of thepeople?

1. If you can give money, speci-fy the amount.

2. Can you furnish medicine?How much (value or quan-tity)?

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Banfi YOUTH

3. If you can give soap, state thenumber of bars or amount.

4-. If you are able to lecture onthese topics, how many hourscould you devote each week?(Doctors were sent to locali-ties without medical facili-ties.)

5. If you can provide a room forlectures, conferences, or treat-ment, how many hours a weekwould it be available?

6. If there is no bath in yourvillage or town, how muchmoney or labor would youdonate for the building of oneor more?

7. Write any other suggestionsyou may wish to offer con-cerning the promotion of pub-lic health or any other fieldin which you think youth maybe of service.

These lines give only a glimpseof the many duties of the Na-tional Youth Committee; the offi-cial description of its functionscovers three typewritten pages.

The Tihran Youth Committeehas put forth great efforts for thespread of the Faith and for socialbetterment in general. The mainbody has numerous subcommit-tees dealing with:I. Teaching inquirers

a. Beginner’s classb. Advanced class

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as3. Physical education4. Special Baha’i youth meeting5. t Baha’i education

a. Deepening knowledge ofteachings and their appli-cation to everyday life.

b. Cultural subjects such asEnglish, Arabic, history,etc.

6. FinanceThe youth have taught their

elders. The subcommittee on edu-cation arranged classes for thosefriends who could not read orwrite. A great deal of attentionhas been given to physical train-ing. The IjIaziratu’l-Quds has agymnasium for sports and thegrounds feature tennis courts.Some of the young Baho’is havebeen outstanding athletes.

The youth of Tihran andother communities have deviseda novel way of reaching otheryoung people. They form groupsof five. Each group invites oneor two non-Baha’is to a party orother social affair at which re-ligion is not discussed. As theyoung people get to know eachother, the Faith is gradually men-tioned and discussed. This is inline with the teaching of Muham-mad that we should make the wayof the seeker easy by sayingagreeable things. There are aboutsixty of these groups in Tihran.

There is also a great deal forevery youth to do individually

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36 woatn onnnafor the responsibility of teachinghas been placed on each of us.Many youth have gone forth aspioneers under conditions thatappear very difficult. They haveleft the comforts of home andtheir kith and kin to live in re-mote and hostile regions. Travelin the Middle East is extremelyslow and arduous, not at all likethe de luxe plane and pullmanservice enjoyed by Americans.In these strange localities, theBaha’i pioneer may have to facenot only difliculty in earning ahumble living but actual physicalviolence. It is one thing for peo-ple to think that your ideas aboutreligion are queer but quite an-other for fanatics to plot againstyou and be-at you. Word hascome that already in the first yearof the second Baha’i century, twoyoung Persian pioneers havebeen martyred.

The example of the Americanfriends in taking the Faith toevery nation, state, and province

in this hemisphere has served tostimulate pioneering among thePersians. We watch the activi-ties of our American brothersand sisters very closely and lov-ingly. The Master favored spirit-ual competition and it will ad-vance the interests of the Faithin both Persia and America tohave greater exchange of infor-mation and ideas. I am sure thatas the days go by, the youth ofPersia and America will comeinto ever closer contact with eachother. We students who have re-cently come to America cannotexpress our gratitude for thekindness shown us by the Ameri-can friends. It is really as thoughwe had never left home. Althoughour countries are situated on op-posite sides of the globe, we areunited in one common Faith.There is a Persian saying thatthe hearts find a way to eachother. The best and most lastingway is the path of Baha’u’lléh,the Master’s “chosen highway”.

‘

Consider! The people of the East and the West were in the utmoststrangeness. Now to what a high degree they are acquainted with each otherand united together! How far are the inhabitants of Persia from the remotestcountries of America! And now observe how great has been the influenceof the heavenly power, for the distance of thousands of miles has becomeidentical with one step! How various nations that have had no relations orsimilarity with each other are now united and agreed through this divinepotency! Indeed to God belongs power in the past and in the future! Andverily God is powerful over all things!

~—-‘ABoU’L-Bani

The Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-BahaBook Review

H. EMOGENE HOAGG

THE Tablets of ‘Abduil-Baha writ-ten to the followers of the Bahai

Faith in the United States of Amer-ica, are of the most precious andeducational value.

During the first years of the estab-lishing of the Faith in America, onecan say that the spiritual impulse forits growth derived from the Tablets(Letters) arriving from ‘Abdu’l-Baha. To the early believers theywere the greatest source of joy andenlightenment, -- enlightenment rela-tive to the spiritual and materialproblems of daily life as well asthose of deeper significance.

As there were then no Englishtranslations of the Writings of Baha-iuillah, these early Tablets were theavenue through which the under-standing of the New Revelation wasmost clearly conveyed to the Westernworld. They were an inspiration andconfirmation which strengthened andencouraged the followers of this newRevelation, and created the spiritualunity of belief that formed the nu-cleus for the future growth of theFaith in this country.

While the Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha(original in Persian with the Eng-lish translation) were addressed toindividuals or groups, in answer toletters received by Him, the messagescontained always were of generalinterest and application, and formedsubject-matter for both individualand group study.

Each Tablet received was eagerlyshared with the friends: the transla-

The Tablets of ‘Abdufl-Behri, BahaiiPublishing Committee, 1916.

tion immediately copied and sent toindividuals in the different centers,and these were recopied and distrib-uted within each particular radius--Hsometimes extending to more thanone state.

As the Faith spread, the number ofTablets arriving increased accord-ingly.

In the Tablets, now comprisingthree volumes with a fourth readyfor publication (addressed to Amer-ican believers with few exceptions) ,one finds profound teachings onabstruse spiritual questions as wellas a clarification of prophetic truthsand other instructions, given in clearand concise language: a fund ofknowledge relative to the Revelationsof Bahéfuillah and the Bab.

Among the Teachings given onefinds the following quotations: “Theprophecies of all the Prophets havebecome manifest and are fulfilled inthis holy and blessed age.”

“Each Manifestation is the heart ofthe world and the proficient Physi-cian of every patient.”

On universal love: “The essenceof the Teachings of His HolinessBaha’u’llah is Universal Love, whichcomprehends all the virtues of theworld of humanity, is the cause ofeternal life and the progress of allthe individuals of the human race.”

“Love is the mystery of DivineRevelations.”

Religion is given a vital meaning:“The descent of the New Jerusalemis the heavenly religion which se-cures the prosperity of the humanworld and is the effulgence of the

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illumination of the realm of God.”Education: “. .. . education and

training are recorded in the Bookof God as obligatory not voluntary.”And: “They must strive by all possi-ble means to educate both sexes, maleand female, girls like the boys, thereis no difference whatsoever betweenthem. The ignorance of both isblameworthy . . . the training andculture of daughters is more neces-sary . . . for these girls will cometo the station of motherhood and willmould the lives of the children”

“By Faith is meant, first con-scious knowledge, and second, thepractice of good deeds.”

Deta.chment: “If thou art desiringDivine joy, free thyself from thebands of attachment.”

Humility: “If thou seekest eternalglory, let thyself be humble andmeek in the presence of the belovedof God.”

Sacrifice: “Sacrifice thyself forthe well-being of the people, and bethou a kind comforter to all theinhabitants of the world.”

Servitude: “The service of thefriends belongs to God, not to them.”And: “Service is the magnet whichattracts the heavenly strength.”

Steadfastness: “He who is stead-fast shall grow, and he who isstraightforward shall succeed.”

Prayer: “Be firm in the worshipof God, fasting, praying, imploringand invoking unto thy God, theGenerous; so that He shall destineto thee the honor of sacrifice in thePath of thy Beloved, the Ancient.”“Much prayer is needed so that Godmay help and protect.”

Unity: “Night and day endeavorto attain perfect harmony: bethoughtful concerning your ownspiritual development and close youreyes to the shortcomings of one an-

33 wontn onnsaother.” And, “The manifestation ofthe Light of Unity is for binding to-gether the people of the world. Ifthis unity is not attained the tree oflife is made fruitless, the heavenlybounty is not utilized.”

Baha’u’llah in the Tablet of theBranch” says: “. . . through Himevery mouldering bone is quickened. . .” Writing to ‘Abduil-Baha Hesays: “We pray God to illumine theworld through Thy knowledge andwisdom. . . .” And again: “We havemade Thee a shelter for all man-kind . . . a shield unto all who arein heaven and on earth.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha was not only the“Center of the Covenant” and theInterpreter of the Revelations ofBaha’u’llah after His passing, butthe center of Baha’i administration:advisor, center of consultation andcooperation—both legislative and ad-ministrative. And except during‘Abdu’l-Baha’s memorable visit toAmerica in 1912, it was primarily inthe Tablets that His instructions, andinterpretations of the Teachingsreached the Baha’i groups in theWest.

It is only since the passing of‘Abduil-Baha that Shoghi Ezffendi, theappointed Guardian of the Faith, hasput into an affective administrativeorder the laws and instructions leftby Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Asthe Guardian says: “The rise andestablishment of the AdministrativeOrder——the shell that shields and en-shrines so precious a gern-—consti-tutes the hall-mark for this secondand formative age of the Baha’i era.. . . The central and underlying aimwhich animates it is the establish-ment of the New World Order asadumbrated b B-aha’u’llah.”Y

This is one in a series of articles onBaha’i' books.

It

Pilgrimage to ‘Akka

ALTHOUGH the secret of thePower and Beauty of

‘Abdu’l-Baha* lies in the eclipseof His personality and shiningforth of the Spirit Itself in Hisperfect servitude to God andman——although what impressedme most was His impersonality-—yet I find I cannot forget theface, the features and the manso loved by the people of Bahathroughout the world. To meetHim is to come under the charmand spell of the Spirit, but not-withstanding the inner realiza-tion memory holds up the win-some picture of the personality’to the outer eye. Knowing thatthe Light within the Temple isthe Reality, I will describe theTemple itself. After climbingthe long flight of steps leadingfrom the inner courtyard wewere taken into a large, lightroom immediately to the right.A soft divan extended com-pletely around it. There wewaited, welcomed in successionby several Baha’i brothers, untilMiss Barney arose and an-nounced ‘Abdu’l-Baha. He wasclothed in a long black robe openat front disclosing another robeof light tan——-upon His head apure white turban. The face was

*‘Abdu’l-Bahri as seen by an early pil-grim.

Light itself; the voice ringingwith happiness. A man of me-dium height, strongly and solidlybuilt, weight about one hundredand seventy pounds, alert andactive in every movement, thehead thrown back and splendidlypoised upon the shoulders, a pro-fusion of iron gray hair burst-ing out at the sides of the turbanand hanging long upon the neck,a large, massive head full-domedand remarkably wide across theforehead and temples, the fore-head rising like a great palisadeabove the eyes, the eyes them-selves very wide apart, theirorbits large and deep, lookingout like soul-windows from underthe massive overhanging brows;strong, perfect nose, generousears, the mouth and chin kindlyand tender yet fixed in un-swerving decision, complexion acreamy white, beard same coloras His hair, worn full over theface and carefully trimmed atalmost full length——-—-this is a veryinsufficient word picture of a facewhich in its composite is haloedwith love and expressive maj-esty. The focus of the soul ofthis wonderful being is in theeyes. Love lingers in theirdepths, and tenderness quiversin flashes of sympathetic lightupon the lids. If the tongue were

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silent the eyes would voice theSpirit’s messages in tremulousthrills of eloquence. When thefull battery of this winsome per-sonality is turned upon the soul,you are immersed in an ocean oflove, you see that which washitherto invisible, hear the in-audible and attain knowledgewhich had seemed unknowable.As to His Power there can beno doubt. The secret of Hisspiritual Beauty lies in theeclipse of His personality. TheSpirit of God is manifest in thisperfect Temple of Servitude, thisIncarnation of Love. y

One morning about a weekafter our arrival we saw Himin the narrow garden strip whichborders the sea just inside thecrumbling stone wall. He wasstanding under a small ever-green, looking out over the blueMediterranean, His face turnedupward into the sunlight, silent,motionless, reflective, perhaps inprayer. A short distance awayfrom Him stood a group of tenbelievers, all of them patriarchalmen, holy and picturesque ingarb and attitude, the very re-production of the group of dis-ciples who attended the Christof Nazareth nineteen hundredyears ago. Some of them worepure white gowns and turbans,some with the green turban indi-cating lineage from the Prophet.‘Abduil-Baha was in full black

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90 WORLD oansawith a white turban. All stoodmotionless for a long time, tl1enthe central figure began to walkslowly to and fro inhaling thefresh breeze coming down fromthe pure laboratory of theLebanons. VI/hen He stopped theystopped; when He walked theyfollowed, always maintaining adistance and evidencing love andreverence in their movements.Love haloed the picture. Thescenes of long ago had comeback in living reality before oureyes, so accustomed to differentpictures in the West. After awhileMirza Assad’ullah arrived atthe gate of the garden carryinga large bunch of roses, which hegave to ‘Abdu’l-Baha who tookthem aside, buried His face inthem a long time, then slowlyseparated them into smallbunches, giving one to each ofthe brethren. As He did so theyheld His gift to their lips, thenplaced the floral treasure in thebosom of their loose flowinggowns. Altogether it was a heav-enly picture--—these bronze facesluminous with the light of Love--~ splendid looking men -- butdoubly glorious in their spirit-ual beauty —— pictures of whatmen should be -—= of what menmust ultimately become whenhumanity is uplifted by the graceof God into His Spiritual Image.God is manifest in any man whohas the power of transforming

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PILGRIMAGE 91hearts into this semblance. Theseloving souls had been drawn to-gether by divine attraction fromdifferent walks of life, and stillmore significantly, from dif-ferent forms of religious belief.Among them were Jews, Muham-madans, Parsees and Christians———now all Baha’is—now lovingeach other as Christ taught. OneFriday morning we saw anotherpicture which carried us back toscenes in old Jerusalem and bythe waters of Galilee. It is thecustom, of ‘Abdu’l-Baha eachweek, on Friday morning, to dis-tribute alms to the poor. FromHis own scanty store He givesa little to each one of the needywho come to ask assistance. Thismorning about one hundred wereranged in line, seated andcrouching upon the ground in theopen street of the court where‘Abdu’l-Baha’s house stands. Andsuch a nondescript collection ofhumanity they were. All kindsof men, women and children--—poor, wretched, hopeless in as-pect, half-clothed, many of themcrippled and blind, beggars in-deed, poor beyond expression——-—-waiting expectant --—- until fromthe doorway came ‘Abdu’l-Bahaattended by His brother, Badi-ullah. He was clothed in purewhite from foot to turban. Quick-ly moving from one to another,stopping sometimes to leave aword of sympathy and encour-

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agement, dropping small coinsinto each eager outstretchedpalm, touching the face of achild, taking the hand of an oldwoman who held fast to the hemof His garment as He passedalong, speaking holy words oflight to old men with sightlesseyes, inquiring after those toofeeble and wretched to comeafter their pittance of help andsending them their portion witha message of love and uplift-—this is what we saw with ourWestern eyes untrained to holyscenes — this is ‘Abdu’l-Baha,the Servant of God, as He is.Light and Love seemed to ema-nate from Him. As we looked,our eager, rushing, selfish,money-grasping life in the West,beyond the peaceful blue of theMediterranean horizon, seemeddwarfed, insignificant, little -~—-and our hearts turned wearilyaway from their burdens to therest of these quiet, holy scenesin a land made holy by suchservice, such sacrifice, such love.A few days later we said good-bye to ‘Abdu’l-Baha; saw Himstanding radiant and beautiful atthe top of the long staircasewhich leads down to the innercourt where the fountain playsand roses bloom all the year.The Light of Love was still uponHis face—it is always there——it is a face of Love———and so Ishall ever see Him.

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The American Pioneer PeriodIVIARIAM HANEY

A COMMUNITY of Baha’is laws and ordinances which con-was by now existing in

many of the large cities, as wellas small towns, of the UnitedStates, and in Montreal, P. Q.,Canada. In these Baha’i com-munities were gathered formerProtestants from many sects, alsoChristian Scientists, Catholics,Jews, Muhammadans, Theoso-phists, and some who hadnever before been interested inany religion, as well as a repre-sentation from different races-—-all happily cooperating and en-joying true fellowship. Throughthe effect of the Holy RevealedWords in this Dispensation,Baha’fs had taken a new flight,antagonisms had vanished, theLight of the New Age precludedhatreds and suspicions, they com-muned together sympathetically,brotherhood and true fraternityhad become an actual fact. “Andthe Lord shall be King over allthe earth: in that day shall therebe one Lord and His Name one.”

In the pioneering days theBaha’i Faith was not organized.Of course religion in its purestspiritual realities, that is, thefundamentals, the essential orspiritual teachings of the Wordof God, cannot be organized; butthere is a second division-the

cern human transactions and re-lations. Briefly, there was nothingin the way of oflicial committeesto administer the affairs of theCause except in certain cities, forinstance in Chicago the House ofSpirituality,* in New York theBoard of Council, and in othercities there were committeesdesignated as Working Commit-tees, Service Committees, etc.They were in one sense officialfor in some cases the friendselected them. Aside from thesecommittees, the affairs of theCause were administered by in-dividuals who seemed naturallyto have the necessary ability tofunction. However, even the com-mittees did not preclude thefriends from serving and teach-ing in accordance with their ownguidance. Those were the dayswhen the “rugged individualism”of the Americans was greatly inevidence in the promulgation ofthe Cause.

As the years passed it was evi-dent that these committees wererendering most valuable services.It was the House of Spiritualityin Chicago that initiated the workof the Mashriqtfl-Adhkar in sup-

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*A term used to difierentiate the Com-mittee from a world organization.

PIONEER PERIOD 93

plicating to ‘Abduil-Baha for per-mission to build a Baha’i Houseof Worship in this country. Thisrequest was granted. From itsvery inception the Baha’i Houseof Worship was still anotherteaching effort of the utmost im-portance, for ‘Abdu’l-Bahaisstatements in many of His Tab-lets and in notes of pilgrims wit-ness to the glory of this effortand its definite linking withteaching, in fact one seemed tobe inseparable from the other.“It is an expression of the eleva-tion of the Word of God” said‘Abduil-Baha.

Another important undertak-ing during the pioneer periodwas the publication of the Baha’iMagazine, it was called TheBa_hri}’i Bulletin, published by theBaha’i Publishing Society inNew York in 1909. It was short-lived (there were about six orseven issues), but it was an effortin the right direction. In 1910 aBahaii Magazine was started in

Chicago.‘ It was called TheBahrfi News. Some time later itwas developed further and calledThe Star of the West; as theyears passed it grew still furtherand was called The Bahciii Mag-azine. Its publication continueddown the years, and now themagazine is called World Order.Just to what extent this truly in-spired publication has, throughthe years, served teachers andteaching cannot be estimated.It has always been called atraveling teacher.

A very important teaching ac-tivity for Baha’is themselves wasorganized during this period,namely, the inauguration ofli-cially of the Institution in theCause known as Unity Feasts,which are observed every nine-teen days. The program for, andconduct of, this meeting, hasbeen a teaching and trainingmedium for Baha’is.

Number four in a series of notations onBaha’i activity in North America from1893 to 1921.

Launched in every continent of the globe, at first intermittent, haphazard,and unorganized, and later, as a result of the emergence of a slowly develop-ing Administrative Order, systematically conducted, centrally directed andefficiently prosecuted, the teaching enterprises which were undertaken by thefollowers of Bah:-i’u’llah in many lands, but conspicuously in America . . .constitute, by virtue of their range and the blessings which have flowed fromthem, a shining episode that yields place to none except those associatedwith the exploits which have immortalized the early age of the Bahaii Dis-pensatlon.

-—Snocn1 EFFENDI, in God Passes By

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WITH OUR READERS

OUR readers will remember thearticle by Artemus Lamb in our

November, 1944, number on the“Fulfillment of Mormon Prophecy,”and the comment upon the article inthis department of our Februaryissue. Now a letter comes from Mr.Lamb in Punta Arenas, Chile, thesouthernmost city in the world, wherehe is helping establish the BahaiiFaith. He writes in part:

“The February issue of WorldOrder has just come into my handsand so I am hastening to write afurther word about my article, “TheFulfillment of Mormon Prophecy”which appeared in the Novemberissue of World Order. If you wouldcare to publish any of this in “WithOur Readers,” I would be happy foryou to do so. Personally I find thissection always interesting and believethat more of such discussions and ex-planation of articles would be verystimulating and interesting.

“First of all, let me thank you foryour clarification of the points inquestion. I do not know the actualcontents of the letters received by youbut would like to express my com-plete approbation of the statementsmade by you and my gratitude foryour taking the matter into yourhands for even air mail to this distantspot, the most southerly city in theworld, requires usually at least twoweeks in a one way transit. . .. .

“In my original article I made nostatement whatever of any Baha’iviewpoint of the station or missionof Joseph Smith and had none inmind for I know of no place in thewritings of Baha’u’llah, the Bab,

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‘Abdu’l-B-aha or the Guardian, whereJoseph Smith is mentioned. . . . Asyou summed it up, my whole inten-tion was to acquaint the Latter DaySaints with the same knowledge thatthe followers of all established re-ligions are coming to, namely, thatThe Promised One has Come, so thatthey, too, might find peace andassurance and the fulfillment of theirhighest destiny. If my article isserving this end, it will accomplishits purpose.”

Then Mr. Lamb writes a word ofappreciation of World Order whichwe share with you: “I would like toadd a world of congratulation on therecent issues of World Order. Itseems to be getting steadily better,especially in regard to the qualityand variety of the material. You willbe interested to know that it is beingread in this part of the world by Eng-lish speaking people as well as bySpanish speaking people who use itas a means of practicing English.”

I‘ I" ‘I’

A number of people have ex-pressed appreciation of our Aprilissue. One friend reports that theeditorial by Miss Busey and thearticle by Seymour Weinberg furn-ished good material for her discus-sion group. Another friend writes:“Mr. Holley’s article in World Orderis a wonderful summary. I am pass-ing my copy on to a man here whosaid to me, ‘I have never heard ofthe Baha’i' church.’ I said, ‘when youread this you will have a clear idea,and will know that while it is a re-ligion it is not a church.’ ”

The editors, of course, like to re-

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wrrn oua assonas 95ceive such comments and we passthem on because it is the contributorswho make the magazine and deservethe praise. We are constantly in needof more well written articles settingout the various aspects of Baha’ibelief in a fresh, strong way.

This department welcomes lettersfrom our readers containing ques-tions, suggestions for teaching, storiesof successful teaching, spiritual ex-periences which might be helpful toothers, suggestions for improving themagazine. Many can write brief in-teresting letters who do not wish toundertake a longer article. Addresssuch communications to World Or-der, Dep’t WOR, 69 Abb-ottsford Rd.,Winnetka, Illinois.

I ‘I ‘I

News from Baha’is in other coun-tries is most welcome. The followingletter from John Eichenauer tellsabout his happy visit with Baha"ifriends in Paris. Our readers knowJohn as our youngest pioneer whospent several years spreading the-Baha’i Faith in Central Americancountries. He is now with an armymedical unit in France.

“Providentially, I believe, it waspossible for me to visit the Baha’isof Paris. In making preparation forthe trip I made sure to take along allthe current Baha’i literature I hadreceived, assuming that because ofthe disruption of the war, the friendswould be in need. Fortunately Ihad the December and Novembernumbers of World Order magazinewhich 1 left with Miss Edith Sander-son, . . . Little did I know last sum-mer wh-at would become of the GodPasses By I ordered. It is now withthe Paris friends, as are Bahd’£ Cen-tenary and . . .” (several books andpamphlets are mentioned).

“There are eight Baha’is in Paris

and when communication has beenreestablished with the interior sev-eral cities will be found to haveisolated Baha’is including Marseillesand Lyons. It was a special treat tomeet a young Persian believer inParis, Mr. Parviz Vhorsand. ThePersian youth seem to radiate thepurity of the B-ab in all their actions,so courteous and loving. Mr. CharlesKennedy, an English believer, andMrs. Edwin Scott were two othersthat I met. How great is the happi-ness one finds in knowing the friendsin foreign lands.”

‘I’ ‘I’ I-

As we go to press the attention ofthe world is focused on the confer-ence of the United Nations in SanFrancisco. By the time this issue ofWorld Order is in the hands of ourreaders some decisions will doubtlesshave been reached which will eitherincrease or diminish our hopes forthe early establishment of an institu-tion to promote peaceful relationsbetween nations. But whatever theoutcome of this conference we feelthat the article by Glenn Shook,“Mankind Can Establish Peace” istimely for it is positive and assuring.Baha’fs are steadfast in their beliefthat the nations can and will, in thenot too distant future, establish theLesser Peace in spite of setbacks andthat eventually “the Most Great Peaceshall come.” Dr. Shook has con-tributed valuable articles to WorldOrder for a number of years. Hislast previous one, “Science and So-ciety” appeared in our February,194-4-, issue. Dr. Shook is professorof physics and astronomy at WheatenCollege, Massachusetts.

Altogether too little is the news weget from our pioneers in North andSouth America, so we welcome espe-cially Virginia Orbisorfs “Pioneer

95 WORLD onnnnJourney, Paraguay.” Our readerswill remember the letters from Para-guay by Elisabeth Cheney which wepublished in 1942 and 1943 and willbe much interested to know whathappened next in Paraguay. Fornearly three years, Miss Orbison hasserved as a pioneer in several SouthAmerican countries, among r themPeru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay,and Chile. Her “Pioneer Journey toSouth America” appeared in theApril, 1943, issue of World Order.Miss Orbison is now in Guayaquil,Ecuador, and news has just comethat the first Ecuadorian SpiritualAssembly was formed in that city onApril 21st of this year.

“Signs of the Times,” by Anna-marie Honnold makes a good supple-ment to Dr. Shook’s article showingas it does how much effort has beenput forth and is being put forth toeducate and encourage the public inits understanding of the need fororganizing the world for peace. Thisis another in our series “Forming aWorld Society.” Mrs. Honnold issecretary of the Regional TeachingCommittee for Maryland, Virginiaand West Virginia and lives inCheverly, Maryland. Her last pre-vious contribution to World Orderwas “If You Desire Friendship” inour December, 1943, issue.

“Baha’i Youth in Persia,” by Rus-tam Payman takes us directly to thecountry where the Baha’i Faith wasborn and where there are morefollowers of the Faith than in anyother one country. The author wasformerly recording secretary of theNational Youth Committee of Persia.He arrived in America last summer(1944-) and is now studying at Co-lumbia University. A member of theNew York Bahé’i Community, he has

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been appointed to the Center andSpecial Events Committees and waselected vice-chairman of the YouthCommittee. His services have rangedfrom painting the floor at the Centerto lecturing at public meetings.Robert L. Gulick, Jr., has assistedMr. Payrnan in the preparation ofthis article.

In our January issue we began aseries of articles designed to acquaintour readers more thoroughly withour many Bahé’i books. Emo-geneHoagg’s appreciation and survey ofThe Tablets of ‘Abdtfl-Bahé is thethird in this series. Mrs. Hoagg isone of the earliest of our Americanbelievers and for many years wasdirector of the B-ahé’i InternationalCenter at Geneva, Switzerland. Shehas been a pioneer in Cuba and SouthCarolina, taught at Baha’i summerschools and served the Cause in manyways for many years.

“Pilgrimage to ‘Akka” takes usback to he early days of the Baha’iFaith. It is taken from a booklet nowout of print in which a footnote sayssimply: “ ,‘Abdu’l-B-aha as seen by anearly pilgrim.” We believe ourreaders will appreciate having thisloving and true picture of the Masteravailable in print once more.

“The American Pioneer Period”continues the Mariam Haney seriesconcerning the early days of ourFaith in the United States. As weare stepping off into the second cen-tury of our Faith we know that thepioneer days are by no means pastand these articles not only acquaintus with the names and deeds andpersonalities of those who startedpioneering here but inspire us tofollow in their footsteps. Mrs. Haneyhas done her share in pioneering andcontinues to serve the Faith in Wash-ington, D.C. -——TnE Enrrons

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" This book contains at representative selection of the Writings ofe Bahé’u’ll5h and of ‘Abdtfl-Bahlé, and is the largest collection of Bahé’ippliteraturesinilflnglish translation now available-in one volume. y s

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r Part One-—Writings of Bahé’u’llahChapter Oine—--The Great AnnouncementChapter Two--—The Proniised One pChapter Three—The Life of the"S'ouZChapner_,Fou.r-Laws of the New Age --

" Chapter Fiive--—The Mystery of Cod‘I

i Part Two-'——Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha p _Chapter Six---The Faith of Baihci’u'llaih A I

Y Chapter Sevene--Soul, Mind and Spirit ' /Chapter Eight-—The Loom of Reality

v Chapter Nine—-The Divine Plan I___ .

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, Each of these chapters has been treated as a unit of significance,and the sequence of the nine chapters conveys a sense of the unfold-ment of the Bahé’i Dispensation in the Tablets of Baha’u’-llah, HisWill and Testament, the Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdtfl-Baha, andin His Testament and Plan for the World Order of Bal1a’u'llah.

The passages selected have been taken from fifteen different pub-_ lications as well as ' from the National Archives. '

I Printed. on thin light paper and bound in green fabrikoid. 465 -pages. Per copy, $1.50.. I s I »

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The Baha'i Magazine

VoLUME XI }ULY, 1945 NUMBER 4

The Peace in San Francisco MARZIEH GAIL

HE stage shows four gold people on the outside ask one bars standing against a curved another cautiously: Do you

backdrop of sky-blue, that is really think the Conference is slashed with a row of forty-nine getting anywhere? flags. Gold chairs near the foot- It seems to us that even the lights, and tables; a light blue physical fact of the delegates' rostrum below, jutting out of the presence together, is important pit, with a carved green wreath and has a meaning for the world. on it. Burnt-orange plush chairs The fact that they have traveled for the audience. In the orches- thousands of miles to be here and tra, each delegation's row of struggle for peace. The fact of seats is marked by its country's their constantly reiterating such name on a white sign. The United phrases as "united nations", Nations Conference on lnterna- "world court", "world charter", tional Organization has met "bill of human rights", "world under harmonious surroundings, security", "world justice" has in San Francisco's War Memorial an enormous psychological effect. Opera House, to plan for peace. To Baha'is the Conference

These weeks are a memorable shows how humanity is going in point in time; history is unfold- the direction Baha'u'llah im­ing there on the stage, instead of pelled it to go, toward world "Carmen" or the "Ring Cycle," unity. For a century the Baha'is and these days will go down in have spread these ideas around the books forever. the world, and we have usually

Viewed from the balcony, the been ignored, usually considered delegates prove themselves far utopian. To Baha'is, the Con­ahead of the man in the street. ference is also of particular They are actually trying to build meaning because of what 'Abdu'l­something that he still thinks is Baha said when He visited Sac­only a utopian dream. So many ramento, the state capital in

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1912: "Inasmuch as the Cali­fornians seem peace loving and possessed of great worthiness and capacity, I hope that ad­vocates of peace may daily in­crease among them until the whole population shall stand for that beneficent outcome .... May the first flag of international peace be upraised in this state." 'Abdu'l-Baha's wish seemed al­most incapable of fulfillment at that time, when California was the remotest point in one of the most isolated of countries. A pro­posed United Nations flag, four red bars perpendicular on a white background, has actually been flown in San Francisco this month.

The fact of the Conference is a good omen, and much more. Experts whose names we seldom hear, are working day and night on the technical aspects involved. The infra-red and ultra­violet connotations of the Con­ference are more significant than is generally understood.

The men of the Conference do •

not yet go as far as the teachings of Baha'u'llah. Recently a fa­mous correspondent expressed this by saying he does not think that in our time we shall get a world court whose decisions will automatically be enforced by the Security Council, because our in­tellectual and social development is still inadequate. What Baha-

'u'llah teaches as to the world's future far surpasses what the delegates are now doing but their direction is right and that's the main thing.

It is a good sign that they are not aiming too high. They are most diffident. Over and over they say, "This isn't perfect, but it's better than we'd hoped." They are more workmanlike, less operatic, than the men of Ver­sailles; the other day a chair­man reporting for his commis­sion said, "Speeches and the literary aspect have been sup­pressed." They are more aware now of what modern warfare is. And they refuse to theorize; they are sticking to one job-the crea­tion of an international organi­zation that their forty-nine governments can accept.

The men of this Conference are not yet functioning as world citizens, "trustees of the whole of mankind". They are not one people, but forty-nine. It is ob­vious, looking down at them from the balcony of the Opera House, that they urgently need some

· over-all integrative power to bring them together. They need a supreme motive for oneness. They need a reason for peace that will be neither national nor racial nor political nor economic -because none of these reasons is big enough.

They do not speak one Ian-

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guage hut five: English, Russian, Spanish, French, Chinese. That is, the Conference recognized two working languages, English and French, and a total of five official ones, plus any other used by an individual delegate. Often a talk is translated first into English, then into French, on the spot. This is very clumsy. An Ameri­can judge near us the other day whipped out a copy of the Reader's Digest when one of the delegates began to speak in a foreign tongue; "I brought it along for just such emergencies," he said. An international lan­guage, as directed by Baha'u'l­lah, is badly needed.

Women are conspicuously ab­sent. According to the latest official directory, the United States, China, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay have one woman dele­gate each. That is all. We mean of course, full delegates; there are some women advisers, con­sultants and other assistants, hut it is a man's conference. It does not express the Baha'i principle of equal opportunities for both sexes. The very fact that a United Women's Conference has been held shows that women are some­how considered outsiders.

The American Negroes, about fifteen million strong, are voice­less at the Conference. This is an interesting contrast with the

Baha'i Centenary Conference held in Wilmette last year, when Negro delegates were among the most vocal, because of merit not race, and the featured Baha'i speaker at the Hotel Stevens banquet in Chicago was the young Negro lawyer, Miss Elsie Austin. The American Indian­some three to four hundred thou­sand in population is voiceless here. Of course Indian and Negro blood strains are well repre­sented in Latin American, Ethio­pian, Haitian, Liberian and other delegates.

Religion is not much in evi­dence. The Conference opened officially not with a moment of prayer, hut a moment of medita­tion. This was fair enough, hut it is striking just the same. It means that the Baha'i principles, that all religions are essentially one and that religion is the greatest source of order in the world, have not yet spread throughout the masses. It also means that many here are agnostic and atheistic.

However, the men of the Con­ference are conscious that theirs is a "sacred task", and that peo­ple all over the world, now and to come, are looking toward them here in San Francisco. They have the historic sense of what they are doing. It is not just another conference. They are chastened.

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The death of President Roose­velt has afforded these men a point of contact, something be­yond the physical; the meeting has been consecrated by this death; the delegates all share a respect for the late President, they share his memory. History allows some men this consecra­tive power, this bringing people together in their memory, be­cause of the ideals they stood for.

The constant references to the late President show among other things how much they want a common loyalty. But there is no provision made in the interna­tional world as now visualized for that loyalty principle with­out which no society endures. A need which is met in the Baha'i world community.

A vital Baha'i principle, that science and religion, "the two most potent forces in human life," must cooperate, is exempli­fied at the Conference in this sense, that the experts here are devoting their knowledge to the cause of peace to life instead of death. So much knowledge, during these years, has gone into blotting man out.

The Conference has produced at least one great orator, Briga­dier General Carlos P. Romulo, the eloquent spokesman for the Filipino delegation. The Opera House audience keeps absolutely silent when he speaks; everyone's

mind snaps to the one focus; even the photographers listen. General Romulo says: "The spirit of jus­tice and freedom must permeate the whole world, else it's useless to speak of peace."

In evaluating the San Fran­cisco Conference, you have to decide again what man is on the planet for.

Roughly, there are two kinds of people in the world today. Those who believe that man just happened, and those who believe he was created that he is the product of conscious will and intelligence.

If you think man just hap­pened, you limit his individual life to his 80 or 90 years above ground. You subject him to leaders who do not consider themselves responsible to a Supreme Being and who act ac­cordingly. The verb "subject" is designedly used, since a demo­cratic society can flourish only if the individual is living under spiritual law. When he is not, he becomes too dangerous to be left free he has to be spied on and coerced. His "conscience" cannot be relied on since it mir­rors his environment.

If you think man was created, then you allow him a great deal more significance. Then he has another place in the universe, he is more than just the best animal. Then the long line of Prophets

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is explained, whereas the "just happened" idea does not explain them. Then Moses is explained, and Abraham and Zoroaster; the Sermon on the Mount becomes clear; Mul.:mmmad's farewell to His followers, delivered in the hills over Mecca, has meaning for us.

The Baha'i Faith proclaims that the most important happen­ing in history is the emergence of a Prophet of God. This Mani­festation is "the supreme embodi­ment of all that is lovable". He is the "Fountain-head of infinite grace . . . in Whose presence all the world's abundance fadeth into nothingness." The rest of lifP is secondary; it comes next.

The Bah produced such an effect on His first disciple, at their first interview, that the dis­ciple reported: "The universe seemed hut a handful of dust in my grasp .... "

A follower of the Bah who met Baha'u'llah has said: "I was then an old man, bowed with age. How lovingly He . . . took me by the hand! . . . In those days I was so poor that most of the time I hungered for food. I felt so rich, however, that all the treasures of the earth melted away into nothingness when com­pared with that which I . . . possessed."

The world is slow, hut as Galileo noticed, "Still, it moves."

It is beginning to hear of that long-ago April in the garden at Ba~dad the spot where legend places the first Garden when the new epoch was declared. It is becoming aware of those twelve spring days, when Baha­'u'llah and His followers lived in tents in the Ri!)van, and He re· vealed to them His mission as the Promised One. (Every morn­ing the gardener would fill Baha'u'llah's tent with roses so many roses in the middle of the tent that the disciples could not see one another across them. Every night the nightingales were so loud in the rosebushes that only those men who were quite close to Him could hear His voice as He walked and spoke in the garden.)

Baha'u'llah proclaims the one­ness of the human race and the dawn of world civilization. He affirms that man was created for a purpose to know and worship God and to abide in the mercy of God forever. He reveals end­less teachings which make man fit for world unity which raise collective man to levels he has never reached before.

The world is gradually estah· lising Baha'u'llah's principles, whether aware or not of His ad­vent, with its enormous spiritual and social meaning. The world is progressing toward the Baha'i principles. As these become real-

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ized, humanity will turn toward the establishment of Baha'u'lhih's laws, will modify and develop its behavior. There will be a world, instead of local, moral standard, for instance. There will be world attitudes which one does not find in San Francisco today, because it is too soon. And besides the principles and laws, in time mankind will dis­cover the spiritual riches which Baha'u'llah has disclosed, wealth which we can never :use up, the values of the spirit which make the values of this world seem of little moment.

There has to be a supranational, beyond-the-physical agent to fuse all mankind; a global influence, a universal spirit. Many people both secular and religious felt this when in the 19th century they prophesied the coming of a Messiah. Wilhelm W eitling came strikingly close to describing Baha'u'llah, the Persian noble­man of great means and station Who lost everything He had and died a Prisoner in order to de­clare His Faith. Weitling said, "A new Messiah will also come to bring about the teachings of the first." "He will come down from the heights of wealth into the abysses of poverty, where the despised and the rejected shelter, and will mingle his tears with theirs."

Psychologists tell us that all of us today are in some degree or another victims of hatred. It is to replace this hatred with love that Baha'ullah has come.

'Abdu'l-Baha says, "In the hearts of men no real love is found, and . . . unless their susceptibilities are quickened by some power so that unity, love and accord may develop within them, there can be no healing, no agreement among mankind." Again He says, "Love is the breath of the Holy Spirit in the heart of man".

You see the faces of millions of people turning toward these men in San Francisco who are struggling to write a world charter. And you know there are other representatives on the stage here at the Opera House. Dele­gates of the present human race:

· shabby and starved people, and diseased people, and prisoners; delegates of those who have been killed; and unseen displays on the stage, of mountains of dead, of artificial limbs, of rubble from what used to be homes where people lived.

It is these that Baha'u'llah was remembering when He accepted imprisonment in the Black Pit, and chains and prison and exile, and the laughter of His enemies, to bring love back into the world.

Character and Youth Today

CHARLOTTE P. TIMM

IS the youth of today who will be the administrators of

the new World Order of tomor­row. Training for citizens in that new World Order is afforded in the present Baha'i community. Therefore, increasing the partici­pation of Baha'i youth in com­munity affairs, developing work­ers in the Baha'i youth groups, and training the members in the technique of consultation and other Baha'i procedures, should be one of the main responsibili­ties of the local Spiritual Assem­blies, if the Cause is to grow with the years.

In Baha'i homes and Baha'i Centers youth must be given ade­quate guidance and opportunity for expression in order to de­velop the necessary qualifications which will enable them to serve in their local communities and in world affairs. One of the most potent influences in molding a young person's life is his home. Other factors being favorable, a child will become the sort of person he sees around him every day as he is growing up. The importance of the home in satis­fying human needs cannot be over-estimated nor the necessity ·on the part of parents and other adults who are in contact with

young people to study the teach­ings of Baha'u'llah and to live a Baha'i life as a pattern for youth.

A young person who is living a Baha'i life has a wholesome personality, is well-adjusted, well-integrated, consistent, adapt­able, efficient, and contented. He has learned to meet life's prob­lems with a positive and opti­mistic attitude. He has attained an equilibrium which enables him to understand himself and other people in most situations. This state of spiritual develop­ment is largely the product of the formation of proper habits and attitudes in early life. Also, a young person's bodily condi­tion can exert a profound in­fluence either healthful or de­structive upon his mental and spiritual state of development.

Recent studies in endocri­nology have revealed the impor­tance of considering the general constitutional type and of stimu­lating or retarding endocrine secretions in certain individuals. On the other hand, mental proc­esses or experiences can influence profoundly, both favorably and unfavorably, the physiological processes. This interaction is particularly true in relation to

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nervous, glandular, and circula­tory functions. Therefore, it is important for parents to main­tain both the bodily and mental health of a young person if he is to develop into a well-balanced personality which will function harmoniously in the new world order of Baha'u'llah.

'

Some common attitudes in the home which produce maladjust­ment on the part of a child are over-protection, rejection, favori­tism, and inconsistency in con­tradicting commands, or in threatening a child and then never carrying out the threats. These attitudes and inconsis­tencies bring about a disinclina­tion on the part of the young person to pay any attention what­soever to the adult's words. Dis­obedience in the home or in the classroom is usually the parent's or teacher's fault. If a child is stopped in everything he starts to do and if all his requests are refused, even though they are reasonable, naturally he will feel resentful and will disobey.

Likewise, the constant use of temper tantrums by a child is always the fault of the parents. Either one or both parents has set an example of temper dis­plays in front of the child or he has been scolded, nagged, or thrashed when the parent felt angry. Usually a parent causes a child to be "nervous" by being

nervous and talking about it. If you think your child is nervous, first ask yourself these questions: Do I cause my child to be nervous or to have temper tantrums by being nervous myself; by telling him about it so that I may have his sympathy; by constantly re­minding him of how nervous he is; by telling other people in his presence how nervous, queer and odd he is; worrying over his health and habits; worrying him with my worries about him; coddling him physically and mentally; denying him inde­pendence of thought and action; expecting too much from him and driving him all the time; con­stantly changing my attitude so that he never knows what to ex­pect; keeping him overexcited and not giving him enough rest; giving him his way when he has a tantrum; or by bribing him to stop rather than reasoning with him.

A positive approach to a youngster's place in the home is that a child should always be made to feel "wanted" enough love and affectionate display should be given to insure a sense of security in the child, hut not so much as to produce depend­ence. A child should be encour­aged to grow into independence of thought and action. If a family is a true democracy, it respects the talents, needs, and rights of

CHARACTER 105

all its members. Each one must feel as if he belongs to the whole, yet is a distinct individual. Par­ents should be well-mated, with a history of a happy childhood or the determination to avoid in their children a repetition of an unhappy childhood. Most of all parents need to have an in­telligent love and respect for the growing needs of personality in their children as they develop into adolescents and then into adults.

In general, if parents are using these positive approaches to the solutions of childhood and ado­lescent difficulties, their young­sters will become well-balanced, efficient young people. Such young people will try to under­stand the facts of life and then will face them squarely as they are, no matter how disagreeable or forbidding they may seem to be. Unadjusted young people, however, attempt the solution of their difficulties by resorting to a great variety of subterfuges, tricks, and blinds to conceal their failures, shortcomings, or dis- . satisfactions. They dodge reality and retreat from the ugly facts of life into an illusory, subjective state of mind.

Some of the causes of young people's difficulties are obstacles in the physical or social environ­ment, such as economic factors, separation of the parents, and

similar conditions. Personal de­fects or limitations may be based on real or imaginary physical or mental inadequacies; antago­nistic impulses and drives that produce thwarting of inner urges; and conflicts between feelings, ideas, ideals, and attitudes; or in emotional repressions.

A mental conflict is a rivalry or struggle between two or more opposing or incompatible psycho­physical tendencies. Under mod­ern conditions a young person is constantly forced .to adapt him­self to the complex environmental conditions with which he is con­fronted. He is frequently obliged to make a choice between a num­ber of courses of action which may he quite incompatible. Gen­erally, mental conflicts or emo­tional disturbances are produced by the attempt to banish or sup­press one of the conflicting crav­ings, motives, or ambitions. The ideas or desires that clash may or may not he clearly appre­hended by the young person as being antagonistic, and the nerv· ous strain produced by the conflict may he more or less unconscious. The conflict may exert a very injurious effect upon the individual's mental and emo­tional stability.

Sometimes these mental con­flicts are expressed in various bodily conditions. The suspicious somatic signs that sometimes ( al-

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though, of course, not always) serve as conflict indicators in­clude: restlessness, fidgeting with the fingers, moving the feet, scribbling quasi-automatically with a pencil, scratching the head, wringing the hands, pick­ing the nose, nail biting, tics, or other automatisms and chorei­form movements.

The mental symptoms of con· flict include: anxieties, worries, dreads, and fears; apathy, idle­ness, and distaste for work; in­ability to respond freely, stutter­ing; sensitiveness; mental dis­abilities; inhibitions; irritability and hostility; tendencies toward secretiveness, concealment, with­drawal from social contacts, shut-in-ness, and infantile regres­sions. Other mechanisms for escaping from the dreaded world of reality with which the young person may be in conflict are

• over-compensatiOn or exagger-ated development of the opposite traits. In extreme cases, mental dissociation may ensue, fol­lowed, unless adequate treatment is obtained, by definite mental and nervous diseases.

"Don't Fence Me In" is a very popular song with young people beca'itse it expresses their yearn­ing for freedom. If there is any­thing a young person dislikes, it is being "fenced in" and being considered "different." Having to wear "different" clothes, or

being branded queer because of race, national, or religious back­ground, physical or mental dif­ferences may cause a great deal of concern to an adolescent and lead to serious maladjustment. Bobby socks and baggy sweaters are just one means of achieving identification with the group. Therefore, it is particularly im­portant for parents to help their

• growmg youngsters to overcome the feeling of separateness from which most adolescents suffer as they begin to observe individual differences with the coming of maturity.

Baha'i parents, especially, need to stress the fact that the Baha'i Faith is an inclusive re­ligion, not an exclusive one. Young people of all religious be­liefs, racial, and national back­grounds are welcome to attend Baha'i young people's meetings and to gather for prayer, medita­tion, instruction, and good fel­lowship at the Baha'i summer schools which are conducted in different parts of the country. It should be stressed that the Baha'i schools in Maine, Colo­rado, California, and Michigan are not "retreats" just for those who have accepted a special point of view in regard to re­ligion, such as the Methodists, Catholics, and other Christian denominations have, but are open to all who have faith in God or

CHARACTER 107

are seeking a fuller understand­ing of the Truth.

Use of the Baha'i Center by young people should be encour­aged by parents because it pro~ vides a place for youngsters of both sexes to meet each other in a wholesome, religious atmos­phere. Active participation in teaching study classes of younger people than themselves gives adolescents a feeling of responsi­bility and usefulness which they need. Taking care of the books in the library and keeping the Center clean and attractive is an excellent outlet for physical energy and for the emotions, as well as being a helpful stabilizer during this period of uncertainty and adjustment to new demands. Baha'i literature, all of which should be readily available at the Center, provides for mental and spiritual stimulation. Read­ing is an outlet for emotions that otherwise are inhibited and it relieves tensions due to inhibi­tion. It helps young people to understand the meaning of life and helps them to find assistance through Baha'u'llah in working out their own problems of adjust­ment. Independent investigation of truth through reading non­Baha'i as well as Baha'i books helps to develop tolerance, lov­ing kindness to others, and deeper spirituality.

The best results will be ob-

tained at Baha'i Centers where there is cooperation between adult leaders and youth leaders in establishing and being re­sponsible for the operation of the Center. For example, young peo­ple can be given the responsi­bility for serving the food at the Nineteen Day Feasts. They can act as hosts and hostesses, direct­ing people to their seats, at public lectures. Young people love to plan and conduct special entertainment features with the help of adults which may be used to precede public Baha'i lectures, special Baha'i study class programs, and the Naw­Ruz celebration. They can help to fix up the rooms and to clean up after each program that is held at the Center. They also may assume the responsibility for getting the cooperation of other young people to assist them with putting up posters and help­ing with other forms of publicity regarding Baha'i programs.

A Baha'i Center cannot exist without continuous adult leader­ship, however. Even in youth groups, adult leadership is neces­sary for the maintenance of con­tinuity of program, because an adult who has had experience in program planning can act as a guide or counselor for the young people. An adult leader must keep constantly aware of the in­terest pulse of the young people

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by meeting with a committee of them at least every two weeks to find out what their needs and desires are. In these meetings the youth themselves will volunteer to be responsible for certain jobs that need to be done. They in turn can recruit non-Baha'i youth to work with them. Each member

_of a youth group should be asked to assume responsibility for a specific activity and to carry that responsibility for at least a month. At the end of each month a new schedule should be made. The purpose of this plan is to develop capacity in all mem­bers of the group to provide variety in the type of programs arranged for by the different members of the group.

Opportunity for non-Baha'is to work with Baha'is should en­courage volunteer assistance and increase membership in the adult group as time goes on and the young people reach the age of twenty-one. Regarding the par­ticipation of Baha'i young peo­ple in Nineteen Day Feasts, the following principle has been adopted by the National Spiritual Assembly: that the children of believers can attend the Feasts and other intimate gatherings and Baha'i meetings, but when they reach the age of fifteen years, the local Assembly should request from such young people a declaration of their interest in

the Cause and their intention to become voting members when they reach the age of twenty-one. Other young people, not children of Baha'is, can also attend Nine­teen Day Feasts and other Baha'i meetings after reaching the age of fifteen years by making a similar declaration to the local Assembly. Since these meetings may be regarded as the very heart of our Baha'i community life, it is especially important that young people be encouraged to attend them so that they may feel they are an integral part of the community.

As the National Spiritual As­sembly has said, "When properly conducted, and attended by a Baha'i community which fully appreciates their importance, the Nineteen Day Feasts serve to renew and deepen our spirit of faith, increase our capacity for united action, remove misunder­standings and keep us fully in­formed of all important Baha'i activities, local, national and in­ternational in scope." The same results may be gained from at­tendance at the summer sessions at the Baha'i Schools. In addi­tion, these several weeks of in­timate association with Baha'is from other parts of the country is a very broadening experience for young people and helps them to realize the magnitude and diversity of the Cause.

Joined hv God "

GEORGE TOWNSHEND

Day of ·God is come. Mankind is approaching ma­

turity. Its spiritual powers and susceptibilities are ripening. It is able at last to understand the true nature of marriage and to make the home what God in­tended it to be. Holy Writ there­fore in this Age gives us pro­nouncements, counsels, exhorta­tions and commands which call the closest attention of every believer to the sacred institution of marriage and which with all the authority of revelation, assign to it a key-position in the mate­rial and spiritual order of hu­man life.

What was taught by precept was confirmed in practice. The Bah, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l­Baha, the Exemplar of the Faith, were all married men and fathers of families; and the homes of 'Abdu'l-Baha, known to so many western visitors, stands as a pat­tern of what the ideal home of the New Era ought to be.

"Know thou," wrote 'Abdu'l­Baha, "that the command of marriage is eternal. It will never be changed or altered." True marriage is a spiritual relation between united lovers a particu­lar state of being to which special blessings are attached by God.

"No mortal can conceive the union and harmony which God has designed for man and wife." If they are united both spiritual­ly and physically and if the foun­dation of their affection is laid "in the very center of their spir­itual being, at the very heart of their consciousness" then they will have "eternal unity through­out all the divine worlds and im­prove the spiritual life of each

th " s h . ... l d o er. uc umon Is a sp en or of the light of the love of God."

Baha'u'llah commends mar­riage, but He does not make en· trance into it easy. The initiative lies with the lovers themselves; they are free to choose. But they are strictly enjoined to give to this choice conscientious and de• liberate thought. They are to ac­quire knowledge of each other's characters and to make sure be­forehand that their outlook on life is in accord on both spiritual and physical matters. They are to be frank and open with each other and if their mutual consent is finally given it is to be complete and entire.

Thus they are expected to em­ploy reason as well as emotion, commonsense as well as instinct, in order that they may reach a sound and firm decision; and

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their union is to represent knowl­edge as well as love.

When their own consent is given they must obtain before marriage is possible the consent of all their four parents, if liv­ing; they must in other words submit their proposed union to the objective judgment of those who know and love them best and who are next to themselves most closely concerned with their hap· piness. Once this consent is ob­tained the marriage may go for­ward.

Thus a Baha'i marriage is not only a personal matter between two united lovers but also a social matter between them and the com· munity and a spiritual matter between them and their heavenly Father. When these relationships are justly combined together, and when as commanded in the Baha'i revelation the lovers live as equals and can thus help one another to the full limit of their capacity, then is the union real and perfect.

It is not for this earth only. It is intended to be and must be by them regarded as an eternal bind­ing, an everlasting communion and friendship. A true unity of hearts once attained on earth is not dissevered in any of the worlds of God. "I love thee," cried the poetess to her husband, "with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life; and i£ God choose I

shall but love thee better after death." The fulfillment of this hope is one of the great truths about the eternal realms, re­vealed by Baha'u'llah.

The marriage ceremony con· tains the three elements, the per· sonal, the social, the spiritual. But its unique impressiveness and beauty and power are due to the spiritual meaning which inspires it and the spiritual aspiration which it enshrines. The bride and bridegroom stand before the bridesman, the witnesses and the Baha'i reader of their choice, but they stand also in heart and soul before the Mercy Seat of their Great Father on High. Through their joint declared submission to His will and desire they win the privilege of a sacred union truly made in heaven. From God they seek blessing, happiness and strength for the years to come and to Him they are directly re­sponsible for the due perform· ance of the precious divine trust they have undertaken.

How often has 'Abdu'l-Baha written and spoken of the im­portance of unity in a home, bas· ing it always ori spirituality and telling of the radiance which it sheds afar and of the blessings which it draws down from heaven. With what power and what exaltation of joy does He in His "Marriage Tablet" exhort united lovers to this unity!

JOINED BY GOD lll

He tells lovers how to meet the special tests and strains to which their union may he subjected. "The bond which unites heart most perfectly is loyalty," He writes. "True lovers once united must show forth the utmost faith· fulness one to another." But He adds at once that they are to dedi­cate themselves first of all to God and that their hearts are to be "spacious, as spacious as the uni­verse of God." He bids them to beware above all of jealousy (which "vitiates the very essence of love"), of any kind of hypoc­risy, of nursing a grievance or making it known to others: rather they are to consult together on their problems in private and to show to one another the greatest frankness and understanding. They are to tum their hearts and their minds towards high, happy, heavenly things and discuss with one another their noblest thoughts and aspirations. Their home is to be "a haven of rest and peace," for others as well as themselves. "Be hospitable, and let the doors of your house he open to the faces of friends and strangers. Welcome every guest with radiant grace and let each feel that it is his own home."

They are to be examples of perfect love so that whosoever enters will "cry out from the heart, 'here is the home of love.'" And that people will say

to one another: "it is as though from all eternity God had kneaded the very essence of their being for the love of one an­other."

Their children are a sacred trust from God to whose instruc­tion and guidance they are to consecrate themselves.

'Ahdu'l-Baha bids them nour­ish continually their union with love and affection: for it is, like a tree, a living, growing, expand­ing, deepening thing bearing fruits of love and unity that will be "for the healing of the na· tions." In one beautiful image after another He bids them fill their hearts with love, give them­selves up to love, know noth­ing but love. They are to dwell in a paradise of love, "build your nest in the leafy branches of the tree of love. Soar into the clear atmosphere of love. Sail upon the shoreless sea of love. Walk in the eternal rose-garden of love. Bathe in the shining rays of the sun of love. Be firm and stead­fast in the path of love. . . . " In these and all the other love-laden phrases which He uses He does more than urge in many forms again and again a lesson hard enough for imperfect beings to learn and apply. He reveals in these objective, external images the real existence of a universe of love which only a lover knows and which only a lover can enter.

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This sweeter fuller life may he a sea on which to sail, a sky in which to soar, a rose-garden in which to walk, a sun in whose rays to bathe, a path, a tree, a flower, a melody, an ocean full of pearls: hut always it is a real world created for lovers, offered to lovers, laid open for their use, a world of unshadowed beauty and infinite delight wherein they may go forward together passing from discovery to discovery, from happiness to further happiness.

If this world he hidden from men it is hidden in the heart of Truth and the veil that blinds un­loving eyes is the veil of inex­perience and ignorance. It is, He shows, of the essence of existence. If the lover sees his beloved transform for him the living earth around him, this is not an idle dream:

"Yours is not a conscious art; 'Tis the wild magic of your heart. You hut speak a simple word, Often said and often heard, When before my wondering eyes An unveiled Paradise Bursts about me into flower. Here each nimble-footed hour Daft with all the fun that's in it Dances like a madcap minute. All the earth in light enfolden Seems a chamber green and golden Dight for love's festivities; And a thousand harmonies Softer sweeter more endeared Than my heart had ever heard, Gush from every hank and rise Fill the woods and touch the skies.

Wind and cloud and leaf and stream Notes of purest music seem, And all nature, like a choir Tuned to the sun-god's lyre, In new hymns of jubilee Chants her ancient ecstasy."

Love is the true revealer and the passage of time takes nothing from such a vision. United lovers who through all the years have fought side by side the rugged battle of life unyielding, who have shared anxiety and trial and sorrow, who have mingled their tears together tears of grief as well as tears of joy, who have seen one another falter and stum­ble and go on again, who have helped and been helped, have forgiven and been forgiven, they know as none other can know how precious is fellowship in love, and with a fuller illumination and a deeper thankfulness than of old they say again the sacred verse that made them forever one: "We are content with the will of God; We are satisfied with the desire of God."

'Abdu'l-Baha was the exemplar of the perfect life, and to His word God gave creative power. This Tablet of His is itself a Marriage Song so exalted, aglow in every part with overflowing, heavenly love that it makes love seem the Reality, the Essence of all existence, and puts all un­lovingness to shame.

:-----C.diloria

SPIRITUAL EDUCATION

HE Spiritual teachings of the Divine Educators have always

guided the moral conduct of the world. But the Spokesmen of God have not been recognized by the people to whom They came be­cause of the depraved condition of society at the time these revela­tions were given; rather, They have been stoned, exiled and im­prisoned for the teachings They would offer. Such truly was the case with Jesus, Mul;tammad, the Bah and Baha'u'lhih.

On the wake of these periodic heavenly outpourings come great civilizations. God, the All-Bounti­ful, foresees the calamities be­setting humanity and reveals the divine remedy many years before the tumultuous crises occur·­crises which in time turn men's hearts to God for help. Divine education is provided promptly, but only a few seem to recognize its presence and accept its source. Until such a time when great numbers of people accept the re­stated eternal truths, it is these few who carry on the work of teaching. We have only to ex­amine the last two thousand years in history to see the two great civilizations which were built on the Christian and Mul;tammadan

dispensations and the record of their beginnings.

In these times of global turmoil it is evident to the seeker of truth that mankind in in need of a re­statement of God's laws. That has been made, starting with the rev­elation of the Bah one hundred and one years ago and continuing with that of Baha'u'llah and be­ing completed with His ascension in 1892. The sacred scriptures revealed by Baha'u'llah are re­plete with advice and admonition, love and mercy, principles and ordinancies on which a new race of men shall be built in this cen­tury and by which a new era in human history is begun. In speak­ing of the historical significance of the execution of the Bah, Shogi Effendi has written in God Passes By: "Thus ended a life which posterity will recognize as standing at the confluence of two universal prophetic cycles, the Adamic Cycle stretching back as far as the first dawnings of the world's recorded religious his­tory and the Baha'i Cycle des­tined to propel itself across the unborn reaches of time for a period of no less than five thou­sand centuries."

But this spiritual education

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provided by the Prophets of God does not mean that ordinary edu­cation is neglected. In His writ­ings 'Ahdu'l-Baha ex pI a ins clearly the need for an academic training in the arts and science. Academic education is most nec­essary for the elevation of man; for without study and research the mineral, vegetable, and ani­mal creations would remain un­developed. But this education which develops man's material life is only part of his progress. Man has two powers: one, mate­rial; the other, spiritual; and un­less they balance each other the greatest possibility for develop­ment into a state of maturity is not attained. Man's intellectual capacity is great and perfection of the intellect can be gained only by submission to the spiritual teachings revealed by God's most recent Manifestations.

'Abdu'l-Baha says: "Man is said to be the greatest represen­tative of God, and he is the Book of Creation because all the mys­teries of being exist in him. If he comes under the shadow of the True Educator and is rightly trained, he becomes the essence of essences, the lights of lights, . . • and the receptacle of divine inspirations. If he is deprived of this education he becomes the manifestation of satanic quali­ties, the sum of animal vices, and

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the source of all dark condi-

tions." So we are told that man may attain to great heights if he is trained in the teachings of the Prophet and that through prac­tice of and obedience to His laws he may be the recipient of divine guidance. If man does not heed God's laws the result is an exis­tence which is utterly depraved and one which is enveloped in wicked and unjust conditions.

"The source of all learning is the knowledge of God, exalted be His Glory, and this cannot be at­tained save through the knowl­edge of His Divine Manifesta· tion."

"Appreciate the value of this precious Revelation, move and act in accordance with it and walk in the straight path and right way," for spiritual educa­tion builds for you "such houses as the rain and floods can never destroy, which shall protect you from the changes and chances of nf e" and teaches you to love and serve all fellowbeings, for service to God and humanity is the greatest achievement you may attain. "Let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will re­habilitate the fortunes of man­kind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men ..• It behoveth you to refresh and revive your souls through the gracious favors which in this Divine, this soul­stirring Springtime are being showered upon you." -G.K.H .

Training the Child OLGA FINKE

"The Old Testament of the Baha'is consists of all the heavenly hooks revealed through the former proph­ets, while their new testament com­prises the tablets of Baba'u'llab, which in fact reconcile these hooks and contain the interpretation and explanation of them."

VIEW of the fact that the Tablets of Baha'u'llah con­

tain the explanation and inter­pretation of the teachings to be found in the Old Testament, it would seem of value to examine some of the Old Testament com­mandments regarding the train­ing of children and link them up with the explanations to be found in the Baha'i sacred writings.

One of the Ten Command­ments which God gave to Moses was addressed to children in par­ticular-

"Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may he long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

In this commandment God promises long life to the child who honors his parents. The child who disobeys his parents is always in danger. Both his physical and his spiritual life are constantly in jeopardy. Par­ents are cognizant of pitfalls and precipices, but the child who has not been taught to listen to its

mother's voice, is subject to every kind of disaster. 'Ahdu'l­Baha once write a Tablet to a child in which He penned these words "Be obedient and kind to thy father and thy mother ." 'Abdu'l-Baha further elucidates this subject in another Tablet-

"There are also certain sacred duties of children toward parents, which duties are written in the Book of God, as belonging to God. The (children's) prosperity in this world and the Kingdom depends upon the good pleasure of parents, and with­out this they will he in manifest loss."

The above quotation taken from a Tablet of 'Abdu'l-Baha seems to be in complete accord with the commandment given to Moses and also with a verse found in Proverbs "A fool de­spiseth his father's instructions; but he that regardeth reproof is prudent."

1£ we are agreed that the child' should be taught obedience to parents, the question of disci­pline then arises. What kind of discipline should be used? In the minds of some parents the verse to be found in Proverbs seems to be the logical answer. "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chas­teneth him betimes." These peo-

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ple will he likely to tell yout­"Spare the rod and spoil the child." Other parents are very reluctant to use corporal punish­ment. In the above verse quoted from the Book of Proverbs, we note, however, that the word "chaseteneth" is used in the same sense as the word "rod". According to the dictionary defi­nition to chasten means to cor­rect, to purify, to refine, which does not necessarily mean to use corporal punishment. Moreover, the word rod is used numbers of times in the Old Testament,

it very clear that at least some of the time by rod was not intended a stick or whip. Take for example, the verse found in the Book of lsaiah-

"But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked."

It is possible for parents to discipline their children with the rod of their mouths and with the breath of their lips. It may tak~ a little longer than some of the methods in use today, hut it is a constructive method, for every time a child does wrong, is a golden opportunity to teach him what is right. There are times, however, when a child will delib­erately do the thing which he knows to he wrong, in such cases punishment must he given.

"The structure of world stability and order hath been reared upon, and will continue to he sustained by, the twin pillars of reward and punishment." Baha'u'llah

Parents need to remember the •

other pillar, that of reward, more often, praising the child when he does well, encouraging him to advance and rewarding him when he has done something that is outstanding.

Another question upon which educators do not seem to agree is, when to begin training. In Proverbs we are told:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it."

A mother was heard to make the remark that she was going to begin to train her child when it was twelve years of age. Some educators in our universities be­lieve that we should not begin to educate the child until he has reached his sixth birthday. 'Ahdu'l-Baha has given us a very lucid reply to this questiont-

"Consequently, 0 thou maidserv· ant of God, go unto the maid-serv­ants of the Merciful One and tell them from the tongue of 'Ahdu'l­Baha: '0 maid-servant of the Merci­ful! It is incumbent upon you to train the children from their earliest babyhood! It is incumbent upon you to beautify their morals! It is incumbent upon you to attend to them under all aspects and circum­stances, inasmuch as God (glorified and exalted is He! ) hath ordained mothers to he the primary trainers of

THE CHILD 117

children and infants. This is a great and important affair and a high and exalted position, and it is not allow­able to slacken therein at all!'"

The matter of the kind of cur­riculum to be taught in the school has also been a subject for much controversy. Some educators con­tend that religious education should not be given at the same time with the secular. Baha'i children are to receive divine and material education at the same time. They are to learn the prophecies in the Gospels, and this Revelation. Every child is taught Baha'i history, the Tab­lets of Baha'u'llah, and they should be made to memorize some of the verses. The purpose is to prevent the children from doing the things forbidden, but it must not injure the children by resulting in ignorant fanati­cism and bigotry. At the same time the children must be taught the sciences, arts and crafts with the utmost diligence.

"Many elementary sciences should be made clear to them in the nurs­ery; they should learn them in play, in amusement. Most ideas must be taught them through speech, not by book-learning. One child should question the other concerning these things, and the other child should give the answer. In this way they will make great progress. For ex­ample, mathematical problems should be taught in the form of questions and answers. One of the children asks the question and the other should give the answer. Later on the

children will of their own accord converse with one another on these subjects. Even so in God-like affairs oral questions should be asked and the answers should be given orally."

Every child should be taught to write and when the House of Justice has decided on one uni­versal language, this should be taught to the children in the schools.

Some educators today believe that children should have pets. If, however, they are not taught very carefully how to care for these pets, they may, unawares, be exceedingly cruel to the animals.

"Educate the children in their in­fancy in such a way that they may become exceedingly kind and merci­ful to the animals. If an animal is sick they should endeavor to cure it; if it is hungry, they should feed it; if it is thirsty, they should satisfy its thirst; if it is tired, they should give it rest."

"This sympathy and kindness is one of the fundamental principles of · the divine kingdom. Y e should pay great attention to this question."

The prophets acknowledge that education has a great effect on everyone, and that without edu­cation all would remain savage. The innate capacities of children are not all alike, for some learn very quickly and some are slow. We must not therefore expect identical results, even though the education may be the same. All must be educated, nevertheless,

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for it has great influence even on dull minds.

Great responsibility is placed upon parents. They are to place a part of what they earn in charge of a trustworthy person to be spent in the education of the children. If the parents fail to do this, if they are rich, the trus· tees will have to recover from them the amount needed for the education of the children. If they are poor, the matter will devolve upon the House of Justice. If a babe were to die in infancy, it

would be better than for it to grow up ignorant.

"Education and training are re­corded in the Book of God as obliga­tory and not voluntary. That is, it is enjoined upon the father and the mother, as a duty, to strive with all effort to train the daughter and the son, to nurse them from the breast of knowledge and to rear them in the bosom of sciences and arts. Should they neglect this matter, they shall be held responsible and worthy of reproach in the presence of the stern Lord."

"Tis is a sin "Beware! Beware! that ye fail not

in this matter."

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It is incumbent upon thee to nurture them (children) from the breast of the love of God, to urge them towards spiritual matters, to turn unto God and to acquire good manners, best characteristics and praiseworthy virtues and qualities in the world of humanity, and to study sciences with the utmost diligence; so that they may become spiritual, heavenly and attracted to the fragrances of sanctity from their childhood and be reared in a religious, spiritual and heavenly training. Verily I beg of God to confirm them therein.

-·' ABDU'L·BAHA

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He Brought Peace

WILLIAM KENNETH CHRISTIAN

1912 was a national election year, and the bitterness of politi­cal charge and countercharge filled the minds of many Ameri­cans ... Women did not yet have the national franchise, hut the suffrage movement had made great progress . . . Arizona and New Mexico were admitted to the Union, completing the struc­tural growth of continental United States ... The Atlantic was so wide that the cracking of the walls of western civilization could not he heard by many in this hemisphere.

It was thus in America when 'Ahdu'l-Baha came. with the years of His imprisonment he· hind Him, and despite the diffi­culties of advanced age, He came to visit the American friends that the basis of a world order might he laid in the new world, before the first phase of the ordeal of our time should blaze forth with an assassin's bullet at Sarajevo.

'Ahdu'l-Baha came as th6 peace-maker to the people whom He believed were destined by God to he the heralds of world civilization. To the hearts of many troubled individuals, He brought calm and an inner peace. He asserted, with passionate faith, that world peace and the

union of the earth's people is at· tainahle. He discussed on public platforms and at informal gath· erings the principles and tech­niques from the teachings of Baha'u'llah which are the warp and woof of a new civilization. He brought to fruition His teach­ing work among the western Baha'is, a work which, for over a decade, had been principally carried on by correspondence, by long discussions with pilgrims who visited Him in Haifa and 'Akka, and by sending to Amer­ica of special messengers. In the eight months spent in the United States and Canada, 'Ahdu'l-Baha trained the believ­ers so that they might form the nucleus for a new social com·

• mumty. Most of the talks given by

'Ahdu'l-Baha during that mem­orable trip have been published in The Promulgation of Univer· sal Peace.* A reading of this hook will show us the interweav­ing of themes as the implications of the Baha'i teachings were slowly unfolded. Upon His ar­rival, 'Ahdu'l-Baha had stated: "It is my purpose to set forth in America the fundamental prin­ciples of the revelation and

•Baha'i Publishing Committee, 1922.

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teachings of Baha'u'llah. It will then become the duty of the Baha'is of this country to give these principles unfoldment and application in the minds, hearts and lives oi the people."

'Abdu'l-Baha emphasized that the purpose of man's life is to achieve unity. He analyzed the various types of unity racial, family, national, economic, re­ligious, political but insisted that, for the needs of the present age, these bases of unity were inadequate. Men must now think in world terms, rising above th~ limitations imposed by narrow and false methods of selection.

The material progress achieved in the United States He admired, but the spiritual vacuum created by acute materialism He pointed out again and again. The spirit­ual civilization, necessary as an antidote to the slavery of mate­rialism, He proclaimed as the finest heritage of the human race, the fruit of pure religion. To de­velop a truly moral and enlight­ened civilization, men must turn again to the Messengers of God, Those who have recurrently pointed out the path of divine guidance to the people.

Fearlessly, simply, logically, 'Abdu'l-Baha upheld the cause of revealed religion. To people who witnessed daily the power of the machine, He explained the age-old power of faith and the

transforming energy of the Holy Spirit. To agnostics, He showed how religion lifted man from the dusty rut of his existence and gave him such a sense of the eter­nal beauty of God that arts could flourish and men could labor without rest that ever-finer forms of civilization might he horn. He proclaimed to the Jew the divine mission of Jesus, hail­ing Him as the Messiah and the spiritual King Whom Israel had expected. He spoke to the Chris­tians of Muhammad the Prophet, and detailed the great spiritual blessings which had come from that Arabian expression of the Word of God.

Again and again in His talks He spoke of the "oneness of re­ligion," of how the one God of all men had chosen in each his­toric age a Messenger, a Mani­festation, to show the people the unfolding divine purpose. This is the greatest drama of which the human mind can conceive. Is it any wonder that 'Abdu'l-Baha reiterated the story, patiently, patiently explained the acts of the drama as at different times He spoke of Moses or Jesus or Muhammad or Baha'u'llah stand­ing forth against the world, utter­ing the call to faith, and, tearing aside the curtain of custom and

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tradition, setting the stage for the drama of a new age.

The companion theme, "the

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oneness of humanity," we find constantly recurring. The basic Baha'i principles which 'Ahdu'l­Baha discussed on so many oc­casions are all means for the achieving of this great social goal. The possibilities in human life, in both the individual and social sense, cannot be realized, the genius of the human race will be unable to flower, unless and until a world civilization re­moves the cramping fears and both the subtle and gross inequi­ties which mark our complex in­heritance from the past.

'Abdu'l-Baha denounced the institution of war and urged men to dedicate themselves to the achievement of peace. But He re­alistically urged that it be a peace made practical by an inter­national government. He showed that the recognition of the one­ness of religion could enable men to unite in the powerful stream of faith and create the conditions and the institutions by which the oneness of humanity will be re­alized. "The heavenly Jerusalem is none other than the divine civilization, and it is now ready. It is to be and shall be organized and the oneness of humanity will be a visible fact."

To the Baha'is who had al­ready risen in answer to Baha'u'­llah's call, 'Abdu'l-Baha urged unfailing effort, tireless patience, the creation of unity and har-

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mony, the development of a con­stant love that evil men might pause and wonder, that scoffers might be amazed, that the self­seeking and the sectarian might be put to rout, and that the men of faith, the lovers of God of all colors and creeds, might be attracted to the standard of a universal Faith.

To enable an organic spiritual community to rise in America, He explained the purpose of the Covenant. A social community without protection against ruth­less ambition and negative social forces, could not maintain any unity. The Covenant, 'Abdu'l­Baha explained, protects the Faith from the denominationalist and from the individual desirous of personal authority, challenges men to live by principle and challenges men to love truth above all persons and things, not by personality. The clarity and significance of the Covenant is a unique feature of the Baha'i Revelation.

As we read through the many talks, we can glimpse the heights of character which He wished us to attain. "I desire distinction for you. The Baha'is must be dis­tinguished from others of human­ity. But this distinction must not depend upon wealth that they should become more affluent than other people. I do not desire for you financial distinction. It is not

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an ordinary distinction I desire; not scientific, commercial, indus­trial distinction. For you I desire spiritual distinction; that is, you must become eminent and dis: tinguished in morals. In the love of God you must become distin­guished from all else . . . I desire this distinction for you."

When on December 5, 1912, 'Abdu'l-Baha spoke on board the Celtic before sailing from New York, He gave "final words of exhortation" and, in so doing, summarized certain of the themes which had occupied much of His attention during His continental tour. "I have repeatedly sum­moned you to the cause of unity of the world of humanity ..•.

The world is one nativity, one home, and all mankind are the children of one father .... You must be free from prejudice and fanaticism. . . . Beware lest ye offend any heart .... Your efforts must be lofty .... Consider how the prophets who have been sent ... have exhorted mankind to unity and love. . . • You are in­formed of the mysteries of God." And then the flat challenge, the inescapable fact: "You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail to live according to His command, for you are informed of that which constitutes the good pleasure of God." ·

This is one in a series of articles on Baha'i books.

"In proportion to the acknowledgment of the oneness and solidarity of mankind, fellowship is possible, misunderstanding will be removed and reality becomes apparent."

"Character is the true criterion of humanity."

"Until man acquires perfections himself he will not be able to teach perfections to others."

"As long as a man does not find his own faults he can never become perfect. Nothing is more fruitful for man than the knowledge· of his own shortcomings."

"The important factor in human development is the mind."

"We cannot give of our wealth to the poor unless we possess it. How can the poor give to the poor?"

"Service to humanity is service to God."

"The virtues of humanity are many but science is the most noble of them all."

"Until love takes possession of the heart no other divine bounty can be revealed in it."

-Excerpts from The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Study Outline for " d Passes By" HORACE HOLLEY

FOREWORD

N God Passes By the Guardian This Study Outline attempts to has given the Baha'is a work provide access to six different

which combines and correlates themes which are dominant in all exposition of the Teachings, sum- sections of the book. It is there­mary of the historical events, fore a subjects index which can presentation of the Persons of the be used for continuous study and Bah, Baha'u'llah and 'Ahdu'l- discussion by a group, or oc­Baha in their spiritual signifi- casional reference by the indi­cance, and statements on their vidual student. In addition the principal Tablets and Works. To outline supplies a list of sup­grasp so great a range of rna- plementary references, as for terial, frequent reading and re- example those which indicate the reading are essential, for the successive passages in which the essence of this hook lies in its Guardian deals with the enemies unity of treatment of diverse who have assailed the Cause aspects of all that constituted the from within. origin and development of the E · h h th t t F · h · 't fi xpenence as s own a a . ait m I s rst century.

Th h tempts to conduct classes on God ere are, owever, recurrent P B fi d · f · d hl

themes and subjects which can asses _Y n It a ormi a e he brought together for purpose ~nde_rtakmg. Some . ~pe of ?u~­of closer study and fuller under- lm~ IS need~d to facilitate assimi­standing great avenues down lation of this great work by the which we can proceed in order Baha'i community, and the pres­to concentrate attention upon the ent treatment is offered as at organic themes one at a time. least a temporary assistance.

GOD PASSES BY

Subjects and References

I. THE BAHA'i DISPENSATION A. The Bah

I. His Revelation and Claim, pp. 4, 6-7, 10 2. The Greater and Lesser Covenant, pp. 27-31 3. Significance of the Bah, pp. 54-60

a. His Independent Revelation b. Herald of a New Era

4. Tablets and Works of the Bah, pp. 22-27

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B. Baha'u'llah l. Birth of the Baha'i Revelation, pp. 91-93 2. Nature and Implications of Baha'u'llah's Revelation, pp. 93-103 3. Promulgation of Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp. 213-216 4. Distinguishing Principles and Precepts, pp. 216-219 5. The Institution of the Covenant, pp. 237-240

II. TABLETS AND WoRKS oF BAHA.'u'LLAH

l. First Writings, pp. 120-121 2. Writings in 'Iraq, pp. 137-138 3. Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 138-139 4. Hidden Words, pp. 139-140 5. Seven Valleys and Four Valleys, pp. 140-141 6. Tablet of the Holy Mariner, p. 147 7. Tablet of the Howdah, p. 157 8. Writings in Adrianople, pp. 171-172, 177 9. Writings in 'Akka, pp. 205-206, 216, 219-220

III. EVENTS lN THE LIFE OF THE MANIFESTATION A. The Bah

l. The Bah's Declaration to Mulla l:lusayn, pp. 5-6 2. Enrollment of the Letters of the Living, pp. 7-8 3. Pilgrimage to Mecca, pp. 8-9 4. Examined by Representatives of the Shah, pp. ll-12 5. Arrest in Shiraz, p. 13 6. Sojourn in Isfahan, pp. 13-16 7. Confinement in Mah-Ku, pp. 16, 18-19 8. Confinement in <;;bihriq, pp. 19-21 9. Second Examination of the Bah; Public Assertion of His Claims,

pp. 21-22 10. Correspondence with Baha'u'llah, p. 31 11. Inauguration of the Babi Dispensation; Conference of Badawt,

pp. 31-34 12. Documents, Seals and Rings Sent to Baha'u'llah, p. 51 13. Martyrdom of the Bah, pp. 50-54

B. Baha'u'llah l. Leadership After the Death of the Bah, pp. 67-70 2. Imprisonment in Siyah-<;;bal, pp. 71-72 3. Exiled to Bagb.dad, pp. 104-106, 108-109 4. Retirement to Kurdist<in, pp. 119-120, 122-124 5. Return to Bagb.dad, p. 126 6. Challenge to the Clergy, pp. 143-144 7. Exile to Constantinople, pp. 148-149, 157 8. Declaration to His Followers, pp. 151-155 9. Exile to Adrianople, pp. 159-162

10. Proclamation to the Kings and Religious Leaders from Adri-anople, pp. 158-159, 170, 172-176

11. Imprisonment in 'Akka, pp. 179-182 12. Interrogation by Governor of 'Akka, pp. 190-191 13. Release from Confinement, pp. 192-193

"GOD PASSES BY" 125 •

14. On Mount Carmel, p. 194 15. Leadership, pp. 194-195 16. Proclamation to the Kings and Religious Leaders from 'Akka,

pp. 206-213 17. Ascension of Baha'u'llah, pp. 221-223

IV. THE MINISTRY OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA

I. His Station, pp. 240-243 2. His Mission, p. 252 3. Shrine of the Bab, pp. 273, 276-277 4. Investigation by Plenary Commission of the Sultan, pp. 269-272 5. Two Journeys to the West, pp. 280-281 6. Exposition of Baha'i Principles, pp. 281-282 7. In America, pp. 287-290 8. Source of the Administrative Order, pp. 324-326 9. Will and Testament, p. 328

10. Nature of the Administrative Order, pp. 326-327 11. Prophecies, pp. 315-316

V. THE UNFOLDMENT oF WoRLD ORDER

I. Inauguration of Formative Period, p. 329 2. Establishment of Administrative Order

a. Preliminary Steps, pp. 329-330 b. Local Spiritual Assemblies; Ordination of, pp. 331-332 c. Local Spiritual Assemblies; Functions of, p. 331 d. National Spiritual Assemblies; institution of, pp. 332-333 e. National Committees, p. 333 f. Baha'i National Constitutions, pp. 334-336 g. Incorporation of Local Assemblies, p. 336 h. National and Local Endowments, pp. 337-339

3. Collective Baha'i Undertakings a. Haziratu'l-Quds, pp. 339-340 h. Ma!ili.riqu'l-A<fukar, p. 340 c. Summer Schools, pp. 340-341 d. Youth Activity, pp. 341-342 e. Nineteen Day Feast and Other Factors, p. 342 f. Public Conferences, pp. 342-343 g. Contacts With Civil Authority, pp. 343-345 h. World Administrative Center, pp. 345-346, 347-348 i. First Ma&b,riqu'l-A<fukar of the West, pp. 348-351 j. Teaching the Cause, pp. 376-377, 379, 386-387 k. Martyrs and Heroes of the West, p. 400 l. Development of Publications, pp. 380-383

4. Unfoldment of Administrative Order Under Impact of Hostile Forces

a. Emergence of World Community, p. 354 h. Seizure of Keys of Holy Tomb, p. 355 c. Developments in 'Akka and Haifa, p. 356 d. Seizure of House in Baghdad, pp. 356-360 e. Disruption of Communities in Turkistan and Caucasus,

pp. 360-361

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f. Repression of Community in Germany, pp. 361-362 g. Restrictions Imposed in Persia, pp. 362-363 h. Pronouncement of Islamic Court in Egypt, pp. 364-366, 368 i. Civil Recognition in Palestine, p. 369 j. Baha'i Status Maintained in Persia, pp. 369-372 k. Civil Recognition in the United States, pp. 372-374 I. Independence of Faith Proclaimed in India, 'Iraq, Great

Britain and Australia, p. 374 VI. RECAPITULATION AND MEANING

1. The Four Periods of First Baha'i Century, pp. xiii-xv 2. Opening of Baha'i Era, p. 3 3. Last Three Years of1 Ministry of the Bah, pp. 17-18, 31 4. The Bah's Cup of Bitter Woes, pp. 49-51 5. The Fertile Seeds of World Order, pp. 79-80 6. Oppressions of the Babi Era, pp. 89-91 7. Inauguration of Baha'u'llah's Ministry, pp. 106-108 8. Turning Point in Baha'i History, pp. 127-128 9. The Steed of Victory, pp. 144-145

10. The End of the Second Decade, pp. 157-158 II. Opening of Last Phase of Baha'u'llah's Ministry, pp. 183-185 12. The Baha'i Era to the Ascension of Baha'u'llah, pp. 223-224 13. From the Ascension of Baha'u'llah to the Proclamation of

'Abdu'l-Baha, pp. 244-245 14. Effects of the Master's Journeys to the West, p. 294 15. The Ministry of 'Ahdu'l-Baha, pp. 295-296, 307-308, 314-315 16. The Passing of 'Abdu'l-Baha, pp. 323-324 17. Spread of the Cause in First Century, pp. 378-379 18. Recapitulation of Baha'i History, pp. 402-410 19. Future Tasks and Victories, pp. 410-412

SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCES 1. God-Sent Upheavals, pp. 61-62 2. Fate of Enemies of the Bah, pp. 81-85 3. First Phase in Unfoldment of Baha'u'llah's Revelation, pp. 109-1II 4. The Center of Sedition; Disintegration of the Babi Community, pp. II2-

II5 5. Ascendency of Baha'u'llah; Regeneration of Community, pp. 132-134 6. Beginnings of Baha'i Community in Adrianople, pp. 176-177 7. Mirza Yal}.ya Cast Out, pp. 163-164, 165-167, 169-170 8. Death of the Purest Branch, pp. 188-189 9. Fate of the Enemies of Baha'u'llah, pp. 224-233

10. Fate of Mirza Yal}.ya, p. 233 II. Rebellion of Mul}.ammad-'Ali; Crisis Not Schism, pp. 245-251 12. Covenant-Breakers Denounce 'Abdu'l-Baha to the Government, pp. 263-

265 13. Fate of the Covenant-Breakers, pp. 317-320 14. Violation of the Will and Testament, pp. 327-328 15. Achievements of American Baha'i Community, pp. 396-400

WITH OUR READERS

Corporal Alvin Blum, a Baha'i serving in our armed forces some­where in New Zealand has found many opportunities to speak for the Baha'i Faith. The following excerpts from one of his letters tell a little of his experiences:

"For the last seventeen months I have been stationed somewhere in New Zealand. New Zealand is a wonderful country and I know I'll came back this way after the war ..•. When I first arrived here I con­tacted the Baha'is here and it has been wonderful associating with them. They promptly put me to work and I have spoken to many different groups here about the teach-• mgs .•.•

"Martha Root has planted many seeds throughout New Zealand and after the war the pioneers must come to water them. I have met many people who remember Miss Root and they all speak highly of her spirit, humility and love. I have spoken to many clubs and organizations that Martha Root addressed, and I feel very humble to be following in her footsteps. I thank God every day for giving me the insight to recognize the station of Baha'u'llah. . . .

"While here in New Zealand I have become very friendly with a Church of England minister by the name of C. W. Chandler. . . . He writes a weekly column in a local paper and these writings show that he has caught the spirit of the New Day. He invited me to speak in his church several months ago, and I gave a short talk on the Oneness of Mankind. The following day in his

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parish hall I gave a talk on The New Age and without mincing any words told them about Baha'u'llah and his Message."

Our readers will recall selections from Canon Cltandler's column writ­ten after the New Zealand Centenary banquet which we printed in this department in our April issue.

* * * Those familiar with Baha'u'llah's

comprehensive plan for a World Order which will insure enduring peace are anxiously asking how nearly the organization worked out at the San Francisco conference of the United Nations approaches to this plan. "The Peace in San Francisco," by Marzieh Gail, is a first hand re­port of this all-important conference by a Baha'i and in reading it our readers will find their questions an­swered. Mrs. Gail is well known to readers of World Order through her previous contributions. " 'Abdu'l­Baha in America," "Primer for Baha'i Assemblies," "Headlines To· morrow" are among her more recent contributions. Mrs. Gail is now living in Pedro Valley, California.

The teachings of Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha set high standards for family life, child training and family relations. Three of our contributions this month tell us something of these teachings, apply them to present day conditions, and link them up with the best ideas in modern education.

"Cltaracter and Youth Today," by Charlotte P. Timm is her first con­tribution to World Order. Mrs. Timm lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she is a member of the local Baha'i

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Assembly while professionally her work is with the department of edu­cation in the University of Michigan from which she recently received her master's degree.

George Townshend, who contrib­utes "Joined by God," has made sev­eral contributions to World Order. The most recent is "The Mission of Baha'u'llah" in our February, 1945, issue. He is the author also of The Heart of the Gospel in which he dwells on the note of expectancy of another Messenger from God which runs through the Gospel, and The Promise of All Ages, in which he shows that Baha'u'llah fulfills this expectancy. Canon Townshend is Canon of St. Patrick's Cathedral (Church of England) in Dublin and Archdeacon of Clonfert.

Olga Finke, who contributes "Training the Child," is a graduate of the Child Education Foundation, a training school for teachers founded by Dr. Maria Montessori when she was in New York City. She has taught for several years in nursery schools in New York City and the south and is now head teacher of The Pryor Street Nursery School in At­lanta, Georgia. Miss Finke writes briefly of how she became a Baha'i:

"When a very young girl I read a number of hooks by Leo Tolstoy and was particularly influenced by the one entitled War and Peace. I be­lieve this prepared me for the Baha'i Message. In 1927 I asked some friends of mine, Dr. and Mrs. W , who are not Baha'is hut who have spent a summer in Eliot, Maine, if they could advise me where to go to spend my summer vacation, saying that I was looking for inspiration. Dr. W advised me to go to Green Acre. I spent three whole summers at Green Acre. But I was greatly in-

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terested in the League of Nations at that time and in 1930 I visited Switz­erland. Less than two years after that I became a believer and the following year I went down to Piney Woods, Mississippi, as a pioneer. I organized a nursery school for col­ored children in this colored school where I taught for three years and tried to teach the Baha'i Cause when­ever I was permitted to do so. In 1937 I came to Atlanta from New York City, which was my home, as a pioneer to establish an Assembly in this city and have been a member of the Atlanta Baha'i Assembly since its inception."

Miss. Finke has contributed several articles to World Order.

The article "He Brought Peace," by William Kenneth Christian, is one in a series of articles on Baha'i hooks. Mr. Christian is a frequent contributor to World Order. His most recent articles have been "Thanks­giving" and "The Oneness of Hu­manity" in the November and June issues of last year. His home is in Greenville, North Carolina.

The editorial by Gertrude Henning supplements the three articles devoted to family life and child training and points out that no education is com­plete or sound without development of the spiritual nature.

As a help to those reading and studying God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi's history of the Baha'i Faith, we are publishing in this issue a study outline for this hook worked out by Horace Holley. We believe teachers and pupils in Baha'i sum­mer schools will find this outline a timely help and all those studying the hook will use it as a real help in co­ordinating events in Baha'i history.

-THE EDITORS

Baha'i Litet·ature

Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, selected and translated by Shoghi Effendi. The Baha'i teachings on the nature of religion, the soul, the basis of civilization and the oneness of mankind. Bound in fabrikoid. 360 pages. $2.00.

The Kitab-i-1 qan, translated by Shoghi Effendi. This work (The Book of Certitude) unifies and coordinates the revealed Religions of the past, demonstrating their oneness in fulfillment of the purposes of Revelation. Bound in cloth. 262 pages. $2.50.

Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, selected and translated by Shoghi Effendi. The supreme e~pression of devotion to . God; a spiritual flame which enkindles the heart and illumines the mind. 348 pages. Bound

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in fahrikoid. $2.00. •,

Baha'£ Prayers, a selection of Prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah, the Bab and 'Abdu'l-Baha, each Prayer translated by Shoghi Effendi. 72 pages. Bound in fabrikoid, $0. 75. Paper cover, $0.35 .

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Some Answered Questions. 'Abdu'l-Baha's explanation of questions con-cerning the relation of man to God, the nature of the Manifestation, human capacities, fulfillment of prophecy, etc. Bound in cloth. 350 pages. $1.50.

The Promulgation of Universal Peace. In this collection of His American .

talks, 'Abdu'l-Baha laid the basis for a firm understanding of the attitudes, principles and spiritual laws which enter into the establishment of true Peace. 492 .pages. Bound in cloth. $2.50.

The World Order of Baha'u'llah, by Shoghi Effendi. On the nature of the new social pattern revealed by Baha'u'llah for the attainment of divine justice in civilization. Bound in fabrikoid. 234 pages. $1.50.

God Passes By, by Shoghi Effendi. The authoritative documented histori­cal survey of the Baha'i Faith through the four periods of its first century. The Ministry of the Bah; the Ministry of Baha'u'llah, the -~~y of;:•}.l)tla.'l-Bihi~-~-d·'_~e~'.lnceptton ~ of the For•tive Age _ (1921~ < ~ -· .... _ ... ·, ., ,,;' ... -,.. . . :19~J' ·/ . _In -:lb~~ -~pa~- ~· . · ~orfd's~. aup:rem~ ·spiritual drama unfolds. #iif·plua;~~I2· p&~.~·:·:_~®cf:.~g_.·fahrikoid. · S2.50. . ·

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llQ.~·lJ•Ieo· Av.ue, .. Wibette, ··Illinois

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AUGUST. ‘I945.,. I

BAHA’U’LI.AH’s TABLET TO THE P0PE

THE PATH T0 THE KIN(;D0IvI—‘Abdu’l-BahéF

THE MISSION OFT THE LORD CHRIST--—Ge0rge Townshend1.

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RELIGION AND THE ScH00Ls, Edit0rial———GarI"eta Busey

THE GIFT OF G0D——Th0rI1.t0n Chase

THORNTON CHASE: FIRST AMERICAN BAHA’i--Carl Sheffler

FOR MY SONS-——EvelyI1 V. Loveday

WITH OUR REAI>EEs I

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THE BAH/>1’ |' CSAZI E

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World Order was founded March 21, 1910 as Bahd’i News, the firstorgan of the American Bahé’is. In March-, 1911, its title was changedto Star of the West. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appearedunder the name of The Bah¢i’i Magazine. The issue of April, 1935carried -the present title of World Order, combining The Bahci’i Maga-zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI of the continuous Bahé’ipublication. .

WORLD ORDER is -published monthly in Wilmette, 1111., by the PublishingCommittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, Gertrude K. Henning, HoraceHolley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick. _

' Editorial OfiiceNlts. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

69 Aasorsroan Row, WINNETKA, ILL.

Publication Ofiice110 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILL.

C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A.

Aucusr, 1945, VoLUME XI, NUMBER 5 ,

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and posses-sions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 15c.Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to WorldOrder Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. -Entered as second classmatter April 1, 1940, -at the post ofice at Wilmette, lll., under the Act of March3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1945 by Bahziii Publishing Committee. Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Oflice.

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CHANGE or ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTEDI ONE MONTH IN ADYANCE

W LThe Bahé’i Magazine

VULUME XI AUGUST, 1945 NUMBER 5

Baha’u°llah’s Tablet to the Pope0 POPE! Rend the veils asun-

der. He “Tho is the Lord ofLords is come overshadowed withclouds, and the decree hath beenfulfilled by God, the Almighty,the Unrestrained. . . . He, verily,hath again come down from Hea-ven even as He came down fromit the first time. Beware that thoudispute not with Him even as thePharisees disputed with Him(Jesus) without a clear token orproof. On His right hand flow theliving waters of grace, and onHis left the choice Wine of jus-tice, whilst before Him march theangels of Paradise, bearing thebanners of His signs. Beware lestany name debar thee from God,the Creator of earth and heaven.Leave thou the world behind thee,and turn towards thy Lord,through Whom the whole earthhath been illumined. . . . Dwellestthou in palaces Whilst He Whois the King of Revelation livethin the most desolate of abodes?Leave them unto such as desirethem, and set thy face with joyand delight towards the King-dom. . . . Arise in the name ofthy Lord, the God of Mercy,

amidst the peoples of the earth,and seize thou the Cup of Lifewith the hands of confidence, andfirst drink thou therefrom, andproffer it then to such as turntowards it amongst the peoplesof all faiths. . . .

Call thou to remembrance HimWho was the Spirit (Jesus), “Tho,when He came, the most learnedof His age pronounced judgmentagainst Him in His own country,whilst he who was only a fisher-man believed in Him. Take heed,then, ye men of understandingheart! Thou, in truth, art one ofthe suns of the heaven of Hisnames. Guard thyself, lest dark-ness spread its veil over thee, andfold thee away from His light.. . . Consider those who opposedthe Son (Jesus), when He cameunto them with sovereignty andpower. How many the Phariseeswho were waiting to behold Him,and were lamenting over theirseparation from Him! And yet,when the fragrance of His com-ing was wafted over them, andHis beauty was unveiled, theyturned aside from Him and dis-puted with Him. . . . None save

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130 wontn ORDERa very few, who were destituteof any power amongst men,turned towards His face. And yet,today, every man endowed withpower and invested with sover-eIgnty prideth himself on HisName! In like manner, considerhow numerous, in these days, arethe monks who, in My Name,have secluded themselves in theirchurches, and who, when the ap-pointed time was fulfilled, andWe unveiled Our beauty, knewUs not, though they call upon Meat eventide and at dawn. . . .

The Word which the S011 C011-cealed is made manifest. It hathbeen sent down in the form of thehuman temple in this day.Blessed be the Lord Who is theFather! H6, verily, is come 1111’|;Qthe nations in His most greatmajesty. Turn your faces towardsHim, O concourse of the right-eous! . . . This is the day where-on the Rock (Peter) crieth outand shouteth, and celebrateth thepraise of its Lord, the All-Pos-sessing, the Most High, saying:“Lo! The Father is come, andthat which ye were promised inthe Kingdom is fulfilled! . . .”My body longeth for the cross,and Mine head waiteth the thrustof the spear, in the path of theAll-Merciful, that the world maybe purged from its transgressions.

O Supreme Pontiff! Inclinethine ear unto that which the

Fashioner of moldering bonescounselleth thee, as voiced byHim Who is His Most GreatName. Sell all the embellishedornaments thou dost possess, andexpend them in the path of God,Who causeth the night to returnupon the day, and the day to re-turn upon the night. Abandon thykingdom unto the kings, andemerge from thy habitation, withthy face set towards the King-dom, and, detached from theworld, then speak forth thepraises of thy Lord betwixt earthand heaven. Thus hath biddenthee He Who is the Possessor ofNames, on the part of thy Lord,the Almighty, the All-Knowing.Exhort thou the kings and say:“Deal equably with men. Bewarelest ye transgress the boundsfixed in the Book.” This indeedbecometh thee. Beware lest thouappropriate unto thyself thethings of the world and the richesthereof. Leave them unto such asdesire them, and cleave unto thatwhich hath been enjoined uponthee by Him Who is the Lord ofcreation. Should any one offerthee all the treasures of the earth,refuse to even glance upon them.Be as thy Lord hath been. Thushath the Tongue of Revelationspoken that which God hathmade the ornament of the bookof creation. . . . Should the in-ebriation of the wine of Myverses seize thee, and thou deter-

TABLET T0 THE POPE 131minest to present thyself beforethe throne of thy Lord, the Cre-ator of earth and heaven, makeMy love thy vesture, and theyshield remembrance of Me, andthy provision reliance upon God,the Revealer of all power. . . .Verily, the day of ingathering iscome, and all things have beenseparated from each other. Hehath stored away that which Hechose in the vessels of justice,and cast into fire that which be-

fitteth it. Thus hath it been de-creed by your Lord, the Mighty,the Loving, in this promised Day.He, verily, ordaineth what Hepleaseth. There is none other Godsave He, the Almighty, the All-Compelling.

"To Pope Pius IX, the undisputed headof the most powerful Church in Christen-dom, possessor of both temporal and spir-itual authority, He, a Prisoner in the armybarracks of the penal-colony of ‘Akka, ad-dressed a most weighty Epistle."—GodPasses By, by Shoghi Effendi.

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That which the Lord hath ordained as the sovereign remedy and mightiestinstrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples inone universal Cause, one common Faith.

~—BAHA’U’LLAH

The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the onenessof mankind and the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease be-tween nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; theworld will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.

---‘ABnU’L-BAH.Ii

A world community in which all economic barriers will have beenpermanently demolished and the interdependence of Capital and Labordefinitely recognized; in which the clamor of religious fanaticism and strifewill have been forever stilled; in which the flame of racial animosity willhave been finally extinguished; in which a single code of international law--—the product of the considered judgment of the world’s federated representa-tives—-shall have as its sanction the instant and coercive intervention of thecombined forces of the federated units; and finally a world community inwhich the fury of a capricious and militant nationalism will have beentransmuted into an abiding consciousness of world citizenship-—such indeed,appears, in its broadest outline, the Order anticipated by Baha’u’llah, anOrder that shall come to be regarded as the fairest fruit of a slowly maturingage.

—SHocHI EFFENDI

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The Path to the Kingdom‘ABoU’L-BAHA

FROM the time of the creationof Adam to this day there

have been two pathways in theworld of humanity; one thenatural or materialistic, the otherthe religious or spiritual. Thepathway of nature is the pathwayof the animal realm. The animalacts in accordance with the re-quirements of nature, follows itsown instincts and desires. What-ever its impulses and proclivitiesmay be it has the liberty togratify them; yet it is a captiveof nature. It cannot deviate inthe least degree from the roadnature has established. It isutterly minus spiritual suscepti-bilities, ignorant of divine re-ligion and without knowledge ofthe kingdom of God. The animalpossesses no power of ideationor conscious intelligence; it iscaptive of the senses and de-prived of that which lies beyondthem. It is subject to what theeye sees, the ear hears, the nos-trils sense, the taste detects andtouch reveals. These sensationsare acceptable and sufficient forthe animal. But that which isbeyond the range of the senses,that realm of phenomena throughwhich the conscious pathway tothe kingdom of God leads, the

world of spiritual susceptibilitiesand divine religion,———-of thesethe animal is completely un-aware, for in its highest stationit is a captive of nature.

One of the strangest thingswitnessed is that the materialistsof today are proud of their nat-ural instincts and bondage. They-state that nothing is entitled tobelief and acceptance except thatwhich is sensible or tangible. Bytheir own statements they arecaptives of nature, unconsciousof the spiritual world, unin-formed of the divine kingdomand unaware of heavenly be-stowals. If this be a virtue theanimal has attained it to a super-lative degree, for the animal isabsolutely ignorant of the realmof spirit and out of touch withthe inner world of consciousrealization. The animal wouldagree with the materialist indenying the existence of thatwhich transcends the senses. Ifwe admit that being limited tothe plane of the senses is a vir-tue the animal is indeed morevirtuous than man, for it is en-tirely bereft of that which liesbeyond, absolutely oblivious ofthe kingdom of God and itstraces whereas God has deposited

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PATH T0 THE KINGDOM 133within the human creature anillimitable power by which hecan rule the world of nature.

Consider how all other phe-nomenal existence and beings arecaptives of nature. The sun, thatcolossal center of our solar sys-tem, the giant stars and planets,the towering mountains, the earthitself and its kingdoms of lifelower than the human,—-—all arecaptives of nature except man.No other created thing can de-viate in the slightest degree fromobedience to natural law. Thesun in its glory and greatnessmillions of miles away is heldprisoner in its orbit of universalrevolution, captive of universalnatural control. Man is the rulerof nature. According to naturallaw and limitation he should re-main upon the earth, but beholdhow he violates this commandand soars above the mountainsin aeroplanes. He sails in shipsupon the surface of the oceanand dives into its depths in sub-marines. Man makes nature hisservant; harnesses the mightyenergy of electricity for instanceand imprisons it in a small lampfor his uses and convenience.He speaks from the east to thewest through a wire. He is ableto store and preserve his‘ voicein a phonograph. Though he isa dweller upon the earth hepenetrates the mysteries of starry

worlds inconceivably distant. Hediscovers latent realities withinthe bosom of the earth, uncoverstreasures, penetrates. secrets andmysteries of the phenomenalworld and brings to light thatwhich according to nature’s ‘jeal-ous laws should remain hidden,unknown and unfathomable.Through an ideal inner powerman hrings these realities forthfrom the invisible plane to thevisible. This is contrary to na-ture’s law.

It is evident therefore thatman is ruler over nature’s sphereand province. Nature is inert,man is progressive. Nature hasno consciousness, man is en-dowed with it. Nature is withoutvolition and acts perforce where-as man possesses a mighty will.Nature is incapable of discover-ing mysteries or realities where-as man is especially fitted to doso. Nature is not in touch withthe realm of God, man is attunedto its evidences. Nature is un-informed of God, man is con-scious of him. Man acquires di-vine virtues, nature is deniedthem. Man can voluntarily dis-continue vices, nature has nopower to modify the influence ofits instincts. Altogether it isevident that man is more nobleand superior; that in him thereis an ideal power surpassingnature. He has consciousness,

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volition, memory, intelligentpower, divine attributes and vir-tues of which nature is com-pletely deprived, bereft andminus; therefore man is higherand nobler by reason of the idealand heavenly force latent andmanifest in him.

How strange then it seems thatman notwithstanding his endow-ment with this ideal power, willdescend to a level beneath himand declare himself no greaterthan that which is manifestly in-ferior to his real station. Godhas created such a consciousspirit within him that he is themost wonderful of all contingentbeings. In ignoring these virtueshe descends to the material plane,considers matter the ruler of ex-istence and denies that which liesbeyond. Is this virtue? In itsfullest sense this is animalistic,for the animal is the greaterphilosopher because it is com-pletely ignorant of the kingdomof God, possesses no spiritualsusceptibilities and is unin-formed of the heavenly world.In brief, this is a view of thepathway of nature.

The second pathway is that ofreligion, the road of the divinekingdom. It involves the acquisi-tion of praiseworthy attributes,heavenly illumination and righte-ous actions in the world of hu-manity. This pathway is con-

ducive to the progress and up-lift of the world. It is the sourceof human enlightemnent, train-ing and ethical improvement; themagnet which attracts the love ofGod because of the knowledge ofGod it bestows. This is the roadof the holy manifestations ofGod for they are in reality thefoundation of the divine religionof oneness. There is no change ortransformation in this pathway.It is the cause of human better-ment, the acquisition of heavenlyvirtues and the illumination ofmankind.

Alas! that humanity is com-pletely submerged in limitationsand unrealities notwithstandingthe truth of divine religion hasever remained the same. Super-stitions have obscured the funda-mental reality, the world is dark-ened and the light of religion isnot apparent. This darkness isconducive to differences and dis-sensions; rites and dogmas aremany and various; therefore dis-cord has arisen among the re-ligious systems whereas religionis for the unification of mankind.True religion is the source oflove and agreement amongstmen, the cause of the develop-ment of praiseworthy qualities;but the people are holding to thecounterfeit and imitation, negli-gent of the reality which unifies;so they are bereft and deprived

PATH T0 THE KINGDOM 135of the radiance of religion. Theyfollow superstitions inheritedfrom their fathers and ancestors.To such an extent has this pre-vailed that they have taken awaythe heavenly light of divine truthand sit in the darkness of limita-tions and imaginations. Thatwhich was meant to be conduciveto life has become the cause ofdeath; that which should havebeen an evidence of knowledgeis now a proof of ignorance; thatwhich was a factor in the sub-limity of human nature hasproved to be its degradation.Therefore the realm of the re-ligionist has gradually narrowedand darkened and the sphere ofthe materialist has widened andadvanced; for the religionist hasheld to imitation and counterfeit,neglecting and discarding holi-ness and the sacred reality ofreligion. When the sun sets it isthe time for bats to fly. Theycome forth because they arecreatures of the night. Vllhenthe lights of religion becomedarkened the materialists appear.They are the bats of night. Thedecline of religion is their timeof activity; they seek the shadowswhen the world is darkened andclouds have spread over it.

His Holiness Baha’u’llah hasrisen from the eastern horizon.Like the glory of the sun He hascome into the world. He has re-

flected the reality of divine re-ligion, dispelled the darkness ofimitations, laid the foundation ofnew teachings and resuscitatedthe world.

The first teaching of Baha-’u’1léh is the investigation of real-ity. Man must seek the realityhimself, forsaking imitations andadherence to mere hereditaryforms. As the nations of theworld are following imitations inlieu of truth and as imitationsare many and various, difl'er-enees of belief have been produc-tive of strife and warfare. Solong as the imitations remain theoneness of the world of humanityis impossible. Therefore we mustinvestigate the reality in orderthat by its light the clouds anddarkness may be dispelled. Real-ity is one reality; it does notadmit multiplicity or division. Ifthe nations of the world investi-gate reality they will agree andbecome united. Many people andsects in Persia have sought real-ity through the guidance andteaching of Bahé’u’lléh. Theyhave become united and now livein a state of agreement and love;among them there is no longerthe least trace of enmity andstrife.

The Jews were expecting theappearance of the Messiah, look-ing forward to it with devotionof heart and soul but because

they were submerged in limita-tions they did not believe in HisHoliness Jesus Christ when Heappeared. Finally they roseagainst Him even to the extremeofpersecution and shedding Hisblood. Had they investigatedreality they would have acceptedtheir promised Messiah. Theseblind imitations and hereditaryprejudices have invariably he-come the cause of bitterness andhatred and have filled the worldwith darkness and violence ofwar. Therefore we must seek thefundamental truth in order toextricate ourselves from suchconditions and then with il-lumined faces find the pathwayto the kingdom of God.

The second teaching of Baha-’u’llah concerns the unity of man-kind. All are the servants of Godand members of one human fam-ily. God has created all and allare His children. He rears, nour-ishes, provides for and is kindto all. Why should we he unjustand unkind? This is the policyof God, the lights of which haveshone throughout the world. Hissun bestows its eflulgence unspar-ingly upon all, His cloudssenddown rain without distinction orfavor, His breezes refresh thewhole earth... It is evident thathumankind without exception issheltered beneath His mercy andprotection. Some are imperfect;

136 woBLn oRoERthey must be perfected. The ig-norant must be taught, the sickhealed, the sleepers awakened.The child must not be oppressedor censured because it is unde-veloped; it must he patientlytrained. The sick must not beneglected because they are ail-ing; nay, rather, we must havecompassion upon them and bringthem healing. Briefly; the oldconditions of animosity, bigotryand hatred between the religioussystems must be dispelled andthe new conditions of love, agree-ment and spiritual brotherhoodbe estabilshed among them.

The third teaching of Baha-’u’llah is that religion must be thesource of fellowship, the causeof unity and the nearness of Godto man. If it rouses hatred andstrife it is evident that absence ofreligion is preferable and an ir-religious man better than onewho professes it. According tothe divine will and intention re-ligion should be the cause of loveand agreement, a hond to unifyall mankind for it is a messageof peace and good-will to manfrom God.

The fourth teaching of Baha-’u’llah is the agreement of rc-ligion and science. God has en-dowed man with intelligcnce andreason whereby he is requiredto determine the verity of ques-tions and propositions. If re-

PATH To THE KINGDOM 137ligious beliefs and opinions arefound contrary to the standardsof science they are mere super-stitions and imaginations; for theantithesis of knowledge is ignor-ance, and the; child of ignoranceis superstition. Unquestionablythere must be agreement betweentrue religion and science. If aquestion be found contrary toreason, faith and belief in it areimpossible and there is no out-come but wavering and vacilla-tion.

Baha’u’llah has also taughtthat prejudices, whether re-ligious, racial, patriotic or polit-ical are destructive to the founda-tions of human development.Prejudices of any kind are thedestroyers of human happinessand welfare. Until they are dis-pelled the advancement of theworld of humanity is not possi-ble, yet racial, religious and na-tional bias are observed every-where. For thousands of yearsthe world of humanity has beenagitated and disturbed by preju-dices. As long as it prevails, war-fare, animosity and hatred willcontinue. Therefore if we seekto establish peace we must castaside this obstacle, for otherwiseagreement and composure arenot to be attained.

Fifth: Baha’u’llah set forthprinciples of guidance and teach-ing for economic readjustment.

Regulations were revealed byhim which insure the welfare ofthe commonwealth. As the richman enjoys his life surroundedby ease and luxuries, so the poorman must likewise have a homeand be provided with sustenanceand comforts commensurate withhis needs. This readjustment ofthe social economic is of thegreatest importance inasmuch asit insures the stability of theworld of humanity; and until itis effected, happiness and pros-perity are impossible.

Sixth: Baha’u’llah teaches thatan equal standard of humanrights must be recognized andadopted. In the estimation ofGod all men are equal; there isno distinction or preferment forany soul in the dominion of Hisjustice and equity.

Seventh: Education is essen-tial and all standards of trainingand teaching throughout theworld of mankind should bebrought into conformity andagreement; a universal curricu-lum should be established andthe basis of ethics be the same.

Eighth: A universal languageshall be adopted and be taughtby all the schools and institutionsof the world. A committee ap-pointed by national bodies oflearning shall select a suitablelanguage to be used as a mediumof international communication.

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133 WORLD onmzaAll must acquire it. This is oneof the great factors in the unifica-tion of man.

Ninth: Baha’u’llah emphasizedand established the equality ofman and woman. Sex is nottpar-ticularized to humanity; it existsthroughout the animate kingdomsbut without distinction or pref-erence. In the vegetable kingdomthere is complete equality be-tween male and female of species.Likewise in the animal planeequality exists; all are under theprotection of God. ls it becomingto man that he the noblest ofcreatures should observe and in-sist upon such distinction? Wom-an’s lack of progress and pro-ficiency has been due to her needof equal education and oppor-tunity. Had she been allowed thisequality there is no doubt shewould be the counterpart of manin ability and capacity. The hap-piness of mankind will be real-ized when women and men co-ordinate and advance equally,for each is the complement andhelpmeet of the other.

The world of humanity cannotadvance through mere physicalpowers and intellectual attain-ments; nay, rather, the HolySpirit is essential. The divineFather must assist the humanworld to attain maturity. Thebody of man is in need of phys-ical and mental energy but hisspirit requires the life and forti-fication of the Holy Spirit. With-out its protection and quickeningthe human world would be ex-tinguished. His Holiness JesusChrist declared “Let the deadbury their dead.” He also said“That which is born of the fleshis flesh, and that which is born ofthe spirit is spirit.” It is evidenttherefore according to His Holi-ness that the human spirit whichis not fortified by the presence ofthe Holy Spirit is dead and inneed of resurrection by that di-vine power; otherwise thoughmaterially advanced to high de-grees man cannot attain full andcomplete progress.

Address delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahfi lune9, 1912, at Baptist Temple, Philadelphia,reproduced in The Promulgation of Uni-versal Peace.

All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civiliza-tion. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the fieldis unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance,mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindredsof the earth. ---BAnA'.’U’LL.£n

We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the develop-ment of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy toadvance humanity toward the nobility of its true and intended station.

-‘AnnU’L-BA1-Ii

The Mission of the Lord ChristGEORGE TOWNSHEND -

THE task of Christ differed.from that of any of the High-

Prophets who preceded Him inthat to Him was assigned theduty of announcing that theSupreme Advent of all time wasnow at hand and of completingthe education of mankind forthat august event. His Dispensa-tion stands apart from all beforeit in that it crowns the periodof preparation and opens di-rectly into that Age of God forwhich all previous Messengershad made ready the way.

Never till now was it given tomen to view the work of Christin its true perspective or to dis-cern the full proportions of Hiswisdom and beneficence. Thosewho have felt themselves for-given and redeemed through Himhave throughout the ChristianEra chanted in many accentsHis praise; and all that theirlips could utter would not tellthe tale of their gratitude norexpress the felicity which He hadbrought to their lives. Historians,in belief and in unbelief, haveextolled the radiant beauty ofHis character, the elevating in-fluence of His teachings and thetransformation of the westernworld which has been effectedthrough His power. But not until

the Dawn of God broke over theearth, not until Bahé.’u’lléh toldof the progressive revelation ofGod through a world-old se-quence of Divine Teachers, couldmen regard Christ’s Message inits larger aspects or set it in itsdue relation to the complete re-demptive purpose of the EternalGod.

Now that the faithful lookback upon the past through theportals of God’s Age of Gold,it is possible to discern from anew angle values in Christ’steaching that before were hid-den and to probe with a clearerinsight the bearing and signifi-cance of many of His utterances.The directions of Jesus were, ofcourse, like those of every otherHigh-Prophet, measured withloving care to the needs andcapacities of the people to whomHe ministered. Out of the limit-less treasury of His knowledgeHe bestowed on them that whichwould help them most. But Hisspecial mission of preparinghumanity for the great climac-teric that drew so near gave toHis teaching a special character.The substance of His revelationwas designed to prepare man-kind for that severe test of loveand spirituality to which they

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140 WORLD onnnnwere so soon to be subjected. HisHeart was fixed upon the King-dom that was to be, and Hiscentral aim was to fit the peoplefor this great enfranchisementand to strengthen them againstthe perils of the awful Day ofDoom.

Now in the twentieth centurywhen that Doomsday has comeupon us, when the principles ofthat Kingdom have been divine-ly revealed and when its out-line is taking visible shapethroughout the earth, now for thefirst time the believer is enabledto discern how the Revelation ofChrist was so conceived as tolead by a natural gradation intothe Age of Baha’u’lléh; now forthe first time he can appreciatesomething of the foreknowledgeand the wisdom of Him whosefar-reaching vision swept downthe long vista of His own Dispen-sation to the happenings of thisnew-born Day of God.

The central message of Jesuswas His promise and His warn-ing that before long (at the endof one more Era, the Era thenbegun) God would in deed andin fact establish the Kingdomupon earth; its foundationswould be laid in the hearts ofmen, and those who were foundto be unworthy would be de-stroyed. The Event of whichpoets had dreamed, which seers

had descried, which prophetshad predicted, was soon to be nomore a dream or a hope or aforecast but an accomplishedfact of history.

This was from the first to thelast throughout His ministry thegreat theme of Jesus’ preaching,as it had been the theme of Hisforerunner, John:

“From that time Jesus beganto preach to say, Repent, for thekingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The coming of that Kingdomwas by this command to be theprayer of the faithful all throughHis Dispensation: “Thy kingdomcome, Thy will be done on earthas in heaven.” And the predic-tion that one day He will againhold communion with the faith-ful on earth in His Father’sKingdom is one of the partingthoughts of His discourse at theLast Supper.

Jesus’ revelation was not ex-clusively spiritual. lt was in parthistorical. He opened not onlythe gates of a future life beyondthe grave, but the gates of hu-manity’s future life upon theearth. He teaches men not onlyto look inward where God hasset His shrine in the human heart,but to look forward to a timewhen Cod shall set His taber-nacle among men. Hope becamea Christian virtue; and the ob-ject of hope was not only thespiritual salvation of the indi-

MISSION or cnntsr 14~1vidual but the social salvation Not that in their characterof the race. He bade believershave no fear, for it was theFather’s pleasure to give themthe Kingdom (in which utter-ance, of course, as when Hesaid “Watch, for ye know notwhat hour your lord cometh,”or “I am with you alwayseven to the end of the dis-pensation,” He addressed notonly those who stood before himat the moment but all the faith-ful of His “generation” andafter). The Gospel of Matthewquotes four of Christ’s mostfamous discourses. In every oneof these—the Sermon on theMount, the charge of the Twelve,the Seven Parables of chapter13 and the Words on Mount Oli-vet—--reference is made to thecoming of the Father’s King-dom; and in one of them, andnot the least sublime, no lead-ing reference is made to any-thing else.

The intensity of Jesus’ spirit-uality, the vigor of His insistencethat the vital matter in life isthe right relation of the individ-ual soul to God, seem to makemore startling, more arrestingby contrast, those historical pre-dictions in which He deals withoutward happenings and world-wide events and speaks not aloneto the individual but especiallyto nations and the human race asa whole. C

and essence the laws and injunc-tions of Jesus are different fromHis forecasts and promises. Theoutlook and the spirit is everunchanging. Indeed, in the lightof the further revelation of Baha-’u’llé.h, the connection betweenthe two portions of Jesus’ teach-ing is seen to be close and inti-mate. The distinction is real; yetit is now evident that the spiritualprinciples which Christ moststrongly urged are the self-sameprinciples on which His Father’sKingdom in the world today isbased. His religious teachingsseem to have been directed to thepurpose of preparing mankindfor the promised gift of the King-dom, and to have been designedto elevate and strengthen themfor the task of establishing itupon the earth.

For the Kingdom of the Fatheris indeed an earthly kingdom inthe sense that it is set down four-square upon the solid earth forall men to see it, know it and in-habit it. But it is not less cer-tainly a spiritual kingdom. Therule of the Father is primarilyover the hearts of men, and it isas the winner of their hearts thatHe controls their wills and theiractions. Till the human heart isopened to God and is made fitand ready to receive Him, sucha rule is impossible; and it is to

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the preparation of the heart forGod that Christ addresses themain body of this teaching. Setthe instruction of Jesus besidethat of the mighty Prophet whopreceded Him, and in nothingdoes it show a greater heighten-ing than in its insistence on spirit-uality and love. Moses, metingHis message to a cruder people ina cruder age, had said nothingof eternal life. His religion wasa religion of one world. Theywho faithfully obeyed the com-mandments of God would dwelllong in the land enjoying peaceand plenty. But Christ’s was areligion of two worlds, the outerand the inner, the material andthe spiritual; and of the two byfar the more important was thelatter. He did not teach believersto set much store by temporalrewards, but rather to desire theeverlasting blessedness of thevision of God, admission to Hispresence, and the enjoyment ofHis mercy. Moses had given acomprehensive code of statutesand regulations; Jesus—so faras our Canon informs us-—-gavetwo material ordinances only.He loosed men from the law ofthe sabbath and made more tightthe law of divorce. He removeda complicated system of ritualand material sacrifice; and norecord remains of His having in-stituted in its place more than two

o WORLD ORDER

ceremonies, both of which wereessentially symbolic. In contrastto the offerings demanded by theold law these rites involved nomaterial outlay of any moment.The ancient ordinance that noworshipper should appear beforethe Lord empty-handed was notfulfilled in them. No gift of bul-lock, ram or sheep, not evenof a little dove or two youngpigeons, was called for. A run-ning brook, an ordinary meal,supplied the Christian with allhe needed for baptism and thebreaking of bread. The meaningand the value of the observancelay wholly in that spiritual thingwhich it signified. The baptismwith water typified that baptismwith the Holy Spirit and the fireof the love of God (spoken of byJohn) which Christ conferred onthose who were able to receive it.The blessedness of the memorialfeast was its renewing of thatspiritual love which gave to theLord’s last passover its uniqueand imperishable glory.

Moses, like every High-Prophet before or since, pro-claimed the law of love. EveryHigh-Prophet has done so—“Alllaws and ordinances,” said Baha-’u’llah, “have been changed ac-cording to the requirements ofthe times, except the law of love,which like a fountain ever flowsand the course of which never

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MISSION or CHRIST 143suflers change.” Moses com-manded (Deut. vi, 5), “Thoushalt love the Lord thy God withall thy heart, with all thy soul,with all thy might” and (Lev.xix, 18), “Thou shalt love thyneighbor as thyself.” But Jesusrevealed the law more fully andinsisted on a largerobedience toit. “A new commandment I giveunto you: that ye love one an-other.” He made love the test ofdiscipleship. “By this shall allmen know ye are my disciples:if ye have love one to another”(John xiii, 35) . If He taught thatGod was Spirit, men learnedfrom Him that God was Love.The whole duty of man towardshis Maker and towards his fellow-creature was comprehended inthe practice of Love. When Hecarried men to the summit of allHis most exalted and exactingdemands, He bade them to beperfect as their Father whosenature He revealed as beingSpirit and Love.

Had men during the ChristianEra learned from their Masterthis lesson of spirituality andlove, the establishment of theFather’s Kingdom upon earthwould be an easy task today.The fact that the Kingdom has--as the Bahé’is believe—in veryfact been inaugurated, standsnow fixed upon irremovablefoundations, and takes shape

amidst the chaos of the nations,is the greatest proof existing ofthe wisdom and the power andthe triumph of the Lord Christ.

Not only did Christ reveal theleading principles of the King-dom which was ———- He said ——sosoon to come, but He gave manysigns by which the approach ofthat Kingdom and of His ownadvent might be recognized. Thedate He did not give: it wasknown only to the Father. ButHe prcsaged a number of eventsand omens, some of them unmis-takable and portentous, forwhich He bade men watch. Theperiod was to be distant. TheGospel would be carried to alllands; and, nevertheless, beforethe Son of Man came, faithwould be hard to find and thepeople growing careless and dis-obedient, would indulge in op-pression and tyranny and wouldgive themselves up to worldlypursuits. The fate of the Jews,however, would be the most defi-nite prognostic of the time ofthe end. During the ChristianEra they were to be scatteredabroad and held in exile. Whenthey had served their sentenceand were permitted to return totheir own land, the world mightknow that an epoch had endedand a new world-age begun.

Such a prediction was so clearthat it would seem Christ had

——|—h.l_I--l.d-—'LI—'—-—"L." l1iL{——-i

144 wonrn onnnnmade any failure to identify Hiscoming impossible. Yet He wentfurther. He spoke repeatedlyabout His own coming. Hislanguage was [as always) sim-ple, yet it was such as to arrestattention and to demand scrutiny.He announced that He wouldcome with power in the glory ofthe Father; that He would sendHis angels throughout the worldand would destroy the ungodly;and that His splendor wouldshine in the darkness from theeast to the west. But He also saidwith not less emphasis that Hiscoming would take mankind bysurprise: as a thief enters stealth-ily at night and is in the housewhile the master sleeps andknows it not, so He would comeinto a world wrapt in spiritualignorance and would not be ob-served by those to whom Hecame.

It is not put on record that Hisdisciples asked Him the meaningof forewarnings so important andseemingly so contradictory, noris there extant the explanation ofany inconsistency. He gave menenough information to guidethem aright when the emergencyarose, and left the rest to theirown efforts.

The tone in which He delivered

these prophecies about the dawnof the Last Day was not thatwhich His hearers might have ex-pected. He did not speak of theapproach of world-redemption ina joyous and triumphant strain.On the contrary, His words werethose of premonition and anxiety.Though the great Day which Hehad the privilege to foretell wasthe time of the Victory of God,was to purge away sorrow andtears and spiritual death, and tousher in the reign of concord andpeace and divine felicity whenthe righteous would shine forthas the sun in the Kingdom of theFather, yet His language aboutits drawing near was imbued withgrave foreboding. He dwelt onthe thought of a Great Assize inwhich He would figure as Judgeand would be called on to con-demn many who used His nameand counted themselves Hisfriends; and impressed firmly onmen’s minds an apprehension of astrict and universal judgment andof a final exculpation that wouldonly be gained after an ordealof unprecedented calamity.

George Townshend, M.A., is Canon of St.P'atrick’s Cathedral, Dublin, and Arch-deacon of Clonfert. This article is a chap-ter in Dr. Townshend’s book entitled ThePromise of All Ages, Baha’i PublishingCommittee, 1935.

This is the Day, O my Lord, which Thou didst announce unto all man-kind as the Day whereon Thou wouldst reveal Thy Self, and shed Thyradiance, and shine brightly over all Thy creatures. —-BAH5.’U’LLiiH

---@:’./,;t,-.,.a/-----—----—-----RELIGION AND THE SCHOOLS

THE United States has been apioneer among nations in pro-

viding education for all its peo-ple. The public school system isdesigned, at least theoretically,to give every child a basic edu-cation and to offer higher learn-ing on easy terms to those whodesire it. Some such system iscorollary to democratic govern-ment, for the people cannotgovern unless the citizens areable to read and to think forthemselves. Another fundamentalprinciple on which this nationwas founded is that of freedomof worship, which is guaranteedby the Constitution to all thepeople. No system of religiousbelief is to be forced on anyof the people by individuals orby any agency of the govern-ment. The necessary result of theworking out of these two prin-ciples is a widespread publicschool system from which allreligious teaching is prohibited.

In earlier times this divorcebetween education and religionmattered less than it does now.Institutions of worship werestrong, children were sent to Sun-day Schools, and in most fami-lies some religious training wasprovided in the home. But

recently certain tendencies havebeen at work to upset the originalbalance between mental andspiritual education.

On the one hand, the schoolis absorbing more and more ofthe children’s time. Social andathletic activities fill the hoursoutside the regular curriculumto such an extent that much ofthe time when formerly the childwas at home is now spent underthe auspices of the school.

On the other hand, the in-fluence of the religious institu-tions is generally weaker. Faithhas declined. In few homes isreligion ever mentioned. Theparents themselves do not attendchurch regularly and the chil-dren are not sent to the SundaySchools. The Sunday Schoolsthemselves, in an effort to holdthe young people, dilute re-ligious training and often replacea serious study of the basicreligious scriptures with socialattractions. The result of thissituation is a vast ignorance onthe part of most young peopleof their own or any other re-ligion. A literature class at oneof our state universities, not longago, asked to explain an allusionto Sinai, produced only blank

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146 woatn otmnabewilderment. Perhaps it is notsurprising that the Ten Com-mandments have lost some oftheir force.

The public as a whole is be-ginning to be aware that some-thing is wrong. There is ademand in many places thatethics be taught in the schools,a demand that, in itself, is anadmission of the inability of thehome and the church to providesuflicient moral background forthe children. Because it is hardto find a powerful system ofethics unconnected with any re-ligion, some schools have madeprovision for a period of re-ligious instruction to be givenby ministers and rabbis of thefaiths to which the children be-long. School time is used andthe authority of the school isexercised to insure attendance.

Such an arrangement hasdrawn protest, however, and in-deed it is charged with potentialtrouble. It may threaten re-ligious freedom by forcing thechild of a minority faith withno teacher available to the schoolinto one of the more powerfulgroups. The plan calls the atten-tion of the children to religiousdifferences between them andmay very well cause prejudice.

And yet the present artificialdivision between mental andspiritual education is disastrous

in itself. Knowledge is indeedone point and the present sys-tem only serves to multiply it.The human being is not meantto be divided into air-tight com-partments, mental, emotional,and spiritual. Religion can serveto integrate the personality ofthe individual. It can draw allknowledge together into a wholeand supply a point of orientationfor the student which will makelearning easier and give it anadequate purpose. The study ofthe physical universe, for in-stance, is enhanced by a sense ofreverence for its Creator, and bya realization that the knowledgewe gain is to be used for theglory of God and the advance-ment of mankind.

Our young people feel anacute need of such orientation,but it cannot be given them inthe schools until the religionshave become united. The rift inthe education of children is asymptom of the illness of theworld, which Baha’u’llah pro-claimed could be healed only byone common Faith, a Faith whichHe promised would soon prevailon the earth. We can anticipate,then, a time when educators willhave a spiritual renaissance,when teaching will be illuminedby the love of God and studywill become an act of devotion.

-—G. B.

The Gift of GodTHORNTON CHASE

GOD loved the world —- notonly the Jews at Jerusa

lem, but all mankind; not onlyat the time of Jesus but be-foreand since. Always, since theworld began He has given HisWord to all men, at all times,in so far as they were able toreceive it. Whence came thewonderful instructions for lifein the ancient writings of Enoch,Moses, David, and the Psalmists,in the Vedas, the ‘Avesta, theGathas and Upanishads, in Isaiahand Lao Tse? Were they ofhuman or divine manufacture?They were always higher thanthe imaginations of man, andthey were opposed to his naturaldesires. When their inner sig-nificances and realities arepierced, the oneness of theiressentials is so evident there canbe no doubt that they originatedfrom a single source. They -allhad their origins in the Worcl!of God, which in its essence isthe same today, yesterday andforever. That which is differentis not His Word.

Each of the great religionsbases its teaching, faith, loyaltyand existence upon confidence inthe word of a single humanfounder. Each points back tohim as the reliable one, the

superlative one, the infallibleone. But no word is infalliblesave that of God, and if thosegreat ones were truly reliable,their word must have been theWord of God. The expression ofthat Word through such pre-pared human instruments hasalways been the method wherebyman has learned the Will ofGod for his own life. They werethe “mouths” of the Lord.

That the Almighty God choosesa man to be His representativeand His mouthpiece is shown inthe interesting account, relatedin Exodus 3 and 4, of His ap-pointment of Moses to be theDeliverer of his people of Israel.After Cod called to him out ofthe burning bush and told himthat he was God of his fathers,Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Hesaid: I will send thee untoPharaoh, that thou mayest bringforth my people the children ofIsrael out of Egypt. (God is al-ways trying to bring His childrenout of the Egypt of darkness andignorance.)

But Moses did not seek suchan appointment; he dreaded itand tried to escape it, althoughhe desired to serve God. AndMoses said unto God, Who amI, that I should go unto Pharaoh,

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143 WORLD onnnnand that I should bring forth thechildren of Israel out of Egypt?Then God gave His mightyName—I am that I am: and Hesaid, Thou shalt say unto thechildren of Israel, I am hathsent me unto you. He also gavefurther instructions to Moses totell the people how God hadappeared unto him and giventhese commands.

And Moses answered and said,But, behold, they will not believeme, nor hearken unto my voice:for they will say, The Lord hathnot sent thee. Then the Lordshowed him how to manifestsigns of power by the symbolsof the rod and of the right hand,but still Moses said unto theLord, O my Lord, I am not elo-quent, neither heretofore norsince thou hast spoken unto thyservant, but I am slow of speech,and of a slow tongue. And theLord said unto him, Who hathmade man’s mouth? Hare not Ithe Lord? Now therefore go, andI will be with thy mouth, andteach thee what thou shalt say.

Yet Moses could not entirelysever his thought of self andtrust the Lord. And he said, Omy Lord, send, I pray thee, bythe hand of him whom thoushouldest send. How prone weare, even to this day, to decidein our minds whom the Lordshall send as His Representativeto man, and how He shall come.

But, after all this, God choseMoses to be His Representativeto Israel, and even appointedAaron, i his brother, to be amouthpiece for Moses, saying,I know that he can speak well.And thou shalt speak unto him,and put words in his mouth: andI will be with thy mouth, andwith his mouth, and will teachyou what ye shall do. And heshalt be thy spokesman unto thepeople: and he shalt. be, evenhe shalt be to thee instead of amouth and thou shalt be to himinstead of God.

Thus Cod puts His Word intothe mouths of His Chosen Ones,and thus He appoints a man tobe as God unto men. It is bythe might of the Word, that manis saved. The power of God isin the Word, but it saves onlyhim who takes it into his heartthat it may spring up there intoa fountain of living Water, fromwhich he shall be born into a newLife. In its lower, outer aspect,it is for the advantage of man’spresent living; it teaches himmorals and ethics which are theonly source of all true ethicaltraining, but its deeper mean-ings and instructions are to pre-pare man for an inner life,widely different and incompar-able to this life. Indeed, the bestouter life is but death comparedto this inner life; it is an oldlife compared to a new life.

GIFT OF con 14-9The speech of these Mouth-

pieces of God was in the lan-guage and terminology of thetime and place where it wasgiven, but the teachings wereoffered and accepted only up tothe degree of capacity in theirhearers. In the ages of spiritualinfancy man could receive butlittle of the strength of the Word,and its doctrine was accordingto his capacity. First came thelaws of fear and obedience; thenreverence, justice, wisdom andlove were inculcated as mankindprogressed in the Schools ofthe Prophets. Each revealer ofthe Word was a heavenly school-master and each divine lessonbecame the fountain for thefurther teaching of a later day.Each manifestor of the com-mands of God referred to theteachings of those before him aswitness to his own authority. Forhad ye believed Moses, ye wouldhave believed me.

Age after age, through his-tory, One has appeared, whogave to man the Word of God,divine instruction how to liveand what to do to attain ahigher and heavenly station, toovercome former conditions andrise to a manner of life whichshould be permanent, sinless,perfect and valuable. With eachone there was no earthly power,no armies, royalty, riches norhonor, but rather poverty, ap-

parent weakness, oppression,hatred and rejection. Whateverthe circumstance, time or place,he was, or became, poor in allthings except the riches of theWord which ever went forthfrom the door of humility andlowliness. It was simply de-livered and left to itself withouthuman aid (except the life il-lustrating it) that it might proveits divine power by its own pene-trative, creative and transform-ing effect upon mankind. At firstit entered the hearts of the few,changed their lives, opened theirminds to the Truth and Love ofGod, and then went on fromgeneration to generation, alter-ing the destinies of nations, over-throwing dynasties, forming newpeoples and giving life and hopeto untold millions of soulsthroughout centuries of time.

There are men in this day,reputed to be learned, who tryto deny that the historical Jesusever lived. The histories of himare hearsay accounts, written byunknown authors; not a word ofhis own writing is in existenceas far as known; indeed there isno record that he ever wrote,except with his finger upon theground (what a wonderful sym-bol was that, if it be understood)even as God wrote with his fingerupon the tables of stone borneby Moses from Sinai. Yet theevidence that the Christ lived in

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I50 WORLD ORDER

that age of the world, and thathe gave such teachings as arerecorded, is as certain as the ex-istence of the sun, because theremust have been a Speaker of theWords which have lived andproved their divine qualitythrough nineteen centuries inevery way possible for the mindor heart of man to conceive.None but a Christ could haveconceived such a character asthe man, Christ Jesus. v

The proof of the sun is itsshining and its effect on thephysical world; the evidence ofthe Word of God is its educa-tive power and the light of life,which it kindles in the souls ofmen, making each heart a livingflame, never to be quenched. Noone, who has felt the elixir ofthe Word penetrating his souland the fountain of eternal youthspringing up within him, canever deny the reality of theChrist and the fact of humanManifestation, the bearer of theCup of Life.

That which distinguishes manfrom the lower kingdoms, thatwhich makes him a man, is thepower of the Word of God work-ing in him to will and to do, tocreate new methods of thinkingand doing, to implant new ideaswhich later become ideals towardwhich he strives, because he per-ceives them to be more valuable

than his former knowledge andpossessions, and so he grows infavor with God and man.

Many can bear witness to thepower of the Word in their lives.It enters through the brain intothe mind of man, and if notrejected it goes deeper, penetrat-ing his heart, piercing throughthe shells of self-sufliciency andself-conceit, and becomes thenew motive power of his life.For the word of God is quickand powerful, and sharper thanany two-edged sword, piercingeven to the dividing asunder ofsoul and marrow, and is a dis-cerner of the thoughts and intentsof the heart.

Sometimes the effect is sud-den, in the twinkling of an eye.Sometimes a great grief or dis-appointment is the cause of hisawakening, because such experi-ences drive man, as it were, toGod for relief from despair. Hefinds in time of sorrow and trialthat there is no comforter butGod and consolation comesthrough the revealed Word whichalways invites the hungry, thethirsty, the weary, to water, foodand rest. Therefore the Mani-festation of the Word is indeedthe Comforter sent by God tothose who turn to Him.

It teaches us of the realitiesof things, what we are and whatwe may be. It tells of the destiny

crrr or coo 151made possible to us by the Loveof our Father. It is so plain thatno farer in the way need errtherein; it is so full that infiniteriches reward him who enters itsdepths. It is the pearl of greatprice, the treasure of mankind,the guerdon of immortality, thepath of eternal life. Its rewardsare love, wisdom, service, bountyand joy.

The divine proof, the perma-nent and reliable evidence of themission and authority of any oneof God’s Chosen Manifestationsis the effect of the Words hespeaks. Man’s word is of littleweight, meaning or permanence;it is only for the circumstanceand time; it soon fades and isforgotten, but the Word of Godpasses not away. It changes thevery nature of man; it lives,grows, spreads in ever wideninginfluence, has depths and moun-tains of meanings, is cxhaustless,boundless, mighty, and rides intriumph over innumerable gravesand generations of the works of

men. So it is said in the Revela-tion of St. John that he who wentforth conquering and to conquerriding upon the white horse andfollowed by the hosts of heaven,he who was the Lord of hosts,was called: The Word of God.

Is it not sufficiently evidentthat the great means for the sal-vation of men from themselves,for the overcoming of all satanicdesires and the attainment ofEternal Life, is the Word ofGod? All the mighty names sur-round the Word. The one re-deeming, creative, life-givingPower, the Angel of Light, theKing of Righteousness, the Son,the Father, the Manifestation,the Glory of God, his RightArm, his Holy One, his Re-deemer and Saviour, is his WordIncarnate, revealed through themouths and manifested in thelives of his holy and chosenOnes from the beginning of theworld.

Reprinted from The Bahti’i Revelation byThornton Chase, published in 1919.

The purpose of the one true God, exalted be His Glory, in revealingHimself unto men is to lay bare those gems that lie hidden within the mineof their true and inmost selves. That the divers communions of the earth, andthe manifold systems of religious belief, should never be allowed to fosterthe feelings of animosity among men is, in this Day, of the essence of theFaith of God and His Religion. These principles and laws, these firmlyestablished and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source, and arethe rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributedto the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.

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Thornton Chase: First American Baha’iCARL SCHEFFLER

PERHAPS the complete storyof the life of Thornton Chase,

the first Bah:-’i’i in America, willnever be written. There is noquestion but that future studentswill enter upon exhaustive re-searches to discover the detailsof the life of the man who,through the grace of God, wasgiven that great distinction.

Even though I was closely as-sociated with him for a periodof about seven years and therewas given me the privilege ofbeing his traveling companionon the memorable pilgrimage tovisit ‘Abdu’l-Baha in the prisonat ‘Akka, I had then practicallyno knowledge of his early life.He was born in Springfield,Massachusetts, on the 22nd ofFebruary, 1847. He showed mea picture of the home of hischildhood which I recall was alarge, rather ornate white framedwelling, located at the intersec-tion of two sharply convergingstreets. Of his early school orcollege life I know nothing. Hetold me that as a youth he hadbeen engaged in fishing and onone occasion when we werequietly chatting together he de-scribed the sea, the waves, theoilskin hat and coat that hewore. At such a time I also

learned that he at one time hada serious interest in music. Iam under the impression that hesang in the opera, because hehad a glorious voice.

His interest in religion was alife-long one. A profound studentof comparative religion, he was,he said, convinced that this un-doubtedly was the “Day of God”,and he neglected no avenue inhis search for the Truth of God.Not only did he study the exist-ing great organizations in thereligious world but no new sectthat sprung up was likely toescape his scholarly scrutiny. Afew years previous to his con-tact with the Faith of Baha’u’llahbe became a follower of Eman-uel Swedenborg, without, how-ever dropping his indefatigablesearch for a greater light whichhe felt must surely appear inthis age.

He was of a deeply mysticalnature, as well as an exact andmethodical student whose ap-praisal of ideas and facts wasmost searching and critical. Log-ical, kindly, even sympathetic,he was certainly not easily led inhis religious life by the manyvoices that clamored for recogni-tion in that day of cults and“isms”.

152

THORNTON cnxsn 153He wrote many articles, poems

and essays about God, Faith, andDivine Love and he was so en-gaged when he finally found theFaith of Baha’u’llah. Whilewriting a poem about God oneday he was interrupted by thevisit of a business acquaintancewho expressed an interest in hisactivity, perhaps because he wasso busy typing. Mr. Chase reada portion of what he was writingand he was astounded when hisfriend told him that he had re-cently come upon a man whohad declared that God had“walked upon the earth”. Im-mediately Mr. Chase expressedinterest and asked to be con-ducted to this person, who ittranspired was Ibrahim Kheirel-la. I believe that the friend wholed Mr. Chase to Dr. Kheirellawas William F. James. In theroster of early believers whichis part of the National Baha’iarchives, there appears under thedate of 1894 four names, Wil-liam F. James, Miss Marian A.Miller, Edward W. Dennis andThornton Chase.

That Thornton Chase was thefirst Baha’i in America standswithout question. He was desig-nated so by ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Hisacceptance of the Faith on thedate that is recorded is also cer-tain. In the early days of theFaith there were many hundredsof names inscribed on the roll

of believers but unquestionablyThornton Chase was the leaderand inspirer of the entire com-pany. His steadfastness and zealcontinuing undiminished throughthe storm and stress of questionand doubt that was the resultof the deflection of IbrahimKheirella himself and of thosewho, through too meager under-standing of the Faith, followedhim, marks him as a stalwartchampion as well as the firstone to arise in behalf of theFaith in America.

During the entire period ofhis residence in Chicago Thorn-ton Chase held the position ofsuperintendent of agencies of theUnion Mutual Life InsuranceSociety. His business caused himto travel a great deal. Wheneverpossible, in whatever city hisbusiness took him, he endeavoredto scatter the seeds of the Faith,and as the years passed and be-lievers became scattered through-out the country he constantlycontacted and inspired them togreater effort in its behalf. When-ever he traveled it was his cus-tom to carry a typewriter, andregardless of where he was, athome, in his office, or in his com-partment on the train, he alwaysgave every spare moment to theservice of the Faith. He wrotenumberless papers, (he nevergave a public address extem-poraneously); he carried on a

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154 wontn onnsnvoluminous correspondence andhe wrote books, articles andpoems, many of which have beenpublished.

His thirst for knowledge wasunquenchable, as witnessed byhis unending search for theTruth, which finally led him todiscover the Faith. His under-standing was so great that eventhe repudiation of the Faith byhim through whom he firstlearned of it, made not theslightest difference. His under-standing of the Teachings, evenin the earliest period when prac-tically no authentic material re-garding them was available,transcended that limitation andhe was able to explain esotericmeanings in the Scriptures aswell as to make clear phases ofthe Baha’i Teachings that werediflicult for others. The thingsthat he said were later upheldby the clear explanations madeby the great souls who were sentto this country by "Abdu’l-Baha,as well as by the Tablets of theMaster.

I vividly recall an afternoonat 4-75 W. Monroe S-t., Chicago,the headquarters of the Baha’iCommunity. Mr. Chase was en-deavoring to assist a youngPersian (Ameen Fareed) in thefirst attempt to translate intoEnglish the Hidden Words ofBaha’u’llah. My part was, with

the help of several dictionaries,to look up words or synonyms.The young Persian had someknowledge of English, but Thorn-ton Chase’s demands for wordsthat might adequately expressthe meanings that were concealedin the Persian taxed him beyondhis capacity. The translation thatfinally was obtained was, ofcourse, only for our own satis-faction. Mr. Chase had no ideaof preparing it for general use,but his burning desire for theWords of Baha’u’llah and hisreadiness to understand the sig-nificance of the words as theywere in a painfully painstakingmanner translated, made a deepimpression on my youthfulconsciousness.

Another evidence of his pene-trating understanding of theFaith was his eager acceptanceof every element of the adminis-tration as it was gradually un-folded by the Master in thoseearly days. He was, undoubtedly,inclined toward it by his natural,highly developed sense of order.His appreciation of the principleof order and law is attested toby many writings and poems.

There were many in the earlydays of the Faith in Americawho were inclined to question,and of those a goodly numberactually abandoned the Faith be-cause they learned that its

THORNTON cuasn 155Teachings included an actualorganization. This continuedthrough a number of years andeven up to the time of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit in 1912. ThorntonChase’s endeavors in behalf ofthe establishment of the Houseof Spirituality caused some whowere opposed to the whole ideaof organization to violently op-pose him. Many meetings whichordinarily would have served topromote the welfare of the Causewere therefore torn by dissensionand strife. Through it all, how-ever, he stood kind but firm, andit undoubtedly was largely hisloyalty and constant endeavorthat kept alive and functioningthe administrative work of theFaith. In those early days thenumbers of those who upheldhim naturally were small, andthere were periods when it wasexceedingly difficult to gathertogether a sufficient number ofmen to serve on the administra-tive body. It was through thiscircumstance that both Mr. Al-bert Windust and I were invitedto sit in with the members of thenewly established House ofJustice. The administrative bodyfunctioned under that name onlyone year, but under the condi-tions prevailing at the time andat the suggestions of ThorntonChase, we two younger men inthe Faith were invited to attendthe deliberations of the mem-

bers. After a period our nameswere proposed to the communityas a whole and we were ac-cepted and installed as membersof that body. The exigency ofthe moment was, of course, thejustification for what now wouldcertainly be regarded as highlyirregular. It must be borne inmind that at that time member-ship was limited to men. Whenlater the name of the body waschanged to House of Spiritualityand both men and women wereenabled to serve, the need forsuch devices to keep intact theinstitution of the Faith of Godwas obviated. It is referred tohere only to point out the anxietyof Thornton Chase to uphold andto keep functioning the institu-tion of the Spiritual Assembly,which, in spite of still meagerinformation from the authoritiesin the Faith, Baha’u’llah and‘Abdu’l-Baha, he deemed asacred institution and worthy ofevery endeavor and sacrifice.

To those who have had a longcontinued association with theFaith and who have witnessedthe skillful unfoldment of theadministration by our Guardian,Shoghi Effendi, Thornton Chase’sexample, his deep insight intothe reality of the Teachings andhis early championship of thatadministration, there must comea deep feeling of gratitude toGod for awakening a vision so

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156 wontn ottneaprofound in one of our number.For the benefit of the reader ofthis statement who may still besomewhat unfamiliar with theunfoldment of the establishmentof the Baha’i Faith in America,it should be said that from theearliest days when actual con-tact with ‘Abdu’l-Baha Himselfhad been established there wasno longer possible even a reason-able doubt regarding the charac-ter of the administrative bodiesthat were to be established bythe Baha’is-. The Spiritual As-semblies were definitely estab-lished by the Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and through every othercontact that was made with Him.It remained for the Guardian,after the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, to establish the Nationalorganization, not only in Amer-ica but in every other countrywhere the numbers of adherentsof the Faith made such an estab-lishment feasible. Nevertheless itis wonderful to recall that in theearliest days, Thornton Chasesaw clearly the possibility of thisgreat unfoldment, and he had inmind the vision of the establish-ment even of the Supreme Houseof Justice.

Undoubtedly the greatestperiod in the life of ThorntonChase was that which began withhis pilgrimage to ‘Akka in 1907and the years that followed tothe end of his earthly life. Since

it was my privilege to accom-pany him on that journey, I amperhaps better able to tell aboutit than about the time that fol-lows, for shortly after his returnfrom ‘Akka business changes de-manded his moving to California.Of his labors there others, nodoubt, are able to tell.

His story of his visit to’Abdu’l-Baha published as abooklet under the title “InGalilee”, gives the reader someimpressions of that visit. It doesnot, however, present any ideaof the way that great soul re-sponded to the loving influenceof ‘Abdu’l-Baha. He was bynature a kindly and affectionateperson. His great smile quicklyovercame the reserve that hiseminent dignity usually inspired.In the presence of the Masterhe seemed completely melted andovercome by the love of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and the love and kindnessof the believers. Not all of theexperiences in that Holy House-hold were purely pleasurable,for ‘Abdu’l-Baha in his kindlymanner corrected many conceptsthat, in spite of a broad visionand deep understanding, stillwere wrong. That ‘Abdu’l-Bahaloved him dearly was obvious,and his response was that of aloving trusting son. The radiantjoy of the four days spent therewas counterbalanced by the sor-row that came when we were told

THORNTON cnasr: 157that, because of agitation on thepart of those who opposed theFaith, our stay would have to beshortened. On leaving ‘Akka ourparty was driven to the HolyTomb at Bahji and there we wereindividually permitted to enterand pray. Thereafter the gardenin which Baha’u’llah found sur-cease from the rigors of Hisprison life was visited, and thejourney back to America began.

Mr. Chase was so moved bythis departure that he spoke noword during the entire journeyand not until he again enteredthe hospice of the Little Childin Haifa were his tears dried.As we descended the stairs lead-ing from the small second storypatio surrounded by the roomsthat were ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s prisonhome and which we had so eager-

ly ascended only four days be-fore, four days that were in theirsignificance to our lives likeeternity, Mr. Chase said, “TheMaster has assured me that Iwill return to this place soon.This reconciles me to this un-bearable departure.”

It will be recalled that shortlybefore ‘Abdu’l-Baha arrived inAmerica, Mr. Chase passed on.Without question all who knewhim will testify that he knewthe reality of the meeting with‘Abdu’l-Baha and even thoughit was not destined that he shouldonce again physically visit thatabode of light, he attained thatvisit in the true spirit of devo-tion and self-sacrifice for the loveof God which was the animatingand dominating force in his life.

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Mighty indeed have been the tasks accomplished and the victoriesachieved by this sorely-tried undefeatable Faith within the space of a century!Its unfinished tasks, its future victories, as it stands on the threshold of thesecond Baha’i century, are greater still. In the brief space of the firsthundred years of its existence it has succeeded in diffusing its light over fivecontinents, in erecting its outposts in the furthermost corners of the earth, inestablishing, on an impregnable basis its Covenant with all mankind, in rear-ing the fabric of its world-encompassing Administrative Order, in casting offmany of the shackles hindering its total emancipation and world-wide recog-nition, in registering its initial victories over royal, political and ecclesiasticaladversaries, and in launching the first of its systematic crusades for thespiritual conquest of the whole planet.

—SHOGHI Errsnnr in God Passes By

For My SonsEVELYN V. LOVEDAY

FOR YOU, my young sons, Iwish as does any mother that

life may be kind to you. I wish,too, that you may be kind to life.There is so much to do, so muchto give and a lifetime is verybrief. I wish for you a full anda rich life; knowing as I say itthat it will be thus only as youlive fully and richly.

You will make many mistakes.But it is the wise man who canmake his mistakes work for him-—-who can wring the last drop ofknowledge there is to be gainedfrom those mistakes.

I would have you feel allabout you the infinite mercy and,love of God. This will be in di-rect proportion to your own lovefor God, and your desire forspiritual growth and understand-ing. I care not how you find Him,or by what path you traveltoward Him. But this I do know,that until you constantly “prac-tice the presence of God” youwill be but an empty shell of ahuman.

I wish that you may be alwaysalert and sensitive to the suffer-ings and needs of your fellowhumans. The greatest need ofthe world in this time is for allpeople to realize their fullestpotentialities religiously, social-

ly and economically.I wish that I may make you

see very clearly the way in whichhatred, bigotry and prejudice arethe worst enemies confrontingthe world today. And I wouldwish still further that you maybecome leaders in your genera-tion to wipe out these enemiesthat are constant deterrentstoward a peaceful and saneworld.

I suppose I would be a strangemother indeed, did I not wish foryou material success. This neednot concern me unduly, for youhave within you the potentialitiesfor such success. Rather am Iconcerned that you maintain asense of good balance betweenreality and unreality; betweenthe “things of the spirit” and the“things of the flesh.” I wouldwish that you be fully consciousthat in the final reckoning, mate-rial success will be as nought,and only the amount you havegiven of yourselves to the worldwill be worth counting.

I wish that you may constantlyand increasingly become awareof two great attributes; lovingk in dn es s and understanding.With these as your goal you can-not help achieving all and morethan I dare hope for you.

158

WITH OUR READERS

T=H.IS August issue of World Orderis planned especially to show the

relation of Baha’u’llah to Christ andof the Baha’i Faith to Christianity.We hope it will answer the questionsof many inquiring Christians; defi-nitely refute the rather prevalent ideathat the Baha’i Faith is simply an-other cult not worthy the time for in-vestigation; turn sincere souls intothe path of search so that they mayrealize that we are living in the Dayof Days, the Day promised in all theHoly Scriptures, that we are livingin a time unparalleled in the pastand not to be repeated for a full100,000 years.

The leading place in this numberis given to Baha’u’llah’s Tablet tothe Pope, one of many Tablets orletters addressed by Baha’u’llah tokings and ecclesiastics of Christen-dom. O-f this Tablet Shoghi Effendi,the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith,has written: “To Pope Piux IX, theundisputed head of the most power-ful church in Christendom, posses-sor of both temporal and spiritualauthority, He, a prisoner in the ar-my barracks of the penal colony of‘Akka, addressed a most weighty epis-tle, in which He announces that ‘Hewho is the Lord of Lords is comeovershadowed with clouds,’ and that‘the Word which the Son concealedis made manifest’.”

When ’Abdu’l-Baha was in thiscountry in 1912 he gave His univer-sal message to all types of audiencesand very often in churches. “ ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s first public appearance be-fore a western audience,” writes Sho-ghi Effendi, “significantly enough

took place in a Christian house ofworship, when on September 10,1911, He addressed an overflowingcongregation from the pulpit of CityTemple.” This was in London. Andin speaking of the miracle of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s extensive western tour andaddresses in western cities ShoghiEffendi writes: “He, Who, in HisOwn words, had entered prison as ayouth and left it an old man, Whonever in His life had faced a publicaudience, had attended no school,had never moved in Western circles,and was unfamiliar with Western cus-toms and language, had arisen notonly to proclaim from pulpit andplatform, in some of the chief capi-tals of Europe and in the leading ci-ties of the North American conti-nent, the distinctive verities enshrinedin His Father’s Faith, but to demon-strate as well the Divine origin of theProphets gone before Him, and todisclose the nature of the tie bind-ing them to that Faith.”

The address of ‘Abdu’l-Baha,“The Path to the Kingdom”, whichwe print this month is typical ofmany of His addresses in that itshows the universal need of true re-ligion and expounds clearly the newand fundamental principles necessarYfor this age which have been re-vealed by Baha’u’llah. This addresswas given in the Baptist Temple,Philadelphia. Our readers will re-member that in the October, 194-4,issue of World Order we called at-tention in this department to theuniqueness of the occasion of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s appearance in this church.We repeat this in part for the benc-

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fit of new readers of the magazine.“A most interesting and unusualchurch visited by ‘Abdu’l-Baha wasthe Baptist Temple in Philadelphia.Dr. Russell H. C.onwell, founder andpastor at that time, had made a visitto ‘Abdu’l-Baha in ‘Akka in 1908and while there he extended an invi-tation to ‘Abdu’l-Baha to speak inhis church if He should ever cometo Philadelphia.” This is the onlyrecorded case when ‘Abdu’l-B-aha ful-filled an engagement in a Christianchurch previously requested in ‘Akkawhen there seemed no prospect ofHis coming to America.

“The Mission of the Lord Christ”is a chapter in the book entitled ThePromise of All Ages by George Town-shend. Canon Townshend is Arch-deacon of Clonfert, Ireland. Thisscholarly Christian has delved deep-ly into Baha’i scriptures, has writ-ten extensively about the Baha’iFaith with deep love, appreciationand understanding and, as is clear,from the chapter here printed ac-cepts Baha’u’llah as “The PromisedOne.”

The first one to accept the Baha’iFaith in the United States was Thorn-ton Chase. As a student of Orientallanguages and philosophies he sens-ed the importance of the Baha’i mes-sage when he first learned of it andupon investigationeccepted it. “TheGift of God” is a chapter from hisbook, now out of print, entitled TheBaha’i Revelation, in which he pre-sents this Revelation as a fulfillmentof Bible teachings and prophecies.

The interesting account of Thorn-ton Chase’s life and experience, whichwe are printing in this number, istold by Carl Scheffler who knew himintimately for many years and wasassociated with him in Baha’i activi-

ty. Mr. Schefller has contributedseveral articles to World Order. Themost recent was in the June, 194-11-,number on “The Significance of theUniversal House of Worship.” Mr.Scheffler was for a number of yearsa member of the Baha’i NationalSpiritual Assembly, has served theCause as a teacher and lecturer andin many other ways. He is an artistresiding in Evanston, Illinois.

The following excerpt, taken froma weekly column written by the Rev.C. W. Chandler and published in a.New Zealand paper, gives us thethoughts of one thoughtful Christianclergyman.

“Nothing short of a Second Com-ing, or sudden appearance, or thebirth of a prophet will effect thetransformation that is needed. Wil-son’s Fourteen Points were thoughtto be too Utopian, and the AtlanticCharter itself will need more thanwishful thinking to bring it into ef-fect . . .”

Fifty years ago the great Christianscholar, Professor Jowett of OxfordUniversity wrote concerning the Ba-ha’i R.evelation: “This is the great-est light the world has seen sinceChrist, but it is too great and tooclose for the world to appreciate itsfull import.”

Garreta Busey in her editorialshows that instruction in religion isan indispensable part of educationof the whole personality and that thisneed is in no way met in our presentsystem of education.

“For My Sons” is Evelyn V. Love-day’s first contribution to WorldOrder. Mrs. Loveday is a member ofthe Baha’i Assembly in Brookline,Massachusetts, and has served atGreen Acre Baha’i School.

----THE Eorrons

Baha’i World Faith

This book contains a representative selection of the Writings ofBaha’u’llah and of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and is the largest collection of Baha’iliterature in English translation now available in one volume. - '

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IA detailed Table of Contents and an Index make the Baha’i teach-

ings readily accessible for study as well as reading and meditation.

The plan of the book arranges the contents in nine chapters, asfollows :--

Part One—Writings of Baha’u’llahChapter One—The Great AnnouncementChapter Two—The Promised One

' Chapter Three—The Life of the SoulChapter Four—Laws of the New AgeChapter Five-—-The Mystery of God

, Part Two—Writings of ‘Abdu’l-BahaChapter Six-The Faith of Bahci’u’lldhChapter Seven--Soul, Mind and SpiritChapter Eight—The Loom of RealityChapter Nine--The Divine Plan 1

‘I

I Each of these chapters has been treated as a unit of significance,and the sequence of the nine chapters conveys a sense of the unfold-ment of the Baha’i Dispensation in the Tablets of Baha’u’llah, HisWill and Testament, the Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, andin His Testament and Plan for the World Order of Baha’u’llah.

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The passages selected have been taken from fifteen difierent pub-lications as well as from the National Archives. '

Printed on thin light paper and bound in green fabrikoid. 4-65pages. Per copy, $1.50. '

Bxnfi PUBLISHING Commrrree110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

TRUTHS FOR A NEW DAY

promulgated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahéthroughout North America in 1912

These teachings were given by Bohé’u’lléhover seventy years ago and are to be

found in His published1 writings of that ‘time.

The oneness of mankind.Independent investigation of truth.The foundation of all religions is one. dReligion must be the cause of unity.Religion must be in accord with science and

reason.Equality between lnen and women.Prejudice of all kinds must be forgotten.Universal peace.Universal i education.Spiritual solution of the economic problem.A universal language.An international tribunal.

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‘ SEPTEMBER. I945

BUILDING A UNITED WORLD——-Margaret Kunz Ruhe

A COSTA RICA, THE BEAUTIFUL-—f-Gaylé Woolson

WORLD UNDERTAKINGS, Editorial“-Horace Holley

PROGRESS TOWARD AN INTERNATIONAL LANOUA(;E—Artl1ur Dahl

THE WORLD WITHOUT NATIONS, Book ReviewE——-Bertha. Hyde Kirkpatrick

1"A-~ , .. __. .EARLY GROWTH OF THE BAI~IA’I 1gAITII-—-Mar1a.m Haney

WITI-1 OUR READERs

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World Order was founded March, 21, 1910' as Bahti’i Netas,~tl1e firstorgan of the American Ba.ba’is. In March, I911, its title was changedto Star of the West. Reginning November, 1922ithe magazine appearedunder the name of The Bah-tfi Magazine. The issue of April, C1935carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bahci’i Maga-zine and World Unity, which had been ‘founded October, I927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI of the continuous iBaha'ipublication. ' _ I p

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WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, 111., by the PublishingComtnittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Carreta -Busey, Gertrude K. Henning, HoraceI-lolley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick. _

1 _ ' Editorial Of/lice” Mrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

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A SEPTEMBER, 1945, VOLUME XI, NUMBER 6

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and posses-sions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, I50.Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to WorldOrder Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. *Entered as second classmatter April 1, 1940, at the post office at Wilmette, Ill., under the Act of March3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1945 by Baha’i Publishing CoInmitt'eeQ Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Ofice. ' ~

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.D ' IThe Bahé’i Magazine

VOLUME XI SEPTEMBER, 1945 NUMBER 6

Building a United VI/iorldMARGARET KUNZ RUHE

WE ARE living today in anera of tremendous change,

of swiftly altering events, andwe know and sense that out ofall the chaos, confusion, and col-lapse of our present world somekind of a rebirth is taking shape.There is a stirring of new lifedeep in the currents of humanaffairs, and We are longing andpraying, now that the war is over,that the days which lie ahead willbring a just peace. I

Wihat can we do about thefuture? What can we do now tobuild towards a lasting, endur-ing peace? Our ideas are mud-dled and foggy. We have perhapsa vague longing to be somehoweffective in building a new andbetter world, but what to do?Where to look for guidance?Most people are bewildered, andconsequently are taking the fa-talistic attiude that what is goingto be is going to be anyway, sowhy do anything? There is greatdanger in this “take it easy” at-titude. It has always been theAmerican belief that things will

somehow turn out “O. K.” Sowe drift along trying to overlookthe seriousness of the situationfacing us, vainly hoping that thegood old days will return.

In order to find out what wecan do, let us examine our poorshattered world, which like theproverbial Humpty Dumpty, hasfallen to pieces to the pointwhere we wonder if it can everbe put together again. Our worldappears to be afflicted withsevere maladies and disorders ofevery kind.

First, We witness a world wherepolitical anarchy is the moststriking feature. Nationalism andchauvinism have become sostrong that each nation thinksonly of itself. After World WarI, treaties, charters, covenants,pacts, and contracts were enactedamong the various nations, butthey all proved ineffective in theend.

In the area of economic rela-tions the same is true. Eachcountry has considered only itsown needs. Self-sufhciency is the

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goal, and high tariff walls havebeen constructed around eachcountry so that the natural flowof goods has been stifled. Theresult is international bank-ruptcy and war.

Another striking feature ofour day is that we live in a timeof tremendous scientific advance-ment. Materially, we have com-forts, conveniences, pleasures,and luxuries which kings andqueens of old dared not dreamof. But as a result we have cometo worship material things andwe measure success entirely interms of material and economicprogress. As long as our stand-ard of living was going up, aslong as there were more radios,telephones, bathtubs, washingmachines, movies, etc., we havefelt somehow that humanity wasin a state of progress. But eco-nomic progress is good only aslong as it is a means to a highersocial order. Furthermore, themeans of science have been usedto devise methods for killingand destruction.

We live in a day of great ad-vances in learning and in re-search of all kinds -— chemical,medical, biological, sociological,psychological, etc., etc. Never be-fore have we had so many books,libraries, teachers, professors,colleges, schools, lecturers, aca-demies, degrees, and collegegraduates. Knowledge and its

dissemination have not been neg-lected, but rather advanced inbrilliant and unparalled fashion,and yet our civilization has rot-ted and decayed, because wehave educated only the mind andnot the human heart. Today theeducation of the human heart isthe crying need.

Morally and religiously ourworld has declined. Civilizationhas disintegrated from withinbecause of the breakdown ofmoral standards and the loosen-ing of the hold of religion onthe peoples of the world. Thisis being recognized today bymany leading thinkers andwriters. It is striking as youstudy books on world affairs tofind that many students of cur-rent events are waking up to thefact that the doom of our worldis caused by the fact that we areliving in a moral vacuum. Ed-ward Hallet Carr in his re-centbook Conditions of Peace says:“The essential nature of thecrisis through which we are liv-ing is neither political, military,economic, but moral. A new faithin a new moral purpose is re-quired to reanimate our politicaland economic system.” Otherwriters have reached the sameconclusion: that our civilizationhas approached bankruptcy be-cause of the breakdown of theinner moral and religious strong-holds.

UNITED WORLD 163Finally, we find that in the

area of social relationships thereis disharmony and hatred be-cause of deep-seated prejudicesof every kind. In every countryof the world people are hatingeach Other, and killing each otherbecause of prejudices of class,religion, color, education, na-tionality, creed, race, etc. InIndia the caste system is an old-time tradition with a class ofuntouchables. In the Near Eastwe find Christians, Muham-medans and Jews at each Othersthroats. Europe is torn up with athousand prejudices of nation-ality, race, and religion. In ourown country we find insults, in-justices, humiliations, and dis-criminations heaped on Mexi-cans, Jews, Orientals, Negroes,and American Indians. What theworld needs more than anythingelse is the abandonment of preju-dices. How can this be done?

Prejudices lie deep in ouremotions, and therefore they canbe wiped out only by a recondi-tioning of our emotional selves.The negative emotions of hatred,suspicion, fear, and distrust mustbe transformed into the positiveemotions of cooperation, mutualtrust, brotherhood, love, under-standing, and fellowship. Thereis needed a universal recognitionof the Oneness of mankind, ofbrotherhood, and the underlying,basic unity of all peoples.

Baha’u’llah, the greatest teacherof humanity of our day and thefounder of the Baha’i Faith,says: “The tabernacle of unityhas been raised; the earth is butone country, and mankind itscitizens. Regard ye not one an-other as strangers.~——~Ye are allthe leaves of one tree and thedrops of one sea. Let not a manglory in this that he loves hiscountry. Let him rather glory inthis that he loves his kind.”Baha’u’llah’s central teaching isthat we are approaching the dayof the unification of the entirehuman race. Now is the timewhen all prejudices must bewiped out and a consciousness ofunity be born, or the human racefaces certain extinction. All thedifferent elements of societymust be fused into one organicwhole. The time has come for theblending and harmonizing of allpeoples. This is the sine quanon of humanity’s survival.Without universal acceptance ofthe Oneness of mankind, thehuman race is doomed.

Physically and even intellectu-ally we are achieving a degreeof unity, but in the realm of theemotions we are widely sep-arated. Our emotional growthhas not kept pace with our ma-terial and intellectual growth.This emotional transformationcan be brought about onlythrough a spiritual rebirth.

164 WORLD ORDER

Men’s hearts and spirits mustagain be kindled by the fire ofthe love of God. We are living inan age of spiritual anemia.Herbert Agar points out thatthere exists a “spiritual thin-ness” in modern peoples. Weare lost in a sea of materialism,and thus have allowed ourselvesto become spiritually under-nourished. And yet it remainstrue now as always that “mandoes not live by bread alone,”and so we sense that the basicneed of our age is the rebirth ofspiritual values and of God-consciousness in the hearts andminds of men.

The concept of unity whichBaha’u’llah has sounded as thekey-note for this day pertainsnot only to relations between in-dividuals, but to the relationsbetween nations and peoples ofall backgrounds. This is a mes-sage of unity which goes beyondthe traditional brotherhood con-cept; its implications are deeper.It declares that today unitymust be established betweenall groups, religions, cultures,classes, nations, and sects in theworld. It envisions a world fed-eration with an internationalcode of law, a world communica-tions system, a world metropolis,a world language, a world script,a world system of currency andweights and measures, a freepress, a unified economic scheme

-—-- unity but not uniformity.There will always be differencesamong the people, but at thesame time there will evolve aunity of spirit and a willingnessto be world-minded and to giveup narrow national concepts forbroader international concepts.Something will be added to theculture of each country. ShoghiEffendi, the Guardian of theBaha’i Faith, says: “The calltoday is for a wider loyalty, alarger aspiration than any thathas animated the human race.There must be a subordinationof national impulses and in-terests to the imperative claimsof a unified world. The watch-word is unity in diversity.”

What can we as individualsdo to aid in building a new, aunified world?

First of all, we must rid our-selves of the idea that we cantake it easy because what is go-ing to be is going to be. This isa fatalistic attitude for whichthere is no room today. Second,we must empty Ourselves of allour prejudices. This is not easy.We all have prejudices. They arehidden deep within us and wemay not even be aware of them.Constant self-scrutiny and re-ex-amination are needed to keepourselves free from these germsof prejudice which are highlycontagious and to be caught fromalmost anyone all the time. The

UNITED WORLD 155doors of our minds and soulsmust be flung wide open to allowold ideas to pass out and newideas to enter.

High seriousness is required.This is not at all typical of usas a people. We tend to laughour way out of all serious situ-ations, and Overlook or ignorethe sore spots in our civilizationand in our selves.

We must independently inves-tigate truth for this day. Baha-’u’llah has brought us a greatmessage of hope and light, andit is Our first obligation to studyand meditate upon his Teachings.

It is our duty to constantlyand unceasingly talk to othersin order to spread our ideas ofunity. It is our responsibility tocounteract every negative thoughtwith a positive thought. ‘Abdu’l-

Baha advised us to change everythought of war into a strongerthought for peace.

The standard of God mustagain be hoisted. It is GOd’s planfor this day that humanity shallbe united. We are entering thestage of maturity for all man-kind. Let us do our part hereand now to build a united world.Baha’u’ll£th has said, “That oneis indeed a man who dedicatethhimself to the service of the en-tire human race.” ‘Abdu’l-Baha’spromise keeps our courage andfaith high. I-Ie assured us that“this is a new cycle of humanpower. All the horizons of theworld are luminous, and theworld will become indeed as agarden and a paradise. It is thehour of unity of the sons of menand of the drawing together ofall races and all classes.”

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The mission of the prophets, the revelation of the holy books, themanifestations of the heavenly teachers and the purpose of divine philosophyall center in the training of the human realities so that they may becomeclear and pure as mirrors and reflect the light and love of the Sun of Reality.Therefore I hope that whether you be in the east or the west you will strivewith heart and soul in order that day by day the world of humanity maybecome glorified, more spiritual, more sanctified; and that the splendor ofthe Sun of Reality may be revealed fully in human hearts as in a mirro-r.This is worthy of the world of mankind. This is the true evolution and prog-ress of humanity. This is the supreme bestowal.

—‘ABDU’L-B»AHA

Costa Rica, the BeautifulGAYLE WOOLSON

WHEN I first read the forti-fying, faith-imbuing state-

ment of Baha’u’lléh: “They thathave forsaken their country forthe purpose of teaching OurCause—--these shall the faithfulSpirit strengthen through itspower. A company of Our chosenangels shall go forth with them,as hidden by Him Vilho is theAlmighty, the All-Wise. Howgreat the blessedness that await-eth him that hath attended thehonor of serving the Almighty!By My Life! NO act, howevergreat, can compare with it, ex-cept such deeds as have beenordained by God, the All-Power-ful, the Most Mighty. Such aservice is indeed the prince ofall goodly deeds, and the orna-ment of every goodly act,” I feltreinforced with an assurancethat I would never hesitate or beafraid to go to any foreigncountry in the service of the HolyCause of Baha’u’llal1. It was,then, in response to the Guard-ian’s appeal for pioneers forLatin America in his messageto the I939 Convention that Iwas privileged to go to thebeautiful land of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica, the heart of theAmericas, with its friendly,warm-hearted people of world

renowned hospitality, its richpicturesque scenery and delight-ful climate, is a jewel amongLatin American countries unsur-passed in its beauty and charm.The name of this tiny CentralAmerican republic lying betweenNicaragua and Panama means“Rich Shore” which bears elo-quent testimony to the country’swealth of blessings.

It was on March 23, 1940, thatMrs. Amalia Ford, the otherpioneer, and I boarded theUnited Fruit Company steam-ship, the S. S. Ulua, at NewOrleans, and headed for CostaRica where we were to carryGod’s new Message which Baha-’u’llah proclaimed to the worldto cure the ills that exist insociety by establishing the DivineTeachings He revealed for theunification and spiritual regener-ation of humanity.

On our way, the boat made aday’s stop at Havana, Cuba,where we were met at the dockby Philip and June Marangella,the first pioneers of that coun-try. We spent a wonderful andeventful day with these devotedpioneers who have lent suchvaluable services to the estab-lishment of the Bahéii Faith inHavana. We spent a memorable

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cosra RICA 167afternoon in their apartment thatday where we were gathered withthe first Bathéfi of Cuba, Sr.Perfecto Perez, and held a me-morial meeting for Mrs. MayMaxwell, the great internationalBaha’i teacher, who had recentlylaid down her life in the pathof God in Buenos Aires, Argen-tina. After thirty-eight years ofconsecrated, selflless service tothe Cause of Baha’u’llah, “herearthly life, so rich, eventful, in-comparably blessed” was “worth-ily ended”. She who had won the“priceless honor (of a) martyr’scrown” and who has been titledthe “Mother of the Latin races”is a shining example and greatsource of inspiration to allBah:-i’i teachers.

We landed at Puerto Limon,the Atlantic port of Costa Rica,on March 29th, after an ex-tremely pleasant week’s journey.Landing on Costa Rican shoreswas like entering into a newworld. A thrilling new world itwas, indeed, for l found myself,all at once, amidst Spanish speak-ing people, with diiferent cus-toms, temperaments and way ofbeing. Not knowing Spanish atthe time made this world espe-cially new to me; Mrs. Ford,though, was well-versed in thelanguage. We were immediatelyimpressed with the friendly, cor-dial attitude of the people mak-

ing us feel welcome the instantwe set foot on their soil.

A most picturesque and fascin-ating trip was the hundred-milejourney inland from the port toour final destination-—--San José,the capital city. It is regarded asone of the most beautiful railtrips in the world. Along thecoast are the usual palm-fringedbays, inlets and rivers and thetypical beautiful vistas of thetropics, while the interior is highup in the mountains. An ever-changing panorama of largebanana, cacao and coffee planta-tions, sugar cane, cocoanutpalms, tropical fruit and flowertrees, orchid plants, valleys, riv-ers and streams, native huts withtheir friendly peasant ownerswaving at the passengers is dis-closed as the train winds its wayup the mountains until the loftypeaks of the Cordilleras, back-bone of Central America, appearmajestically on the horizon.

No less exhilarating than themagnificient scenery is the invig-orating change that takes placein the atmosphere, introducing aspring-like tang in the air as oneleaves the warmer coastal regionand is carried to the bracing alti-tude of the interior. The viewthroughout this section of thejourney may aptly be describedas breath-taking. The whole val-ley of the Reventazon River maybe seen with one sweep of the

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163 wonrn ononneye with the rushing river itselfappearing as a tiny, narrow rib-bon of white foam a thousand ormore feet below the train. Thecharm and delights of Costa Ricagrew hour by hour, and a high-light was experienced as thetrain, approaching San José,made a steep, winding climb intothe heart of the mountains. Theheights were seen above whereSan Jose is embedded, and as wewent higher and higher, it was asthough we were ascending tosome mysterious, unknown king-dom high up in the heavens. Aheart-gripping e m o t i o n wassensed as we reached the capital,the new recipient of the light ofBah:-i’u’llah’s teachings for worldunity, universal love and spirit-ual brotherhood, an emotion bothof gratitude for the "privilege ofbeing a bearer of this gloriousmessage to this virgin territory,and of awareness of the great re-sponsibility which such a missionimplied.

San José is a beautiful, mod-ern city, bordered on all sideswith inspiring mountains. ln ad-dition to the numerous attractiveparks, one sees an abundance oftrees and flowers, occasionally anentire tree covered with red, yel-low or lavender flowers adorningits setting. It has approximately80,000 inhabitants, the majorityof whom are of almost pureSpanish descent. The altitude of

the city is about 4-,000 feet abovesea level which gives it an idealspring-like climate the yeararound with an average sealevel temperature of 70 degrees,somewhat cooler at night. Everymorning is a bright spring morn-ing in San Jose. There is noautumn or cold winter. The trees,shrubs and grass are green, andthe flowers bloom throughout theyear. lt has two seasons, the dryseason from November to Apriland the rainy season during theremaining months when its rainsin the afternoons, sometimes un-til evening, but the mornings aregenerally lovely and sunny. SanJose has been becoming more andmore a summer resort.

In Costa Rica one finds apeaceful, peace-loving, hospita-ble people, rich and poor alike,and a tranquil atmosphere with.none of the hustle and bustle ofthe large cities of North America.Life moves along in a leisurelysort of way, and the visitor even-tually comes to realize that,after all, a little more of the“mafiana” spirit helps to makelife more enjoyable. The beauti-ful innate qualities of the LatinAmericans make them splendidBaha’is. They are a people ofexquisite human feelings. Theyare kind, courteous, loving,friendly and tactful. They areextremely careful not to hurtanyone’s feelings, a trait which

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cosra RICA 169is a natural inclination of theirsensitive natures. They havegreat spiritual and intellectualcapacity, possess a keen sense ofhumor and are poets by nature,as among them the ability tocompose poetry seems almostuniversally prevalent. Because ofthese characteristics and thegrowing trend toward liberalism,the Baha’i Teachings havefound great receptivity in LatinAmerica.

Our first opening in gettingour Baha’i work started in SanJosé was made through theChamber of Commerce where weinquired about groups interestedin liberal thought. We were in-formed that Sefiorita Esther Mez-erville, a former director of theGirls’ College and a member ofthe Theosophical Society was theone to see. The kind gentlemangiving us this information eventelephoned her and made anappointment for us to see her.She was a charming, graciouslady of dignified bearing wholistened to the Message with in-terest. She took us to visit Pro-fessor Roberto Brenes Mesen,well-known Costa Rican educa-tor, writer and poet, and his wife.In the course of our conversation,we were delighted to learn thathe had spoken in the Templesome years ago when he lived inEvanston and taught at North-western University. Miss Mezer-

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ville also contacted the presidentof the Theosophical Society inour behalf, who invited us totheir hall where Mrs. Ford pre-sented the Message. We foundthe Theosophists receptive to theTeachings and to be our truefriends and collaborators.

Things moved fast for us andwithin a month after our arrival,a weekly Baha’i study class wasestablished. The few attendantswe had were from the Theosophi-cal Society and other contactsthat were made. At that time wewere living in a pension (board-ing house) and the landlady gaveus permission to use her diningroom for our class. A funny inci-dent occurred after our firstmeeting when the landlady hada sudden change of heart, and asthe friends began to arrive forthe second meeting, she firmly in-formed us that under no condi-tion could we have our meetingthere. We felt we had the rightto use our own bedroom so we in-vited the friends in there but thelady would not allow us to useany of her chairs. With the useof the edge of the bed, some ofour suit cases and the one lonelychair we had in the bedroom forseats, we happily carried on ourmeeting. Through the efforts ofone of the friends, a small apart-ment was soon found for us whereour meetings were conducted withfreedom and regularity.

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170 WORLD oansaRapid progress was made with

the marvelous cooperation of thefriends. One would bring a rela-tive, another a friend to themeetings and they would takeactive part by speaking and pre-senting papers they had writtenon the Teachings. They showedwonderful ability to expressthemselves both in speech andin writing. After the reading ofpassages from the Baha’i Writ-ings, most interesting discussionswould follow. Almost invari-ably, someone would bring, ofhis own volition, a commentaryhe was inspired to write on someprinciple or aspect of the Cause.We were fortunate in getting finepublicity early in the course ofour work as one of the new be-lievers was the owner and editorof the magazine, “Alma Tica”,(meaning Costa Rican Soul), inwhich a section was devoted totheBaha’i Teachings in each edi-tion. Since the war, however,this publication has been tempo-rarily discontinued.

The group grew to the extentthat the following year, 1941,when the time arrived for theformation of the Spiritual Assem-bly, there were twelve CostaRican Baha’is to take part in theelection. In a letter from ShoghiEffendi to the Spiritual Assem-bly of San José, written Decem-ber l7, 194-1, by the Guardiarfssecretary, he said: “Your Assem-

bly will go down in history as thefirst Baha’i Assembly in CentralAmerica, a great distinction andblessing, and the Guardian feelsthat if you continue to progressso rapidly you will soon be in aposition to spread the Cause,through representatives of yourCommunity, in other neighboringlands. This would be of greatvalue to the work of teachingthese divine laws and truths, asthen the Latin Americans wouldbe hearing it from the lips oftheir own people, in their ownlanguage, which, of course, wouldbe very effective.”

The progress continued and inthe following year on April 21,1942, a Spiritual Assembly wasformed in Puntarenas, a sea porton the Pacific side, in the prov-ince of that same name, anotherone of the seven provinces ofCosta Rica. It was very interest-ing how this came abou.t. Ourone prized Baha’i family of SanJose was visited by a son livingin Puntarenas who was, as yet,unaware of the Teachings.

Upon being told of the Causeand reading some of the litera-ture, he became aflame withardor and devotion, finding, atlast, that for which his soul wasthirsting. He took Baha’i' booksand pamphlets back with himwhen he returned to Puntarenasand in his place of work, thecustom house, during spare mo-

cosrx RICA 171ments, he would gather a few ofhis intimate friends, also em-ployed in the Custom I-louse orat the pier, and read the Teach-ings to them. I-Ie became the firstBahé’i of Puntarenas, and sevenof the men were interested. Theyexpressed a desire to form astudy class. It was just at thistime that the chairman of theSan Jose Assembly was trans-ferred to Puntarenas in his work,enabling him to help the newgroup with their meetings. AsPuntarenas is only a four hourtrain ride from San José, I wasable to visit them once a month.These men all became Baha’isand with the transfer of the SanJosé Baha’i making nine, theSpiritual Assembly was formed.

In June of that same year, thelegal registration of the San JoséSpiritual Assembly with the CostaRican Government was com-pleted. According to Costa Ricanlaw, the San Jose Spiritu.al As-sembly is considered the motherAssembly in the country and anyother Baha’i Assembly formed inCosta Rica becomes automati-cally incorporated under thisregistration.

In the second letter from theGuardian, through his secretary,to the Spiritual Assembly of San_Iosé, dated July 26, I942, hesaid: “The progress which theBaha’is of Costa Rica have madeduring the past year is little short

of astounding, and shows thedeep receptivity the people ofthat country have to the NewMessage of God which Baha’u’l-lah has proclaimed to the world.You must all indeed be bothproud and grateful that you livein a land so tolerant of progress,and which enables you. to estab-lish the blessed institutions or-dained by our Faith.

“The establishment of the newSpiritual Assembly of Punta-renas is a great step forward, an.dthe legal registration of the Causeand approval of the governmentmarks a milestone in the progressof the Cause not onlv in CostaRica but in Latin America.

“The more the Guardian re-ceives news from the Central andSouth American Republics, themore firmly he becomes con-vinced of the great capacity pos-sessed by the peoples of LatinAmerica. They are proving them-selves to be both deeply spiritualand intellectual, and he cherishesgreat hopes for their future devel-opment and their contributions tothis glorious Faith of ours.

“I-low wonderful that in lessthan a hundred years the messagethat originated in the heart ofPersia should have spread to theheart of Central America, andkindled such love and devotionand hope as now burns in thehearts of the new believers inthat distant continent!

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172 wonu) ORDER“The Guardian hopes that you

will not only succeed in establish-ing further centers in your ownnative land, but that the activitiesof the Costa Rican Baha’is willspread to neighboring countriesand aid in the establishment ofthe Faith there.”

The Message has also pene-trated into other provinces ofCosta Rica. The Theosophicalgroup of the province of Alajuelainvited the Baha’is of San Joséto present the Teachings at one oftheir gatherings. A group ofthirteen Baha’is and friendsmade the trip and an interestingmeeting was held. Much recep-tivity and enthusiasm was shownby the new listeners. We leftbooks and pamphlets to be circu-lated among them. The groundof human hearts is so fertile nowthat wherever a teacher would goand remain a while, a groupwould be easily established.There does not seem to be enoughteachers to supply the demand ofthe spiritually hungry souls thatare craving Divine Light.

Our first Bah:»i’i of Puntarenashad an experience that resultedin the Message being taken intothe Costa Rican province of Car-tago. One day when he was atthe pier in his city, he noticedthat a man was watching himvery intently. For several days,whenever he saw that man, theman’s eyes seemed to be fixed

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upon him. He inquired fromamong his friends who the manwas and one said he thought hewas a detective. This made ourBaha’i quite indignant; whyshould he be watched by a de-tective, he was not guilty of anyoffense! One day the man passedthe Baha’is home and the two ofthem exchanged glances and an“adios”, the customary greeting.A few days later the man passedthe house again. Our Bal1a’i wasin the parlor of his home whichis built close to the sidewalk.The window and door wereopened so the man stopped andcasually started a conversation.Some Baha’i books on a table inthe room caught his attention.“What kind of books are those?”he asked. Our Baha’i, thinkingthat the man was checking up onhim and perhaps suspected himof having some kind of literaturewhich he should not have, proud-ly answered that it was religiousliterature. “May I see one ofthose books?” he requested. TheBaha’i handed him one, and inhis inner perturbation did noteven notice which book it was.The man calmly and observinglyturned the pages. I-Ie then askedif he could buy the book. TheBaha’i answered that he couldborrow it and then if he felt hewanted it, he could have it. Theman thanked him and took thebook. It was Baht'i’u’lltih and the

cosra ntcx 173New Em. The Baha’i found outlater that the man was not adetective but a guard at the pierand one whose soul thirsted forDivine Truth and he knew thatour Baha’i had possession ofsome new religious teaching.

Every day for some days later,the Baha’i noticed that the manspent all his spare moments atthe pier in reading the book.After finishing it, the man askedfor another, then another, havingread in all, Btrhti’t1.’llrih and theNew Era, Wisdom of ‘AbdulBa-ltd, and Some Answered Ques-tions. The man later told theBaha’i that he was moving to theprovince of Cartago and that hewanted to take the books withhim. Some time later he wroteasking for more literature andfor pamphlets to give to hisfriends. He was referred to meas it was more convenient to sendliterature from San Jose. Hisletter to me was very beautifuland unique in his inspired ex-pressions of ‘devotion for theCause. Here is a part of hisletter translated into English: “Itwas on the 20th of July of thisyear (1943) that, by coincidence,this Sacred, Unique and Unpar-alleled depository of Teachings,Bahti"u’lléh and the New Era,came into my hands. I considerthis date memorable, glorious astoday I have nothing compar-able; and for me it is an inex-

haustible fountain of light, guid-ance, hope, certitude and assur-ance. My ultimate, one and onlyresolution is the upholding of thisHoly Cause.” In a letter whichhe wrote to our Baha’is of Punta-renas, he said: “For twenty-sixyears I have dedicated my timeto searching and meditating onreligious matter and never in mylife have teachings like theBaha'i Teachings come into mypossession. I am astonished, ex-tremely satisfied and also alwaysinterested, but it is an interestwhich is well defined and with-out possibility of retrogression.In the reading, study and medi-tation of the Baha’i Teachings, Ifeel great joy and ecstasy; it issomething supernatural indeed.I feel the breath of the HolySpirit in all my acts and occu-pations. It is in truth somethingsupernatural that moves me. Iam, I can say, a new creature,glory and thanks be to God.”

A very successful method usedby the San José group to build upthe meetings and make thembetter known was to occasionallyinvite some outstanding person ofthe city to be our speaker. Wehad such fine men as ProfessorRoberto Brenes Mesen, formerprofessor of Northwestern Uni-versity and distinguished writerand poet; Mr. Ioaquin GarciaMonje, owner and editor of thewidely circulated literary maga-

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174 WORLD ORDERzine, “Repertorio Americano”,who has been very cooperativeand generous in giving space forBaha’i articles and who is an Ex-Minister of Public Education inCosta Rica and a former directorof the Public Library, and hashad the distinction of being in-vited by the League of Nationsto visit Geneva; Professor JoseB. Acuna, one of Costa Bica’soutstanding educators and psy-chologists, who is now teachingat the Winona Teachers’ Collegein Minnesota; and Mr. BenjaminOdio, lawyer, who also gave ushis invaluable and generous as-sistance in obtaining the legalregistration of the Spiritual As-sembly. We deeply cherish thefriendship of these kind friendsand shall forever be grateful fortheir valuable help.

Visits from other pioneers arealways very effective and helpfulin the development of a group.It is hard to express how apioneer thirsts for visits fromfellow-pioneers while in thosevirgin and distant lands, espe-cially when the Community isjust a new one, and what a greatjoy, rare treat and fortification itis to see them, to talk with them,to derive the blessings of theirassociation and assistance. Ifonly more would come! Pioneerswho visited us in Costa Rica, inthe order in which they came,were: Gerard Sluter, Mathew

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Kaszab, Cora Oliver, Louise Cas-well, Johnny Eichenauer and Vir-ginia Orbison. Gerard Slutervisited San José while on his wayto Colombia from Guatemala,Mathew Kaszab came from Nica-ragua, Cora Oliver and LouiseCaswell from Panama, JohnnyEichenauer from Salvador afteralso having visited Honduras andNicaragua, and Virginia Orbisonvisited us on her way to Chilefrom the United States. Each hasleft his special contribution tothe growth and strengthening ofthe Costa Rican Baha’i Commu-nity.

The San Jose Community isproud that two of its membershave done pioneer work, Dr.David Escalante who cooperatedwith Mrs. Dorothy Baker in Vene-zuela and Sr. Gerardo Vega whohas assisted with the work inPanama.

It is such a great thrill andsource of immeasurable joy towitness, through the wondrousways of God, the birth, establish-ment and growth of a Baha’iCommunity in a virgin land.Throughout every moment of ac-tivity, as one door of opportunityopens after another in the pro-motion of the Holy Cause ofBaha’u’llah, the pioneer is al-ways vividly aware of the mirac-ulous and mysterious workingsof His Divine Spirit, aware of hisown utter nothingness and of how

cosrx rucx 175he does nothing, that he is mere-ly an instrument, a key in theHands of the Great Door-Openerand that it is His Spirit andPower that do the work.

The interesting eyperiences,joys and blessings of pioneeringare indeed abundant, and once ataste of pioneer service is had, itis like something that gets intoone’s blood and it does not seempossible to be content without it;and what is given and sacrificed,be it of oneself or any other con-tribution, is as nothing in com-parison to what is received in re-turn, in both the spiritual andmaterial sense of the word. Itmakes us realize that a mysteryof sacrifice is that there is nosacrifice, as ‘Abdu’l-Baha tellsus.

Of my many experiences, thefollowing is one I shall alwayscherish. One day in June, I942,a Chinese family moved into anapartment adjoining mine. Thenext day, as I heard one of mynew neighbors walking .in thecorridor towards my front door,I, too, went toward the door tomeet him. My wide front doorwhich gave entrance directly intothe parlor was open, and there inthe doorway stood a dignifiedChinese gentleman; he was look-ing at the Greatest Name whichwas hanging on the wall facingthe entrance. “You are a Ba-ha’i!” were his first words as he

shook my hand. “I am Mr. Z. T.Ing, the Chinese Consul of Nica-ragua. This is the third time Ihave seen this Baha’i symbol,”continued the gentle, soft-tonedvisitor. “The first time was inChina when I met a very friendlyBaha’i teacher (regrettably, hecould not remember her name),then once in the United States,and now here.” He then wentback to his apartment andbrought his wife, a sweet, gra-cious lady who was dressed in acharming Chinese garb, and inintroducing us, he said: “Mama,she is a Baha’i.” They expressedan excellent opinion of the Ba-ha’is. A few days later, afterMr. Ing had finished reading theWisdom of ‘Abdu’l-Bathe, he saidthat the Baha'.’i Teachings wouldfind great receptivity in China asthat is the way the Chinese think.

He had brought his familyfrom Managua, Nicaragua, toSan Jose to enjoy more comfor-table climate but his work calledhim back there. He would makeoccasional visits to San José andon one of these visits, when hewas attending a Baha’i meeting,he made a beautiful statementabout the Cause which thrilledand inspired us. He said “I havefaith in the Baha’i Religion be-cause it is the essence of all re-ligions and the basis of it is thatit accepts all races on an equalbasis. It is something which

176 woau) ORDER 6

meets with the needs of thesetimes and it satisfies within. Ifirmly believe it will replace allthe existing religions of the worldand it will be the one UniversalReligion for all.”

During the stay of the familyin San José, we became verygood friends and they were sokind, so hospitable and lovingthat I felt a part of them. Theyeven gave me lessons in eatingwith chopsticks though I alwaysended up resorting to the fork ifI wanted any nourishment.

The way some of the believersare attracted to the Cause is oftenreminiscent of The Dau=n.-Breralc-ers and shows how many are longbefore prepared in the spirit toreceive the Divine Message. Onebeliever of San José had a dreamseven years before she learned ofthe Cause in which she was sit-ting at the foot of a tree when avenerable figure of Oriental ap-pearance, with a white beard andwearing a beautiful white turbanapproached her and handed hera tray on which were some exqui-site fruit and a crystal pitcher ofwater. He spoke to her in her earand as he did so she beheld amagnificent temple. It was sevenyears later when her husbandwho was attending the Baha’imeetings brought home the Span-ish version of the Wisdom of‘Abdu’Z-Bahé, and as she openedit and saw the picture of ‘Abdu’l-

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Baha on the frontispiece, she rec-ognized Him as the venerablefigure in her dream.

The pioneer, besides enjoyingthe many happy experienceswhich flower his path, is facedwith difficulties as well. One ofthese that came my way was ex-perienced when I received a cablefrom home notifying me of thegrave illness of my mother andlater of her passing. My familywanted me to come home but Idid not feel I could leave mypost. The situation was diflicultbecause of very young brothersand sisters at home. It was mysister Dahela who took over ourmother’s place with the familyresponsibilities, and t h o u g hyoung herself, she valiantlyshouldered her task. This en-abled me to remain in CostaRica and since then I have al-ways rightfully referred to heras the “pioneer at home” as hadit not been for her, I would nothave been enabled to remain inthe pioneer field. It was soonafter this that Mrs. Ford returnedto the United States after a yearand a half of devoted service.

My adventure in learningSpanish began upon my arrivalin Costa Rica. In fact, there isno better school for acquiring aforeign language than to be inthe country where it is spoken.At first I attended the girls’ @01-lege known as the “Colegio Su-

.F"H"""!cosra arcs 1 t *1perior de Senoritas” and al-though I did not receive instruc-tion in Spanish there, I went tobe among the students to hear thelanguage spoken by them and theteachers and to practice by meansof conversation with the girls. Itwas a most delightful experience.Outside of school, I had a pri-vate Spanish teacher from whomI received two lessons a week.The following year I attendedthe newly inaugurated Universityof Costa Rica. I made a specialstudy of the verbs and concen-trated much effort on learning thevarious conjugations. In myconception, once the verbs aregrasped, the rest in Spanishcomes easily. It is a beautiful,rich language and a kev for un-locking the treasures of the LatinAmerican soul.

The Costa Ricans love theEnglish language and many ofthem speak it. They are espe-ciallv eager to study it with someone from North America so as tohear the American accent. It wasshortly after I arrived that Ifound myself with several stu-dents. The number of studentsgrew as time went on and even-tually I was also able to giveSpanish lessons to a few English-speaking students. This workwas continued until I was em-ployed as secretary and transla-tor at the Pan-American Highway

Office which was set up in SanJosé.

While in Costa Rica, I metpeople from various Latin Amer-ican countries, and it was inter-esting to note how those fromdifferent countries spoke Spanishwith different inflections, eachhaving a typical melody peculiarto his country. One can recognizethose from other countries by the“song” in their speech. Vi/hen Ivisited Guatemala after learningSpanish in Costa Rica, I wasa m u s e d when Guatemalanswould say to me, “You comefrom Costa Rica, don’t you?”They could tell, they said, be-cause I spoke with the Costa Ri-can song. The people from Pana-ma, Nicaragua, Guatemala andMexico, for example, have a verymarked inflection.

It was a jubilant occasion whenthe delegate of Costa Rica to theCentenary Convention was in-formed by the National SpiritualAssembly that he would be en-abled to go to the United Statesto attend that momentous event.He brought the letter to me totranslate it for him and we couldhardly believe it to be reallytrue; we had not considered thatsuch a great undertaking couldbe realized, making it possiblefor the Latin American delegatesto attend that glorious celebra-tion within the walls of our ma-

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jestic Temple. As we read thiswonderful news, we were so over-taken by emotion and excitement,we did not know whether we weregoing to laugh or cry. Profoundjoy and gratitude filled ourhearts. All the Latin Americandelegates must have felt thatsame emotion when they learnedthat an experience that occursonce in a lifetime was to betheirs. Only the power of Baha’-u’lltih could accomplish such agreat achievement, to bring to-gether in love and unity represen-tatives of these various LatinAmerican countries with all thosethat would be gathered in NorthAmerica, breaking down the bar-riers of distance, language andlack of means and demonstratingthat spiritual brotherhood whichis the salvation of all nations.This undertaking had a greateffect not only on the Baha’is ofLatin America but also on theoth e r Latin Americans wholearned of it, making them real-ize more deeply the scope andpower of the Cause of Babel’-u’llah.

After four years in the wonder-ful country of Costa Rica, thetime had come for my departure.It had been like going throughfour years of school, a school oflife, to better enable me to servethe Cause of God. The eveningbefore I left, a happy close to mystay was occasioned by the one

.1-it

WORLD ORDER

who was the first to open thedoors to the Message in thatcountry, Miss Esther Mezerville,a former director of the Girls’College and an outstanding mem-ber of the Theosophical Societynot only in Costa Rica but in allof Latin America. She told methat she was going to speak of theBaha’i Faith at their meeting thatevening and so I attended. Afterthe kind words of the presidentwho spoke of the important workof the Baha’i Faith in Costa Rica,Miss Mezerville spoke of worldunity as the sign and need of thetimes and said that in their en-deavor to seek their ideal ofworld brotherhood, they must bealert to movements working to-ward unity in the world today.She then put emphasis on thegreat work of the Baha’i Faithin fostering unity among all re-ligions and races, and stated, “Iam now reading Ba'hti’u’lZcih andthe New Era,” as she drew thebook out of her purse, “and I amconvinced that the Baha’i Faithis the future religion of theworld.” She recommended theinvestigation of the Teachings toher fellow members. Her beauti-ful words and the spirit and con-viction with which she spoke themshall ever be engraved on myheart.

It was on April I8, I94-4, thatI left Costa Rica to spend threeweeks in Guatemala City and

cosra RICA 179then return to the United States.There were mixed emotions with-in me on that lovely bright morn-ing as friends, both Bah:-.i"i.'s andnon-Baha’is, gathered to see meoff at the airport and showeredme with gifts, bouquets and cor-sages. The feeling of sadness onleaving t h e s e dearly-belovedfriends was mingled with thatof joy at visiting another Latin-American Baha’i Community andthen attending the Centenary Con-vention and seeing my familyand friends at home again. As Iboarded the Pan-American air-ship, I waved to the friends witha feeling of comfort in knowingthat the Costa Rican Baha’iswould staunchly carry on theirvital task.

On the way to Guatemala, theplane made a short stop at Nica-ragua, Honduras and Salvador,and at each of these countries itwas thrilling to have a brief visitwith Baha’i friends who werewaiting for me at the airport.

Every moment of my visit toGuatemala City with our wonder-ful pioneer, Mrs. Florence Kee-mer, and the Guatemalan Baha’iswas so filled with activity andglorious experiences that it, initself, is a long story. Here is abeautiful, picturesque and color-ful city; it is modern and spar-kles with cleanliness. The streetsof Guatemala are said to be the

{cleanest in the world. This beautywas glorified by its lovablepeople,-, equally as warm-hearted,hospitable and gracious as thoseof Costa Rica. Mrs. Keemer’sradiant love and charm had wonher many friends among whomthere was an amazing receptivityto the Divine Teachings, and herexcellent work was exemplifiedby the outstanding Baha’i groupI was privileged to know andwork with for that short period.

There are indeed pricelesstreasures in store for anyone whoarises to serve the Cause. “TheAlmighty will no doubt grant youthe help of His grace, will investyou with the tokens of His might,and will endue your souls withthe sustaining power of His holySpirit.”

“All must participate, howeverhumble their origin, howeverlimited their experience, howeverrestricted their means, howeverdeficient their education, how-ever pressing their cares, how-ever unfavorable the environmentin which they live.”

“The field is indeed so im-mense, the period so critical, theCause so great, the workers sofew, the time so short, the privi-of the Faith of Baha’u’llah..lege so priceless, that no followerworthy to bear His name, canafford a moment’s hesitation.”

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World Undertakings

THE resistless march of hu-manity toward unity, im-

pelled by the operation of newforces disclosing the interven-tion of the providential order,has arrived at a crucial stage.In His division of the process ofunification into seven differentaspects or degrees, ‘Abdu’l-Bahaplaced first the element of unityin the political realm, and fol-lowed this by the second unity,“unity of thought in worldundertakings”.

Without doubt it is the experi-ence of participation in worldundertakings which will confirmthe peoples and nations in theirdetermination to achieve worldorder, and at the same time pre-pare them to make proper useof its latent facilities.

It is assuredly not withoutspiritual significance that theattainment of a charter of unifiedpolitical action coincides withconditions of desperate needprevalent in every part of theworld. From medical suppliesand care to food and housing,from the development of elemen-tary social institutions to theprovision of financial credit,from the exchange of productionequipment and raw material to

the restoration of uprooted peo-ples to their lands and homes,the entire earth passes througha time of deepest crisis whennothing short of worldwide plan-ning, worldwide organization andworldwide action can bring thedawn of a valid and permanenthope.

To the fundamental. argumentarising from the destructivenessof war as impetus to lastingpeace, we have today the no lesspotent influence of the tragicneeds felt by the surviving na-tions, exceeding the capacity ofany nation or race to solve byits own unaided efforts and facili-ties. Indeed, while the nature ofthe tragic need varies fromcountry to country, the essentialfact of need is uniform, and thisstark truth lays upon humanitya sacred obligation, a providen-tial necessity, which none canescape. From this point of viewthe distinction between rich na-tions and poor nations, betweenpowerful nations and impotentnations, is nothing else than il-lusion. Destiny itself has so ar-ranged affairs that those parts ofearth which have surplus foodcannot partake of even part ofit very long unless they attain

WORLD UNDERTAKINGS 131social and economic equilibriumwithin their own peoples, whichdepends on suitable intercourseand cooperation with all otherpeoples. The greater the indus-trial establishment which one na-tion has developed, the greateris its stake in the stability andwealth of nations which in thisrespect have lagged behind. Ifimpoverishment is allowed to re-main anywhere, its breeding ofdisease or revolution will threat-en the survival of all others. Ifthe mountainous accumulation ofgovernment bonds and notes»-the sign of wealth from thelegalistic point -of view——cannotgradually be replaced by anequivalent amount of invest-ments in wealth-producing enter-prise, the rise of industrialismwill have eventuated not in theprogress of the individual butin the creation of a confiscatorystate. 2

Fortunately, at this crucial

stage, the need for action outrunsthe world’s capacity to dealwithall these needs in terms of tradi-tional economics, social philos-ophy or political doctrine. Wecannot reduce human desperationto the level of the habits and cus-toms of the past. What appearsto be happening is that mankindis trying to match its despera-tion with its facilities, heal thepatient with the remedies and

with the starving, and resettlethe homeless exile, in an instinc-tive realization that nothing donein unity is done against the truth,that the enlargement of the areaof unity of action will prepareus for the new and greater truthsto come. Success in world under-takings now will carry the worldbeyond many disastrous conflictsover empty doctrine and discreditmany artificial claims which seekto tax the future for a long-deadpast. - ———H. H.

In this day . . . means of communication have multiplied, . . . Allthe members of the human family, whether peoples or governments, citiesor villages have become increasingly interdependent. For none is self-suficiency any longer possible, inasmuch as political ties unite all peoplesand nations, and the bonds of trade and industry, of agriculture and educa-tion, are being strengthened every day. Hence the unity of all mankind canin this day be achieved.

g ---‘A.BoU’L-Bani

Take ye (rulers of the earth) counsel together, and let your concern beonly for that which profiteth mankind and bettereth the condition thereof.

---BAH;-I’U’LL.iH

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Progress Toward an International LanguageARTHUR DAHL

WITH His far-seeing wisdom,Baha’tt’llah realized that in

today’s integrated, cooperativeworld, it was essential that peo-ples of all nations and racesshould be able to exchange ideasfreely and directly, both verballyand in writing. Since it was outof the question for everyone tolearn all the multitudinous lan-guages and dialects, the obviousalternative, which He includedin His basic social teachings, wasthe adoption of an auxiliary in-ternational language, which eachperson would learn in additionto his native language. This aux-iliary language could either bean existing language, or one es-pecially created for the purpose.

Sensible though this idea is, ithas been very slow in reachingwidespread acceptance and un-derstanding. One reason has beenthe failure, until recently, tofully appreciate the necessity forinternational intercourse. A sec-ond reason has been the difficultyof selecting the auxiliary lan-guage. Each language groupwould like to see its own tongueselected, both to gain prestige,and to avoid learning a secondlanguage.

For a long while French wastacitly accepted as the common

language in international societyand diplomacy. In recent years,with the increasing predomi-nance of the United States, Eng-lish has been gaining acceptancein this capacity. To a large seg-ment of the world, Spanish isdominant. Yet in the case of noneof these tongues has there beena concerted movement to securewidespread acceptance as the in-ternational language.

To overcome the obstacle ofnational pride, several effortshave been made in the last sixtyyears to develop an entirely newlanguage, with the necessaryqualifications for an auxiliarylanguage carefully incorporated.Most well known to date has beenEsperanto, initiated in I887 byDr. L. L. Zamenhof. This lan-guage has many advantages. Itis euphonious, logical, and regu-lar in construction; the grammaris easily grasped; every rule iswithout exception; the spellingis phonetic; and the dictionaryis small. It was favorably re-ceived in many parts of theworld, and enjoyed a period ofintense promotion, climaxed inthe I920’s when the League ofNations published a favorablememorandum on the teaching ofEsperanto in the schools of the

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_ INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE 133world, and the InternationalTelegraphic Union Associationrecognized it as a “clear lan-guage.” Several Bal1a’i bookshave been translated into Esper-anto.

A more recent candidate to re-ceive widespread attention isBasic English, the creation ofC. K. Ogden of Cambridge, andactively sponsored in this coun-try by Dr. Ivor A. Richards ofHarvard. This system consists ofa vocabulary of 850 words: 4-00general nouns, I50 adjectives,100 “operators” (verbs, partici-ples, pronouns, etc.), and 200names of picturable things. Thereare subsidiary lists of words forthe use of technicians and spe-cialists in various fields. Thewords have been selected becauseof their cooperative utility, ratherthan their frequency of usage.The syntax of Basic is that ofnormal English. Its proponentsclaim that it is ideal both as asimple and easily learned auxil-iary language, and as a rationalintroduction to unlimited English.Though the system was given astrong impetus when it was re-ferred to by Prime MinisterChurchill at Harvard, it remainsto be seen what response will beforthcoming from the rest of theworld to a proposal for an auxil-iary language based on English.

But whereas progress toward a

true auxiliary language has beenslow, the war has brought abouta veritable revolution in theteaching and dissemination ofexisting languages. The emer-gency need for thousands of serv-ice men who could speak not onlythe leading European languages,but also the intricate and little-known tongues of Malaya, theFar East, and the Pacific islands,gave an opportunity to a new sys-tem of teaching practice knownas linguistic science, in which theUnited States has taken the leadthrough the pioneer efforts of an-thropologist Franz Boas. The newsystem has passed with flyingcolors its test applications inshort, intensive Army and Navycourses in selected American uni-versities, and its proponents feelthat it will make the learning ofseveral languages common prac-tice after the war.

The development of methodsby which languages may belearned quickly and easily willdo much to bring about greaterunderstanding among the peoplesof the world, and by demonstrat-ing this through concrete experi-ence the advantages of spokenintercourse between races shouldeventually lead to acceptance ofthe principle of an auxiliary l.an-guage.

This is one in a series of articles whichwill present signs of progress in world.affairs.

The World Without NationsBook Review

BERTHA HYDE KIRKPATRICK

TIHEI thesis of this book* by Arth-ur Freud is: “as long as we shall

have nations we shall ha.ve wars.”Conversely the author holds that ifwe can do away with nations we cando away with war which is the great-est curse to humanity today. Theauthor is especially concerned withthe m.ap of Europe although he doesnot ignore the rest of the world. Byspecific examples he shows that “forpractical reasons the conceptions of‘nation’, ‘race’, have lost any mean-ing; they have become a farce, apretext, a menace to world’s peace.”Americans, for the most part, haveall too little comprehension of theproblems of nationalities and na-tional bonudaries in Europe, especi-ally eastern Europe. One of the val-ues of this book is that the author,who has lived and traveled in Eu-rope, by his illustrative examples ofboundary wars and disputes and ac-tual authentic stories of the inter-mingling of nationalities and races,makes it clear to the reader howdeep seated and long standing thesenation problems are and also thatwhatever solution is worked out itwill not be satisfactory to everyoneconcerned. This does not mean, how-ever, that there is no solution.

Mr. Freud speaks, he says, as acommon man to common men in theinterests, not of nations, but of hu-manity, and for the sake of humani-ty we must have a warless world. I-Iebelieves this is possible. His book iswritten for the purpose of rousing.

*The World Without Nations, ArthurFreud. The Hobson Book Press, Cynthi-ana, Ky., 1943.

common people to an understandingof the causes of war and to intelli-gent thinking in the direction of ef-fective arrangements for peace. Suchright thinking must precede right ac-tion. I

It is in the smaller nations of Eu-rope thatimany problems arise, theauthor holds. Economically they can-not be self-suflicient, politically theycannot defend themselves. Some ofthe smaller nations, however, espe-cially those in western Europe, havemuch to contribute to the world inthe way of cooperation and social se-curity regulations.

Mr. Freud’s- solution to problemswhich arise, he believes, from over-emphasis on material lines, is togroup nations into blocs which wouldbe federated into what he calls supra-states. He suggests that such federa-tions might follow the model of thegovernment of the United States. InEurope, for example, these statesmight be called the Northern Bloc,the Central Bloc, the Western Bloc,the Southern Bloc. These supra-states should not, he says, be namedfor any particular nation. Thus onesource of jealousy and rivalry wouldbe removed. The author gives manyreasons why such an organization ofcountries is a step in the direction offinal world federation.

Mr. Freud explains that the reasonfor the formation of several statesinto one bloc is primarily economicand he would not have such an ar-rangement interfere with culture andlanguage. On this point he writes,“In advocating blocs of states, i.e.,supra-national states, it should be

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woatn wrrnour NATIONS 135made clear that it is not suggestedto force people to give up their na-tionality. Nationality can, as muchas religion, be regarded as a privateaffair that concerns an individual ora group. If a large community wantsto be Czech and to adhere to certainpeculiarities connected with Czech-ism, there can be no question of let-ting people have their will. As longas nationality remains a cultural af-fair, no objection can be raised toit.”

This book was published in I94-3and much water has gone under thebridge since then in the way of dis-cussions and actual plans for worldorganization. There are tendenciestowards regional alliance such asthe Pan-American Union and certaingroupings in Europe. In the pastthere have been proposals for the.federation of Europe but they haveso far borne no fruit. Mr. Freud’splan is different. These Supra-stateswould be stronger than alliances butwould not put all Europe into onefederation. There are perhaps sometrends in this direction at present,but it would seem that they wouldbe more likely to develop after aworld organization has been formedthan as a step in that direction.

Whatever may be the steps inbringing about a federation of theworld, Mr. Frcud’s book, whichshows up by abundant examples andhistorical evidence the folly anddanger of cherishing national and ra-cial prejudices, is valuable. Everyeffort to arouse people’s intelligenceon these questions is worthy. Na-tionalism and racialism which Sho-ghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Ba-has Faith, has classified as two ofthe three “chief idols in the dese-crated temple of mankind” must bedone away with if we are to havelasting peace. Some may questionwhether these idols can be destroyedby a regrouping of peoples or ignor-ing boundary lines. Must not theremedy for these and other maladiesof the sick world go deep into thehearts of individuals?

Such books as this, the many arti-cles and discussions about world or-ganization together with the actualplans drawn up at Dumbarton Oaks,modified and adopted at San Fran-cisco are indications that Baha’u’I-lahis words, “It is not his to boast.who loveth his country, but it is hiswho loveth the world,” have intruth “Lent a fresh impulse, and seta new direction to the birds of menlshearts.”

In former ages it has been said: “To love onels native land is faith.”But the Tongue of grandeur hath. said in the day of this Manifestation: “Gloryis not his who loves his native land; but glory is his who love his kind.”

The people of the world in general must adhere to that which is revealedand hath appeared, so that they may attain to the real freedom.

It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but ratherfor him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, andmankind its citizens.

—Ban.5.’U’LL,-in

Early Growth of the Baha’i FaithMARIAM HANEY

WHAT were the most impor-tant teaching events of the

pioneer period of the Baha’iCause in the United States andCanada? The answer is that itwould be unwise to make evena guess, for the whole periodfrom 1894 to 1911 inclusive, wasa continued miracle on miraclebecause it was made possible notbecause of human words andworks, but because of Divine in-tervention and assistance. The be-lievers themselves were, for themost part, not entirely consciousthat a mysterious power was thedynamic back of all achievement.However, a few of the outstand-ing features of that time we-re:

1st. The teaching about the im-portance of the Covenant, whichteaching safeguarded the re-ligion so that the Faith of Baha-’u’llah could not be divided intosects.

2nd. The whole-hearted obedi-ence to the Center of the Cove-nant at every point in teachingand in all that this attitudemeans.

3rd. The full demonstrationthat “Faith is a wonder workingpower.” The faith manifested bythe believers was sublime, andsome day the world will realizehow marvelous a thing it was,

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and what these people of faithwere accomplishing in theirmidst; it was like the faith of theearly Christians, they believedtruly and deeply, it was “thenormal accent of life” and theytranslated it into the world ofaction.

filth. The spread of the Ba-ha’iMessage far and wide withoutany organization, no paid teach-ers, nor any ofiicial Baha’i Fund.

5th.. The dawn is this countryof the greatest seed sowing ofTruth in all religious history.The dawn-breakers of the Occi-dent were at work in the spring-time of the Kingdom of God onearth.

6th. Great emphasis at alltimes from the very beginningon the removal of prejudice ofall kinds, the promulgation ofuniversal peace, and the estab-lishment of the principle of theoneness of mankind.

The Tree of Life in the gardenof the earthly world was begin-ning to grow, evidences of itsvigor and strength were alwaysevident and encouraging, but thepioneers understood, too, thatplanting a seed today did notmean the full grown tree tomor-row for ‘Abdu’l-Baha often re-minded them that, “A seed in the

EARLY cnowrn 137beginning is very small, but inthe end a great tree. . . . Con-sider the days of Jesus when therewas only a small body of people,and then observe the great treewhich grew from that seed andwhat an abundant fruit is pro-duced. This is greater than that,forasmuch as it is the calling ofthe Lord of Hosts and the Voiceof the Trumpet of the LivingGod. . . .”

And all the time that the seedsof the Baha’i Faith were germ-inating in the soil of humanhearts, and the instructions andencouragement in Tablets from‘Abdu’l-Baha were reaching Hisfollowers, He Himself was aPrisoner of the Turkish govern-ment-——a prisoner in the fortifiedcity of ‘Akka, Palestine, by theshores of the Mediterranean sea,having been for forty years im-prisoned because of His religionand the spiritual teachings Hewas sending to all parts of theworld. Indeed “the ways of Godare past finding out.”

In 1908 the people of Turkeyestablished a constitutional gov-ernment through the coming intopower of the Young Turks andtheir “Union and Progress So-ciety.” All the political prisonerswere immediately freed, and‘Abdu’l-Baha left the gloomyprison city for the freedom ofthe world. When asked later howHe regarded His freedom, He

replied: “Freedom is not a matterof place. It is a condition. I wasthankful for the prison, and thelack of liberty was very pleasingto me for those days were passedin the path of service under theutmost difliculties and trials,bearing fruits and results. . . . Iwas happy all the time in prison.When one is released from theprison of self, that is indeed re-lease, for that is the greaterprison. When this release takesplace, then one cannot be out-wardly imprisoned. . . . Releasecomes by making of the will aDoor through which the confirma-tions of the Spirit come.”

Why did ‘Abdu’l-Baha sufferindignities, privations and tor-ture all those long years inprison? The answer is of course,for the love of humanity, for thepromulgation of the Laws of thisNew Day, “to make man con-scious of his eternal part . . .that fleshly veils might be rentasunder and reality become man-ifest.” While in prison ‘Abdu’l-Baha never complained, butcreated happiness in every heartand served humanity in nearlyall parts of the world. This isthe miracle of all miracles—-fromHis prison spreading His teach-ings, His followers increasing,His Faith being advanced daily.Only Cod knows the answer asto how it was all accomplished.Of this imprisonment ‘Abdu’l-

133 WORLD onnnnBaha has written many things,but the scope of this article per-mits of but a brief quotation:

“Two Kings arose againstBaha’u’llah—--—the shah of Persiaand the Sultan of Turkey. Theyimprisoned His Holiness in theFortress of ‘Akka (Palestine) inorder to extinguish His Light andexterminate His Cause. But Baha-’u’llah while in prison wrote themletters of severe arraignment. Hedeclared that imprisonment wasno obstacle to Him. He said ‘Thisimprisonment will prove to bethe means of the promotion ofMy Cause. This imprisonmentwill be the incentive for thespreading of My Teachings. Noharm will come to Me becauseI have sacrificed My life, sacri-ficed My blood, sacrificed Mypossessions-—all I have sacrificed-—and for Me this imprisonmentis no loss.’ And just as He de-clared, so it came to pass. Inprison He hoisted His banner,and His Cause was spreadthroughout the world. . . . Thesetwo Kings could not do anything

to withstand Baha’u’llah, butthrough Him God was able todestroy both sovereignties. I,too, was in prison. God removedthe chains from My neck andplaced them around the neck of‘Abdu’l-Hamid. It was done sud-denly, not in a long time, in amoment as it were. . . . I washappy in imprisonment. I was inthe utmost elation, because I wasnot a criminal. They had impris-oned Me in the Path of God.”

Some time after ‘Abdu’l-Bahahad been “delivered from theshackles of a long and cruel in-carceration,” He left Haifa sud-denly and began a journey whichincluded Egypt, France and Eng-land, and the-n a return to Egypt.

Many in the United States andCanada longed to see Him, tohear Him expound the Baha’iTeachings, and the longing wasconstant and intense. However, itseemed that the actual realizationof such hopes was unbelievable.lil€i

Number five in a series of notations onBah:-i’i activity in North America from189-3 to 1921..

- _-|—|

So imperturbable was ‘Abduil-Bahais equanimity that, while rumorswere being bruited about that He might be cast into the sea, or exiled toFizan in Tripolitania, or hanged on the gallows, He, to the amazement ofHis friends and the amusement of His enemies, was to be seen planting treesand vines in the garden of His house, whose fruits when the storm had blownover, He would bid His faithful gardener, Ismaiil Aqa, pluck and present tothose same friends and enemies on the occasion of their visits to Him.

.-__-1-_-_

-—SHOGHI EFFENDI in God Passes By

WITH OUR READERS

SOON after world war one Mrs. J.Stannard was in Haifa and asked

‘Abdu’l-B-aha concerning the state ofthe souls of all those young men whohad fallen so suddenly and tragicallyduring the war. ‘Abduil-Bahais replyas reported. by Mrs. Stannard andprinted in The Star of the West,volume 10, page 336, will comfortparents whose sons are a sacrifice inthis present war.

‘Abdull-B-aha is reported to havesaid in substance that God treatsthese people with His mercy, notwith His justice, since God is againstwar. But as many did not will thewar, but were obliged to go to thebattle field by force of circumstances,therefore God has mercy for theysuffered much and lost their lives.These deserve the forgiveness ofGod. As they suffered in the worldand were afflicted by great calamitiesand their blood was shed and inreality they were treated unjustly andthus died unwillingly, therefore Godwill have mercy and forgive theirshortcomings and will reward them.He will compensate them for loss.Is it just to be so afflicted and killedand suffer and have no reward? Thisis contrary to the Kingdom of God.We supplicate God that these mur-dered ones will become and stay alivein His Kingdom and be submergedin the sea of His mercy and be happy.

-I'l- "IF ‘ll’

Special airmailing of World Orderto John Eichenauer in Germany bya friend has brought this happy andnewsy letter of thanks from John:

“Thanks very much for airmailingWorld Order magazine to me. The

um.

May number reached me on the 22ndof May and I gave it to Anna Kostlinthe same day. . . . The June numberarrived on June 15th.

“W—, a member of my company,has recently embraced the Faith, andit has brought me great happiness.He is a writer and booklover fromB~—. He has been studying for overa year and World Order magazinehas been an influencing factor. Hesays meeting the B»aha’is in Pariswas the turning point. A couple ofdays ago he opened the battalion li-brary and displayed copies of WorldOrder and Bahd’£ Convention News.For such a short time in the Faith heis really being ‘unrestrained as thewind’ in proclaiming the truths ofBahaiuillah. He is writing an ac-count of our first Feast Day observ-ance.. ..

“I recently made a tour of south-ern Germany and Austria and metFred Mortensen of Chicago in Sala-burg. We were togethervfor an eve-ning and covered outstanding eventssince we met in February in Saare-bourg, France. One of the snapstaken near Brenner Pass is a goodboost for World Order.” [The pic-ture shows a group of three soldiersrelaxing on the grass, one readingWorld Order magazine. Editorist.noe] * * *

World Order magazine needs newcontributors as well as continuedcontributions from our old and triedones. Following the instructions ofthe Guardian and under the directionof the NSA all B-ahalis are makinga major effort to carry the Baha’i

189

190 wonro oananMessage to the leaders of thoughtand to the masses. The editors hopeto make the magazine a more eflicicntand attractive carrier of this messagethan ever before. The articles,poems, travel stories, dissertationsmust come from you. We suggestsome of the types of material themagazine can use:

Articles on Bahaii principles relatedto present world conditions.

Baha’i news from all lands writtenup in a universal way. *

Articles on the great world religions,accurate and reliable.

Travel articles with Bahaii news.Bahaii history, fresh and authentic,

and B-aha’i biographies.Signs of the times in current thought.Articles on B-ahaii literature which

have not already appeared in re-cent issues.

Articles by non-B~aha’is of universaloutlook.

Articles based on personal experi-ence of spiritual influences.

Poems.Brief news of unusual interest deal-

ing with teaching incidents orpublic response either in -this orother countries ( to be used in this,“With Our Readers,” departmentl .Also questions and suggestions forthis department.

The aim of World Order magazineis to be a means of spiritual educa-tion, knowledge and stimulus to thebeliever, a source of study materialto the group, a means of directteaching to the individual teacherand to the community, and a con-centration upon the creative Wordin order to contribute to the innerlife of meditation and prayer. Theaim is first to reach and help thebeliever and through him the non-believer.

The annual report of Mrs. Wood,our business manager, shows that forthe first time in its thirty years ofpublication this Bahaii magazine hasmet manufacturing and overheadcosts. This means an increased cir-culation and with your help thecirculation can be further increased.Here then is a readymade audienceof some twenty-seven hundred. Whilethe majority of subscribers areBahaiis we can safely say thatthrough them as many more non-Bahaiis are reached. Vllhere else canyou find such an audience?

‘I’ ‘I’ I‘

Letters such as the following fromMr. E. W. Handley, Librarian of theHobart Baha’i Assembly, Tasmania,Australia, are most welcome:

“The February issue to hand onMarch 20th. This is a comprehensiveand good issue. Sometimes there istoo much reiteration of the samehistory of the Cause in one issue. Abrief reference when possible to theCause in distant and little knowncountries outside America would il-lustrate its universal character. Per-haps short paragraphs, recording theadoption of Bahaii principles byother bodies, would indicate toreaders our real interest in currenttrends of thought.”

May we say that the reason theeditors do not print more materialfrom distant and little known coun-tries outside of America is that thefriends in these countries do not sendit to us. We have repeatedly askedfor short newsy letters to be used inthis department and for longer well-written articles about Baha’i life inother countries.

* * *

Here is a bit from a letter express-ing the joy and happiness whichcomes to the Baha’i pioneer: “Pm

WITH oua newness 191writing about pioneering since I havebeen a pioneer . . . for over twoyears. And my parents are pioneer-i_ng here too. Most people dream ofgoing to California to end their days,but my parents (dad is 70 years old)came from California after 24- yearsthere to pioneer in -—-——-. And theysay that they have gained more fromtheir pioneering here than the sacri-fice they made in giving up theirbeautiful home in the California sun-shine. I, too, feel that no sacrifice istoo great for the Cause of Baha’u’llahand the rewards are most glorious. Iwish that others could see it too.”

In a brief article entitled “We AreAll Pioneers” which came with thisletter the writer urges others to gettheir share of the rich experience ofthe pioneer. She says, in part:

“Today, in the second Baha’i cen-tury, comes the clarion call thatopens new vistas of limitless service.‘We are all pioneers in a new andall-embracing task.’ . . . Young peo-ple, especially, have a glorious oppor-tunity to go forth to fresh fields andbring new visions of achievement toother youth. And, too, it is amongyoung people that one finds a break-ing down of the barriers of prejudiceand the willingness to try newmethods, and to put new ideals intopractice. Youth hasn’t yet found outthat ‘it can’t be done’ and so achievesnew goals. In the South, for instance,it is the youth that are breakingdown the interracial barriers. As oneyoung girl said to me recently, ‘Theolder ones are impossible, but I findthat boys and girls of high school ageare responsive to the idea that allpeople are human beings and shouldbe treated as such.’ ”

Then the writer urges that olderpeople are needed, too, for theirmore mature judgment and wisdom

and adds: “When you make the sacri-fice of leaving your home, when youpull up roots, pass up an easy, com-fortable life and ‘step forth on thefield of action,’ then you add some-thing to the spirit of our Faith thatis akin to the spirit of our earliest,most steadfast martyrs. And yougain a relationship with God thatwill bring you such joy as you haveonly dreamed of. Action is realliving.”

‘ll’ "I ‘I’

An approach to the question ofworld peace which points out quiteexplicitly how Baha’u’llah’s teachingsfurnish the broad basis essential forlasting peace is “Building a UnitedWorld,” by Margaret Ruhe, who haspreviously contributed to World Or-der. “After the War: One World”was printed in our January, 194-4-,issue, and a book review, “The RoadWe Are Traveling,” in July, 1943.

Mrs. Ruhe lives in Atlanta, Ga.,where both she and her husband, Dr.David Rube, who also contributes tothis magazine, are active in Baha’iwork. Their names are also amongthose who are able at times to traveland speak for the Baha’i Faith.

“Costa Rica, the Beautiful,” byGayle Woolson is a first hand ac-count of how the Baha’i Faith hasbeen established in one of the Latin-American Republics in the last sevenor eight years. At last accounts onlyone of the twenty Latin-American re-publics was lacking a Baha’i Spirit-ual Assembly and pioneer work wasbeing done there. In volume VIII ofthe BaM’£ World we read: “Nothingin the history of the Faith in Americacompares with the response whichhas been made to the Guardian’s ap-peal for settlement of pioneer teach-ers in Latin-American countries.” In

___-j-.-.-_u .

192 wontn onnanthe impressive list of som.e twenty-odd names which follows we findMrs. Woolson’s. Experiences of otherpioneers are just as full of interestand such accounts help us to becomeacquainted with each other. Theeditors hope that other pioneers willfollow Mrs. Woolson’s example. Weunderstand that Mrs. Woolson willsoon take up her residence in Bogota,Colombia.

The series by Mariam Haneyshowing the growth of our Faith inthe early days in America and ac-quainting us with many of thosewho worked to promote the Faith, iscontinued this month under the title,“Early Growth of the Baha’i Faith.”Many of those early laborers havepassed on but Mrs. Haney is stillactive in Washington, D. C.

The great need for an auxiliaryinternational language understood byeveryone is emphasized at the SanFrancisco Conference where it was

necessary to have a great corps oftranslators busy all the time. Thisneed has been seen by some for fiftyor more years. Arthur Dahl’s timelyarticle tells us what progress is beingmade toward such a language whichis essential in a true world society.We print this as one of our Forma-tion of a World Society Series. Mr.Dahl is a frequent contributor toWorld Order. In January we printedhis “Steps Towards Post-War Co-operation,” another in this seriesand in February his review of thebook, The Predicament of ModernMun. Mr. Dahl is a graduate witha Master’s degree from Leland Stan-ford University and lives in PaloAlto with business in San Francisco.

Horace Holley contributes the edi-torial this month and Bertha HydeKirkpatrick reviews the book TheWorld Without Nations which pro-poses one way to do away with ex-cessive nationalism and so with war.

H--THE EDITORS

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Bchri’i Prayers, a selection of Prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah, the Baband ‘Abdu’l-Baha, each Prayer translated by Shoghi Efiendi. 72 pages‘.Bound in fabrikoid, $0.75. Paper cover, $0.35.

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ligion is to promote concord and harmony,that it- must go hand in hand with science, and

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to the rank of worship,Recommends the adoption of an auxiliary inter-

national language, .. . .Provides the necessary agencies for the estab-

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The Baha'i Magaziu.e VoLUME XI OCTOBER, 1945 NuMBER 7

Baha'u'llith, the World Physician MABEL HYDE PAINE

Christ came back to why he believes in Christ would Nazareth, which was, we reply, "Because He was able to

remember, His home town, He heal the sick." He may realize, entered the synagogue, as was what the Baha'i Teachings point His custom on the Sabbath day, out, that to heal a sick soul, to and stood up to read. From save it from its sins, is a much the hook of Isaiah, which was greater thing than to heal a sick handed Him, He chose the fol- body, for the body will even­lowing passage: tually die; but the soul lives on,

"The Spirit of the Lord is its healing, or saving, is for upon me, because He hath an- eternity. nointed me to preach the gospel This same great human need to the poor; He hath sent me to of a Divine Healer is satisfied by hea~ the broken-hearted, t.o preach all the great world religions, and dehver~nce to ~he captives ~nd the followers of every Manifesta­recovermg of sight to the blmd, tion of God have looked to Him to set at liberty them that are as their Healer. In the Zenda­bruised · · ·" vesta, one of the Zoroastrian

After He had read this He Scriptures, we read: announced that the ancient pro- "O h 1 "th h 1·

h . . ne rna y ea WI o mess p ecy was m reahty an an- . '

t f H. If d f one may heal with the law, one nouncemen o Imse an o . . His Mission. All through the may he~l With the kmfe, one may Christian Era we find this concep- h~al With herbs, one may heal tion of Christ as the Great with the Holy Word; amongst Healer, the Divine Physician, to ~II remedies this on~ is the heal­be a favorite one. The Gospel is mg one that heals With the Holy full of stories of Divine healing. Word; this one it is that will And on these, people have al- best drive away sickness ... ways liked to dwell. Perhaps for this one is the best-healing of the average Christian, if asked all remedies.

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"Sickness fled away before it; death fled away; ... pride fled away; ... hot fever fled away; discord fled away."

When we study the life and words of Baha'u'llah we find the story of the Divine Physician repeated again. During the min­istry of His Forerunner, the Bah, because of the Bah's imprison­ment His followers were partly deprived of the Teachings He might have given them had He been free. After His martyrdom those Bahis who had survived the terrible persecutions which had befallen them were a de­jected remnant fallen from the high moral plane to which the Bah and His noble martyrs had raised them. To them Baha­'u'llah was the Great Physician.

He has written of His work at this period in these words:

"By the aid of God and His divine grace and mercy, We re­vealed, as a copious rain, Our verses .... We exhorted all men, and particularly this people, through our wise counsels and loving admonitions, and forbade them to engage in seditions, quarrels, disputes or conflict. As a result of this and by the grace of God, waywardness and folly were changed into piety and un­derstanding, and weapons of war converted into instruments of peace." "Baha'u'llah," 'Ahdu'l­Baha affirmed, "made such

strenuous efforts in educating and training (the Bah is) ... that in a short while all these troubles and michiefs were quenched, and the utmost peace and tranquillity reigned in men's hearts .... They acted in such wise that, in the estimation of those in authority, they became famous for the inte­grity of their character, the stead­fastness of their hearts, the purity of their motives, and the . . . excellence of their conduct."

An important element in heal­ing whether physical or spiritual is joy. An eminent physician once said that if he could make a patient of his, a child with tuberculosis, happy, her healing would he assured. The same is true of world sickness. World sadness must he changed to world joy, a deep joy such as comes o:r;tly from the assurance of glad tidings to all humanity, a joy such as Christ infused into hu­man souls, a joy which causes men to act in disregard of selfish tendencies. Christ, and other Divine Manifestations, have giv­en a joy to mankind so great that they were willing to lay down their lives. In the words of 'Ahdu'l-Baha, "Thousands of human souls in the utmost joy because of their spiritual sus­ceptibilities, were so attracted to God that they were dispossessed of volition, deprived of will in His path. If they had been told

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simply that sacrifice in the path of God was good and praise­worthy, this would never have happened. They would not have acted. Christ attracted them, wrested the reins of control from them and they went forth in ecstasy to sacrifice themselves."

Precisely the same thing hap­pened in Persia, where, during the Dispensation of the Bah and the early part of Baha'u'llah's Dispensation the roll of joy-filled martyrs mounted into the tens of thousands.

What is this power which the Manifestations of God possess which is far, far above what the wisest and kindest of men have? 'Abdu'l-Baha describes it as both power and knowledge:

". . . Briefly, the universal Manifestations of God are aware of the realities of the mysteries of beings" and "all the essential connections between beings." It is because of this intimate, im­mediate Divine perception of hu­man realities and their needs that the Manifestations of God can establish a religion which fulfills the needs of mankind at a given time. "The Prophets of God, the universal Manifestations, are like skilled physicians and the world of men is like the body of man; the Divine laws are the remedy and treatment."

One difference between now and the time of Christ is that

the conception of the world as a unified body has already dawned on men's minds. This unity of the world, in a material way, is already an accomplished fact. And the fact that the world is one body is being driven home to us by the intense suffering which pervades every part.

Such intense and widespread suffering should naturally make us thoughtful as to its cause, should rouse us to look below the surface and try to find the deep, underlying causes. And un­doubtedly world heart-searching is going on. A sentence from one of the more recent speeches of a recognized leader in the world reveals this awakening to the deeper forces which are at work in the evolution of mankind at this critical period. "During the past three months", were his words, "mankind has suffered more physical agony than has ever before been seen on this planet." And he added "Now we enter into a world of impon­derables, and at every stage self­questioning arises." Thus man­kind begins to question and to probe the depths of its sufferings.

In the meanwhile, all who in­vestigate the Teachings of Baha­'u'llah find· there not only rem­edies for individual spiritual disease and weakness but a rem­edy for the sickness of the world.

Baha'u'llah divided His coun-

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sels as to the means of attaining world health into two parts; one He called the "Lesser Peace" and the other the "Most Great Peace".

In introducing the subject of the "Lesser Peace" He says: "We beseech God to assist the kings of the earth to establish peace on earth." Thus at the outset He makes it plain that the "Lesser Peace" will be estab­lished by the rulers of the world. But He makes plain too that they should seek God's aid and to do His Will, for He adds, "Beware lest your rule violate the com· mandments of God, and ve de-

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liver your wards to the hands o£ the robber. By them ye rule, by their means ye subsist, by their aid ye conquer. Yet how dis­dainfully ye look upon them! How strange, how very strange!" This recognition of the will of God is in some contrast to con­temporary peace plans which seem not to go outside the realm o£ man made conceptions.

But in this our leaders do not follow the best traditions of the race. For example, in the six­teenth century, Comenius, the fa­mous educator, when summoned to be present at a peace confer­ence, said to the diplomats as­sembled, "If you are really dip­lomats of peace you should give consideration in your delibera­tions to the ideas and wishes of

the 'King of Kings' as well as to the ideas of kings. If you do that you will find you will get the support of your associates."

Baha'u'llah characterized "The Lesser Peace" in these words:

"0 rulers of the earth! Be reconciled among yourselves, that ye may need no more arma­ments save in a measure to safe­guard your territories and domin­ions. Beware lest ye disregard the counsel of the All-Knowing, the Faithful."

The fundamental counsel here would seem to be the attainment of reconciliation amongst the rulers of the earth, a reconcilia­tion toward which the rulers of the most powerful nations seem now to be striving. Baha'u'llah also shows that the "Lesser Peace" will need to include a reduction of armaments. So far the tide of public opinion has not been set strongly in this direction. Nor has the third point in Baha'u'llah's "Lesser Peace", the need of a combined military force under the the control of the World Or­ganization and sufficiently strong to put down a nation which takes up arms, yet been met.

But what of the "Most Great Peace"? Its core and kernel is contained in the following words of Baha'u'llah:

"That which the Lord hath or­dained as the sovereign remedy

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and mightiest instrument for the healing of all the world is the union of all its peoples in one universal Cause, one common Faith. This can in no wise be achieved except through the pow­er of a skilled, an all-powerful and inspired Physician. This verily is the truth, and all else naught but error."

The disease which afflicts hu­manity being lack of unity the Divine Physician has prescribed union through a faith in God re­vived and strengthened through His Manifestation for this day and age. This motive power and this alone, according to Baha­'u'llah, will be strong enough to heal the wrecked body of the world.

In the writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha we find some specific statements as to the means through which the "Most Great Peace" will func­tion. In a letter written in 1919 to the Central Organization for a Durable Peace He points out the differences between the League of Nations and the Su­preme . Tribunal, which Baha­'u'llah said must be established, in the following words:

"Although the League of Na­tions has been brought into exist­ence, yet it is incapable of estab­lishing Universal Peace. But the Supreme Tribunal which His Holiness Baha'u'llah has de­scribed will fulfill this sacred

task with the utmost might and power. And His plan is this: that the national assemblies of each nation . . . should elect two or three persons who are the choicest men of that nation, and are well informed concerning in­ternational laws and the relations between governments and aware of the essential needs of the world of humanity in this day. The number of these representa­tives should be in proportion to the number of inhabitants of that country. The election of these souls who are chosen by the na­tional assembly ... must be con­firmed by the upper house, the congress and the cabinet and also by the president or monarch so these persons may be the elected ones of all the nation and the government. From among these people the members of the Su­preme Tribunal will be elected, and all mankind will thus have a share therein, for everyone of these delegates is fully represen­tative of his nation. When the Su­preme Tribunal gives a ruling on any international question, either unanimously or by majority-rule, there will no longer be any pre­text for the plaintiff or ground of objection for the defendant. In case any of the governments or nations in the execution of the irrefutable decision of the Su­preme Tribunal, be negligent or dilatory, the rest of the nations

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will rise up against it, because all the governments and nations of the world are the supporters of this Supreme Tribunal. Con­sider what a firm foundation this is! But by a limited and re­stricted League the purpose will not be realized as it ought and should. This is the truth about the situation which has been stated."

If we follow 'Abdu'l-Baha's advice and "consider what a firm foundation this is" at least three points stand out in contrast to the plans for universal peace so far devised and even to the "Lesser Peace". First, the Su­preme Tribunal will fulfill its "sacred task". Can a Supreme Tribunal representing all the peoples of the earth consider their task of establishing a firm, universal peace a sacred one un­less and until the world is united in "one Universal Cause, one Common Faith"? Comenius, in the 16th century, evidently felt that he could appeal to the religi­ous sense of the diplomats whom he addressed, but Comenius was addressing men who were united, at least nominally, in the Chris­tian Faith. But the peace of the whole world needs to appeal as sacred to people now under the banners of many faiths.

Second, The members of the Supreme Tribunal, being fully representative of their nations,

since in each case the whole na­tion has elected them, and having been confirmed in their election by all branches of the govern­ment, will have full power to act without referring each matter that comes up for decision by the Supreme Tribunal, hack to their governments.

Third, the Supreme Tribunal is to be established on the basis of universal proportional represen­tation. Woodrow Wilson, whose service to the cause of peace the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith has compared to the morning star which heralds the dawn of Uni­versal Peace, saw the importance of this universal element. He said his plan would stand or fall by whether weak nations were treated fairly or not. But his plan did not provide sufficient means for their fair treatment such as would be afforded by the repre­sentation at the World Council of each nation in the world in pro­portion to its population.

Before this can come about it would seem that humanity must whole-heartedly embrace such principles as the oneness of man· kind, the abandonment of prej­udice and like ideals which the Baha'i Teachings have been spreading since they were first proclaimed by Baha'u'llah eighty years ago.

And indeed this is the main thought in the letter which

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'Abdu'l-Baha wrote in 1919to the Organization for a Durable Peace with headquarters at The Hague. He pointed out in this letter that universal peace is not a separate attainment which mankind can achieve through its own intellec­tual and moral effort, but must come through the assimilation by the peoples and nations of the world of these teachings and principles.

He explained the most impor­tant of these Teachings and showed how essential thev are to

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the establishment of a real and lasting peace.

In discussing the necessity for the abandonment of prejudice, one of the main Baha'i teachings, He pointed out that the wars that have affiicted humanity for 6,000 years have all been caused by some form of prejudice, either religious, racial, political or pa­triotic. "As long as these prej­udices persist, the struggle for existence must remain dominant, and bloodthirstiness and rapacity continue."

Voluntary sharing of property, another Baha'i teaching, would do away with animosity between classes of people such as capital­ists and laborers, another cause of war. This voluntary sharing does not imply equalization of property but a more fair distri­bution so that no one need want for the necessities of life.

Another teaching is the free­dom of man from domination by the struggle for existence, which 'Abdu'l-Baha says is the "foun­tain-head of all calamities."

Religion as a mighty bulwark to protect the peace of the world is also stressed in the Baha'i teachings. The law is one safe­guard, but the law prevents only manifest crime and not concealed sin, whereas religion prevents both. But religion, to do this, must be pure and undefiled, as it originally came from the Divine Manifestations, not over­laid with man made conceptions.

Another one of Baha'u'llah's teachings is that mankind needs some strong influence to divert it from a purely material civili­zation of which we are now reap­ing the fruits in the multiplica­tion and increased destructive­ness of weapons of war, to a civilization dominated by the Holy Spirit. "Material civiliza­tion is like the body .... Divine civilization is like the spirit, and the body gets its life from the spirit, otherwise it becomes a corpse."

Other teachings there are, such as universal education, the equality of men and women, a universal auxiliary language, the carrying out of which 'Abdu'l­Baha showed to be necessary to the establishment of a universal and enduring peace.

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Of these teachings 'Ahdu'l­Baha said, "They embody the divine spirit of this age and are applicable to this period of ma­turity in the life of the human world."

"Every one who truly seeks and justly reflects will admit that the teachings of the present day emanating from mere human sources and authority are the cause of difficulty and disagree­ment amongst mankind, the very destroyers of humanity, wherea~ the teachings of Baha'u'llah are the very healing of the sick world, the remedy for every need and condition."

If we "truly seek and justly reflect" we shall see that though the intellectual acceptance of these teachings may seem at first glance easy, their whole-hearted application is most difficult ex­cept through the aid of a Divine power. And in this letter 'Ah­dul'l-Baha follows His explana­tion of these principles with a tribute to their power:

"Consider how powerful are the teachings of His Holiness Baha'u'llah. At a time when His Holiness was in the prison of Akka and was under the restric­tions and threats of two blood­thirsty kings, notwithstanding this fact, His teachings spread with all power in Persia and

other countries. Should any teaching or any principle, or any community fall under the threat of a powerful and thirsty mon­arch it will he annihilated within a short space of time. At pres­ent for fifty years the Baha'is in Persia and most regions have been under severe restrictions and the threat of sword and spear. Thousands of souls have given their lives in the arena of sacrifice and have fallen as vic­tims under the swords of oppres­sion and cruelty. Thousands of esteemed families have been up­rooted and destroyed. Thousands of fathers have been bereft of their sons. Thousands of moth­ers have wept and lamented for their boys who have been he­headed. All this oppression and cruelty, rapacity and hloodthirst­ness did not hinder or prevent -the spread of the teachings of Baha'u'llah. They spread more and more every day and their power and might became more and more evident."

It is this spiritual power and might which alone can bring true healing to the world, whether in­dividually or as a whole. Baha­'u'llah, fulfilling the "increasing purpose" of the ages, has brought spiritual healing both to the individual and to mankind as a whole.

Christians, A \vake! MARGUERITE TRUE

AS it ever occurred to you that we might be living in

those times predicted in the Bible as the time of the end, the Day of Judgment when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet? Have you studied your Scriptures lately to see if they could have any special meaning for today? If not, then it would be wise to do so, for we have at last come to the period of time spoken of by Daniel when he said, And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that time; by the prophet Zephan­iah when he said, That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness, and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness. A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers; by Christ when He said For then shall be great tribula-

- tion, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be; and when He also warned For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and pesti­lences and earthquakes, in divers places.

For this is the Great Day of God. This is the period foretold by all of the Prophets when the people of the world will be called to account for their misdeeds, when the earth will be cleansed of its evils, and when we shall see the dawn of the New Day, the Kingdom of God on earth.

Now, if this is true, then the most important event in the world has again occurred, the coming of a Divine Messenger. For Dan­iel spoke of the coming of Michael, the Great Prince who would arise to aid the people, and Christ said, 1 have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. For he shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak; and he will show you things to come and he shall glorify me.

Christ also referred to His spir­itual return as the Son of Man when He said, But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the com­ing of the Son of Man be. For in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drink­ing, marrying and giving in mar­riage, until the day that Noah en­tered into the ark, and knew not,

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until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. We see from this reference that Christ indicated the coming of the Son of Man before a period of great upheaval. As we are al­ready in the midst of a great flood of destruction, might we not do well to see what it was that happened before this world crisis? In ages past, God has sent His Messengers before the calam­ity, to warn the people of the im­pending disaster and to tell them how to live. For Noah came be­fore the flood, Moses before the collapse of the Egyptian civiliza­tion, and Christ before the fall of Rome. So we see that God sends His Messenger before the calam­ity and not afterwards as many people seem to think.

In the nineteenth century there were Bible students both in Amer­ica and in other countries who, according to their calculations, believed that 1844 was the year in which a Messenger would ap­pear, the Savior, spoken of by Isaiah, the Messiah, the Prince predicted by Daniel, and the Spirit of Truth spoken of by .T esus, the Christ. These students went, according to their interpre­tation of the Bible, to the East for as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the WP.st; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. But the

East includes many countries and none of these students ever found Him. However, at the same time there were eighteen wise men in the East, in the land of Persia, who, acr.ording to the study of their Scriptures, also felt that the time for a new Messenger had come. They, too, set out in search for this Promised One. And one by one, they found a man named the Bah (which means Door or Gate) who said that He was the Fore-runner, the Trumpet, and like John-the-Baptist, had come to prepare the way for the com­ing of another Prophet of God. This Fore-runner was referred to by Malachi, Behold I will send my messenger, and he shall pre­pare the way before me. It was on May 23, 1844 that the Bah spoke to the first of these wise men on many things concerning the Divine Truths, and later, when all eighteen had found Him, He sent them on their way to announce to the people of the world that the time for a new Messenger was at hand.

Thus it was in 1863 that Baha'u'llah announced to the world that He was the Promised One of all former Prophets . Baha'u'llah means Glory of God and He is the One to whom John referred when He said of the New Jerusalem (new civiliza­tion) and the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to

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shine in it; for the Glory of God did lighten it. Even as Christ said, I am the Light of the world to light the way in those dark times, so Baha'u'llah came to bring the Divine Light to lead us through these days of great tribulation, and into a state of lasting peace.

It may seem strange that when Christ said, I go away and come again unto you, He should not appear with the same name and in the same body. But He also re­ferred to His spiritual return as Son of Man and Spirit of Truth, and The prince of the world com­eth and hath nothing in me. Christ further tells us about a change of name I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will re­ceive. John refers likewise to the change of name, I will write upon · him (that overcometh) my new name. This change of name and bodily form seems to be one of the ways in which God tests His people and in which He discovers those who are spiritually awake. Christians admonish the Jews for refusing to recognize Christ as the return of Moses because he bore a different name and came in a different body. Yet we must be careful not to make the same mistake and overlook the return of Christ. Many people feel that they will immediately recognize Christ when He returns, but we

see that the people of His own day did not recognize Him. It was even necessary for Judas to kiss Christ in order for the au­thorities to distinguish Him.

Through each Revelation, the Prophet brings the specific Laws for the well-being of mankind in His age. Just as Moses brought the Ten Commandments for His time, and Christ the Teachings for His dav, so Baha'u'llah re--vealed additional Divine Laws for the fulfillment of the prayer which Christ taught us, Thy Kingdom come •. on earth as it is in heaven, for the accomplish­ment of a peaceful world, of the Dawn of the Golden Age in our era.

Baha'u'llah fulfilled the proph­ecy of John, And another book was opened whir.h is the book of life, and Isaiah's prophecy, And the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. For Baha'u'llah revealed the Laws of God for the government of th~ world, and showed how the na­tions could attain a lasting peace. He outlined the new and Divine World, a world commonwealth of the nations with a world legis­lative, an executive and a judi­cial body, a world police force, a world language, a world econ­omy and a world educational sys-

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tern. These and many other Di­vine Laws for the nations He re­vealed that man might at last learn to live in such a way as to realize that for which Christ taught us to pray, The Kingdom of God on earth. These teachings which Bahii'u'lliih brought us are necessary to build the New ] eru­salem. And besides the Laws of the nations, Bahii'u'llah revealed many other truths never unfolded by the Prophets before Him, teachings on the nature of God, the reality of man, the soul, and life in the other worlds of God.

The time of Bible prophecy is now being fulfilled. This is the

most important time in human history since the day of Adam! This is the great Day of Judg­ment for which the Prophets since Abraham have been prepar­ing the people of the world. This is the great period of tribulation which the people must experience before they can be ready to ac­cept and live a more God-like life. This is the time for the ful­fillment of the Scriptures, the day when the Messenger has again appeared, and the Divine Laws have again been revealed. How high the reward of him who hath not failed to recognize the beauty of his Best Beloved in this, His new attire.

BAHA'u'LLAH

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PHILIP AMALFI MARANGEJJ.A

Thou Who hast known a prison's lost repose Yet given me the fragrance of Thy rose; Thou Who hast shown me Wisdom's sunlit way And brought to birth a new Millenia} Day; My heart shall ever of Thy fragrance sing, And fill the future with remembering.

In vain I probe the vast, infinite grace Which fashioned me to seek God's placeless place. Transcendent Orb of Beauty, Love and Power, What can man say in this stupendous hour? This is Thy Day! The Bah revealed Thy story: Thou art the Mirror of God's Greatest Glory!

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Can Your Religion Unite the Nations? MARY MARLOWE

FEW years ago, on discus· the leaven in bread and give to sions of a religious nature, human action and law a dynamic

it was customary to hear people unifying Power. say: "My religion is right for Where in the world today do me; it answers my needs", or "H we find such a faith? Let us we just obeyed the golden rule, each one turn to his own religion, that is all the religion we would or belief, whether it be Christian, need", or "I am an agnostic; I Mu.bammadan, Buddhist, Jew­simply don't know the answers". ish, Zoroastrian; whether it be

Today phrases such as these agonistic, or even atheistic, and are voiced less and less. Tired let us ask the following questions lips are quieted, weary hearts of this belief or religion so that are less certain, thirsting souls we may be sure that we are draw­are more ready to look· deeper . ing closer to that single point of than that which brings a thread Truth around which all humanity of contentment. A harassed, must circle if we are to achieve martyred and agonized humanity world unity: is slowly kneeling in the dust to 1. Does my religion or belief ask God for a religion that will offer a solution to world prob­heal the nations and bring about lems of this hour, economic, so• world order for the entire hu- cial and religious in nature? man family. From the darkness 2. Does my religion or belief of world wide calamity those who present a plan definitely and are left minds to reason with and clearly stated for the organiza­bodies to work with must ask tion of a world community? themselves deep probing ques- 3. Does my religion or belief tions before the turn of another inspire me night and day Lo year. change my character, to purify

History records that religion my motives, to offer the best of is the elixir which alone is ca- my efforts to its service, even to pable of changing human society. sacrifice my life? When Faith pales, action is en- 4. Does my religion or be­feebled. When Spirit wanes, law lief, where it is adopted, make becomes corrupt. Today we are of its adherents one people re­everywhere in need of a vital life, gardless of race or class does a living Faith that will rise like it abolish prejudice?

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5. Does my religion or belief make one people of those who were reared in different beliefs?

6. Does my .religion or belief give equal station to all the great Founders of divine religions of known history?

7. Does my religion or belief uphold and encourage the find­ings of science, foster the devel­opment of reason, and encourage every effort of the human mind toward greater efficiency in all material and spiritual progress?

8. Does my religion or belief inspire such love in my heart for God that the greatest joy is to commune with Him, or to draw near to Him through service, and

the greatest sorrow is to be for­getful of Him?

These are some of the ques· tions that we must put now to ourselves, and if our religion or belief is too feeble, or thinned with time and the corruption of human imagination to offer us the answers, let us then search with unfailing zeal for the Faith that can answer those questions with full power and certainty. God, Who is rolling up the old order with one hand, with the other hand is spreading out a new world order, and we may be sure that if we ask Him, He will bring us to His new World Faith without delay!

The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of this most great, this new World Order. Mankind's ordered life hath been revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System -the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed.

Immerse yourselves in the ocean of My words, that ye may unravel its secrets, and discover all the pearls of wisdom that lie hid in its. depths. Take heed that ye do not vacillate in your determination to embrace the truth of this Cause a Cause through which the potentialities of the might of God have been revealed, and His sovereignty established. With faces beaming with joy, hasten ye unto Him. This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it verily, God is Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.

-.BAHA'U'LI.AH

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iloria

Greater Than Atomic Power

HEN the news flashed upon the war to an end, adds: "We the world that one atomic have hoped further, that in the

bomb borne and dropped by one hands of statesmen, atomic power airplane had, in a moment, al- itself could help to provide a most completely wiped out a city mechanism for bringing people of some 300,000 souls those together and for establishing familiar with the writings of confidence between nations. We Baha'u'llah were once more pow- have been supported in this hope erfully reminded of the many by the fact that science itself, out warnings which Baha'u'llah had of which this development has given of the calamity and de• been born, is one of the most uni­struction which would affiict man- versal of human efforts and that kind unless warfare was aban- its tendency has been to bridge cloned and peaceful means of the gap between cultures rather settling disputes established. than deepen them."

The tremendous destruction of Where is the truth? Can science life has shocked thoughtful peo- and statesmenship bring lasting ple into realizing how puny man peace to the world in the face of is spiritually in contrast with the national hatreds, secret desire for enormity of the physical power revenge, racial animosity, selfish he has learned to control. greed for territory and fear of Doubtfully they are asking "Has neighbors across the border? Or science gone too far?" and "Is is the religionist right who says man worthy of such knowledge?" that the scientist has become or "What if our enemies had dwarfed by the magnitude of gained this knowledge first?" what he has done and is no longer

Some of the great scientists looked upon as one able to save responsible for the atomic bomb the world, hut that the need is claim hope that this discovery for mankind to be saved from the may eventuate in bringing the power which the scientist has put peoples of the world together. into his hands? Dr. J. R. Oppenheimer, after No doubt science can and has stating that he and his fellow brought great benefit to mankind workers believed that already and no doubt fear of this latest good had been done by bringing weapon of destruction will have

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208 WORLD ORDER

a restraining influence for a time. Yet the sum total of misdirected scientific invention thus far has been the most terrible and terri­fying war of all time. Is it not plain that man's intellectual de­velopment has far outstripped his spiritual attainment, that he has not heeded Baha'u'llah's warn­ings or those of 'Ahdu'l-Baha given so often in His talks in this country as long ago as 1912 that unless spiritual advancement went hand-in-hand with material advancement great harm would come to humanity?

Those familiar with the teach­ings of Baha'u'llah know that He not only warned that rulers and people were following a path which would bring calamity hut showed the path for spiritual development; that He plainly stated that the remedy for the ills of the world is the union of its people not only in one world gov­ernment, hut in one religion. Strangely enough, or perhaps not strangely, Baha'u'llah draws a strong contrast between the hu­man power and knowledge used in the transmutation of elements, which, we understand, is closely connected with the fission of the atom, and the heavenly power which changes men's hearts.

"Is it within human power," He wrote, "to effect in the con­stituent elements of any of the minute and indivisible particles

of matter so complete a trans­formation as to transmute it into purest gold? Perplexing and difficult as this may appear, the still greater task of converting satanic strength into heavenly power is one that We have been empowered to accomplish."

Although the rulers and nations of the world, intent on conquest and greedy for power, did not heed the warnings of Baha­'u'llah and thus avert world catastrophe, yet thousands of souls, relying on His heavenly powers and wisdom, and warmed by His love did harken to His call to unity in religion and af­fairs, and in large and small groups all over the world, are building His New World Order according to the pattern which, they believe, is "pattern and nu­cleus of that world common­wealth which is the sure, the in­evitable destiny of the peoples and nations of the earth."

So those who are following the path Baha'u'llah has shown have the assurance that the new Divine Civilization is being built and that the Divine Standard will he unfurled however many the ob­stRcles and seeming reverses, for "The powers of the earth," as­serts 'Ahdu'l-Baha, "cannot with stand the privileges and bestow­als which God has ordained for this great and glorious century.

-B. H. K.

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The World Order of Baha'u'lh1h Book Review

MARION HOLLEY

The World Order of Bahii'u'llah is a legacy to the Baha'is and to the world which our generation can hut dimly appreciate. This series of essays, written by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, from 1929 to 1936, embody in hold, vast, and certain outline the pattern and the evolving momentum of World Order.

It is a unique hook, the first and only one of its kind, for its appear­ance depended upon a fitting climax in history and upon the assured knowledge which only the Guardian of God's Faith could bring. Here is no tentative approach to the events of our time, no deduction o£ trend based upon reasonable observation and sub­ject to all the limitations of the human mind. Here, rather, is the consummate revelation o£ a process, divine and irresistible, which today is surrounding and motivating the actions of humanity on the threshold of its mightiest age the epoch of world civilization.

The seven years which produced these essays can he seen in retrospect as a critical hut stagnant time, when beneath a relative calm the roots of disintegration were fastening on every social institution. In the ex­perience of nations they represent the culmination of that period of respite and fatuous security between two wars, which in reality was a breeding-ground of superficial pana­ceas obscuring the true and hitter situation. While some sixty govern-

The World Order of BahO:u'llah, by Shoghi Effendi. Baha'i publishing Com­mittee, 1938.

ments renounced war as an instru­ment of national policy, through their indifference, visionless, or unscrupu­lous acts they were preparing the most frightful war in recorded his­tory. They believed or professed to believe that peace could he had for no price hut a promise and the ink on a piece of paper. The intricate and solemn responsibilities of inter­dependence, and the sacrifices and labors which the building o£ a peace­ful international society would re­quire were passed by with a thought· lessness nothing short of suicidal. Barely-repressed hostilities, warning signals of economic disruption, the introduction of shameless philoso­phies o£ government, and finally the outbreak of conquest in two widely­separated areas all were neglected and glossed over by a world unwill- . ing to abandon its traditional divi­sions for the dynamic task of uni­versal reconstruction. "How pathetic indeed," came the Guardian's pene­trating judgment in 1931, "are the efforts of those leaders of human institutions who, in utter disregard of the spirit of the age, are striving to adjust national processes, suited to the ancient days of self-contained na­tions, to an age which must either achieve the unity of the world, as adumbrated by Baha'u'Ilah, or perish."

For the Baha'is these seven vears will also he remembered as a 'seed­time of relative quiet, not of evil hut of vigorous and fruitful days. For these were the years immediately preceding the opening of the greatest collective enterprise in the first cen-

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210 WORLD ORDER

tury of the Faith, the inception of that Divine Plan which is so inti­mately entwined with the world's destiny. They were, moreover, in the most literal sense the last stretch of calm before the Judgment Day. And it was precisely through the influence of the Guardian's writings, which poured in a continuous flow from Haifa, that the tiny community of followe11s of Baha'u'llah was quick­ened and trained to take up its role in the world-shaking events so soon to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting

• generatiOn. As humanity neared its zero-hour

and the clash of irreconcilable forces reached ahead, upon the very eve of that final and universal struggle for the destruction of outworn systems, which is still raging and can only end with the emergence of a world society, the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith raised a clear and unequivocal call summoning men of all nations, races, classes, and beliefs to a single and a sacred goal. "It is towards this goal the goal of a new World Order, Divine in origin, all-embracing in scope, equitable in principle, chal­lenging in its features that a harassed humanity must strive."

In some such terms as these, sweep­ing and irresistible as the movement of nations at their crucial hour, we who support the life-germ of a potent Faith must seek the meaning of this remarkable guidebook, The World Order of Baha'u'llah. Toward it Baha'is have a special responsibility, for here are contained the indis­pensable truths which will clarify and invigorate our every activity. Above all, here is a vision of per­suasive power the vision of a world in birth whose dynamic impact is certain to unlock the convictions of masses of men who, in the not distant

future, will rally to the standard of Baha'u'llah.

To study this hook is to realize that, within its scope, are all the fundamentals of World Order. Why world civilization must be spiritually based, the unique fusion of Baha­u'llah's "regenerating Spirit" with His "supreme instrument for the establishment of the Most Great Peace," the social principles which will buttress world society, its root in the organic oneness of mankind, its structure and key institutions, the distinction of this Divine Economy from all other religious and political systems, the authentic sources and ex­plicit safeguards of world unity, the significance and function of World Order as the consummation of "man's collective life on this planet," the challenge of its inevitable unfoldment to all resistant institutions, America's predominant role as its "champion­builder," the "fire of ordeal" through which humanity is bound to pass with its assured outcome in the gradual welding together of discordant ele­ments into one all-encompassing world commonwealth, and finally the entrancing vista of a "Day when the kingdoms of this world shall have become the Kingdom of God Him­self, the Kingdom of Baha'u'llah"­these are hut some of the themes which the Guardian unfolds in seven matchless essays.

These are pages so packed with meaning that they cannot by any effort be truly summarized. In the writings of Shoghi Effendi no single word is dispensable. Nothing less than his own two hundred pages can encompass the essence of World Order which he portrays. Nor is one essay to be preferred above another, for like the World Order itself, they are organic and progressive; each

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WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH 211

supplements and evolves the Guar­dian's thought with its own individ­ual purpose and use. So compact are these chapters, so revealing, inex­haustible, and often astonishing, even to Baha'is, that they exercise a con­stant claim and bestow an ever­renewing stimulus and joy.

Perhaps for those approaching the Faith of Baha'u'llah for the first

• • • • • time, It Is Wise to pomt out two sec-tions in particular, "The Goal of a New World Order" (1931) and "The Unfoldment of World Civilization" ( 1936) . The first is a classic state­ment, perfect and irrefutable, of the world's plight, its travail, and the promise and foundation of the com­ing Order. It is a statement which grows more valid with every passing day, and ought to be known by the intelligent citizenry of this and every land. Both essays are without doubt the creative source of concepts which even now are transforming and ele­vating the currents of contemporary thought to a recognition of human­ity's coming of age and the steady unfoldment of world commonwealth.

Still a third section indispensable to students is "The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah" (1934), giving defini­tive form to the essentials of Baha'i belief which are requisite to member­ship. Yet basic as this chapter is for students, it has a thousand-fold in­terest for Baha'is themselves whose "first obligation" is "to strive to ob­tain a more adequate understanding of the significance of Baha'u'llah's stupendous Revelation." Here is the Guardian's own explanation and measuring-rod of "certain fundamen­tal verities ... which lie at the basis of our Faith and the integrity of which it is our ·first dutv to safe-

•

guard." The marvelous virility of the World Order of Baha'u'llah is

vividly glimpsed in this description of its source and development, for "the bedrock on which this Adminis­trative Order is founded is God's im­mutable Purpose for mankind in this day."

Those who open The World Order of Bahf/u'llah for the first time will always have in store a vital and last­ing experience. Yet it is something to have lived through the impact of these messages as publishd from year to year, absorbing them with pas­sionate concentration, and discover­ing within one's inmost nature the traces of their steadily-maturing effect. With consummate wisdom and skill the Guardian led out the small band of Baha'u'llah's followers, ex­panding their wisdom, deepening their understanding, rousing their energies, until no longer immersed in the processes of a dying civiliza­tion they stood, ready and poised for their task, upon the threshold of that new World Order which is the chief object of Divine Revelation in our age.

The fulfillment of Baha'u'llah's great remedy for society requires the instrumentality of conscious and will­ing lives who, recognizing in the daily struggles of our time the birth­pangs of World Order, will become its first and loyal citizens. This book contains the potency to transmute all those who respond to its import into men and women for whom "the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens." In The World Order of Baha'u'llah the first Guardian of the Baha'i Faith has unloosed in his readers such energies and hopes as shall never be stilled until the won­drous edifice of the Most Great Peace has been forever reared.

This is one in a series of articles on Baha'i hooks.

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Heritage to Youth EVA FLACK McALLISTER

old order is crumbling date customs and choosing for and affecting the youth of their standards a few truths ap­

today more than any other plicable to this age. As a result members of our society. The of this, on the college and uni­debris of our civilization is dis- versity campus, youth movements playing the result of racial, po- have been organized with liberal litical and religious prejudices. racial, political and religious Association with members of ev- ideas. The thinking students of ery race whether with the Armed these schools regardless of color, Forces on the isles of the Pacific creed or background are mem­or in home industry is proving to hers and the organizations have our young people the false doc- grown to be national and inter­trines of racial prejudice. They national. These organizations see how international political have discarded the things of the machinery reveals its inadequacy past that made divisions and have to solve world problems justly. kept those that seem to unify. They see that religion as prac- Youth the world over are be­ticed by their parents is not suffi- ing wounded, and even buried, cient to aid the failing' world. To by a crumbling civilization while remedy this some have discarded a few are pushing it aside and religion entirely and are groping dedicating their lives to the ris­for an answer. As the debris of ing World Order of Baha'u'llah. the crumbling order surrounds It is in this World Religion that them they know it is their duty youth will find its material to to clean up the "big mess" and build a lasting and peaceful build from the ashes a new world world civilization. The most for­better than the one they have in- tunate and also the most obli­herited from their recent an- gated person in the world today cestors. How and where will they is the youth that has the con­get the needed material is their scious knowledge of the all-em­problem. bracing Revelation of BaM-

Dissatisfied with the present 'u'llah. He is fortunate because world conditions and out-worn he knows why we are in the institutions, the youth have be- present world conflict and that gun to think and investigate for there is hope for the near future. themselves, discarding out of He knows that the present war

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HERITAGE 213

is the death pangs of the old worn-out' order for which he has lost all respect and which he even finds boring as he reads onesided accounts of it in his present his­tory books. He is fortunate to know that out of these death pangs a Golden Age is being born in which there will not be any more war. "Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new one spread out in its stead." "Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the Most Great Peace shall come."

He is fortunate to know that there will be a spiritual solution of the economic problem and' that future youth, regardless of wealth, color or creed, will be universally educated by the state. He is happy because his Faith is a positive religion where the "do's" outnumber the "don't's" and deeds are more important than words. "The people of Baha must serve the Lord with wisdom, teach others by their deeds. The effect of deeds is in truth more powerful than that of words." The ancient feud between science and religion will cease. 'Abdu'l­Baha "proclaims that religion must be in harmony with science and reason. If it does not con­form to science and reconcile with reason it is superstition." "Work performed in the spirit of service is exalted to the rank-

of worship." These principles ap­peal to the youthful mind, but perhaps most appealing is the principle of independent investi­gation of truth. He must not believe anything because his parents believe. 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote, referring to Baha'u'llah, "His first teaching is the search after truth. Blind imitation, He declared killeth the spirit of man, whereas the investigation of truth frees the world from the darkness f . d" " o preJU ICe. If the young Baha'i is a mem­

ber of a minority group as is the American Negro he knows that economic in justice and race riots will cease and in their places justice, peace and mutual friend­ship between the two races will exist. He knows that in the plan of Baha'u'llah color of skin and

• • • • • economic positiOn Is not Im-portant but man in the near future will be judged only by character and spiritual develop­ment. "Concerning the prejudice of race; it is an illusion, a super­stition pure and simple, for God created us all of one race. . . . The lovers of mankind, these are the superior men, of whatever nation, creed or color they may be."

The Baha'i youth is not one who weeps because there are no lands to conquer and thinks ad­venture died shortly after the death of Robinson Crusoe or that

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214 WORLD ORDER

the pioneering. days of Daniel Boone are over. He has obliga­tions, tremendous obligations, for being so fortunate. Yes, he has pioneering to do global pioneer· ing. The youth of this country have the opportunity to help establish their beloved Faith in every state and province in North America and in every country of South America. They also have pioneering in their neighbor­hoods and families. The most difficult and the most important part of pioneering is "living the life", for we are told that the principle of faith is to lessen words and to increase deeds and that for him whose words exceed his acts his non-being is better than his being, his death better than his life. A high standard of conduct for this new age is writ­ten by our wise and beloved Guardian. "A rectitude of con­duct, an abiding sense of un­deviating justice . . . a chaste, pure and holy life, unsullied and unclouded by the indecencies, the vices, the false standards, which an inherently deficient moral code tolerates, perpetuates, and fosters; a fraternity freed from that cancerous growth of racial prejudice, which is eating into the vitals of an already debili­tated society these are the ideals which the American be-

lievers must, individually and through concerted action, strive to promote, in both their private and public lives."

The Baha'i youth is not afraid of death whether he is in danger on the battle front or on duty in field or factory. He is for­tunate to know the beautiful, scientific and logical facts re­vealed by God through Baha­'u'llah on life after death. "Know thou of a truth that the soul after its separation from the body will continue to progress until it at­taineth the presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries nor the changes and chances of this world can alter." "There never is for man annihilation. . . . Man is ever­lasting, ever living. And if we think of death it is only an imaginary term implying change. . . . Man only through ignorance is afraid of death."

The Golden Age of Baha'u'llah with its "permanent and uni-

'' . . versal peace , economic secunty, great world civilization, the knowledge of continued life after death, obligates the Baha'i youth to carry the torch that will lead all mankind through the present conflict to the bright and glorious future.

'Ahdu'l-Baha's Visit to America MARIAM HANEY

' ! BDU'L-BAHA's followers in America, as well as Ameri­

. cans who met Him abroad, were insistent; they constantly ap­pealed to Him and with a poig­nancy which, as stated by Shoghi Effendi, He "found Himself un­able to resist. . . . Their pas­sionate entreaty had, moreover, been reinforced by the numerous invitations which representatives of various interested organiza­tions, whether religious, educa­tional or humanitarian, had ex-

•

tended to Him, expressing their eagerness to receive from His own mouth an exposition of His Father's teachings."

The believers in America fi­nally were in such a state of spiritual joy as they contem­plated 'Ahdu'l-Baha's coming to this country that no words could give expression to their feelings. The very thought of His presence here was overwhelming. The ful­fillment of all the hopes and prayers of His devoted followers was the historic event of His ar­rival in New York in April, 1912.

The miracle of 'Ahdu'l-Baha's Holy Presence in this country was apparent to His followers. There were "divine wisdoms" in His coming, for the Baha'is were

aware that everything He said or did was prompted by the Spirit. With what joy and devotion these real friends welcomed Him! They saw Him with their physi­cal eyes, and outwardly warmly greeted Him as the Divine Friend and Divine Educator, hut they were the ones who also saw Him "with the eye of the heart". Here He was, the Divine Exemplar of the New Day, standing "power­ful, mighty and supreme" for all from the lowest to the highest to witness the light of loving com­passion which He radiated, His might, His glory, His incalcu­lable wisdom, and so to hear di­rectly from Him those precious, priceless Truths which are soul­vivifying and which are destined to he the healing of the nations.

'Ahdu'l-Baha began His per­sonal teaching work in America at the age of sixty-seven after forty years' imprisonment, and fifty-six years of what might he termed a living martyrdom judged by human standards.

Once again the Light traveled from the East to the West, and 'Ahdu'l-Baha gave His promise that from the West the Baha'i Teachings would he widely spread around the world. It is certain the problems facing hu-

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manity were and are world-wide, therefore solutions must be uni­versal.

The people of America, for the most part, were unaware that the Divine Servant of God was in their midst. They did not know that America was on the thresh­old of living through the most momentous period of the entire history of the North American Continent, for what event, how­ever great, could possibly be com­pared with receiving bounties di­rectly from the Holy Messenger Who was the Channel of Guid­ance for humanity, and Who possessed all the endless re­sources and power necessary to fulfill the divine mission given to Him by His Father Baha'u'llah! The greatest date in American history will be recorded as April ll, 1912, when the breezes of the Holy Spirit began to sweep over this country through 'Abdu'l­Baha's heavenly magnetic influ­ence.

Here was the Master (as His Oriental followers called Him) -1the greatest amongst us and yet the humblest, desiring no sta­tion for Himself but that of servitude to the Holy Threshold. There was not the slightest trace of self in any of His actions, but there was ever present the radi­ance of the love of God, expressed powerfully in love for humanity.

At the first meeting with the Baha'is in New York, 'Abdu'l­Baha said: "I am very happy to meet you all here today. Praise Be to God! that your faces are shining with the love of Baha­'u'llah. To behold them is the cause of great spiritual happi­ness .... In the East people were asking Me, 'Why do you under­take this long voyage; your body cannot endure such hardships of travel?' When it is necessary My body can endure everything. It has withstood forty years of im­prisonment and can still under­go the utmost trials."

At another time and place, He said: "I have come from distant countries of the Orient where tile Lights of heaven have ever shone forth; from regions where the Manifestations of God have been revealed to mankind. The pur­pose and intention of My visit is that perchance a bond of unity and agreement may be estab­lished between the East and West, that divine love may encompass all nations, divine radiance en­lighten both continents and the bounties of the Holy Spirit re­vivify the body of the world."

So began this divinely dyna­mic teaching tour, this scattering of the seeds of Truth by the trut:; Gardener. In almost every meet­ing throughout America He em­phasized the way to universal

VISIT TO AMERICA 217

salvation, how to arrive at uni­versal peace, how to make life joyous and happy, how to re­move the clouds so that the star of happiness in every heart could shine brightly. Only the "Mys, tery of God" could teach as He taught for He was drawing His Knowledge from the Source of All-Knowledge. He knew the laws underlying all things; therefore He answered all ques­tions put to Him, whether by the rich or poor, learned or ignorant, always meeting the questioners on their own plane. Often He repeated both in private and in public, "I have come for the pur­pose of admonition and voicing the teachings of Baha'u'lhih."

And He did just that. From the time He answered a reporter in New York who asked a ques­tion about the solution of the eco­nomic problem by saying. "The basic plank in any economic prQ· gram is this that man shall love his brother", to intimate visits with government officials, rab­bis, clergymen, educators, scient­ists, and others, He set forth with pure and high purpose and divine intent the altruistic spirit­ual teachings for this New Age.

Just as an individual when iJl needs a physician, so does the whole world afflicted with a com­plication of diseases, need the Divine Physician, for only Div-

inity can give the remedy. Hu­man standards, human measure­ments are faulty, and human re­medies fail utterly when the disease becomes critical, when humanity has reached the crisis.

So 'Abdu'l-Baha traveled from coast to coast in the United States, and to Montreal in Can­ada. While in New York He made short visits to other centers -Brooklyn, Montclair, Jersey City, Fanwood, West Engle­wood. Then His sacred teach­ing tour, unique in its imperish­able glory, took Him to many other cities throughout the coun­try includin~ Boston, Cambridge, Malden, Worcester, in Massa­chusetts; Dublin, New Hamp­shire; Green Acre, Eliot in Maine; Washington, D. C.; Phil­adelphia and Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania; Cleveland and Cincinnati in Ohio; then to Chi­cago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Den­ver, and in California; San Fran­cisco, Los Angeles, Sacramen­to, Oak~and and Palo Alto. The length of the visit in each place varied from a few days to a few weeks, and many of these cities were blessed with His Presence at several different times.

In these various cities He ad­dressed private and public meet­ings, and gave comfort and spiritual bounty to hundreds per­sonally by the mystic fire in His

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Word and the captivating gentle­ness of His personality. The warmest welcome was accorded Him everywhere, and the longing to hear Him speak or just to he allowed in His Presence increased as He traveled from place to place, shedding the warmth of His divine love everywhere. The penetrating rays from His heart touched the hearts of many. This was what He longed for. He did not want houses, palaces, lux­uries, wealth hut, the hearts, the greatest spiritual treasure, for

if hearts are awakened, if souls are enkindled, the mind will he­come alert and attentive and the Teachings of God will take effect.

The newspapers of the coun­try gave wide publicity to His public talks, featured His glori­ous personality and His deeds of spiritual and material bounty with all the reverence and re­spect due a Holy Divine Teacher.

Number six in a series of notations on Baha'i activity in North America from 1893 to 1921.

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"THE DOOR OF THY GATE" JANET R. LINDSTROM

Sky like the breast of a dove, with a silvery plover Soaring its wind-born way, lonely and free-Lost in the cloud, as vapors shih and cover Its pearly wings, calling this prayer from me:

"Too high art Thou for the praise Of those who are nigh unto Thee To ascend unto the heaven of Thy nearness, Or for the birds of the hearts of them who are devoted to Thee To attain to the door of Thy gate."

Night, with a star-sown dome where clouds have broken, Baring the Milky Way, like lighted snow'--Carrying my prayer, so wonderingly spoken, Unto the door of God I may not know. "0 Creator of the heavens! . . . Too high art Thou ... "

•

References on Race Relations Assembled by ESTHER POPEL SHAW

A. FoR A BACKGROUND APPROACH TO "THE PROBLEM" 1. Brown, Ina Corinne, Chap. II, "The Background of American Race

Relations" Socio-Economic Approach to Educational Problems. Misc. No.6, Vol. I, Federal Security Agency, U. S. Office of Educa­tion. 1942.

2. McWilliams, Carey, Brothers Under the Skin. Little, Brown, 1943. (An over-all picture of race relations in America.)

3. Bowers, Claude, The Tragic Era. Cornwell Press, 1929. (An "un­reconstructed" Southerner's point of view.)

4. DuBois, W. E. B., Black Reconstruction. Harcourt Brace and Com­pany, 1935. The Negro's side of the Reconstruction story.)

5. Fast, Howard, Freedom Road. Duell, Sloane, Pearce, 1944. (A novel of the Reconstruction period from the "liberal's" point of view.)

B. THE "PROBLEM" REVEALED 1. Myrdal, Gunnar, An American Dilemma. Vols. I and II. "The

Negro Problem and Modern Democracy." Harper, 1944 2 Stewart, Maxwell S, The Negro in America. (A summary of Myr­

dal's "American Dilemma." Public Affairs Pamphlet No. 95, 1944. 1944.

3. Brogan, D. W., The American Character. Knopf, 1944. An Eng­lishman's point of view

4. Odum, Howard, Race and Rumors of Race. Chapel Hill Press, University of North Carolina, 1943.

5. McWilliams, Carey, Prejudice. Little, Brown and Company, 1944. (Revealing America's attitudes toward a specific minority group

-·the Japanese-American.) 6. American War•Community Services Bulletins, Numbers 1 and 2 re:

Employment Problems of the Negro and Racial Problems in Hous­ing. The National Urban League, N. Y., 1944.

7. Smith, Lillian, Two Men and a Bargain. Reprinted from South To­day (Spring Issue), 1943.

C. ATTEMPTs AT SoLUTION 1. Smith, Lillian, There Are Things To Do. Reprinted from "South

Today." (Winter 1942-43 Number), distributed by National C.I.O. Committee to Abolish Racial Discrimination, 718 Jackson Place, N. W., Washington, D. C.

2. Buck, Pearl, Pearl Buck Speaks for Democracy. Common Council for American Unity, 1942. Foreword by Mrs. Franklin D. Roose­velt.

3. Sutherland, Robert L., Color, Class and Personality. Prepared for the American Youth Commission, American Council on Education, 1942.

219

220 WORLD ORDER

4. Benedict, Ruth and Weltfish, Gene, The Races of Mankind. 1943. Public Affairs Pamphlet No. 85.

5. Gift, M. Harvey and Cox, Alice S., Race and Man. A compilation, 1943. Baha'i Publishing Committee

6. Willkie, Wendell L., One World. Simon and Schuster, 1943, and An American Program. Simon and Schuster, 1944. {Forthright and fearless presentations of racial issues, international and national with practical suggestions for meeting and solving them.)

7. Education for Racial Understanding. Yearbook Number XIII, Journal of Negro Education, Summer, 1944. Howard University School of Education.

8. Logan, Rayford W. {and thirteen others), What the Negro Wants. Chapel Hill Press, University of North Carolina, 1944.

9. Smith, Lillian, Strange Fruit. Reynal and Hitchcock, 1944. {A novel with wide social implications.)

10. Carter, Hodding, Winds of Fear. Farrar and Rinehart, 1944. (A novel by a 'Southern Liberal." Powerful and revealing.)

ll. Halsey, Margaret, Some of My Best Friends are Soldiers. Simon and Schuster, 1944. (A novel in which the race issue is handled with forth-rightness and sanity.)

12. Dubois, Rachel Davis, Get Together, Americans. Harper and Brothers, 1943. (Sub-title: Friendly Approaches to Racial and Cultural conflicts Through the Neighborhood-Home Festival.)

13. Powdermaker, Hortense, Probing Our Prejudices. (A new unit for High School Students). Harper, 1944.

D. THE NEGRO ARTICULATE

l. Wright, Richard, Uncle Tom's Children. Harper, 1938. Native Son. Harper, 1940.

2 Terrell, Mary Church, A Colored Woman in a White World. Rans­dell, Inc., 1940.

3. Ottley, Roi, New World ciComing. Houghton-Miffiin Co., 1943 4. Brown, Sterling, A. (and others), The Negro Caravan. Dryden

Press, 1942.

E. POINTS OF VIEW IN CURRENT MAGAZINES

l. "Democracy and the Negro"--Otelia Cromwell. The American Scholar, Spring, 1944, Vol. 13, No. 2, pages 149-161.

Letters of comment on this article See Autumn, 1944 issue, pages 495-500.

2. "South Today" Lillian Smith, Paula Snelling, Editors. A quarter­ly magazine, any issue of which considers the problems of race relations.

3. "Common Ground" M. Margaret Anderson, Editor. A quarterly published by the Common Council for American Unity. All issues are Specific references:

a. "Democracy Begins at Home," a symposium by Langston · Hughes, Lillian Smith, Dorothy Kissling, Thomas Sancton, and

RACE RELATIONS 221

others. Winter issue, 1943, pages 3-17. Summer issue, 1943, pages 65-91.

b. "An Institute of Ethnic Democracy," John Collier and Saul K. Padover. Autumn issue, 1943.

c. "Your Million Fathers," Lyle Owen. "Jim Crow in the Classroom," Marie Syrkin. "Racial Discrimination Not Allowed," M. Z. Logan. (All these in Summer issue, 1944.)

d. The Englishman Meets the Negro," George W. Goodman. Autumn issue, 1944.

e. "An American Credo," Pauli Murray. Winter issue, 1945.

RELIGION IS ONE

WILLIAM M. SEARS

It's quite ironic when you think How all of man's religions link, Yet mankind somehow never tries To find the Truth that underlies All Faiths, and makes them coalesce; For all religions, all, possess The self-same Truth. They're one great plan Progressing with the growth of man. In season each has valid claim. You'll find that Prophets in God's name Are one not separate. They root One Faith as seed, bud, flower, fruit. The bud is not the seedling's doom; Nor does the fruit destroy the flower. Each one is proper in its hour, And each fulfils the former stage. Thus does the earth become "of age."

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WITH OUR READERS

BOUT a year ago a copy of a evacuated and lodged in tar-paper talk given at the Washington, barracks in relocation centers. . . . .

D. C. Baha'i Center by Miss June "Life in a relocation center was Fugita was sent to the editors of very trying Small grievances ac­W orld Order magazine. While the cumulated, causing many to become magazine was unable to use the rna- discouraged and lose faith; others terial at that time, much of it is still turned bitter. Fortunately I had pre­timely and most helpful in promot- viously been introduced to the Baha'i ing understanding and friendliness. Faith by Agnes Alexander. This, I Miss Fugita said in part: believe, and the understanding, love

"Nowhere have I been made to feel and friendship of Baha'i friends who so much at home as I have among never failed to write encouraging Baha'is. Here a spiritual bond unites comforting letters enabled me to look us; all our physical differences and upon evacuation and relocation with material ones are forgotten; prej- an altogether different attitude. De­udice of no kind exists; and we are spite the inumerable unpleasant in­one, with every color, race and conveniences and hardships, life in creed represented. Today, more than the center became a challenge. Each ever before, we realize the world's day brought new tests and new ways great need for just this tie. We of helping others. know also that the time will come "The alien parents, alien primarily when this spiritual bond will unite because the United States law for­all the peoples of the entire world. bade them from becoming natural­The Most Great Peace shall come ized, found life in the centers espe­and God's Kingdom on earth will be cially difficult, their high hopes for established. their children's American future ut-

"America, with her wide repre- terly shattered. My parents, however sentation of color and creed, has took the whole thing very well, for much to do in bringing about this which my brother and I felt for­unity. We are well aware of the tunate, indeed. They bore no ill fact, at this time, that real unity must feelings whatsoever for having been be established among all the people uprooted and thrust into the middle in this country .... To all here this of a hot, dusty desert, for they be­evening, I would like to introduce a lieved that all would pass. Being minority group called the Nisei or Buddhist, they believe that all rna­second generation American citizens terial things in this world are transi­of Japanese ancestry. . . . tory, and the trials but tests in prep-

"Of the total Japanese population aration for the life hereafter. of 127,000 in this country, two-thirds "As children, my brother and I are Nisei. Nearly 80% were on the were brought up in a Buddhist home, west coast until November, 1942, but as we grew older, we were en­when by a series of 108 separate or- couraged to attend Christian services ders, some 110,000 Japanese were and taught that there was much good

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WITH OUR READERS 223

in all religions. How delighted my parents will be when I can give them the Baha'i message, which teaches us that the source of all religions is one.

"After a sifting process of registra­tion and hearings, those deemed loyal are given leave clearance, so that they may relocate and adapt themselves to normal life. But a Nisei has to muster considerable courage to step forth into the society which rejected him. The outside has become vague, enormous, and fearful. As he leaves the center he is about as lonely as any human being could be, facing even more prejudice than his father did as an immigrant. The Nisei, however, have not lost courage alto­gether; nor have they lost faith in the only country they know, Ameri­ca. By April, 1944, 17,000 Nisei had relocated, many in vital war jobs. Today (this would mean October, 1944) there are more than 10,000 Nisei, including the Hawaiian Nisei, in the armed forces.

"1£ the relocation program is ended at an early date. [We understand it is now being brought to a rapid close. Editor.] the program itself will show constructive results despite the hardships, expense, and suffering. The bitterness and resentment can be wiped out. Much already has been gained from evacuation, I believe, in that it has enabled the Nisei to break away from complete dependency up­on their parents and to take their place in American society. Their dis­persal throughout the nation is ac­celerating assimilation and helping the American public to know them.

"At first sight it may have seemed unjust that the innocent should suffer with the guilty, but as 'Abdu'l-Baha assures us, the injustice is only ap-

parent, and in the long run perfect justice will prevail. Every mis­fortune brings its blessing if we but look for it. There are many Nisei,

• however, who still harbor bitterness and resentment, seeing only the su­perficial aspects. I am hoping that when you come across such a Nisei, you will be able to help him erase his warped feelings. He is anxious to forget the entire experience; so, befriended and treated as an indivi­dual, he will open his heart to you and he will be eager to hear the Baha'i message.

"The Nisei possesses a distinct cul­tural difference, a blending of the East and West, which can be used to good advantage in bringing about spiritual unity. The struggle they have had to undergo is making them think independently. More and more are realizing that they must broaden their horizons and strive for better relationships based on religious and cultural values. I can see them be­coming an active part of the pattern God laid out for mankind in this new age, when the influence of God will bring love which will unite all the peoples to enrich the world, not de­stroy it."

* * * In her article "Baha'u'llah, the

World Physician" Mabel Hyde Paine presents to the readers of World Order the Baha'i Message in its full and broad aspects, showing what it means alike to individuals and na­tions. Mrs. Paine has made occa­sional contributions to World Order, one of which, "Baha'u'llah as Pro­tector" appeared in our July, 1942, issue. Mrs. Paine has actively served the Baha'i Faith in her home com­munity of Urbana, Illinois for many years. She is a member of the Spiritual Assembly of that commun-

224 WORLD ORDER

ity and one of the editors of Ba/ui,'i News.

Baha'is believe in and reverence Christ as the Divine Revealer of the Will of God. They also believe that Jesus Christ expected and taught that in due time another Revealer in the form of a human temple would ap­pear with a fuller revelation from God which the limitations of the age in which Christ appeared prevented Him from revealing. Marguerite True's article, "Christians A wake!", is a challenge to Christians to investi­gate the claims of Baha'u'llah and

I find out for themselves whether these claims are true or not. Mrs. True's most recent previous contribution to World Order was "Spiritual House­cleaning" in the April, 1945, issue. She is secretary of the National Baha'i Public Meetings Committee and continues as· secretary of the National Baha'i Contacts Committee. Her home is in Grosse Point, Michi­gan.

• • • From time to time we have been

publishing appreciative reviews of our Baha'i literature. In this litera­ture series Marion Holley contributes for this issue an appreciation of the collection of letters written by Shoghi Effendi called "The World Order of Baha'u'llah." Miss Holley has been active in Baha'i work in California and has been for several years a member of the Baha'i National Teach­ing Commite. By profession a social worker, Miss Holley has given par­ticular attention to social questions relating to youth, minority groups, and the issues of war and peace. She has made a number of contributions to World Order. Among the more recent ones are "The Growth of the

American Baha'i Community," her Centenary talk, and "The Call to Unity," a radio script written in col­laboration with Shirley Warde and sent out over many stations during Centenary week. Miss Holley recent­ly left this country and is now in England.

Eva Flack McAllister sends her contribution, "Heritage to Youth," from Greensboro, North Carolina, where she went a few years ago as a Baha'i pioneer.

" 'Abdu'l-Baha's Visit to America" is another in the series of Mariam Haney's recollections of the early de­cades of the Baha'i Faith in America. Mrs. Haney is living in Washington, D. C. where she serves the Baha'i Faith in many ways.

Under the title "Can Your Religion . Unite the Nation?" Mary McClennen Marlowe invites each reader to an­swer her searching questions. Pre­viously World Order has published several of Mrs. Marlowe's poems un­der the signature Polly McClennen . Mrs. Marlowe's home is now in Ports­mouth, New Hampshire.

The theme one common faith, one world religion, the only solution for the world's ills and only sure basis for lasting peace emphasized in both Mrs. Paine's and Mrs. Marlowe's articles is reiterated from a different point of view in the editorial "Greater than Atomic Power" contributed by Bertha Kirkpatrick.

The valuable list of references on race relations assembled by Esther Popel Shaw was sent to World Or­der by Elsie Austin and is printed with the permission of the compiler. World Order is grateful for this serv­ice to both these friends.

-THE EDITORS

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Baha'i World Faith ~

This hook contains a representative selection of the Writings of Baha'u'llah and of 'Ahdu'l-Baha, and is the largest collection of Baha'i literature in English translation now available in one volume. ;

A detailed Table of Contents and an Index make the Baha'i teach-ings readily accessible for study as well as reading and meditation .

•

The plan of the hook arranges the contents in nine chapters, as follows:·-

Part One Writings of Baha'u'llah Chapter One The Great Announcement Chapter Two The Promised One Chapter Three The Life of the Soul' Chapter Four Laws of the New Age

.

Chapter Five The Mystery of God .

Part Two Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha Chapter Six The Faith of Baha'it'llah Chapter Seven Soul, Mind and Spirit Chapter Eight The Loom ol Reality Chapter Nine The Divine Plan

Each of these chapters has been treated as a unit of significance, and the sequence of tbe nine chapters conveys a sense of the unfold­ment of the Baha'i Dispensation in the Tablets of Baha'u'llah, His Will and Testament, the Tablets and Addresses of 'Abdu'l-Baha, and in His Testament and Plan for the World Order of Baha'u'llah.

'

The passages selected have been taken from fifteen different pub­lications as well as from the National Archives .

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Printed on thin light paper and hound in green fabrikoid. pages. Per copy, $1.50.

BAHA.'i PuBLISHING CoMMtn'EE •

110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois •

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465 •

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Words of Baha'u'llah

Imcribed Over the Nine Entrance! of the Howe of Worship, Wilmette, /Uinoi&

1. The earth is but one country; and man­kind its citizens.

2. The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me.

3. My love is My stronghold; he that entereth therein is safe and secure.

4. Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a sinner.

5. Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for My descent.

6. I have made death a messenger of joy to thee; wherefore dost thou grieve?

7. Make mention of Me on My earth that in My heaven I may remember thee.

8. 0 rich ones on earth! The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust •

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9. The source of all leai"I\ings is the knowl­edge of God, exalted be His glory •

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NOVEMBER. 1945

THE ASSURANCE OF WORLD PEACE1. The Evolution of Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H0race Holley

2. The Nations Build the Lesser Peace . . . .Ge0rge Orr Latimer

3. The Most Great Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D0r0thy Baker

PRAYER, Poem--——-Si lvia Margfolis

PALESTINE, Editorial-———Certrude K. Henning

DEEP SHADOWS IN THE ORIENT-—--DLlaI‘t Brown

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THE BAHA’i FAITH IN AMERICA TO 1912-—-Albert R. Windust

WITH OUR READERS

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THE BAH/>1’ |' GAZI

I5:

E

1-.

World Order. was founded. March 21, 1910 a.sBah¢i’i News, the firstorgan of the American Bahé’is. In March, 1911, its title was changedto Star of the West. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appearedunder the name of The Ba.hd’i Magazine. The issue of April, 1935carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bahd’i Maga-zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI of the continuous Baha’ipublication.

i

WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, Il1., by the PublishingCommittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, Gertrude K. Henning, HoraceHolley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.

Editorial OfiiceMrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

69 Annorsrono Rom, WINNETKA, ILL.

Publication Oflice110 LINDEN AVENUE, Wn.mE'rrr:, ILL.

C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A.

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NOVEMBER, 1945, VOLUME XI, NUMBER 8

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and posses-sions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 150.Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to WorldOrder Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Vi ilmette, lllinois. Entered as second classmatter April 1, 1940, at the post ofice at Wilmette, Ill., under the Act of March3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 194-5 by Baha'i Publishing Committee. Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Ofice.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTED-' ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

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WA The Bahé’i Magazine

VOLUME XI Novsmnsn, 1945 NUMBER 8

The Assurance of World Peace1. THE EVOLUTION or PEACE A

A Horace Holley

THE first of what people of to-day would call a peace

society” was not founded until1815; nevertheless the principleof peace, under different namesand forms, has always beenmen’s first concern. Unity is thecondition of human survival.

Thus it is possible to see theworking out of the peace princi-ple in these various manifesta-tions of the capacity to survive:

a. The development of the sta-bilized family unit, bringingpeace to the individual man andwoman, and security to the child;

5. The formation of clans andtribes, eliminating inter-familydisputes;

c. The rise of the historic peo-ples —— the Chinese, the Jewish,Persian, etc., when peace wasmaintained in one area previous-ly held by separate and competi-tive clans, tribes and city-states,often with religious sanction andmeaning, as in the case of the

Amphitrionic Council unitingGreek cities in 1497 B.C..;

d. The Roman Empire, thetype of the peace imposed by acentral authority after conquestand forceful assimilation into onepolitical system;

e. The Swiss Confederation,1393 A.D., and the AmericanFederal Government, 1787, sig-nalizing the attainment of peaceby a number of independentsovereignties through voluntaryagreement. N

Even a cursory survey of his-tory reveals the fact that “peace”has worn many garbs and spokenmany tongues, but whether weakor strong in one case, or local orwidespread in another, or volun-tary or involuntary in a third, orpredominantly political or reli-gious, it has involved at least thatminimum degree of unity and co-operation required for the main-tenance of human life under anyand all conditions. No doubt a

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226 wontn ORDERclearer insight into the realm ofsocial value would reveal to usthe fact that some of the mostvital victories of peace were wonin days before the word had at-tained general significance. Justas the political complexion ofpeace has been diverse, so has itsreligious meaning or connection.

a. Judaism s o u g ht peaceamong tribes through devotionto their common race and theircommon Prophet and Law-giver.

b. In one of its branches Chris-tianity makes peace a matter ofdoctrinal uniformity under oneecclesiastical authority; in an-other branch it has produced thedissenting sects in some of whichthe individual has claimed peacefor himself as a loyalty to Christdivorced from social responsibil-ity; in others of which peace hasbeen both a moral and a socialideal to be worked out throughreforms of the political and eco-nomic institutions.

c. Islam, to a degree not gen-erally realized by western peo-ples, combined religious and civilauthority in a new type of societyin which different tribes and sectsmight find peace under law.Islam did not -convert by thesword. The followers of Mosesand of Christ could retain theirfaiths provided they participatedin the new and larger ethical do-main embraced in Islam. They

were oflered terms of a treaty.Vi/hen they broke the treaty theywere attacked if necessary by themilitary power.

In Europe by the sixteenthcentury the uniformity of Chris-tendom attained by extension ofthe Roman empire through thepost-empire church body hadbeen replaced by the diversity ofthe modern nations. The peaceefiort took on the form of inter-nationalism, the union of the dif-ferent equal sovereignties repre-sented by secular kings.

During that period we notethe following manifestations ofpeace:

a. Henry IV of France in 1603put forth a “Great Design” offederal relationships among sov-ereign states with a representa-tive international body for Eu-rope.

b. In 1694 William Penn pub-lished his “Plan for PermanentPeace” in Europe.

c. The philosophy of federal-ism was expressed by EmmanuelKant in 1795 in his work on“Perpetual Peace.”

In Beal’s “History of Peace,”an admirable text dealing withthe subject up to about the year1930, we find emphasis laidupon the fact that the Frenchand American revolutions trans-formed the nature of the state,identifying it with the people in-

wontn PEACE 227stead of with the dynasty, andthis transformation of societybroadened the concept of peacefrom political agreement amonga few leaders to that of effectivehuman relations among massesof citizens.

With the termination of theNapoleonic wars begins the mod-ern phase of the evolution ofpeace. This event marks, broad-ly speaking, the demarcation be-tween the two social eras of agri-culture-trade economy and manu-facture-trade economy. The re-ligious spirit likewise deepenedand intensified, and combinedwith the spirit of internationalismin effort to prevent economic aswell as military conflict.

During the nineteenth centurythe peace movements undertookmeasures for popular education,to arouse the masses to the pitchof crusade, and gradually formu-lated a program urged upon thenational governments to carryout, embracing five points:

a. Arbitration of disputesb. International courtc. Code of international lawd. International legislatione. DisarmamentThe force of public opinion

and the weight of organized effortseemed to come to fruitage withthe Czar’s call of the first HagueConference in 1899. Opinion,

idealism and reason could thence-forth express themselves throughpublic policy and an enhanceddegree of government responsi-bility. However, the two HagueConferences produced the meansfor arbitrating minor disputesbut could not impinge upon thesacred realms of national honorand national interest and hencewere unable to produce any newsocial organism capable of main-taining international peace. Fif-teen years after the first HagueConference, 1914, the outer crashof civilization began, revealingits fundamental lack of spiritualintegrity and moral force. Eventhe terrible fury and destructive-ness of that first “world war”could not stay the fatal trend.The League of Nations createdan unparalleled opportunity forconsultation on internationalproblems, conditions and trends,but the opportunity was employedas a means of postponing the fun-damental decision and not as themeans of making and carrying itout.

What emerges from study ofthe evolution of peace is thathistory reveals the existence of atrue criterion for judging the sin-cerity of the peace effort put forthat any given time. If the peoples,groups or sovereignties concernedcreate a new and larger organismvested with sovereignty over all

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223 wontn onnnnits constituent parts, the workdone is peace. If, however, theparticipating units (whether na-tions, churches, business firmsand labor unions) each insistsupon retaining its own independ-ent sovereignty, and together theunits create no new and inclusivebody, then the work done may becalled wonderful but it is not

peace. Treaties, agreements andcharters have been made but tobe broken, for they are the tem-porary adjustment of an organ-ism that seeks its own preserva-tion above all things. The unionof the nations in one order, aworld order and a supe-rstate__this is the ultimate goal of man’sevolution of peace.

2. THE NATIONS BUILD THE LEssEn PEACEGeorge Orr Latimer

The concept of a federatedworld was unfolded by Baha-’u’llah more than seventy-fiveyears ago in a series of Epistlesaddressed to the kings and rulersof the world. At that time Hepointed out that the sovereignremedy for the healing of theworld’s ills was the union of allits nations and peoples in oneuniversal Cause. In the Tabletsto Queen Victoria the heads ofgovernment were admonished todisarm, save in a measure to pro-tect and safeguard their terri-tories; representative governmentwas praised and collective forcewas to be imposed against anynation by all the others if such anation took up arms against an-other. Napoleon III was advisedthat “the sword of wisdom issharper than the sword of steel,”and Czar Alexander II of Russiawas directed: “arise thou amongstmen in the name of this all-

compelling Cause and summon,then, the nations unto God.”These messages to the rulers ap-pealed for the application of thehighest principles governing hu-man as well as international re-lations.

History records the fact thatthese appeals for the establish-ment of some form of a worldState were rejected by the crown-ed heads and the resultant chaosproduced two world wars withina period of twenty-five years.The world today has been givenits second opportunity to estab-lish peace by political action onthe part of the sovereign nations.A number of plans have beenproposed for world control with-in recent years, the latest of whichis the United Nations World Or-ganization Plan outlined at Dum-barton Oaks with its two divisionsof the Security Council and theGeneral Assembly, which will be

in?

wontn PEACE 229considered at the present inter-national peace congress at SanFrancisco.*

Any plan for world securitybased upon a continuation of mil-itary alliances resulting from thepresent world conflict is doomedto failure, for as Mr. SumnerWelles has pointed out in his re-cent book, The Time for Decision,history proves these allianceshave lasted but a few years andnations will not be reconciled tobeing dominated indefinitely bya dictatorship of a few GreatPowers. The building of a per-manent world peace must bebased upon recognition of themoral and spiritual rights of allpeoples and nations; it is notsuflicient just to establish themechanics for stopping quarrelsbetween nations.

In order to build the “LesserPeace” the limited idea of sov-ereignty as expressed by the pro-ponents of nationalism will haveto undergo a revision. The emi-nent Chief Justice Jay definedsovereignty as the “right to gov-ern.” This right is not merely anarbitrary one, but arises out ofthe nature of any relationship towhich it is applied. There canbe local, national and interna-tional sovereign power at thesame time. Nations may be un-

1.

"'The United Nations Conference, April25, to June 26, 1945.

equal in power and influence andimpotent in isolation, but theyshould be equal before the law.A nation does not give up its sov-ereign power when it enters aworld organization. On this pointthe Senior Judge, United StatesCircuit Court of Appeals, TenthCircuit, Honorable Orie L. Phil-lips amplifies this very importanttheme in the following statement:“It is an act of sovereignty, nota surrender thereof, to engage inwar. It is an act of sovereignty,not a surrender thereof, to enterinto an international arrangementto provide a substitute of peace-ful processes for war, to create aworld order based on law andjustice as a substitute for worldanarchy. It is a question of howwe shall exercise, not a surrenderof, our sovereignty if we face thefacts and view the alternativesobjectively.” (“The Proposed In-ternational Organization forPeace and Law,” January 1945.)The narrow principle of absolutenational sovereignty is outmodedas the nations move forward toestablish a world order, for thevoice and will of the people mustfind expression at the counciltable, to insure their future peaceand security. This view has beenably expressed by the HonorableHarold E. Stassen in a recentarticle on “The Cost of LastingPeace” (Collier’s, April 21,

230 wontn onnnn1945) wherein he writes: “Thatwe hold that true sovereignty restsin the people, and that there isand must be a law of humanityabove and beyond the narrowrule of nationalistic absolute sov-ereignty. That man is in truthand in fact endowed, not by hisnation, but by his Creator withcertain inalienable rights.”

In the Baha’i plan for a newWorld Order, the word “security”implies both a state of mind anda state of affairs. All previousattempts to lay a foundation forlasting peace have failed to recog-nize the underlying moral prin-ciple, a unity of conscience thatblazes from the fire of a vitalliving faith. This security mustbe vouchsafed to all individuals,communities and nations alike.“The plans of religious leaders,”writes Professor Otto Tod Mal-lery, “to spiritualize the innerman are as essential to any planas mortar is to bricks.” ‘Abdu’l-Baha emphasized this all import-ant principle in a letter to a dis-tinguished minister and classmateof the former President WoodrowWilson, written at the time thedelegates were gathered at theso-called peace chamber at Ver-sailles in 1919, by stating: “Uni-versal Peace will not be broughtabout through human power andshall not shine in full splendorunless this weighty and important

matter be realized through theWord of God.”

The Plan given to the rulers ofthe world by Baha’u’llah calls fora world parliament composed ofelected representatives of thepeople with an International Ex-ecutive strong enough to enforcethe compact entered into by thesignatory nations. By generalagreement the nations will grad-ually disarm, retaining only suffi-cient arms to preserve internalorder. However, these govern-ments will contribute a propor-tionate share of their army andnavy toward the formation of aninternational police force. Eachnation will surrender its claimsto make war, as well as the rightto impose certain taxes, to thissupreme commonwealth. The na-tional assemblies of each countrywill elect the choicest men of itscountry who are well informedconcerning international law andthe relationships between govern-ments, men who are aware of theessential social and economicneeds of humanity. The numberof representatives are in propor-tion to the population of eachcountry. Their election is to beconfirmed by the congress or par-liament of each nation. Themembers of the Supreme Tribunalwill be chosen from these dele-gates so that the will of the peoplewill be fully expressed at the

ix

wonm) PEACE 231council table and when a decisionis arrived at, either unanimouslyor by majority-rule, there will beno longer any pretext for objec-tion as both the plaintiff and de-fendant are properly representedby their duly accredited repre-sentatives.

On March 26th, 1945, as therepresentatives of the nations andpeoples of the world were turn-ing their attention to the comingPeace conference at San Fran-cisco, the National Baha’i Assem-bly sent a telegram to the Presi-dent of the United States quoting‘Abdu’l-Baha’s statement on thedestiny of the American democ-racy to establish the foundationof international agreement andexpressing the prayerful hope ofthe American Baha’is that thecreation of a new world orderwould appear at the forthcomingconference under his leadership.The following reply from the De-partment of State, dated April 17,1945 has just been received:

“I acknowledge the receipt, by ref-erence from the ‘White House, of yourtelegram of March 26, 1945, on be-half of the American Baha’is, inwhich you express the ‘prayerfulhope’ that the President ‘Will bespiritually guided and reinforced tolead the nations and peoples of theworld in the inauguration of Imi-versal peace.’

“The Department of State shareswith the American Baha’is the hopethat universal peace may be inaug-

urated at the conclusion of this war.As you are doubtless aware, it is thepolicy of this Government to estab-lish an international organization forpeace and security. The attainmentof this objective will require the sus-tained support of an active and in-formed public opinion, and for thisreason, it is heartening to know ofthe active interest of the AmericanBaha‘is in the problems of peace andsecurity.

“As of interest to you and yourassociates, I am enclosing some re-cently released material on the Dum-barton Oaks Proposals. I believe youwill be especially interested in thespeech by Mr. Henry S. Villard, en-titled ‘The Positive Approach to anEnduring Peace.’

“You are assured that the viewscontained in your telegram have beencarefully examined by the appropri-ate officers of the Department ofState, and your courtesy in makingthem available is very much appre-ciated.

“Sincerely yours,“For the Secretary of State;Francis H. Russel Chief‘.5

Division of Public Liaison”

Mr. Herbert Hoover recentlypointed out that the great princi-ples of political rights of nationsand men are absent in the pro-posals of the Dumbarton Oaksconference and he warns of thedanger of setting up “a purelymechanistic body without spirit-ual inspiration or soul.” It is tobe hoped that the delegates tothe forthcoming United NationsPeace Congress will lay the foun-dation for a world order on a

232 WORLD ORDER

basis of the noblest principlesthat have yet animated the mindsand hearts of mankind. The fateof the previous effort after thelast world war should stand as aguide post for charting the pathof the new order away from theshifting sands of national andpersonal ambitions. Shoghi Ef-fendi has pictured the formerfailure in these poignant words:“The ideals that fired the imagi-nation of America’s tragicallyunappreciated President, whosehigh endeavors, however muchnullified by a visionless genera-tion, ‘Abdu’l-Baha through Hisown pen, acclaimed as signalizingthe dawn of the Most Great Peace,though now lying in the dust,bitterly reproach a heedless gen-

eration for having so cruellyabandoned them.”

World peace and world organ-ization are not impracticable.There is a great power latent inhuman endeavor which is guidedby the power of the Word, butan indomitable determination andceaseless vigilance and endeavorare required to achieve this goal.When the political foundationsfor the “Lesser Peace” are firmlyestablished so that war, as ameans of settling disputes, is dis-barred forever, then humanitymay look forward to the day ofthe “Most Great Peace,” prom-ised by Baha’u’llah, —the ulti-mate achievement of the organicand spiritual unity of the entirehuman race.

3. THE Mosr GREAT PEACEA Dorothy Baker

‘Abdu’l-Baha said, “There isnot one soul. whose consciencedoes not testify that in this daythere is no more important mat-ter in the world than that of Uni-versal Peace . . . but unity of con-science is essential, so that thefoundation of this matter maybecome secure, its establishmentfirm and its edifice strong.

“Therefore His Holiness Baha-’u’llah, fifty years ago, expound-ed this question of UniversalPeace at a time when He wasconfined in the fortress of ‘Akka

and was wronged and imprison-ed. He wrote about this impor-tant matter of Universal Peace toall the sovereigns of the world,and established it among Hisfriends in the Orient. The hori-zon of the East was in utter dark-ness, nations displayed the ut-most hatred and enmity towardseach other, religions thirsted foreach other’s blood, and it wasdarkness upon darkness. At sucha time His Holiness Baha’u’llahshone forth like the sun from thehorizon of the East and illumined

WORLD PEACE 233Persia with the lights of Histeachings.”

Nor is His prophetic challengelost. Across the bay from ‘Akkain the city of Haifa there livestoday the great-grandson ofBaha’u’llah Himself, first guar-dian of the Baha’i Faith, ShoghiEffendi, whose World Order Let-ters have cast a brilliant search-light on the path to peace. Thecommunity of Baha’u’llah hasspread its wings over sixty coun-tries and seventeen dependencies.Its unifying teachings are dissem-inated in over forty languages,and within its own ranks are tobe found thirty races, all classes,and a vast diversity of gifts. Itsinfluence in press and radio,forum and platform is gainingground. The uncompromisingunity of its own membership as-sures the world that men can livetogether despite differences ofcolor, nationality or creedal in-heritance, and this in itself is anassurance of the world’s peace.

Meanwhile the forces of unity,stirred by the pen of a mightyProphet, have swept from prisonto palace and gradually perme-ated the world. In His Tablets tothe kings, Baha’u’llah seventyyears ago enjoined upon them avast, all embracing assembly, oneuniversal language, and one com-mon script, reduction of arma-ments and excessive expenditures,a representative form of govern-

ment, a world tribunal, abolish-ment of racial, national, and re-ligious prejudice, equality ofmen and women, and the adher-ence to one common Faith. Worldforce for the common safety waslikewise advised. “Should anyone among you take up armsagainst another,” He said, “riseye all against him.” Shoghi Ef-fendi writes, “The unity of thehuman race, as envisaged byBaha‘u’llah, implies the estab-lishment of a world common-wealth in which all nations, races,creeds and classes are closelyand permanently united . . . aworld federal system, ruling thewhole earth and exercising un-challengeable authority over itsunimaginably vast resources,blending and embodying theideals of both the East and theWest, liberated from the curse ofwar and its miseries, and bent onthe exploitation of all the avail-able sources of energy on thesurface of the planet, a system inwhich Force is made the servantof Justice, whose life is sustainedby its universal recognition ofone God and by its allegiance toone common Revelation -—- suchis the goal towards which human-ity, impelled by the unifyingforces of life, is moving.”

A few were not careless ofBaha’u’llah’s clarion call. Therevered Queen Victoria of Eng-land received the Message with

234 woRLn ORDER Agreat sympathy, and her grand-daughter, Queen Marie of Rou-mania has had the historic dis-tinction of being the first ofRoyalty to embrace the Faith.She has written: “The Baha’iteaching brings peace and under-standing.” “It is like a wide em-brace.” “To those in search ofassurance, the words of theFather are as a fountain in thedesert after long wandering.”

Q Many of the monarchs andreligious leaders bluntly opposedthe call; others were preoccupied.In vain the great Prisoner of‘Akka pleaded with them to re-gard the things of the earth astransitory and worthless. “Thegenerations that have gone be-fore you,” He reminded them,“whither are they fled? Andthose round whom have circledthe fairest and loveliest of theland, where now are they?”“Your lives pass away as thewinds pass away, and the carpetsof your glory are folded as thecarpets of old were folded.”

His voice alone seemed to bethe Voice crying in the wilder-ness with grave warnings. “Theworld is in travail, and its agita-tion waxeth day by day . . . andwhen the appointed hour is come,there shall suddenly appear thatwhich shall cause the limbs ofmankind to quake.”

Indeed, so dark are the warn-

ings, descriptive of the heart-shattering suffering that mustpurge and purify an unregen-erated and careless world, thatwithout His promise of God’sultimate design we might wellfind ourselves hopeless in theface of our own holocaust of mad-ness. “Soon will the old orderbe rolled up, and a new onespread out in its stead.” “Warshall cease? between nations,” ex-plains ‘Abdu’l-Baha, “ and by thewill of God, the Most Great Peaceshall come; the world will beseen as a new world, and all menwill live as brothers.” “The Callof God, when raised, breathed anew life into the body of man-kind, and infused a new spiritinto the whole creation. It is forthis reason that the world hathbeen moved to its depths, and thehearts and consciences of menbeen quickened.” “Ere the closeof this century and of this age,it shall be made clear and evi-dent how wondrous was thatspring-tide, and how heavenlywas that gift.”

Has religion a part to play inthe “Most Great Peace”? Baha-’u’llah’s answer rings around theworld: “That which the Lordhath ordained as the sovereignremedy and mightiest instrumentfor the healing of all the world isthe union of all its peoples in oneuniversal Cause, one common

WORLD PEACE

Faith. This can in no wise beachieved except through thepower of a skilled, an all-power-ful and inspired Physician. Thisverily is the truth, and all elsenaught but error.” Religion isthe soul of world order. The oldworld is divided into more thana thousand “souls.” Sect uponsect has arisen, each striving toreform religion. Christ said,“Every kingdom divided againstitself is brought to desolation;and a house divided against it-self falleth.” It is evident thatsectarian religion cannot createa whole world soul. “Who, con-templating the helplessness, thefears and miseries of humanityin this day, can any longer ques-tion the redemptive love andguidance?” The Revelation ofBaha’u’llah comes to us as anunfoldment of the Plan of Godfor our time, “divine in originand all-embracing in scope.” Wecan only recall with deepestgratitude the long years of exileand suffering in the path of Godof One who turned from theworld to write the Tablets to thekings. We can only “shout forjoy” with Carmel, the scene ofHis exile, that historic mountainof-the Jews where the “Law ofGod” was to “come unto Zion”in the “latter days.” Ours tothank God with contrite heartsthat a World Faith has been born,

235suffered its martyrdoms, andlived to encircle the earth withhope and wisdom.

And what can a World Faithdo? It is the work of World Faithtoday to re-fire the dying spirit,to give birth to the consciousnessof the oneness of mankind, andto provide the power and form ofpeace in brilliant, indestructiblepattern. Of the first ‘Abdu’l-Bahasaid, “Material civilization is likethe body. No matter how infinite-ly graceful, elegant, and beauti-ful it may be, it is dead. Divinecivilization is like the spirit, andthe body gets its life from thespirit, otherwise it becomes acorpse. It has thus been madeclear that the world of mankindis in need of the breaths of theHoly Spirit.” The forces of irre-ligion, sweeping over the worldtoday, often in militant, aggres-sive forms, give ample proof that“the vitality of men’s belief inGod is dying out in every land;nothing short of His wholesomemedicine can ever restore it.The corrosion of ungodliness iseating into the vitals of humansociety; what else but the Elixirof His potent Revelation cancleanse and revive it?” “Reli-gion is the greatest of all meansfor the establishment of order inthe world and for the peacefulcontentment of all that dwelltherein.” True religion is the

235 woRLn ORDERMost Great Peace.

Of the birth of the conscious-ness of the oneness of man Hesaid, “Naught but the celestialpotency of the Word of God,which ruleth and transcendeththe realities of all things, is capa-ble of harmonizing the divergentthoughts, sentiments, ideas, andconvictions of the children ofmen.” The false gods of racial-ism and nationalism have so farperverted the masses that nothingshort of a complete reversal ofthought can save us from suchaftermath of the war as mayprove totally destructive. “Be asthe fingers of one hand,” com-manded Baha’u’llah, “and themembers of one body.” Such anemphasis is the need of the hour.

The third necessity is fa newand universal pattern. For Baha-’u‘llah, according to Shoghi Ef-fendi, “has not only imbued man-kind with a new and regeneratingSpirit. He has not merely enun-ciated certain universal princi-ples, or propounded a particularphilosophy, however potent,sound and universal these may.be. In addition to these, He, aswell as ‘Abdu’l-Baha after Him,have, unlike the Dispensations ofthe past, clearly and specificallylaid down a set of laws, establish-ed definite institutions, and pro-vided for the essentials of aDivine Economy. These are des-

tined to be a pattern for futuresociety, a supreme instrument forthe establishment of the MostGreat Peace, and the one agencyfor the unification of the world,and the proclamation of the reignof righteousness and justice uponthe earth.” 8

Everyone is today aware thatunorganized aspiration cannotunite the world. Let us examinethe pattern of Baha’u’llah withunprejudiced eyes. Every majorProphet of God releases an em-phasis according to the cryingneeds of His time. For example,Moses taught righteousness as anemphasis; Jesus stressed personalmercy. Muhammad taught sub-mission to God because of thelawless condition of His people.Today the emphasis of God‘s Lawis unity. “In every dispensationthe light of divine guidance hasbeen focussed upon one centraltheme,” explains ‘Abdu’l-Baha.“In this wondrous Revelation,this glorious century, the founda-tion of the Faith of God and thedistinguishing features of HisLaw is the consciousness of theOneness of Mankind.” Unity isnot just a principle today; unityis a Law! The command of Godhas gone forth, and with it thepower to see it through. Out ofour chaos a Voice has been heard,a Voice above the false gods ofracialism, nationalism, and mili-

-| '_ . . ._._i. i

WORLD PEACE 237tant atheism, a Voice ringing withauthority, a Voice that is the Lawthat alone can set in motion newand far-reaching social trends.

How often in the past the di-vinely revealed Laws have set inmotion social trends destined tocompletely re-shape the affairs ofmen. Who shall dare to limit theeffect of the ten commandmentsof Moses? Who can deny theeffect of the Laws of Jesus? Whocan fail to see the rise of theArabic people in the middle ages,following the proclamation ofMuhammad’s Law? Every sta-bility we claim must acknowledgeas its source the coming of divineLaw to a people. A single exam-ple is the working week. What afactor in social well being is theLaw of Moses for a sabbath dayof rest and worship. Or the insti-tution of marriage. Millions haveobeyed, though often ignorant ofthe Biblical source of such a so-cial obligation. Gigantic trends,born of the Word of God, periodi-cally sweep forward an ever ad-vancing civilization.

Government without law is an-archy. Even the lesser or politi-cal peace must have its charter.The Book of Laws of Baha’u’llahhas been called the Charter of theMost Great Peace. “Blessed isthe man,” wrote Baha'u’llah,“who will read it and ponder theverses.” “Ere long will its sov-

ereign power, fits pervasive influ-ence, and the greatness of itsmight be manifested on earth.”In addition to the emphatic com-mand to social unity, we find lawsprescribing prayer and fasting,laws condemning intoxication andthe use of opiates, prohibitingbeggary, slavery, gambling, andsuch ritualistic observances aspenance, monasticism, confession,and professional priesthood; pro-viding for marriage and control-ing divorce, governing taxation,inheritance, and treatment ofcriminals; commanding universaleducation, fellowship with all re-ligions, and complete obedienceto governments; exalting service-able work to the plane of worship,and exhorting the people to clean-line-ss, honesty, chastity, hospital-ity, courtesy, forebearance, jus-tice, and a clean and wholesomelife. Such laws strike at the rootsof our modern corrosions. Al-ready their leaven is spreading.

Following upon the revelationof His laws, Baha’u’llah, mindfulof the intense spirit of divisionrampant in the world, forged aunity capable of succeeding Him.Two institutions He gave to theworld, by which His laws andteachings could be applied andpreserved from corruption.

Foremost in importance, andclosely linked to the heart of theRevealer Himself, is the institu-

233 WORLD ORDERtion of His own hereditary suc-cession. It fell to ‘Abdu’l-Baha,His eldest son, and the appointedCenter of His Covenant, to gathertogether the bereaved handful ofHis followers after His passing.Without ‘Abdu’l-Baha, these fol-lowers, persecuted by enemieswithin and without, grief-strickenand bewildered by the loss oftheir adored One, might well havelost, not only their own identity,but the chosen pattern for worldunity so recently entrusted tothem. ‘Abdu’l-Baha was every-where. By pilgrimages of newlyawakened souls of the westernworld to the sacred soil of ‘Akka,by written Tablets to all lands,and by means of an historic jour-ney westward in 1911 and 1912,‘Abdu’l-Baha lent His spirituallytransforming presence to thefriends of God, serving at oncethe closely knitted community ofBaha’is themselves, and implant-ing the seeds of the education forpeace that was to progressivelyflower in a League of Nations,and eventually a Federation ofthe Vlforld.

With the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha in 1921, the need, far fromgrowing less, became greater withthe rising tide of sharp spiritualand social differences in the worldat large. The guardianship of theFaith, implied in the Book ofLaws, became a fact in the Will

and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Baha,who appointed as first guardian,his grandson, Shoghi Effendi. Inthis remarkable document eachpassing generation of Baha’is re-ceives its assurance of leadershipby a lineal deseendent of Baha-’u’llah. Each generation will en-joy, in its guardian, completeprotection from schism. In himwill be vested the right of inter-pretation of the Word, and tohim is given the promise of thedirect guidance of God. Thus theOcean of Truth chooses its trib-utary in the Day of Unity. Thevoice of division is stilled; com-promise and sectarian corruptionare banned in an age that hastorn into countless sects the es-sential truth of the ages.

If the succession is importantin the preservation of the truth,legislation is no less needed forthe application of the laws. Thesecond pillar of the new societyis an institution specifically setforth by Baha’u’llah for the gov-ernment of His world commun-ity; namely the Universal Houseof Justice, to be selected by thepeople of all countries, havingthe Guardian as its permanenthead, and to be vested with finalauthority in all matters. Suchuniversal representation, freedomof selection, and strength ofauthority combine to create anorganism in which stability is

woRLn PEACE 239perfectly blended with freedom.

Completely representative g0V7ernment in religion, for the peo-ple and by the people, withoutprofessional clergy, and on aworld-wide scale, strikes a newnote in religion. Alfred Martinwrote significantly; “Who shallsay but that just as the little com-pany of the Mayflower, landingon Plymouth rock, proved to bethe small beginning of a mightynation, the ideal germ of a de-mocracy which is true to its prin-ciples, shall yet overspread thehabitable globe; so the little com-pany of Baha’is, exiled from theirPersian home may yet prove to bethe small beginning of the world-wide movement, the ideal germof democracy in religion, theUniversal Church of Mankind?”The elements of its principles andits government are the elementsof the Most Great Peace.

I It is not for us to say by whatsteps the world at large will adoptthe laws and institutions of a new-born Revelation. Nor can wephophesy how long will be theperiod of the half light, encom-passed as it is by the confusionsand fears of a bitterly disillu-sioned humanity. But it is forthe Community of God to offerthree gifts without price or limi-tation: It will continue its educa-tion for peace. It will continueto conduct its ordered life on the

practical basis of example, thatall the world may witness a God-directed autonomy of fusion inrace, class, creed, and national-ity, without compromise or fear;for here lies an evident assuranceof the world’s peace. It will main-tain a pattern, divine in originand all-embracing in scope, whichif chosen by the world, couldoutlaw war, and maintain in itsown essential unity the God-givenrights of the individual and ofsociety. At no time will such apattern permit or condone opposi-tion to any government. At alltimes its very being will continueto be the sign of fellowship andloving association with all re-ligions. “The method it employs,the standard it inculcates, inclineit to neither East nor West,neither Jew nor Gentile, neitherrich nor poor, neither white norcolored. Its watchword is the uni-fication of the human race; itsstandard the Most Great Peace.”

And in conclusion, let us alltake heart and see the hand ofGod in every matter. We haveonly to look about us to discernGod’s bow of promise. In whatother age has popular educationswept the earth? When, previousto our present time, have menwalked the ocean beds and plum-bed the stratosphere? In whatother age has science hurled to-gether the very ends of the earth?

240 woRLn oRnERIn which previous dispensationshas the light of God entered ina single century seventy-eightcountries, on all five continentsand some of the islands of theseas?

“The Revelation of Baha-’u’llah, whose supreme mission isnone other but the achievementof this organic and spiritual unityof the whole body of nations,should if we be faithful to itsimplications, be regarded as sig-nalizing through its advent thecoming of age of the entire hu-man race.” We can no more di-vorce His mission from the socialproblems of our time than wecan divorce religion from life orGod from human affairs. If re-ligion is life, religion then is

economy, race relations, publicsafety, government, and moralliving. Religion is civilization.At our very gate stands the firstuniversal civilization, clothed inthe Most Great Peace. The forces,powers and instruments by whichwe may forge a new world arein our hands. “So powerful isthe light of unity that it can il-luminate the whole earth.” “Warshall cease between nations, andby the will of God, the MostGreat Peace shall come; theworld will be seen as a newworld, and all men will live asbrothers.”

These three talks on the general theme“The Assurance of World Peace” weregiven in Foundation Hall, Baha'i House ofWorship, Wilmette, Illinois, on April 29,1945.

~

PRAYER

Siloia Margolis

Lest our tongues incline us to chatter,Our spirits to scorn misbeliefs;Lest our children, untaught of the Lord,Betray one another like thieves;Lest our hearts wax like iron sinew,And like brass the souls of our youth-—God, give us the will and the courageTo search out and follow the Truth!

Cf’c!zl'loriaFPalestine

IT IS recorded in the Bible thatone of the signs of the Day of

God and the resurrection of thespiritual teachings of the Christwould be the return of the Jewsto the Holy Land. In the past halfcentury the Jews have been re-turning to their homeland andPalestine is at present actuallyundergoing a rebirth. Coloniza-tion is making the desert blossomso that the contrast between thedesolate spots inhabited by theArabs and the active areas beingrebuilt by the Jews is quite appar-ent.

Since the promulgation of theImmigration Ordinance (1920)there has been a large influx ofJews. By hard labor these pion-eers have wrestled with stubbornsoil and battled disease and star-vation with the ultimate successof settling desert and swampcountry. Many Jewish agricul-tural settlements formed on un-promising land have transformedthe waste land into ‘flourishingplantations of vine, almond andorange, and of timber trees ofpine and eucalyptus. Modern anddemocratic Palestine has takenher place in the global war soactively that for the time being

the religious associations of theHoly Land are being over-shadowed. The economic andpolitical emancipation of Pales-tine was initiated in 1917 whenGeneral Allenby captured Jerusa-lem. As a result Palestine be-came a mandated territory ofthe British Empire with Jerusa-lem as its capital. Prior to thistime Muslim rule had reigned fora long period of history.

Thirty-three centuries of his-tory have shown how the city ofJerusalem has suffered both atthe hands of nature and man.She has been rocked by earth-quakes and sacked by invaders.Poised on the watershed betweendesert and sea, the city is a mostnatural meeting place of East andWest. She has borne all thisharsh treatment bravely, and re-mains in her unique position aHoly City. It is said that she haspassed from one religion to an-other six times.

It is interesting to Baha’is tonote the unawareness of the im-portance of Haifa in the writtenhistories of Palestine. Encyclo-paedia Britannica states that it isto become the chief seaport ofPalestine because of its fine

241

242 WORLD ORDERnatural reef-free anchorage forships. It is the principal harborof export for Hauran wheat andthe products of Trans-Jordania.In the last twenty-five years ithas been transformed into a cityof modern manufactories andapartment buildings. The Jewshave returned and brought thismaterial growth. But mention isseldom made of Haifa"s religioussignificance other than its beingat the base of the ancient andhallowed Mount Carmel. Fewpeople know that there is theShrine of the Bab and ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the home of ShoghiEflendi, the first Guardian of theBaha’i World Faith.

Haifa’s twin city, ‘Akka, hasparticular religious significancebecause it was to its plains thatBaha’u’llah was exiled by theTurkish government and it wasthere that He wrote His letters tothe chief rulers and sovereigns ofthe world warning them of thecoming of the great war if theyremained heedless of God’s reve-lation for this day.

About thirty years ago ‘Abdu’l-Baha said that in the future ‘Akkaand Haifa would be joined intoone mighty metropolis, “one ofthe first emporiums of the world.”The great semi-circular bay be-tween these two cities would bemade into the finest harbor andgreat vessels from all over theworld would bring thousands of

people to this port. The moun-tain and plain would be built upwith modern buildings, industriesand philanthropic institutions.“The entire harbor from ‘Akkato Haifa will be one path of il-lumination . . . Mount Carmelitself, from top to bottom, willbe submerged in a sea of lights.”“The flowers of civilization andculture from all nations will bebrought here to blend their frag-rances together and blaze the wayfor the brotherhood of man.”

Four great Faiths have beennurtured in Palestine since therecording of history: the Jewish,Christian, Muslim, and Baha’i.The latter, the Baha’i Faith,emerging from its infancy sinceits beginning in 1844, has passedthrough its Heroic Age of Fore-runner, Prophet, and Exemplar,and now is building the structureof “its world-encompassing ad-ministrative Order” under theguidance of the first Guardian.F r ee d o m from restrictionsthrough the emancipation ofTurkish rule in Palestine gavethe Baha’i Cause its chance toclearly show its purpose and itsinstitutions.

The Holy Land, now liberated,harbors the Center and Heart ofthe World Faith of Baha’u’llah.The Baha’i Faith discloses theeternal Bounty of God and thefuture progress of humanity.

—G. K. H.

.__.._--_-_-J|_ i

Deep Shadows in the OrientDUART BROWN

WHEN I was seventeen Isailed away as an ordinary

seaman on a freighter to the Ori-ent. That was long ago, in I930to be exact, but the eyes of youthare bright and searching; theysee much beneath the surfacewhat other people miss, and storeit in a photographic memory.And on that voyage I saw theshadows of things to come; darkand deep shadows that will re-main after this war is over toforecast more terror unless welearn to face the evil facts anddrive their causes away.

Remember that 1930 was thelast year of peace before the be-ginning of the storm that wasWorld War II. In 1931 the Iap-anese struck into Manchuria andthe long struggle was on. I

I remember the green lovelyhills of Kyushu, the southmostJapanese Island as we passedthem to southward, rocking onthe huge swells of a distant ty-phoon. The quaint fishing boatsbobbed in the clear ocean waterand their sails fluttered butter-fly-like in the fresh morningbreeze. To me on that day Japanwas a fairy kingdom like a prettypicture painted on a wall, andI did not dream of the possibilityof the deep laid plans of a mili-

tary caste for world conquest.But in the great cities of Shang-

hai and Hong Kong in China andHaiphong and Saigon in FrenchIndo China I saw the concen-trated human misery of the an-cient east and I was ileepliytroubled. The myriad thousandsampans of the dirty VVhangpoRiver below Shanghai were notmeant for the dignity of humanlife and the shock was great tosee a disease-struck family often living beneath a six by twelvefoot matt roof. Children and theirparents swam and dived in waterthick with garbage and sewageand with dead bodies floatingby which they unconcernedlyshoved out of the way. When Itold my violent reactions to theDanish mate, who was leaningover the rail with a long “che-root” clamped between his yel-lowed lips, he laughed and scorn-fully said: “They’re only Chineserats!” Then it was that I firstlearned the vast hopeless fatal-ism of the swarming millions ofyellow men and the indifferenceof the white westerner to theirfate.

In the cities I saw a wealthand luxury side by side with thepitiful mud hut and the pro-truding ribs of abject poverty.

243

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24-4 WORLD ORDERTo see a large heavy jowled mancovered with silks and with dia-mond rings on his fingers climb,helped by obsequious servants,into a ricksha hauled by a manlike a scarecrow was to the soulof youth as repugnant as mixingoil with ice cream.

In Shanghai my companionsthrew pennies in the streets andlaughed as Chinese children ofboth sexes fought and clawed forthe pitiful metal. In Haiphong,where half of the populationseemed to be diseased beggarsor screaming ricksha coolies, Istared in horror as an ulcer-covered woman lifted a nearlydead baby toward me with itsneck hanging by a thread andmumbling through toothless gumsfor alms. Yet on the same streetwere beautiful frescoed build-ings, green lovely parks, dashingFrench officers in many-coloreduniforms, and handsome benign-looking officials in Panama hatsand speckless linen suits.

At the little coastal port ofKamfa near the China-FrenchIndo China border our ship wasloaded with anthracite coal byhand. Day and night a line ofcoolies chanting monotonouslyclimbed the improvised bridgeto a point above the after holdfrom whence they poured basketsof coal into the darkness below.On and on they worked untilsome poor half-starved creatures

fell exhausted by the side. Yeteven while they worked, on thedock beside them other workerswere preparing the travelingcrane and the endless bucketmachine that in a few more dayswould make the coolies’ job outof date and useless. IVhen Iasked, I found that no one caredwhat would happen to those smallChinese coal luggers and theirfamilies. Yet I had smiled atthem and they had smiled backshowing the light of humanbrotherhood in their eyes.

In another part of Kamfa wefound the sturdy independentfishermen building their ownboats by hand and without nailsto help them wring a hardy liveli-hood from the sea. In their faceswas the courage and wisdom andgentle happiness of those whocreated useful things. Theirwooden houses were clean andwell thatched; their women andchildren happy with laughter.These were men to make the back-bone of a nation yet they werethe same people as the Chinese Ihad seen begging half-starvedand disease-ridden in the citystreets.

I found more of the samesturdy - independent folk in thevillages and towns of the Phil-ippines and less of the squalorand ignorance and pain. Yet eventhere one saw too often in thedark liquid eyes of Orientals the

DEEP

bitter resentment for being treat-ed as if they were subhumans bythe self appointed “superior”whites.

It was while going down theRed River in a sampan from theFrench Indo Chinese capital ofSaigon all one long wonderfulnight that I glimpsed the Orientalsoul. We moved among funeralbarges filled with mourners. Theblack water of the river was firedwith phosphorus like the milkylights of wandering ghosts andthe red glare of torches that wereflung periodically out loft thebarges lit up a scene with thefantastic beauty of a strangedream. Women with high piledblack coiffures and dead whitepowdered faces bowed and wailedwith rhythmic unity while giant,stolid boatmen, the-ir naked torsosgleaming bronze in the torchlight,stood up to work the long blacksweeps. Musical instrumentsmade from gourds and bamboosstrummed and wailed a heart-breaking tune while through theair, solid as fist blows, came thesavage beat of the drums. A danc-er rose to sway and bow and twistwith the slow careful movementsthe oriental seems to love and al-ways the wailing and the drumswent on and on.

There was a genuine feelingone heard in the paroxysms of

' ‘iv -

snxnows 245grief for this one man who haddied and yet one sensed that itwas not for him as an individualthat they wept. The people ofthe orient who so callouslyseemed to watch the dead floatby on their rivers have souls thatseek an outlet from the rigidpoverty of their lives. Music,drums, night, a unity ofpurpose,brings to them the same happi-ness that comes to all men whenthey forget self and think firstof others even if only to weepover the death of a relative.

Is it not the task of the indi-vidual Baha’i to teach to all menthat sensitive souls rest in thebodies of those of different colorand race than us? These soulsare equal before God regardlessof race or creed, and each has thepower to be touched by the fireof love and devotion for all man-kind. While squalor and filthand disease and ignorance existanywhere in the world, we bear-ers of the new world faith muststrive to end it. Even as I in myyouth saw the current of a sec-ond world war stirring.in the op-pressed East, so in my middleage shall I see those currentsstirring again unless the love wegenerate to replace the contemptand indifference of the past bestrong etnough to prevent theflood.

. __ .-_. . .. __ .__i

The Baha’i' Faith in America to I912ALBERT B.

IN PRESENTING the subjectassigned to me, mention shall

be limited to a few historic factsrecorded and preserved in theBaha’i Archives and Writings,together with certain other activi-ties it has been my privilege toobserve—and in some measureparticipate—-since I898, the yearit was my pleasure to hear ofand accept the Baha’i Faith.

As is now generally known,mention of the Faith and itsGreat Founder, Baha'.’u’llah, wasfirst voiced in America at theParliament of Religions held atChicago during the World'sColumbian Exposition in I893,through the reading of a paperprepared and sent by Rev. HenryH. Iessup, D. D., of the Ameri-can Presbyterian College atBeirut, Syria.

In 1894-, the Message of theComing of this unique Person-age was given to a small groupof interested souls in Chicago,by a Syrian named IbrahimKhayru’llah, who heard of theFaith from a Bahaii teacher inCairo, Egypt. Of thisgroup, fouraccepted its Message, therebybecoming the first registered

Address delivered May 23, 1944, on theprogram of the Baha’i Centenary, May 19-25, 194-4, Wilmette, Illinois.

24-6

WINDUST

Bahé’is in the Westem World.One of these souls was the stout-hearted Thornton Chase whom‘Abdu’l-Baha, eighteen yearslater, declared to be “the firstAmerican believer”.

During the following fiveyears, from 1894 to 1899, hun-dreds of men and women inmany cities of North Americaheard the glad-tidings and wereenrolled as believers. The threelocalities known to be the ear-liest to receive the Message inthe United States, and are sorecorded, reveals the followingdata:Cities I894 1895 1396 1897 1898 1899 TotalChicago, Ill.

4 5 37 192 264- 211 713New York, N. Y.

1 3 5 124- 124 257Kenosha, Wis.

18 59 135 212Toward the end of the year

I898, Iil__1ayru’llah left theUnited States for ‘Akka, Pales-tine, his first visit to ‘AbbasEffendi, “The Master”, as‘Abdu’l-Baha was then known.Upon his return it soon becameapparent that his attitude hadchanged, with the result thatgreat numbers fell away fromthe Faith. It was reported pri-vately that during I_(_hayru’llah'sstay in ‘Akké, he spoke of his

—-——-

Banfi FAITH 247achievements in giving the Mes-sage to hundreds in the UnitedStates, and supplicated “TheMaster” to make him the Chiefof the Cause in America. To thisrequest ‘Abdu’l-Baha is said tohave replied: “We have nochiefs, we are all servants atthe Holy Threshold, and I amthe Servant of the servants.”Evidently, this ambition forleadership became the undoingof Iil__1ayru’lléh, who soon afterhis return separated himselffrom those who would not ac-cept his views. Later, he becameassociated with the arch-enemyof the Faith and was shunned bythose whose eyes were openedto what had happened.

Thus 1894 to 1898, was aperiod of great rejoicing, whilethe year 1899 was one of testingand deep tragedy to many.

During the years I900 through1903, ‘Abdu’l-Baha sent mes-sengers and teachers to enlightenand strengthen the comparativelyfew remaining believers. Theywere: Haji ‘Abdu’l-Karim-i-Tih-rani, Haji Mirzé Ijlasan-i-Iihubasani and Mirza Assadu’llah.The first named had given theMessage to I_§_l_1ayru’llah and hadmade an effort to show him theevil of his attitude, but to noavail. This teacher deliveredaddresses in New York City andChicago which proved a power-ful spiritual uplift for the faith-

ful believers. These messengerswere assisted by Baha’i inter-preters and translators familiarwith Persian and a fair knowl-edge of English. They were:Anton Haddad, Hussein Rouhy,Mirza Buzork, Mirza Raflie andAmeen Fareed. Later came thedisciple of Baha’u’llah, the re-nowned scholar Mirzéi Abu’l-Fadl, ably assisted by ‘Ali KuliIflian as his interpreter andtranslator.

The services rendered by theseoutstanding servants during themonths following the storm oftests, became a solid foundationfor the establishment of the Faithin the Western World. At thistime, in the city of Chicago, thefirst “House of Justice” wasestablished in 1901, its memberselected for one year, followedby the “House of Spirituality”in I902, its members elected forfive years---—the first of a seriesof Spiritual Assemblies whichtoday cover the North AmericanContinent from coast to coast.

Shoghi Effendi, the Guardianof the Faith today, writing someyears ago in one of his letters,referred to the first mentioningof the Cause at the Parliamentof Religions in 1893, and also toQiayruillah, as follows:

“Of pomp and circumstance,of any manifestations of publicrejoicing or popular applause,there were none to greet this first

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243 woatn onnnaintimation to Amcrica’s citizensof the existence and purpose ofthe Revelation proclaimed byBaha’u’llah.

“Nor did he who was itschosen instrument [I_(__hayru’lléh]profess himself a believer in theindwelling potency of the tidingshe conveyed, or suspect the mag~nitude of the forces which socursory a mention was destinedto release.

“Announced through themouth of an avowed supporter[Jessup] of that narrow ecclesi-asticism which the Faith haschallenged . . . the Message ofthe Most Great Name, fed bystreams of unceasing trial andwarmed by the sunshine of‘Abdu’l-Baha’s tender care, hassucceeded in driving its rootsdeep in America’s genial soil,has in less than half a centurysent out its shoots and tendrilsas far as the remotest cornersof the globe, and now stands,clothed in the majesty of the con-secrated Edifice it has reared inthe heart of that Continent, de-termined to proclaim its rightand vindicate its capacity to re-deem a stricken people. Unsup-ported by any advantages whichtalent, rank and riches can con-fer, the Community of the Ameri-can believers, despite its tenderage, its numerical strength, itslimited experience, has by virtueof the inspired wisdom, the

united will, the incorruptibleloyalty of its administrators andteachers. achieved the distinctionof an undisputed leadershipamong its sister communities ofEast and West, in hastening the‘advent of the Golden Age ofBaha’u’llah.”

In the series of Tablets re-vealed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha duringthe years 1916 and I917, firstpublished under the title TheUnveiling of the Divine Plan(later known as America’s Spirit-ual Mission), we find in oneaddressed to the Central States,these words:

“These twelve Central Statesof the United States are likeunto the heart of America; andthe heart is connected with allthe organs and parts of man. . . .Now, praise be to God, thatChicago and its environs fromthe beginning of the diffusion ofthe Fragrances of God, havebeen a strong heart. . . . Thecall of the Kingdom [in theWestern Hemisphere] was in thebeginning raised from Chicago.. . . Up to the Y present time[I917] every movement initi-ated in Chicago, its effect wasspread to all parts and to alldirections; just as everythingthat appears in and manifestsfrom the heart influences all theorgans and structures of thebody. . . . The first Mas_l_1riqu’l-Ad__l_1kar in America was insti-

Bsnfii FAITH 249tuted in Chicago . . . likewise,the general Annual Conventions,the foundation of the Star of theWest [The Baha’i Magazine],and the Publishing Society . . ..”

We abruptly pause at the men-tion of these four institutions toinform our listeners of certainfacts leading to their initiationin the early days of the Faithin America. A

The Ma.izriqu,’l-Adhkdr(The Dawning-Place of the Men-

tionings of God)During the early part of the

first five-year period of service[I902-I907] by the twelve menelected to the “House of Spirit-uality” in Chicago, at its meet-ing on March 7, I903——-insppiredby the news of the building ofthe first Mashriqu’l-Ad__hkar in‘Ishqabad, Russia, ——- the elevenmembers present supplicated‘Abdu’l-Bahé concerning theerection of a Baha’i House ofWorship in America.

From that historic documentwe quote as follows:

“The members of the Houseof Spirituality assembled to-gether . . . supplicate with humil-ity and submissivencss . . . thatin these parts and regions theremay arise a Ma§_Iriqu’l-Ad__l_1kzir,built in the Name of the GloriousGod. . . . We turn our faces tothe Holy Threshold and in thedust before the feet of all the

beloved of God, we pray to God,the Merciful, the Generous . . .

“O our Gracious Master, theBeloved! . . . We supplicate be-fore Thee Who art the Servantof God and the Center of HisCovenant: We implore fromThee the Mafllriqlfl-Atfllkar, andfrom Thy precious lips, on thepart of God, the Merciful, thatCreative Word which is the Com-mand that it be—and, it is! . . .Permit us to begin the blessedundertaking of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar in Chicago. . . . In joyand hope that Thou wilt grantour supplication, the elevenmembers present raised a start-ing fund of eleven hundred dol-lars. . . . Humbly Thy servants,——TnE HoUsE or‘ SPIRITUALITY.”

Two months later, in May, aTablet acknowledging the sup-plication was received. Aftermentioning the names of theeleven members together withinspiring words of greeting,‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote:

“I perused your recent letterdated March 7, 1903, and myheart was filled with joy throughits beautiful meanings and itseloquent contents. Truly theywere suggested by the breathsof confirmation from the Glori-ous Lord.

“O friends of ‘Abdu’l-Bahéand his co-sharers and partnersin the servitude of the Lordof Hosts! Verily the greatest

'\-.

250 WORLD onnnn

affair and the most importantmatter today is to establish aMafl1riqu’l-Adhkar, and to founda Temple from which the voiceof praisings may rise to theKingdom of the Majestic Lord.Blessings be upon you for hav-ing thought to do so and forintending to erect such anEdifice, advancing all in devot-ing your wealth in this GreatPurpose and in this splendidwork... You will soon see theangels of confirmation succeed-ing you and the hosts of rein-forcementr crowding before you.”

In a second Tablet, also re-ceived in May, ‘Abdu’l-Bahawrote:

“Verily, I herald unto you theconfirmations which will sustainyou, by the Mercy of your Lord,for ye have arisen with all yourpower to serve God’s Cause inthat vast region. Ponder overthis great Bounty and manifestattainment. . .. . Verily, you arethe first to arise . . . exert yourenergy in accomplishing what yehave undertaken so that thisglorious Temple may be built,that the beloved of God mayassemble therein and that theymay pray and offer glory to Godfor guiding them to the King-dom.”

During the years that fol-lowed, the Bahéiis were as chil-dren, growing gradually inknowledge and firmness in the

Faith. Although the members ofthe House of Spirituality seem-ingly made little headway withthe Temple project some prog-ress was made.

Four years passed until earlyin the year I907, Mrs. CorinneTrue of Chicago went to ‘Akkato visit ‘Abdu’l-Baha, carryingwith her a petition signed byhundreds of believers, suggestinga Convention be called to stimulate greater interest in the build-ing of the Mafl1riqu’l-Ad_hkéI'.‘Abdu’l-Baha commended thepetitioners and Mrs. True, whoreturned filled with zeal and thefire of the spirit. The House ofSpirituality, cooperating withher, sent forth an invitation totheir fellow-believers in variousparts of the country, with theresult that representatives frommany communities met in Chi-cago in November, 1907. Thisgathering was the forerunner ofthe annual conventions.

The Annual ConventionsThe first general Convention

of the Baha’is was held inCorinthian Hall Masonic Tem-ple, in March, I909. The Baha’iTemple Unity ——— forerunner ofthe National Spiritual Assemblyof the United States and Canada

came into being during the ses-sions of that Convention.

With the outstanding enthu-siasm and labor of Mrs. True

. . . _ i

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BAI-IA’i' FAITH 251and those representative gather-ings, the Temple project soonabsorbed the minds and heartsof the Baha’is of America. Sheis present here this evening andI am sure we all rejoice withher that she has lived to see theTemple erected. It is the “MotherTemple” of the Western Hemis-phere, and we sense many mean-ings when we hear the friendslovingly refer to her as “MotherTrue”.

As a member of that body ofmen of long ago--—and one of thecommittee to draft the supplica-tion to ‘Abdu’l-Baha-—%——I herebytestify that they, and we, havewitnessed a remarkable phenom-enon. Was it to awaken in theBaha’is a realization of theequality of men and women——aprinciple stressed by ‘Abdu’l-Baha during His visit in I912,when women were first elected asmembers of Spiritual Assem-blies?-—or, was it the fulfilmentof the prophetic utterance of ourbeloved Master that that Bodywould “soon see the angels ofconfirmation succeeding, and thehosts of reinforcement crowdingbefore them”?

The Publishing SocietyThe first members of the Pub-

lishing Society were ArthurAgnew, Charles Greenleaf andFrank Hoffman. We believe thatthe publishing work was inaug*

urated by Mr. Agnew. As earlyas I900 he was supervising theprinting of the booklet, “Ad-dresses of ‘Abdu’l-Karim” de-livered in New York City andChicago, at the Hollister Brotherspress where he was employed asbookkeeper. In I901, the beauti-ful “Album of Views” of ‘Akka,Haifa, Mt. Carmel and otherplaces, was produced by theSociety. From that time untilI907 many pilgrim’s notes,pamphlets and Tablets of Baha-’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha werepublished, including Paul Dealy’s“Dawn of Knowledge and TheMost Great Peace”.

In the year 1907, Mr. Agnew,Mr. Chase and Mr. Schefflervisited ‘Abdu’l-Baha, carryingwith them a compilation of trans-lations of Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha—-—enough for one volume-———and presented the idea of theirpublication to Him. These werefrom the Archives of the Houseof Spirituality, the result of aproject initiated by that body inthe year 190-'5l~. To this ‘Abdu'l-Baha gave consent. In 1907, thelibrarian, Mr. Windust, a printerby trade, was also made a mem-ber of the Publishing Society,and by the end of I908 a suf-ficient number of Tablets hadbeen received to produce threevolumes During the first fourmonths of 1909, he devoted hisentire time to the supervision of

n_| I - =iQ§'.f

252 wontn onnzathe typesetting, makeup andelectroplating of the volumes,together with Thornton Chase’sbook, The Baha’i Revelation.

In the year 1911, during theconvention of the Baha’i TempleUnity, the matter of reorganiz-ing the Publishing Society wasconsidered. This was due to theserious illness of Mr. Agnew,who with his wife had, for manyyears, devoted their services tothe distribution of the twenty-fiveBaha’i publications produced upto that time. Miss Mary Leschcame forward to carry on thisimportant work, and served forover ten years. Many of thebooks were reprinted, and theytwo volumes of the addresses of‘Abdu’l-Baha in America, en-titled The Promulgation of Uni-versal Peace, compiled andedited by Howard McNutt, wereproduced. The following yearsof devotion and service renderedwithout renumeration by MissLesch to the Publishing Societywere most valuable and outstand-ing. After the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha this activity came underthe Administration of the Na-tional Spiritual Assembly.

Star of the West(The Bahafi Magazine)

In the month of September,1909, at the residence of Thorn-ton Chase, a number of theBaha’is were invited to meet in

_

consultation regarding the found-ing of a Magazine. After discus-sion it was decided it could beinaugurated in Chicago. Editorswere selected, a publication com-mittee appointed, secretaries en-rolled and an art editor sug-gested.

Then unlooked for conditionsarose. Mr. Chase was requestedby the Life Insurance Companyhe represented, to leave Chicagoand establish a branch oflice inLos Angeles, California, andsoon moved to that city; Mr.Agnew was serving to the limitof his strength, and as everyonelooked to them to inaugurate theproject, the matter came to astandstill. Months went by andother members of the groupbegged that something be done.Mr. Windust, a member of thecommittee, went to Miss GertrudeBuikema, one of the secretariesenrolled, and explained the situ-ation, agreeing that if she wouldundertake the correspondence, hewould look after the printing.She consented and thus the littlepublication began. The initialnumber was issued March 21,I910, entitled Bahé’i News. Indue time it received the con-firmation of ‘Abduil-Baha througha remarkable Tablet. The secondyear it bore the title Star of theWest, and in the third year,1912, was sufficiently developedto publish the addresses of

BAHa’i FAITH‘Abdu’l-Baha delivered in Amer-ica.

During the first year, a Persiansection was begun by AhmadSohrab, who was later replacedby Dr. Zia Bagdadi. To Dr.Bagdadi we owe a debt of grati-tude for the splendid service herendered during many years, aswell as assisting us to a deeperunderstanding of the meaning of“firmness in the Covenant”.

Miss Gertrude Buikema wasof Holland descent, born inAmerica. She was employed asa secretary in the business worldduring the entire period of herservice on the Star of the West,which was also given withoutrenumeration after the day’swork. The sturdy qualities ofher ancestors, who had wrestledwith the sea, were deeply en-graved in her character; seem-ingly insurmountable obstaclesnever baflied her, and becauseof this and her love of the Cause~—--together with the confirmation

of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and financialaid from friends---the little Mag-azine became established the firstyear of its existence. Every nine-teen days for twelve years andmore, an issue was produced andmailed, making a total of 232issues, until both she and Mr.Windust were released throughthe wise and merciful edict ofShoghi Effendi that the Magazinebe henceforth under the adminis-tration of the National SpiritualAssembly. It has been said thatthis publication set the patternfor (I) Baha"i News, the presentofficial organ of the NationalBody; for (2) World Order, thepresent title of the Magazine, andits bound volumes were a poten-tial year book foreshadowing (3)The BahcI.’i World, publishedevery two -years.

‘I ‘I I'

This is but a brief outline ofcertain activities initiated in Chi-cago during the early days of theFaith before the year I912.

k

I.

This American nation is equipped and empowered to accomplish thatwhich will adorn the pages of history, to become the envy of the world,and be blest in both the East and the West for the triumph of its people.

May this American democracy be the first nation to establish the founda-tion of international agreement. May it be the first nation to proclaim theunity of mankind. May it be the first to unfurl the standard of the MostGreat Peace . . . May the inhabitants of this country rise from their presentmaterial attainment to such heights that heavenly illumination may streamfrom this center to all the peoples of the world.

‘Anntft-BAH}.

253 ,

WITH OUR READERS

DNE of our readers, Mrs. FloydH. Munson, writes as follows:

“Having noted in the June issue ofWorld Order your statement that youwelcomed letters from readers, itoccurred to me that you might beinterested in the enclosed letter whichmy husband wrote in response tothis rather astonishing advertisementwhich I noticed in the New YorkTimes this morning. I quote: ‘Philos-opher, Scientist, Churchman, Reli-gionist, Artist, Mystic, Catholic,Protestant, Jew. Wanted to contactanyone who has really found GODand will share the find. Y6003Times.’

“Of course we realize that the ad-vertisement may not be sincere seek-ing, but we felt it was worth meetingmore than half way.

“I like your ‘With Our Readers’section in World Order and wish youhad more contributions. The major-ity of people are interested in theexperiences of others, especiallyspiritual experiences, or the ways ofdoing things to further the Faith . . .”

Mr. Munson’s letter answering theadvertisement follows, somewhat con-densed on account of our limitedspace:“Dear Seeker:

“Your notice intrigued me since I,too, have done much searching and Ibelieve I have found some answerswhich only come through independ-ent search for truth.

“By way of introduction, I’m aportrait painter ‘in the traditionalvein’, . . . This is my first step in anew direction having been an adver-tising artist for many years.

“I‘ve always been intensely inter-ested in religion and although bap-tized a Presbyterian I lost interestin the orthodox approach to thisproblem of relation with God. Thereis no question but that the purposeof existence is to know, conform withand have this relationship. . . .

“Of course if you are speaking ofGod, the Absolute, the Essence, youwill never have your answer. . . .The created cannot encompass itsCreator. The greatest philosophersdown through the ages have struggledto understand that which is Incom-prehensible. D'0n‘t try! It is utterfutility. But-—we know this——the All-Powerful, All-Knowing One has sentdown to earth, in every new cycle,Manifestations (Manifestors) , Educa-tors, in human form and has decreedthat he who stands in their presencehas stood in the presence of God; . . .These are the Mediators betweenfinite man and the inaccessible Es-sence, the Subtile. These ‘Suns ofGlory‘ are given the qualities andattributes of God since eternal reali-ties are qualities such as knowledge,power, mercy, peace (or cosmicallyspeaking equipoise) , justice, divinelove, harmony, etc. Now, everythingin the way of bounty comes througha mediator. The clouds release therain, the atmosphere conducts theradiation of the sun, a tree is themediator between. the earth and thefruit it bears. So with man; to satis-fy his thirst for knowledge the MostHigh sends the Fountain Heads ofknowledge. When such a One ap-pears, that is the beginning of a newworld, a new civilization, another

254

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WITH our: READERS 255great step forward for the people ofthe contingent world. This has beengoing on down through the ages:first Adam, then followed Noah,Abraham, Krishna, the Buddha,Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab(Herald or Gate) and finally, in ourday, Baha’u’llah.

“At the time of the appearance, ineach cycle, of these Prophets of God,the people are enjoined to turn tothis Fountainhead of grace, . . .Those who do this are vivified, re-freshed spiritually by the elixir re-leased; those who in pride turnaway, are denied its bounty and areaccounted as ones who are dead.

“When these Manifestations ap-pear, with them is released from theOne Power that governs all a newlife . . . that acts on those who ac-cept, study and abide by the teach-ings and injunctions of the Educator.Between the powerhouse and lightthere is the conductor; between youand the Source of power and infiniteknowledge is the Mediator.

“The cycle of Moses has long beencompleted, the time of Muhammadalso, likewise the time of Jesus, foreach comes with a prescribed mission,a fore-ordained message, to suit thetime and capacity of the people. Inthis day a very great one has ap-peared, and the people sleep. None-the-less hundreds of thousands of be-lievers in the divineness of His mis-sion are to be found in every cornerof the earth.”

I‘ H I‘

The Herald of the South is a sisterBaha’i magazine published quarterlyin Adelaide, Australia. The Julyissue contains, among other things,an article “A Reply.” We quotefrom the introductory paragraphsof this excellent article showing why

a reply was necessary. The articleitself is dignified, firm and kindly,clearly sets out Bahafi belief andhistory, and corrects false statements.The writer says:

“The Baha’is of Adelaide haveread with painful dismay the articleby the Rev. H. C. Gurney, publishedin the April and May issues of theAdelaide Church Guardian, and en-titled “Baha’ism-——a Menace to Christ-ianity in Australia.” In the first partof his article the Rev. Gurney has in-correctly outlined the origin of theBaha’i Movement, and in the secondinstallment has strayed still fartherfrom the truth in his statements con-cerning the aims of the Faith and theactions of its adherents, and has losthis sense of fair play and justice al-together.

“The Rev. Gurney, as a Britisherand also as a follower of Jesus Christ,will, the Adelaide Baha’is are sure,be ready to allow them to state theircase, and to correct those impressionswhich will otherwise cause manyreaders to have wrong ideas of theBaha’i Faith.”

The Herald of the South is .a fineand valuable magazine and may behad for 5 shillings a year. Sendmoney order to Treasurer, N.S.A. andaddress, Box 4-417D, Adelaide, SouthAustralia, Australia.

I’ ‘I’ I‘

Last spring at convention time, al-though the convention did not assem-ble, the usual public meeting washeld in the Foundation Hall of theMashriqu'l-Atfllkar. Under the gen-eral title, “The Assurance of WorldPeace,” three talks were given whichshowed: past efforts towards outlaw-ing war; the progress today in thisdirection; and what we have everyright to expect and certainty of

256

attaining in the future. HoraceHolley, secretary of the NationalAssembly, spoke on “The Evolutionof Peace” in history; George O.Latimer, chairman of the NationalSpiritual Assembly, used the subject,“The Nations Build the LesserPeace”; and Mrs. Dorothy Baker,who is a member of the NationalSpiritual Assembly and chairman ofthe Baha’i National Inter-AmericaCommittee, told of Baha’u’llah and“The Most Great Peace.” We areprinting in this issue the three talksgiven on that occasion.

No one will read unmoved DuartBrown’s “Deep Shadows in theOrient,” reflecting memories of hisown observations and experiences inthe East. What power can removefrom human nature this sin of in-difference to human suffering, thisholding human life so cheaply? Ourreaders will remember M.r. Brown’spoem, “The Light of Life” in theMarch, 1945, World Order, signedVinson Brown. Mr. Brown writes usthat he has decided to use his firstname in signing his poems and otherliterary productions. At presentDuart Vinson Brown is stationed atan army separation center in Cali-fornia.

Following the Baha°i Centenaryobservances in May, 1944, WorldOrder has printed from month tomonth the addresses given at thattime. On Tuesday evening, May 23,Albert Windust gave the story of thefirst twenty years of the Baha’i Faithin America. We are glad to be able

WORLD ORDER

to present that talk to our readersunder the title, “The Baha’i Faith inAmerica to 1912.” Mr. Windust’sown part in that history is most im-portant. Among his many serviceswas the editing and publishing withthe help of Miss Gertrude Buikema ofthe Star of the West, the predecessorof World Order, for thirteen succes-sive years. Mr. Windusfs home isin Chicago.

Mrs. Henning‘s editorial surveyingbriefly and commenting on the reli-gious history of Palestine would in-dicate that problems connected withPalestine are not only internationalas some maintain, but also inter-religious.

Two of the three contributors ofpoems in the October issue were newnames in World Order. Janet R.Lindstrom lives in Brookline, Mass.,and is a member of the NationalBaha’i Child Education committee.Baha‘is are acquainted with WilliamM. Sears through his work on theNational Baha’i Radio committee.We felt sure that Philip Amalfi Mar-angella had contributed poems toWorld Order but in looking throughindexes we find his last previous con-tribution was a tribute to Mrs. KeithRansom-Kehler published in April,1934, when the magazine was calledThe Bahd’i Magazine. Mr. Maren-gella has served the Cause in Cuba,in Virginia and Louisiana, and is ac-tive now in the Wilmington, Dela-ware, Baha’i community.

-—-THE Emrons

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Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah, selected and translated byShoghi Efiendi, The Baha’i teachings on the nature of religion, the soul,the basis of civilization and the oneness of mankind. Botmd in fabrikoid.360 pages. $2.00. pThe Kitcib-i-fqrin, translated by Shoghi Efiendi. This work (The Bookof Certitude) unifies and coordinates the revealed Religions of the past,demonstrating their oneness in fulfillment of the purposes of Revelation.Bound in cloth. 262 pages. $2.50.

Prayers and Meditations by Bahci’u’llcih, selected and translated by ShoghiEfiendi. The supreme expression of devotion to God; a spiritual flamewhich enkindles the heart and illumines the mind. 34-8 pages. Boundin fabrikoid. $2.00.Bah¢i’i Prayers, a selebtion of Prayers revealed by Baha’u’llah, the Baband ‘Abdu’l-Baha, each Prayer translated by Shoghi Efiendi. 72 pages.Bound in fabrikoid, $0.75. Paper cover, $0.35.

Some Answered Questions. ‘Abdu"'l-Baha’s explanation of questions con-cerning the relation of man to God, the nature of the Manifestation,human capacities, fulfillment of prophecy, etc. Bound in cloth. 350pages. $1.50. _ J -

The Promulgation of Universal Peace. In this collection of His Americantalks, ‘Abdu’l-Baha laid the basis for a firm understanding of the attitudes,principles and spiritual laws which enter into the establishment of truePeace. 492 pages. Bound in cloth. $2.50.The World Order of Baha‘u’llcih, by Shoghi Effendi. On the nature of thenew social pattern revealed by Baha’u’llah for the attainment of divinejustice in civilization. Bound in fabrikoid.- 234 pages. $1.50.

God Passes By, by Shoghi Effendi. The authoritative documented histori-cal survey of the Baha’i Faith through the four periods of its firstcentury. The Ministry of the Bab, the Ministry of Baha’u’llah, theMinistry of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and the Inception of the Formative Age (1921-194-4). In these pages the world’s supreme spiritual drama unfolds.xxiii plus 4-12 pages. Bound in fabrikoid. $2.50.

I BAHA‘l Punusnmc COMMITTEE110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

H

TRUTHS FOR A NEW DAY

promulgated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahéthroughout North America in 1912

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These teachings were given by Bah¢i’u'lMhover seventy years ago and are to be

found in His publishedwritings 0f that time.

The oneness of mankind.Independent investigation of truth.The foundation of all religions is one.Religion must be the cause of unity.Religion must be in accord with science and

reason. sEquality between men and women.Prejudice of all kinds must be forgotten.Universal peace. iUniversal education.Spiritual solution of the economic problem.A universal language. .An international tribunal.

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DECEMBER. ‘I945 __.______

A SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE-——G. A. ShookWORLD CITIZENS-—Marguerite True

THE DAY OF G0I)—Bahé’u’l1éhPIoNEEE JOUENEY: BOLIVIA—--Virginia Orbison

THE BASIS OF OPTIMIsM, Edizorzlal—Garreta BuseyFROM ONE SERVICE MAN T0 ANQTIIEE--—Duart Brown

CHALLENGE T0 LIBERAL. THOUGHT, Boo/I: Rewiew--Arthur DahlTHE TIME FOR L0vE HAS CoME, Poem—.Ange1a Morgan‘ABI)U’L-BAHA, THE DIVINE ExENIPLAR—Mariam Haney

INDEX TO “ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE”——Wil1iam Kenneth Christian

WITI-I OUR READERS

THE BAH/>1’!I‘I5:

EGAZI

World Order was founded-March 21, 1910 as Bahci’£ News, the firstorgan of the American Bahé.’is. In March, 1911, its title was changedto Star of the West. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appearedunder the name of The Bahti’i Magazine. The issue of April, 1935carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bahtfi Magd-zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI of the continuous Baha’ipublication. A _ A

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WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, I1l., by the PublishingCommittee ‘of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Ba.ha’i's of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, William Kenneth Christian,Gertrude K. Henning, Horace Holley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.

Editorial OfiiceMrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

» 69 Annorrsronn Roan, WINNETKA, ILL.

Publication Office110 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETIE, ILL.

C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A.

‘

DECEMBER, 1945, VOLUME XI, NUMBER 9

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and posses-sions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 15c.Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to WorldOrder Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Dlinois. Entered as second classmatter April 1, 1940, at the post ofiice at Wilmette, 111., under the Act of March3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1945 by Baha'i Publishing Committee. Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Ofice.

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CHANGE or ADDRESS snouto BE REPORTEDONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

I

I , ' v ., IThe Bahé’i Magazine

VoLuME XI DECEMBER, 1945 NUMBER 9

A Spiritual RenaissanceG. A. SHOOK

STORIES of heroism are time-less and placeless. The tragic

lives of those Pilgrim Fatherswho laid the foundation for de-mocracy, never fail to commandour reverence and respect. Evenin religion, where prejudice usu-ally prevents us from seeing theother fellow’s viewpoint, the mar-tyr who lays down his life forwhat is ostensibly a lost cause,invokes our sympathy and benev-olence. In fact no great move-ment was ever promulgated with-out sufiering and persecution.

Persecution affects the hearts,humility always outlives power.Vi/rhen a conqueror is banished orexiled his career is ended, butwhen a prophet or saint is ban-ished his defeat is his glory.

We all realize that the worldis passing through the most mo-mentous crisis in history. Per-haps we are tired of hearing this,but let us reflect that religionsare born in times like these.

At rare intervals in the prog-ress of humanity a spiritualgenius, a supernormal being

comes to our planet to revive thefortunes of mankind, and gener-ally he comes to a people whoare weak and backward. Baha-’u’llah, the Founder of the Baha’iFaith, appeared in Persia aboutthe middle of the last centuryand at a time when Persia haddescended from a position of sig-nificance to one of appallingdegradation. Its ancient glorywas entirely eclipsed by its re-ligious fanaticism, intoleranceand bigotry. Under such condi-t i o n s Baha’u’llah proclaimedthose universal ideals whichwere destined to spread over theentire world. Those who had areal longing for divine illumina-tion and spiritual freedom weredrawn to Him, for His logic wasincomparable and His love irre-sistible. They counted sufferingfor God’s sake a supreme bless-ing.

Naturally the leaders of thechurch-state who owed theirpower and prestige to the crassignorance and superstition of thepeople were not ready for pre-

257

253 WORLD onnnncepts which would enlighten hu-manity, and incidentally deprivethem of their position and liveli-hood. The Guardian of the Faithhas written: “The Baha’i Faithrecognizes the unity of God, andHis prophets, upholds the prin-ciple of an unfettered searchafter truth, condemns all formsof superstition and prejudice,teaches that the fundamental pur-pose of religion is to promoteconcord and harmony, that itmust go hand-in-hand with sci-ence, and that it constitutes thesole and ultimate basis of apeaceful, an ordered and pro-gressive society.”

The masses responded to thissublime call and were persecutedwith barbaric cruelty but the in-fant Faith was not to be ex-tinguished by instruments of tor-ture. Quoting again from theGuardian of the Faith: “A per-secution, kindling a couragewhich as attested by no less emi-nent an authority than the lateLord Curzon of Keddleston, hasbeen unsurpassed by that whichthe Fires of Smithfield evoked,mowed down, with tragic swift-ness, no less than twenty thousandof its heroic adherents, who re-fused to barter their newly bornfaith for the fleeting honors andsecurity of a mortal life.”

Professor Carpenter of Ox-ford, commenting upon the riseof the Baha’i Faith asks, “Has

Persia in the midst of her mis-eries, given birth to a religionthat will go round the world?”

Baha’u’llah came from awealthy and distinguished fam-ily of Persia. Many of Hisfamily occupied important posi-tions in the government. Whilestill a youth His father died andHe would have succeeded to hishigh position in the government,but He refused the ofier, and theprime minister made this inter-esting comment, “His thoughtsare not like ours. Let Himalone.”

For His enlightened princi-ples, which alone could haverestored Persia, Baha’u’llah suf-fered imprisonment and banish-ment. His property was confis-cated and He was subjected topoverty and humiliation. A fewWestern writers have declaredthat no mortal unaided by somemiraculous power could havesurvived the horrors of His im-prisonment. While He was cog-nizant of His misfortunes Healways showed the greatest forti-tude, for He says, “I am not im-patient of calamities in His Way,nor of afflictions for His love andat His good pleasure—God hathmade afflictions as a morningshower to His green pastures, andas a wick to His lamp, wherebyearth and heaven are illumined.”

Bahé’u'llah and a few of Hisfollowers were finally exiled to

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE 259‘Akka, Palestine where, it wasconfidently supposed, He wouldshortly succumb. After a fewyears the officials, convinced thatHe had not merited any kind ofpunishment, removed some ofthe restrictions so that life be-came more tolerable.

In spite of the fact that for themost of His life He was cut ofl'from His followers and the worldat large, He nevertheless succeed-ed in spreading His Cause. Aboutthe time He was exiled to Pales-tine He sent letters to the princi-ple rulers of Europe and theEast. He pleaded the cause ofHis oppressed followers and alsoimplored the rulers to championand establish what He termed,“the Most Great Peace”. Theseletters constitute one of the mostmomentous documents in history.

While in ‘Akka He was visitedby the distinguished orientalist,the late Professor Edward Gran-ville Browne, of Cambridge. Tohim, Bahd’u’lléh said in part:“We desire but the good of theworld and the happiness of thenations; yet they deem us astirrer-up of strife and seditionworthy of bondage and banish-ment. . . . That all nations shouldbecome one in faith and all menas brothers; that diversity of reli-gion should cease and differencesof race be annulled. Let not aman glory in this, that he loveshis country: let him rather glory

in that, that he loves his kind.”During His lifetime Baha-

’u’llah appointed His eldest son‘Abdu’l-Bahé as the interpreterand expounder of His writings.In 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Baha came toAmerica. He traveled fromcoast to coast addressing peacesocieties, clubs and churches ofall denominations. The purposeof this long arduous journey wasto promulgate the teachings ofBaha’u’llah. From America Hewent to Europe with the samemessage. But He also inspiredHis hearers with new hope.Speaking in the City Temple,London, He said, “This is a newcycle of human power. All thehorizons of the world are lumi-nous, and the world will becomeindeed as a garden and at para-disc.”

During the British occupationin Palestine, government officialsof all ranks sought interviewswith Him. In fact the govem-ment representatives were so pro-foundly impressed with His workin the interest of peace concilia-tion and plan for the bettermentof the world, that a knighthoodof the British Empire was con-ferred on ‘Abdu’l-Bahé in 1920.

Today we all realize to someextent the significance of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s western journey, a jour-ney in fact to all the world, forwe are partially awakened fromour deep slumber. '

260 WORLD onnnn“The gift of God to this en-

lightened age is the knowledgeof the oneness of mankind and ofthe fundamental oneness of re-ligion. War shall cease between

nations, and by the Will of Godthe ‘Most Great Peace’ shallcome; the world will be seen as anew world, and all men will liveas brothers.”

-

As we view the world around us, we are compelled to observe themanifold evidences of that universal fermentation which, in every continentof the globe and in every department of human life, be it religious, social,economic or political, is purging and reshaping humanity in anticipation ofthe Day when the wholeness of the human race will have been recognizedand its unity established. A two-fold process, however, can be distinguished,each tending, in its own way and with an accelerated momentum, to bring toa climax the forces that are transforming the face of our planet. The firstis essentially an integrating process, while the second is fundamentally dis-ruptive. The former, as it steadily evolves, unfolds a System which may wellserve as a pattern for that world polity towards which a strangely-disorderedworld is continually advancing; while the latter, as its disintegrating influencedeepens, tends to tear down, with increasing violence, the antiquated barriersthat seek to block humanity’s progress towards its destined goal. The con-structive proeess stands associated with the nascent Faith of Baha’u’llah,and is the harbinger of the New World Order that Faith must erelongestablish. The destructive forces that characterize the other should beidentified with a civilization that has refused to answer to the expectation ofa new age, and is consequently falling into chaos and decline.

A titanic, a spiritual struggle, unparalleled in its magnitude yet un-speakably glorious in its ultimate consequences, is being waged as a resultof these opposing tendencies, in this age of transition through which theorganized community of the followers of Baha’u'llél1 and mankind as awhole are passing.

--Snocnr EFFENDI

World CitizensMARGUERITE TRUE

IN THE writings of Baha’u’llahwe find a phrase which is new

to most of us; a term whichshould awaken us to a new con-cept of life in this generation,and enable us to achieve, throughits application, a world of greaterunderstanding and harmony. Thisphrase is “world citizen”.

We are slowly coming torealize that because of our de-velopments in transportation andcommunication, the world hasbecome a neighborhood. We arebeginning to be conscious of thefact that we are evolving fromnationalism into a world of inter-nationalism, of world living. Inthe material sense, we see thatthis is inevitable, and yet in-wardly, we are not preparingourselves to live in such a world.Though we may wish to dealeconomically and politically withother peoples and countries ofthe world, we still have certainmental reservations which pre-vent us from achieving worldunity. Baha’u’llah said, “Theworld is but one country andmankind its citizens.” The firsthalf of this statement we are be-ginning to accept, but the secondhalf we tend to overlook. Andyet, if we stop to consider, wewill see that until we have

learned to accept all men in aspirit of true brotherhood, wecannot live in peace in this smallworld. t

In order to grasp the fullmeaning of life as as citizen ofthe world, we will need to com-prehend certain truths. ‘Abdu’l-Baha said, “You can best serveyour country if you strive, inyour capacity as a citizen of theworld, to assist in the eventualapplication of the principle offederalism underlying the gov-ernment of your own country tothe relationships now existing be-tween the peoples and nations ofthe world.” We need to realizethat, as Baha'u’llah said, theworld is like a human body, andthat if one part of it is ill or introuble, it will sooner or lateraffect the whole. No longer canwe sit idly by while others arein difficulty, and feel that we canbe immune to their difliculties. Ifwe wish peace for the world,we shall have to share our re-sponsibilities as citizens and na-tions in this new world in orderto bring this peace into reality.

Let us consider, now, thedeeper implications of the phrase“world citizen.” First of all, wewill need to recognize the funda-mental oneness of mankind. Sci-

261

262 WORLD ORDERence is continually proving theabsence of racial distinction. Butin spite of this evidence, we stillfind ourselves with a feeling ofsuperiority, one group over an-other. The spiritual recognitionof the oneness of humanity,alone, can wipe away the veilsof misunderstanding and preju-dice which have caused so muchbloodshed and strife in the past.This spiritual truth we find inBaha’u’llah’s statements, “Ye areall the fruits of one tree, theleaves of one branch, the flowersof one garden. Know ye not whyWe created you from one clay?That no one should exalt himselfover the other.”

Another mental reservationwhich we must overcome in ourstep to world citizenship is thatof national superiority. We stilltend to exalt one nation aboveanother, either through thebold practice of flag-waving, orthrough the more subtle meansof belittling other countries. Ifwe made the efiort to view na-tions with more understanding,we would see that each one hassomething of value to contributeto life on this planet, some uniquecontribution for mankind and wewould also see that each nationhas its faults. Therefore, sinceeach nation has diflerent quali-ties we cannot measure them oneagainst another. We also see thatthe feeling of national superiority

has caused many a youth to “givehis life for his country” onlyto find that his country wasplunged into another war. Inmany countries the value of apiece of land, of world conquest,or riches is still greater than thatof man’s life. “Glory is not hiswho loves his country, but gloryis his who loves his kind” saidBaha’u’llah. We have not yetlearned the concept of living asa family of nations, in which anynation who is disobedient to thelaws of humanity is to be treatedas a delinquent among nations.‘Abdu’l-Bahé states, “Conflictand contention are in no wisepermitted. Every aggressor de-prives himself of God’s grace.”

If we are to become worldcitizens we will need to under-stand each other spiritually. Wewill need to investigate the basesof other men’s religions, and toaccept all of the Divine Prophetsor Manifestations as Messengersfrom the same God. For the basisof all religions is one, Baha-’u’llah explained, inasmuch asthey have all emanated from thesame Divine Source. It is thegrowth of rituals, forms, cere-monies and dogmas which hasblinded us to this truth, and keptus from the recognition of thefundamental oneness of all re-ligion. Acceptance of other peo-ple on the basis of progressiverevelation will be one of the

wonLn CITIZENS 263greatest steps to world citizen-ship. Baha’u’llah said, “Consortye, O people, with the peopleof all religions with joy andfragrance.”

Perhaps closer to our hearts,and more prominent in ourminds, we find those obstaclesof petty prejudices which con-tinue to be barriers between usand our neighbors. We are toowilling to believe that a wholenation is immoral merely be-cause one citizen of that nationmarried at an age which we con-sider too yotmg, or acted in amanner not conforming with ourown social standards. We con-clude too quickly that a wholenation is “uncivilized” becausea few of its members do not actaccording to our personal con-cept of civilized man. We tend toemphasize the faults of othersand to praise our every act, inspite of the fact that history mayshow that we have made the sameerrors.

It is a change of heart, the loveof man through the love of Godwhich will be the deepest andmost fundamental change in peo-ple throughout the world. Untilthe hearts of people are changed,we can never expect a world oflasting peace. In clear and com-pelling tones, Bahé’u’lléh warns:“Breathe not the sins of others

so long as thou art thyself asinner.” ‘Abdu'l-Baha furtherstates: “Look always at the goodand not at the bad. If a man hasten good qualities and one bad,look at the ten and forget theone. Never allow ourselves tospeak one unkind word aboutanother even though that otherbe our enemy. Beware lest yeoffend any heart! Beware lest yehurt any soul! Beware lest yedeal unkindly toward any per-son! Beware lest ye be the causeof hopelessness to any creature.Should one become the cause ofgrief to any one heart, or ofdespondency to any one soul, itwere better to hide oneself in thelowest depths of the earth thanto walk upon the earth.”

Thus we see that nearly eightyyears ago, Bahé’u’llah and Hisson, ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, revealed theTeachings which are essential fortrue world unity. Laying thefoundation of this unity in thevery hearts of men by exhortingthem to lay aside their preju-dices, to discard their out-modedcreeds and traditions, to arise toa new concept of the brotherhoodof man and the unity of thehuman race, Bahé’u’lléh beganat the very root of man's innerbeing to mould a new race ofmen, a better civilization, aGolden Age.

The Day of GodFwonns or EAnA’U’LL.-in

THE Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been acclaimed as thePurpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God, and the most cherished

Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of theAlmighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. Theadvent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred Scriptures.Behold how, notwithstanding such an announcement, mankind hath strayedfrom its path and shut out itself from its glory.

Say: O ye lovers of the one true God! Strive, that ye may truly recognizeand know Him, and observe befittingly His precepts. This is a Revelation,under which, if a man shed for its sake one drop of blood, myriads of oceanswill be his recompense. Take heed, O' friends, that ye forfeit not so in-estimable a benefit, or disregard its transcendent station. Consider the multi-tude of lives that have been, and are still being, sacrificed in a world deludedby a mere phantom which the vain imaginations of its peoples have conceived.Render thanks unto God, inasmuch as ye have attained unto your heart'sDesire, and been united to Him who is the Promise of all nations. Guardye, with the aid of the one true God—exalted be His glory-—-the integrityof the station which ye have attained, and cleave to that which shall promoteHis Cause. Hie, verily, enjoineth on you what is right and conducive to theexaltation of man’s station. Glorified be the All-Merciful, the Revealer ofthis wondrous Tablet.

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, andhear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, andthe light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behooveth everyman to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, andto gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, theproofs of His mission, and the tokens of His glory.

Great indeed is this day! The allusions made to it in all the sacredScriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophetof God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. Allthe divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. Nosooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in theheaven of God’s Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleasedto guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.

O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut outthe peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkeningto His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth,and that the seal, “the Kingdom is God’s,” may be stamped upon the browof all its peoples.

264

DAY OF con 265The time foreordained unto the peoples and kindreds of the earth is now

come. The promises of God, as recorded in the holy scriptures, have all beenfulfilled. Out of Zion hath gone forth the Law of God, and Jerusalem, andthe hills and land thereof, are filled with the glory of His Revelation. Happyis the man that pondereth in his heart that which hath been revealed in theBooks of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Meditate upon this,O ye beloved of God, and let your ears be attentive unto His Word, so thatye may, by His grace and mercy, drink your fill from the crystal waters ofconstancy, and become as steadfast and immovable as a mountain in HisCause.

In the Book of Isaiah it is written: “Enter into the rock, and hide theein the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty.” No manthat meditateth upon this verse can fail to recognize the greatness of thisCause, or doubt the exalted character of this Day -—-- the Day of God Himself.This same verse is followed by these words: “And the Lord alone shall beexalted in that Day.” This is the Day which the Pen of the Most High hathglorified in all the holy Scriptures. There is no verse in them that doth notdeclare the glory of His holy Name, and no Book that doth not testify untothe loftiness of this most exalted theme. . . . It is incumbent, in this Day,upon every man to place his whole trust in the manifold bounties of God,and arise to disseminate, with the utmost wisdom, the verities of His Cause.Then, and only then, will the whole earth be enveloped with the morninglight of His Revelation.

Bestir yourselves, O people, in anticipation of the days of Divine justice,for the promised hour is now come. Beware lest ye fail to apprehend itsimport and be accounted among the erring.

Say: The first and foremost testimony establishing His truth is Hisown Self. Next to this testimony is His Revelation. For 'whoso faileth torecognize either the one or the other He hath established the words He hathrevealed as proof of His reality and truth. This is, verily, an evidence of Histender mercy unto men. He hath endowed every soul with the capacity torecognize the signs of God. How could He, otherwise, have fulfilled Histestimony unto men, if ye be of them that ponder His Cause in their hearts.He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither will He task a soul beyondits power. He, verily, is the Compassionate, the All-Merciful.

Say: So great is the glory of the Cause of God that even the blind canperceive it, how much more they whose sight is sharp, whose vision is pure.The blind, though unable to perceive the light of the sun, are, nevertheless,capable of experiencing its continual heat. The blind in heart, however,among the people of the Bayan-—-and to this God is My witness--areimpotent, no matter how long the Sun may shine upon them, either toperceive the radiance of its glory, or to appreciate the warmth of its rays.

Pioneer Journey: BoliviaVIRGINIA ORBISON

EARLY one hot Decembermorning in 1943, after sev-

eral false starts with anti-climac-tic despedidas, (farewells) theplane schedule got together withthe weather and I was actuallyon my way through the lush out-skirts of Asuncion del Paraguayto the tiny airport built besidethe huge modern airfield whichwas still under construction bythe North Americans. GertrudeEisenberg, seeing me off, lookedsmall but valiant. She was leftalone to carry on the task ofkeeping together and teachingthe group started two years be-fore by Elisabeth Cheney. Thislittle band had been restimulatedby my visit and it had grownduring these last four shortmonths. Gertrude, who had re-cently arrived, found the ninthadult, who, that following April,made possible the formation ofthe first Spiritual Assembly ofParaguay.

As only one plane a weekwent out of Paraguay to theNorth, obtaining passage was aproblem with or without priori-ties. The plane was well bur-dened as we flew up the broadwinding Rio Panarfi into thejungle country. In a few hoursit arrived at Corumhé, a far

corner of Brazil. It was only hotthen, not very hot, or impossiblyhot. The little river port townin the heart of the continent hadthe usual plaza, an avenue ofmagnificent royal palms, a U. S.Navy Catalina floating at anchor,and much tropical fruit for sale.All Brazilian cars seem to havelong ornate satin cushions restingin the space between the rear seatand the rear window. There wereeven the taxis which are, as in allother places, just passenger carscharging a more or less uniformfare depending on whether onelooked like an experienced or in-experienced gringo. P a n a g r apassengers are put up at a rowof houses serving as “hotel” -—all very informal.

The next morning we flew overthe river and over the Chacocountry, making many hops intocleared spots in the jungles. Theplane carried Indians -—- one witha little pig under her arm andmanta -—- chickens, cargo lashedto the front seats and men intropical work clothes. Quite acontrast to the formal travel ofmore frequented lanes. At oneplace we landed near a littlecemetery where a little band ofIndians wierdly sounding ronda-dores (pipes of Pan), crude

266

BOLIVIA 267drums and quenas (flutes) werepotmding and wheezing besidethe tombstones, and the passen-gers stood about while the planeloading proceeded. We were inBolivia.

Santa Cruz was our stop forthe night. We were certainly ont h e Local-Stops-at-all-Pointsplane! This interesting but prim-itive colonial-lype town was seenonly from the air, as Pan Air hasfine modern accommodations forits passengers" at the airport.After boarding our plane in themorning we gradually climbed,and instead of jungle, we wereover high stark dramatic moun-tains, gorges and peaks with onlycolor---no vegetation whatever—-in short, the high Andes. Thebroad and watered valley ofCochabarnba (most popular re-sort of the Bolivians) was a con-trast. There I saw my very firstCochabambina, a lovely chola(a class of mixed Indian andother blood) walking primly inher high stifi white stove-pipe hatwith broad brim (the higher thehat, the richer she is) with hercolored fringed manta or shawl,many wide colored skirts, highboots and long black braids togive her great elegance.

Leaving healthful Cochabam-ba, we flew on and on, higherand starker, along the Altiplanowith its reliefmap appearanceuntil we reached the rim of the

great Andean gash in whichnestles La Paz. There we lefto u r twin-motor 21-passengerDouglas, and after good hotcoffee and a toasting by the fire-place, we took the cabs to theedge of the rim, and dived downthe winding steep spectaculardescent into the city below.There was the great mountain,Illimani, gorgeous and resplen-dent in brilliant snow watchingover the city from far over theother side, just as Eleanor Adlerhad seen it when her trainwormed in from the Chilean portof Arica two years before. Atthat time, there were no Bahé’ifriends to take her in and makeher comfortable upon her firstencounter with such a strangeland -—-- 12,025 feet up, and nota word of Spanish, completelyalone. Not really alone, becausethe “company of His chosenangels” was there to guide herimmediately to the house ofYvonne Cuellar, who soon be-came the first believer in Bolivia,and who opened the way ardentlyfor the spreading of the Faith ofBahé’u’llah in that land. Sevenmonths later, Eleanor left Bo-livia leaving a glorious trail ofinterest in the Cause, and fourdevoted and capable believers.

To this very house of YvonneCuellar I, too, went, and therefound my Baha’i homein La Paz.More Bah5.’is had been added,

263 wontn onnnnall helped and inspired by FloraHottes, loved and able pioneerwho had arrived in the past year.Many friends came to hear aboutand discuss the Faith with us.Suddenly there came the terrorand unrest of a revolution—andthen, a few days later, Christmas,bringing little boys in smalltroups making queer Incaicamusic on drums and quenas asthey went from house to house toplay and dance for the NifioDios in His little manger.

Very early on New Year’sDay I left for a trip to Sucrewhich is the Capital, althoughthe President lives in La Paz, thecenter of all activity. The Su-preme Court meets in Sucre,named after the Mariscal Sucre,one of the famous South Amer-ican heroes. Although there ismuch antagonism and nationalrivalry among these countries,they all fervently observe thebirthdays of their mutual heroesand liberators-——-such as the greatSimon Bolivar, San Martin,Sucre, etc.!

All alone in my camarote orsleeping compartment, I sketchedscenes of the bare altiplano, flatbeige-colored plains with nevera tree or a flower, small window-less houses of adobe and thatch-ed roofs, each with its tiny crosswith holy-water jug on top; In-dians squatting in heavy ponchosin the rain -—- rain leaking into

the cars and deluging one be-tween cars while jerking one'sway to the comedor. This was avoyage of adventure through allthe other cars: chair, second,third classes always getting morecrowded with cholos, children,baskets, and more wet, as thedining car is always on the endof the train and has a little chim-ney stack. A school girl onvacation who shared my roomreturned at night after spendingthe day with other friends on thetrain. The bunks were arrangedone over the other and all bed-ding was stored on the top oneduring the day. One cannot beexclusive and buy up the wholecamarote, but this is at least oneroom which is shared only withone person of the same sex!

Early morning found us in thecompletely unique Villa Imperialde Potosi. There loomed thefamous pyramid-shaped CerroRico (Rich Hill), the nearly un-touched colonial city spreadingdown the long slope. All thesilver to finance the SpanishArmada came out of that hill.They said that I was the firstwhite woman to look upon thevast and varicolored valley fromthe lofty top of that cerro (andthis I like to believel). Otherwomen there were —- in theirmany long, brilliantly coloredskirts and man-type felt hats,working the mines along with the

BOLIVIA 269

men. But only tin is now takenafter the workings of four cen-turies. Idle llamas gazed at uswith supercilious aristocratic airas the heavy truck struggled upthe steep winding slippery road.Cable buckets passed overheadcarrying down the ore whichonly llamas used to bear.

Four days were spent in Po-tosi while waiting for the auto-carril which goes to Sucre. Atthe Rancho Hochschild where Iwas priviledged to stay, the mineofficials were most hospitable.Much to be remembered were thelong drive through rarely visitedcountry; movies of ancient vin-tage shown in what had been aprecious carved stone churchbuilt by the Spaniards; theMoneda where all the coin ofBolivia has been minted ———- themachinery brought from Spainand powered by oxen or slaves_. the machinery of centuriescommencing with wooden appa-ratus, down to present day steel;the Mascaron, a huge Bacchus-like face in natural colors overan archway, said to be the cari-cature of a former governor. Oneevening here around the fire ofsweet-smelling moss clods fromthe Alto, the world’s travail andthe great remedy brought byBaha’u’llah were discussed withthese Jewish friends, who amongthe millions, had been forcedinto pain and change.

A six-hour run in a 4-motorChrysler bus on railway wheelswas spent in gasping delightedlyat some of the loveliest and mostdramatic bits of this earth thatone could wish to see. The driverenjoyed chasing donkeys, goatsor sheep off the tracks, coming asnear as possible without touchingthem. It seemed extraordinary toleave one great valley, only toclimb suddenly into another hav-ing a round mirror lake; then todescend gradually into a landfull of spectacularly floweringcactus, pepper trees and into thesweet valley where is sequesteredthe city of Sucre.

The four-day sojourn seemedmuch longer —- so many thingshappened! Immediately, donRaul Jaimes Freyre, the distin-guished writer and educator;brother of the great Ricardo,man of letters, was found in hishouse, house of the Inquisition offormer times. It was the scenealso, of a latter-day “inquisition”during the lectures given there onthe Faith of Baha’u’llah, as theintellectuals and artists gatheredto hear, question, cavil and be-lieve --— some to read and prom-ise deeper study of the teachings.The tiled white city of Sucre isan isolated paradise. Life pa-rades so leisurely across thecobble stones using no busses orstreet cars. Charming and court-ly are the people, but impossible

270 WORLD onnrznfor an outsider to know withoutproper entré. Like Potosi, it isstill dreaming of Spanish daysand is proud of its withdrawnculture. To sit, or “hacer elpaseo,” around the Plaza nearnoon and at dusk, is to reviewone’s friendships.

Much pain, as always, wasfelt at leaving such dear, if re-cently found, friends. Back toPotosi I journeyed with only timefor dinner at the Rancho beforecatching the train for La Paz.There I found Alicia Bustamante,the famous Peruvian artist whohad shown such lively interest inthe Faith while in La Paz. Thelong return was spent with aschool teacher and her friend,who enjoyed hearing of the newworld Faith destined to unite allof mankind in harmonious liv-ing. There was an invitation tovisit their school. Twenty-fourhours later, at night-fall, fromout of the complete blackness ofrain-clouds suddenly we beheldthe magic lining of twinklinglights in the enormous bowl ofLa Paz beneath the splendor ofa well-washed full moon. GreatIllimani sparkled adamantly inits manta of silver snow.

And there was Flora Hottess,loved pioneer for Bolivia, com-fortably resting in my bed whenI arrived. She had just returnedfrom a much needed change ofaltitude to Lima. We listened to

stories of her experiences withEve Nicklin in Peru. The lastfew days were spent in endlessvisa and permiso de salida hunt-ing, and again the usual falsestarts. The delays made it pos-sible for me to see again the won-derful Bolivian friends, and tovisit a very quaint and interest-ing annual fair -— Feria de lasAlacitas. For several days boothsare set up by cholos in a plazawhere one can buy, in miniature,all the objects of one’s desire forthe coming year.

Sadness crept on me at leavingthe valiant country of Boliviawhere a culture of great interesthas been built up and maintainedunder almost insuperable physi-cal difliculties: killing altitude,inadequate transportation, noseaport, lack of proper nourish-ment, lack of water, tortuouslygrown vegetation or hot, wildlowland jungles inhabited bystrange animals and naked sav-ages.

Bolivia should especially wel-come the great unifying impulseof Bahé’u’lléh which brings theonly possible solution to its po-litical, social and spiritual prob-lems. All of these will end withthe fulfillment of the destiny ofthe oneness of theAmericas, andindeed, the world, all bound to-gether harmoniously by the mys-tic chain of Baha’i' love andunity.

""_""""""'£lfiloria! The Basis of Optimism

WHEN a Bahé.’i looks abouthim at the plight of the

world, when he reads the news-papers and listens to the radioor to the conversations of hisfriends, he sometimes wonderswhy he is so sure that all willeventually be well in a worldridden by problems apparentlytoo diflicult for the human mindand heart to solve. The greatabyss of hatred between latelywarring peoples; the distrust be-coming evident between recentallies; famine; strikes; racialantagonism; religious dissension;these are only a few of thetroubles that must be overcomeby great masses of people. TheBaha’i, aware of all this, maysometimes marvel that he feels‘no slightest doubt of the futuretranquility of mankind. Howcan he be so sure?

He has, of course, the age-oldpromise of religion: propheciesout of the past describing agolden age to come. Theseprophecies, which have come toseem like mere ideals, wishfuldreams, mirages reflecting theimpossible desires of the humanheart, he has had reaffirmed bythe Bab and Baha’u’llah in ac-cents of authority. But even in

the face of the stirring utterancesof the Founders of his Faith, hemight still sometimes feel thatthe new world order they pro-claim is very far away, if it werenot that he has already experi-enced it. —

The creation of a happy andharmonious order of society isan unfolding process which haspassed through many stages andwill pass through more, but itsconsummation is not far away.Through hundreds of thousandsof years, man has been preparedfor it, has been lifted from levelto level of individual and socialconsciousness by the Prophets ofGod. Thousands of years ago hewas given a vision of the end forwhich he was being prepared:“The wolf shall also dwell withthe lamb, and the leopard shalllie down with the kid,” . . . “TheKingdom of God is at hand.”. . . “And I saw a new heavenand a new earth.” . . .

But now the preparation isnearing its end and the long-heralded order has become ac-tual. It first achieved reality inthe consciousness of the Bab andBaha’u’lléh. The new worldorder existed in Them only until,when They had communicated it

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272 WORLD onnnnto Their followers, it took formwithin these others too and begangradually to be expressed in theBaha’i Community, the vehicleby which it is being carriedaround the world.

Our assurance, in the face ofthe chaotic disorder of our times,comes from our actual experi-ence of the future order of so-ciety in ourselves and in theBaha'i Community. It is an ex-perience hard to describe, now asin the time of Christ, except inparables. It is the spiritual ele-ment in which we live, as fish livein water. Immersed in it, wefunction as human beings aremeant to do. Deprived of it, wegasp and struggle to exist. It isthe climate of our thought, for itestablishes in us certain attitudeswhich condition our mental proc-esses and which make us feel onewith people from strange partsof the world. Many of the knot-tiest problems cease to exist inthat climate.

Life in the Baha’i Communityis simply an extension of that in-dividual experience to the grorm.Not that community life is imme-diately easyl Because of the in-tensity with which Baha’is feeltheir Faith, problems sometimesarise which seem to be just asacute as those which afflict theworld at large. But they do notdestroy the confidence of the

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Baha’i, for he knows that themethod of solving them is therebefore him, reiterated time aftertime by Baha’u’llah, by ‘Abdu’l-Baha, and by Shoghi Effendi,and he realizes that to the sin-cere, the application of thatmethod is nothing more thangood exercise for a healthyorganism. He may see also an-other reason why such troublesmay be wholesome, for whenwe plunge into this new spiritualelement in which mankind ishenceforth to live, if we swimtoo easily, we may come tolook complacently on those stillgasping on the shore and so losesympathetic contact with theworld we are destined to serve.At this point it may be more im-portant for a rapidly increasingnumber of people to learn a wayof life by which all problems canbe solved than for all the wrongsof the world to be instantlyrighted.

These then constitute the basisfor the unshakable optimism ofthe Baha’i: the powerful assur-ances of the -Founders of hisFaith, the consciousness of a newset of attitudes which become asnatural to him as breathing, andhis experience of the evolvingperfection of the Baha’i Com-munity in the technique of livingtogether. They signify to himthe coming of the Kingdom.

* -——G. B.

}

From One Service Man to AnotherDUART BROWN

I’VE MET you somewhere,S friend, soldier, sailor, marine.Yes, l’ve met you somewhere onthe highway, or the train, or thebus, in camp, or on bivouack, ormaybe on an L.S.T. with its land-ing barges hung along the deckslike grey monsters crouched tospring. I’ve smiled at you andyou’ve smiled back, and you’vesaid: “Hello, soldier!” and“where are you from?” and“what are the girls like in yourtown?” Then, after a few words,we’ve passed along again intothe great khaki and blue streamof the men of war. y

But sometimes I’ve wanted tospeak to you about somethingelse, and I’ve wondered how tosay it, and because I haven’tknown I’ve said nothing. I’vedreaded seeing the look comeinto your eyes that says: “Whodoes this guy think he is?” It’sthe way we Americans reactwhen a stranger approaches usabout something we consider toopersonal. But it’s important tome to try to speak to you, andthat’s why I’m using the printedword, instead of the spoken. It’smore impersonal, and, if youdon’t like what I say, you can putdown the pages and say: “theguy is bats!” But I won’t know

you said it; so that next time wemeet we can smile once more andsay “hello!” and still be friends.

You know how the statesmenhave been saying “We are fight-ing a war to end war,” and howso many mothers’ hearts havecried “Let this be the last time,oh Lord!” But there is a smallsecret part of your mind andmine that tells us those wordswere said before by other states-men and other mothers, and thenforgotten. We’ve listened to thecry that “this time it will bedifferent!” with . considerableskepticism, and yet way deepdown ygpize l{l}0‘t/Vl1:ll.Il"l3.lI onlymen wl ave alt In peace wtthere ever be peace. I

The question comes right downto this: “How strongly do wewant peace for ourselves and ourchildren?” Are we of the samemold as the French King, Louisthe Fifteenth, who said with care-free selfishness while the forcesof the revolution that came afterhis death gathered around him:“After me the deluge!” Or, ifsome immortal Power came toyou tomorrow and said: “If youcut off your two arms, your chil-dren and your children’s childrenwill be spared from war!” wouldyou cut off your arms? Well,

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274 WORLD ORDERwould you? Think it overfriend.

If you’re the kind of fellowwho honestly believes he wouldwillingly sacrifice himself for areal peace, then let's get on fromhere. I think most of the men atTarawa, Saipan and Iwo Jimawere that kind. I

All right now; I’ve got youbuming to sacrifice yourself forfuture peace. You'd even bewilling to throw your living bodyinto a Japanese mine field, yousay, if that would do the trick.O.K., buddy, I’m for you. Ithink you really would do it, be-cause there are plenty like youthat have. But maybe there is amore efiective method than thissort of self-sacrifice, at leastthere will be after the war isover.

Now let me say to you that Ibelieve with all my heart thatthere is a great Immortal Powerthat is right now sweepingthrough the world and saying in-to the ears of those who willlisten. “There will be peace foryour children and your children’schildren and so on for all time,if .”

3

I have purposely left thatsentence unfinished for the wordsare different to different men.But I think we can all agree thatpermanent peace can only comeif, first we have faith in it, sec-ond, we have cooperation to

attain it, and third, we have thespiritual rebirth necessary tokeep faith and cooperation aliveand strong enough to make futilethe efforts of those men who tryto bring on war. It is thus justplain common sense that spirit-ual rebirth is the vital catalyst,the warp within the woof ofpermanent peace.

What do we mean by the wordsspiritual rebirth? Do we notmean the surging of a spirit inman so strong, so deep and sowidespread that both difficultiesand misunderstandings are sweptaway as is chaff on a torrent. Itwas the Christian torrent thatsaved the civilization of L Romefrom degenerating into sensualfutility and laid the whole moraltone for the advancing modernworld. It was the Jewish torrentthat brought a savage shepherdtribe into glory with the new andwonderful idea of a single allpowerful God. It was the Mu-hammadan torrent that reclaim-ed the savage tribes of Arabiafrom stupid superstition and in-ternecine warfare and made themfor three centuries the chiefbearers of civilization throughthe dark ages. It is a new andgreater religious torrent todaythat is preparing the world forthe timeless Peace that is tocome. You, my Service friend,have the choice of being an ob-struction who stands against that

snnvrcn MAN 275vast current as Louis the Fif-teenth foolishly stood against theflood of Revolution in France, oryou can join the glorious com-pany who march on to the great-est victory in all human history.

From the dark and ignorantland that was Persia in the Nine-teenth Century comes the newLight of the World. The Bahé’iFaith, fresh and vigorous withyouth, stemming from three ofthe most exciting and inspiringminds the earth has ever known:the Bab, or Gate; Baha’u’lléh,the Glory of God; and ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, the Exemplar; brings newhope to all men. God this time,through the mouths of the GreatThree, has spoken a message tomankind so invigorating, so in-spired with answers to all thegreat questions of our complexcivilization that the wisest of menare amazed at its insight and all-embracing comprehension.

Free of the inhibitions andoutworn dogmas of older reli-gions yet proclaiming all majorreligions part of the same mes-

sage from God, seeking unitywith science in the search fortruth yet bringing spiritual truthsthat science alone never canfathom, the Baha'i gospel sup-plies the desperately-neededhealing medicine for the ills ofthe modern world. Unity is thewatchword of the Bahé’is: unityof man, of races, of religions,towards a common goal, worldpeace and cooperation. Alongwith unity goes the destructionof prejudices under the onslaughtof education and knowledge, anew and stronger moral codewith the spiritual authority tofully explain and back it, a dem-ocratic administration that drawswisdom and cooperation andcomradeship in a great cause upthrough the ranks of its believ-ers. This is a part of the spiritand nature of the Bahé’i Faith.

If I can give you a sense of ourenthusiasm for this new worldmovement and arouse in you acuriosity to find out more,then,buddy, I’ve done my job. It willbe for the words of the Mastersthemselves to lead you on. T

—

Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of longing desire, ofpassionate devotion, of fervid love, of rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled withinthe seeker's heart, and the breeze of His loving-kindness is waited upon hissoul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of doubts and mis-givings be dissipated, and the lights of knowledge and certitude envelop hisbeing.

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CHALLENGE TO LIBERAL THOUGHTBook Review

ARTHUR DAHLABASIC TENET of the Baha’i

teachings is the reconciliationof science and religion, and thenecessity for harmonious cooperationbetween the two fiields to further1nan’s progress in both the materialand spiritual realms. ‘Abdu'l-Bahéhas said: “God has endowed manwith intelligence and reason where-by he is required to determine theverity of questions and propositions.If religious beliefs and opinions arefound contrary to the standards ofscience they are mere superstitionsand imaginations. . . . The harmonyof religious belief with reason is anew vista which Baha’u’llah hasopened for the soul of man.”

This is a new and radical depar-ture from the attitude that has beengenerally prevailing in both fields.For centuries many of the entrenchedreligious institutions have dogmatic-ally held to a literal interpretation ofthe sacred writings, parts of whichwere meant to read symbolically, andparts of which were of dubiousauthenticity. They stubbornly re-sisted the efiorts of a growing sci-ence to point out the illogical natureof their position, and went as far asto condemn whole branches of sci-ence for being so presumptuous. Sci-entists on their part went to theother extreme and declared that allreligion was superstition, usefulenough in the primitive ages of thepast, but now to be supplanted onceand for all by an age of human en-lightenment and reason, Thoughsome of the more broad-mindedscientists and clergy are working to-ward a middle ground, in general

the two fields of thought are stillpoles apart.

An insight into the scientific po-sition may be obtained from anarticle by John Dewey, Challenge ToLiberal Thought, in the August, 194-4-,Fortune. Professor Dewey has beenfor decades an influential and hon-ored leader in the fight for human-istic philosophy and scientific edu-cation. His views reflect a blendingof sympathy for and understandingof the methods and accomplishmentsof modern science with the philoso-pher's and educator's grasp of hu-man history and of the interplay ofmoral values with material progress.

His article is ostensibly a rebut-tal of attacks being made by a groupof so-called “liberal” educators,headed by President Hutchins of theUniversity of Chicago, on the so-called “practical” scientific educa-tion Professor Dewey has long andsuccessfully advocated. He utilizesthis opportunity to succinctly re-state the basic ideas that are thecornerstone of his philosophy.

The crux of Professor D~ewey’sthought is his conviction that theonly value that is universally good,that is our final goal in life, isgrowth. Change is ever-present inlife, and the desirable condition tobe achieved is continuous improve-ment. Among men, this growth ispossible only by joint, integrated ex-perience, each man adding to andabsorbing from the knowledge of hisfellows. Hence all men, not just theselect few, should have direct experi-ence and learn-by-doing according tothe most up-to-date methods.

276

CHALLENGE 277Professor Dewey distrusts the

“liberal” theory of education be-cause he believes it is founded upona concept of man’s fundamental na-ture as fixed and static, the same inall ages and in all parts of the world.He feels that this group, in subordi-nating scientific subjects to “liberal”subjects, is looking back to theGreek philosophers and medievaltheologians, whose ideas were basedupon different historical conditions.

It is here that he betrays his rea-sons for distrusting religion andtheology. For him all religion alsoholds the view that man is basicallyunchangeable, and therefore he feelsreligion is diametrically opposed tohis own system of thought. “Accord-ing to medieval theological philos-ophy the basis of all ultimate moralprinciples is supernatural —— notmerely above nature and reason, butso far beyond the scope of the latterthat they must be miraculously re-vealed and sustained.” By which heimplies that principles which claimdivine inspiration are usually un-reasonable.

He feels that the infiexible atti-tudes of past religions and moralphilosophies have created cleavageswhich have led to the serious splitsin our civilization today. “There isone between man and the superna-tural; one between temporal and theeternal; one between humanism anddivinity; one between the inner andthe outer; and finally one betweenthe civic and social (or things ofthis world generally) and the allegedsupernatural destiny of man--—need-ing, of course, a special superna-tural and infallible church to bridgethe gulf.” This cleavage, he thinks,is one of the most serious problemsof modern life, and must be bridged.

Unknowingly, Professor Dewey

has brilliantly pointed out the logicand truth of the Baha’i views on pro-gressive religious development. Arethe moral and religious questions,he asks, to be met in the spirit andmethod of the pre-scientific era,while science and technology de-velop as best they can on their ownin a subordinate position? BothBaha’is and Professor Dewey an-swer “no,” though for diflerent rea-sons.

The Baha’i Faith teaches that Pro-fessor Dewey’s principle of growthis as applicable to religion as tosocial progress, and that one is im-possible without the other. B-aha’isaccept the intervention of God inhuman afiairs through a series ofdivinely inspired prophets, but forthe purpose of helping, not imped-ing, the maintenance of sound rela-tionships in the human realm. Thoseteachings or acts of religious bodiesthat are unreasonable or that preventsteady progress in human and ma-terial afiairs, are not in accord withthe teachings of the prophets, andtherefore not true religion. To damnreligion and the concept of revela-tion because of the unwarranted ex-tension of power and authority as-sumed by religious institutions andtheir leaders is a tragically short-sighted point of view.

Baha’is believe that the tenets andprinciples of their Faith, if consid-ered objectively, would appear en-tirely reasonable and consistent toProfessor Dewey and the other scien-tists and humanistic philosopherswith similar beliefs. They are furtherconvinced that their Faith, throughintegrating and coordinating man'sprogress in the material realm withhis inner needs, offers the soundestremedy for the cleavages ProfessorDewey so rightly fears.

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The Time for Love Has ComeANGELA MORGAN

The time for love has come!The hour for the doing away with hoof and claw,With tooth and fang and snout,With bomb and gun and battleship and hell.The fiery dragon must be put to rout,Humanity be wakened from the spellOf brutal centuries. For shame! For shame!To tolerate this crime, too black to name,To urge our sons with sound of battle drum jTo murder one another --Friend against friend, brother against brother --—-The time for love has come!

The time for love has come!The time for love and the going away from greed.That man who says: “My church, my faith, my creedAre Truth and Truth alone; all else is naught” -Nor knows all men, all Truth, all creeds as one—-ls sinning against the Father and the Son.He is sinner, blacker than the lost vWho hugs a selfish Credo at the costOf peace upon the earth,Good will to men.Let time and Truth and justice smite him dumb -—-The time for lo-ve has come!

The time for love has come --The hour for the casting away of spite and malice,Of bitter “mine and thine.”The world must quail a deeply poisoned chaliceUnless man’s brew of hate is turned to wine ---The wine of understanding and of peace.Earth’s tortured multitudes must know release,Be lifted from the mire to breathe the morning, zNo need for hatreds and no need for scorning ----Forever gone the crime of trench and slum —--The time for love has come!

The time for love is here!The Hour for love and the birth of a new race,War’s dark and fierce dominion grows apace —--Its roots lie deep within the rotting ground,

278

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|-1-. ' fLOVE HAS coma ’ 1 279

The unrelinquished past, unkind, uncouth.I Our precious rituals are all outworn

In this black moment of a planet tornBy conflicts terrible and fears profound,By desperate exploitation »Of our youth. *The Hour has come for the casting away of fear --The time for Love is here!

The time for love has come —-The time for love and the putting away of pride.Along the roads where brutal armies rideEmerge the dazzling hosts, with banners flung,Of a new Kingdom and an unheard tongue.The battlefronts of heaven are flashing whiteWith armies now in vigorous formation.All who believe in spiritual power tloin hands, join wills, nor ask what creed or clan,One word foroll: the fellowship of men.For, hurl: the fife! And hark the rolling drum --The time for love has come!

u

Oh people of the world! The religion of God is to create love andunity; do not make it the cause of enmity and discord. All that is regardedby men of insight and the people of the most lofty outlook as the means forsafeguarding and effecting the peace and tranquillity of man, has flowed fromthe Supreme Pen. But the ignorant ones who are the victim of self anddesire, are heedless of the consummate wisdom of the truly wise One, andtheir words and deeds are prompted by fancy and superstition.

Oh people o-f the world! I counsel you to act in a marmer which shalltend to elevate your stations. Cling to divine virtue and obey the divine law.Truly I say, the tongue is for mentioning that which is good; do not defileit by evil speech. “God hath forgiven your past ways.” You must hence-forthspeak that which is worthy. Shun reviling, maligning, and whatsoever willoffend your fellowmen.

Truly I say, virtue is the greatest commander which leads the cause ofGod to victory, and the legions which deserve this commander are pure,sanctified and praiseworthy deeds and attributes.

s —Bxn.i'U’LL.1n

‘Abdu’l-Balm, the Divine ExemplarMARIAM I-IANEY

WHAT was it that opened thelocked doors of so many

hearts? Was it not because‘Abdu’l-Baha brought down intothe world of actuality the livingof His Teachings! He, the DivineExemplar, taught by His life aswell as by His Words. His entireteaching tour of America was atime of mighty revealing; neverbefore had the people of thiscontinent had the opportunity tolisten to Truths so profoundlystated.

But what did He teach? Jus-tice, love, mercy, charity, kind-ness, and all other heavenlyqualities which have been funda-mental in the religions of divineorigin through the ages. He re-stated these same mighty truths,and gave added knowledge, newremedies and new laws applic-able to the present time of thehuman race.

y‘Abdu’l-Bahais teachings bothin public and private revolvedaround the world’s greatest prob-lems and their solution by spirit-ual means. Constantly He re-ferred to the removal of preju-dices of all kinds -——- religious,racial, patriotic, social, econom-ic, etc. -— every form and varie-ty of prejudice must be uprootedfor, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahé said, “Prej-

udice is a hindrance to realiza-tion.”

“The first form of dissensionamong mankind,” He said,“arises from religious differ-ences. His Holiness Bahé'u’lléhhas given full teachings to theworld which are conducive tofellowship and unity in religion.. . . The greatest cause of humanalienation has been religion, be-cause each considered the beliefof the other as anathema and itsfollowers deprived of the mercyof God.”

“Another cause of dissensionand discord is the fact that reli-gion has been pronounced at vari-ance with science. . . . Babs’-u’llz-'ih has removed this form ofdissension and discord fromamong mankind and reconciledscience with religion. This ac-complishment is specialized toHim in this Day.”

Referring to the importantsubject of universal peace ----there is scarcely a page in theaddress of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé. in Amer-ica that does not in some waydirectly or indirectly expandand elucidate this principle. Hesays, to quote briefly from thesepages:

“At present universal peace isa matter of great importance, but

280

F '—-I-'

e ‘ABoU’L-Bani 231unity of conscience is essential,so that the foundation of thismatter may become secure, itsestablishment firm and its edificestrong. Therefore His HolinessBahé’u’lléh, fifty years ago [nowover eighty years] expoundedthis question of universal peaceat a time when He was confinedin the fortress of ‘Akké. and waswronged and imprisoned. Hewrote about this important matterof universal peace to all the greatsovereigns of the world, and es-tablished it among His friendsin the Orient.”

Concerning the prejudice ofrace, ‘Abdu’l-Baha said: “Themost urgent requisite of mankindis the declaration of the onenessof the world of humanity —— thisis the great principle of Baha-’u’llah. That which will leaventhe human world is a love thatwill insure the abandonment ofpride, oppression and hatred.. . . It is quite impossible to strikeat the root of these racial, po-litical, religious and patrioticprejudices unless the inhabitantsof the world may come under theshadow of Bahé’u’lléh.”

‘Abdu’l-Baha repeatedly an-

swered questions on the solutionof the economic problem. Justone excerpt from His answerscan be here recorded: “The fun-damentals of the whole economiccondition are divine in natureand are associated with the worldof the heart and the spirit. Thisis fully explained in the Baha'iteaching, and without knowledgeof its principles no improvementin the economic state can berealized.” W

These are only a few of thePrinciples which ‘Abduil-Bahépropounded and which were firstgiven to the world by Bahé’u’lléhin His utterances penned by Hisown hand many, many years ago,and elucidated and expanded by‘Abdul’!-Bahé in His writings andtalks. In addition He empha-sized other vitally importantprinciples such as the indepen-dent investigation of Truth, aworld Supreme Tribunal, the onefoundation of all religions, theequality of men and women, uni-versal education, a universalauxiliary language, etc.

Number seven in a series of notationson Bah:i’i activity in North America fromI893 to I921.

-

O Son of Being!'\

Love Me, that I may love thee. lf thou lovest Me not, My love can inno wise reach thee. Know this, O servant.

-—BxHi.’U’LLJiH

INDEX TO “ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE”WILLIAM KENNETH CHRISTIAN

"Abdu'l-BabsAssurance of success to American

community, 61-62Encouragement to teachers, 51-2Example in race relations, 28, 29“Movement of Left”, 75

Role of youth, 18Spiritual requisites for teaching

success, 18-36Surpassed sister communities, 6.7Twofold crusade, 34--35Unique station, 5

Administrative institutions AS99ti°i9;_m» 28Instruments for teaching, 4-O, 4-4 Assembhes NVehicles for truths of Faith, 37

Alcohol, abstinence from, 25, 27Consideration of teaching, 44“Crowning distinction”, 23

America, 5, rRBCtItudB Of C-Onduct,

Corruption in, 16 BabCourse of national evolution, 75-6Destiny of, 72-77

Reason for appearance in Persia,15

Future of’ Bahé-Ii adI1'.1IIll.$Iratl.0I1

High qualities of, 16Immediate future (1938), 76

Dependence upon moral rectitude,18, 19

Most challenging issue, 28 E@f_3i9n°Y i11:~_4’4'Must abandon isolation, 74 Bah“ 1 °°mm1m1l5Y

American Bahé’i community‘Abdu'l-Baha’s assurance of suc-

lnfluenced by world crisis, 2, 4-Trials prove solidarity, 1

C633, 51.52 Beha’i elections, 29Achievements of, 7-8, 9 BIB‘-?tQ1'§, 22All responsible for teaching, 37, B-‘Elba 1-.» qualltles Of, 21

38, 4-1-2, 44-“Chief remaining citadel”, 5“Chief creator of . . . World Order

Admonition to, 63-64-Believers, conduct of, 18-36Believers should be distinguished,

of Baha’u’llah”, 9 21Confirmation of, 13Differs from American culture, 13

“Teaching, all-pervading concernof life”, 4-4

Difficulties faced by, 6 Bahé’u’llahFocus attention on self, 17Future possibilities, 11-12, 52“Living sacrifice”, 6Most challenging issue, 23Minorities within, 29-30Not content, laurels won, 62Present opportunities, 4-OPromises under Divine Plan, 11Reason for ushering in World

Order, 15-17Reflections to steel resolve, 61-62Responsibility, 17-52

282

Charge to teachers, 5-51Consummation of past revelation,

65 .“Distinguishing function”, 14-Greatness of His Revelation, 641--67Power to create a new earth, 67-8Prophesies world tribulation, 68-9,

74-Subordinates personal inclination

to law, 23Tribulations of, 23Why He appeared in Persia, 15

ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE

Balkans, 75Canada, 43Capacity, 50Character, influence of, 19, 20, 21-22Chastity, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 27, 34Christ, 38, 66Churches, non-membership, 22Civilization, 26Companionate marriage, 25Confirmation, 38, 39, 47, 4-8, 51, 57,

71One can guide a nation, 4-8

Cordell Hull, quoted, 75Costa Rica, 60Day of God, 64-7Deeds, 19, 20, 21, 70Democracy, 72Deputy teachers, 55-56, 70Detachment, 26, 27, 50

“Cities of silver and gold”, 19“Valley of pure gold”, 26

Divine Plan, 6, 9Dedication to, 61Inter-continental scope, 11

Effort, 13, 17, 23, 32, 47, 48, 52, 70El Salvador, 60Eskimos, 4-6Faith,

Attitudes in defending, 22“Blessed is the spot”, 70History and teachings must be

studied, 41Reason for attacks, 35Stages in its growth, 12Station of defender, 71Under attack, 4-5Values of attacks, 35“Vie with each other in service”,

70Federalism, 74-Fellowship, 54-55Force, revolutionizing, 39, 4-0, 60-61Forgiveness, 24Freedom, 5,6Germany

Future ofbelievers in, 2-3God,

Day of, 64-7

'I—r"" *—-I

Force of destruction and construc-'tion, 39, 4-0

Trust in, 69Greatest Holy Leaf, 37Guatemala, 60Heart, for revelation of His Glory,

26Holy Land

Conditions affecting Faith (1938),3-4-

Honduras, 60Honesty, 21Indians, 4-6Inter-American Committee, 4-9

Must launch teaching offensive,49, 56

Inter-community activity, 4-5Iran

Condition of Faith (1938), 3Condition when Baha’u’lléh ap-

peared, 14, 15Reason for appearance of Faith

there, 15Irreligion, 24-‘Ishqabad, 3Islam, should be studied, 4-1Jews, 14-, 4-6Justice, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24Kindliness, 20, 21Latin America

All energies must be concentratedon, 53-4-

Baha’u'llah’s charge to teachers,50-51

Deputy teachers, 55-56Erection of administration, 52, 53Necessity for settlers, 53, 55Prerequisites to teaching in, 41Second phase of Seven Year Plan,

48-9Spirit of Baha’i teachers, 4-9-50,

54, 55Translations essential, 34

Law of God, 23Left, Movement of, 75Loneliness, not to be grieved at, 51Love, 21, 4-8

283

1-lit

284 woatn onnanManifestations

Appear among people in moral de-cline, I4, 15

Purpose of, 20, 22Manners, 21Mashriquil-A(_l_l_1kér, teaching instru-

ment, 37, 40Minority, discrimination favoring,

29-30Moderation, 26,28Modesty, 25Moral rectitude, 18, 19, 22, 24, 34Moses, 14, 16Most Great Justice, 23Most Great Peace, 24Muhammad, 14, 66National Assembly and race preju-

dice, 30Negro race, 28-34, 46Neighbor, 70New creation of men, 67New race of men, 14, 15, 26, 71, 72Nicaragua, 60Nudism, 25Numbers, smallness of, 52Oneness of mankind, 28-34Opium, 25 IOrder, 16, 18Panama, special position of, 59-60Peter, 38Piety, 20Pioneers, 56-57 (see also “Teach-

ing,” “Settlers”). Confirmationof, 57

Politics, non-identification, 22Prejudice, freedom from, 18, 19, 30Progress, 22Prohibitions, 27Punishment and reward, 23Puritanism, 23Purity, 20, 25, 27Qur’én, should be studied, 41Race discrimination, 29, 30, 31, 32Race harmony, principal for develop-

ing, 31-34Racial prejudice, most challenging

issue, 23Racial superiority, 33

Reward and punishment, 23Righteousness, 20Seven Year Plan

“A trial of strength”, 10, 61Knowledge required of teachers,

41Laying firm foundation, 46-7Of utmost importance, 40Principles to guide teacher, 42-4-4-Requires all energies, 53-4Responsibility of all believers, 37,

38, 41-2Second phase, 48-9Study requirements, 37Translation essential, 54

Speech, 19, 21, 42, 50, 55, 69, 70, 71Sincerity, 20, 21Steadfastness, 71Study requirements for teachers, 41Summer school attendance, 45Teaching

“All-pervading concern” of life,44-

Armor of love, 48B,aha’u’llah’s charge to teachers.

50-51Cautious, 55Confirmation by B'aha’u'lléh, 38,

39, 47, 48, 51Deputies, 55, 56, 70Encouragement of ‘Abdu’l-Bah:-5.,

51-2Great opportunities, 39, 40, 44, 55Influence of lowliest believers, 38Principles for individual, 42-44-Responsibility of all, 37, 38, 41-2,

44-, 69-71Settlers, 53, 55Special attention to minority

groups, 45Spirit of Baha'i teachers, 49-50,

54-55Study required of teachers, 41Temple as instrument, 37, 40“Trust in God”, 4-2Use administrative channels, 44-,

56Temperance, 25, 43

ii

ADVENT or DIVINE JUSTICE 235Tihran, 3 Woodrow Wilson, reference to, 74, 75Time, 23, 40, 68-69 Women, Baha’iTranslations ' Achievements of, 57

Latin America teaching, 54- Present teaching opportunities,True believer, station of, 64 57-58Trustworthiness, 19, 20 World, condition of, 39T1‘11111f1111'1B55, 19- 20,- 21- 22 Conditions summarized (1938),Ti"'ii\*', 31, 32 N 74-75Unity * * Detached from, 27

And diversity, 32, 45 Tribulations prophesised, 68-9“Great human garden”, 31, 45 Vanities of, 25, 26Purpose of justice, 23 Youth Bahé’i 13 25 585 7 5‘ ‘I

Unwersal House of Justlce’ 18’ 22' The Advent of Divine Justice, by Shoghi_ 24 Elfendi; Baha’i Publishing Committee,Wlsdom, 20, 70 1940. I

“The continent of America,” ‘Abdu’l-Baha so significantly wrote, “is, inthe eyes of the one true God, the land wherein the splendors of His lightshall be revealed, where the mysteries of His Faith shall be unveiled, wherethe righteous will abide, and the free assemble.”

Already, the community of the believers of the North American con-tinent-—at once the prime mover and pattern of the future communities whichthe Faith of Baha’u’llah is destined to raise up throughout the length andbreadth of the Western Hemisphere—has, despite the prevailing gloom,shown its capacity to be recognized as the torchbearer of that light, therepository of those mysteries. the exponent of that righteousness and thesanctuary of that freedom . . .

The community of the organized promoters of the Faith of Baha'u'llahin the American continent-—-the spiritual descendants of the dawn-breakersof an heroic Age, who by their death proclaimed the birth of that. Faith-—-must,in turn, usher in, not by their death, but through living sacrifice, thatpromised World Order, the shell ordained to enshrine that priceless jewel,the world civilization, of which the Faith itself is the sole begetter. Whileits sister communities are bending beneath the tempestuous winds that beatupon them from every side, this community, preserved by the immutabledecrees of the omnipotent Ordainer and deriving continual sustenance fromthe mandate with which the Tablets of the Divine Plan have invested it, isnow busily engaged in laying the foundations and in fostering the growth ofthose institutions which are to herald the approach of the Age destined towitness the birth and rise of the ‘World Order of Baha'u'lléh.

-—SnocnI EFFENDI

WITH OUR

THE following account of a simpleincident—-simple yet full of sig-

nificance-—--comes to us from Phila-delphia:

It was about 9:30 in the evening,we were busily reading some Spanishwhen the bell rang and the care-taker of the apartment house came infollowed by a gentleman. We hadpreviously acquainted the caretakerwith the Bahé’i Faith and she said:“You have a guest, a Bahé’i fromUruguay." We asked him: “Haveyou your credentials?” (A custom-ery procedure for traveling Baha’is.)Hetproduced them and said, “Allah-u-Abhé” and we were immediatelyunited by an inner bond.

Mr. Antonio Menderos, a mer-chant marine, had but one day inour city, but he was determined tospend his free time with Baha’is.Although he spoke but little English,and our Spanish is not too fluent,yet we had a wonderful visit, learn-ing of his activities, of his beingpresent at the dedication of the mon-ument to beloved May Maxwell inBuenos Aires and of other spiritualevents deep in his heart, and inturn telling him of our Baha’ijoys and activities. . . . This visitbrought home to us very vividlythat the spirit is the reality andthat the realization of this spirit isquickening the world, for Bahé’u’llahhas breathed a new life into the deadbody of the world. We felt that onmeeting this Baha'i brother we weremeeting all the friends from the LatinAmerican countries so closely werewe united to them. There was felt aoneness of spirit that is different

READERS

from anything else and which is dif-ficult to put into words. This is some-thing one feels deep in his inner ex-istence. . . .

At this first meeting, our brotherfrom Uruguay and we had every-thing in common because we dis-cussed the activities of the Baha'ifriends throughout the world. Itwas an evening that seemed to bedevoid of time and place. Withoutpossessing the teachings of Baha-’u'llah we would be strangers; withthis “gift of God to this enlightenedage of the oneness of mankind,” weare eternal friends. . . .

When Mr. Menderos left that even-ing he said: “This evening has beenlike an oasis in the desert.”

Q Q I

We are glad to share with ourreaders the following warm friendlyletter, from far away Tasmania, ad-dressed to the editors and staff ofWorld Order:

Beloved Fellow Bahé'is, Allah-u-Abba!

We, the members of the HobartBahé’i group, feel we would like youto know how eagerly we look for-ward to the arrival of World Ordereach month and how thoroughly weenjoy reading the contents. It is in-deed one of the most vital of thevisible links between the friends theworld over.

Though it is many years since ourbeloved Master, ‘Abdu’l-Bahfi, pen-ned the following words, we realizehow faithfully you have fulfilledyour threefold trust, not only in theso-called times of peace, but also

286

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WITH OUR READERS

(by the bounty of God) through thedificult times of war.

“Similarly, the magazine, TheStar of the West, must be edited inthe utmost regularity, but its con-tents must be the promulgator of theCause of Cod, so that, both in theEast and the West, they may becomeinformed of the most importantevents.”

We wish to thank you, one and all,for your splendid services and cease-less devotion to the Cause and forthe inspiration, information and com-

Ifort which World Order and BahriiNews carry from you in the U.S.A.to the Baha’is in the little heart-shaped island of Tasmania.(Signed) —Hobart Baha’i Group.

The present editors can claim onlya small part of this appreciation andgratitude and we hope that formereditors and contributors when themagazine was called Star of theWest and Beh¢i’i Magazine will readthis. We are very conscious, too, wecould not carry on without our con-tributors.

I’ ‘I I’

Professor Glenn Shook who con-tributes the lead article “A SpiritualRenaissance” is known to constantreaders of World Order for his al-ways logical and scientific approachto and analysis of Baha’i teachings.His subject will appeal to thoughtfulpeople who see spiritual rebirth asthe only remedy for world ills aswell as to all Baha’is. He is professorof physics at Wheaten College, Nor-ton, Massachusetts.

Resurgence of intense nationalismdoes not mean that the idea of worldcitizenship is dead. In her treatise onthis subject, in her article, “WorldCitizens”, Marguerite True pointsto the source of the pattern and ofthe power for creating world citizens

‘Mi

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in the highest sense. Mrs. True is afrequent contributor to World Order.“Christians, Awake!” was publishedin the October number. This yearMrs. True is Secretary of the NationalBaha’i Public Meetings Committee aswell as chairman of the NationalBaha’i Contacts committee. She servesthe Cause and her family in her homecity of Grosse Point, Michigan.

That we are living in a uniqueage all are aware. Some think of it asa new age or an age of transition intoa new and better age; others believethat this time of chaos leads only tomore and final destruction. Baha’isknow that it is the “Day of God,”“The Promised Day,” and no wordsexcept those of Baha’u'llah can fit-tingly convey the meaning of thistitle. From month to month WorldOrder plans to print excerpts fromthe writings of Baha’u’llah under thetitle “The Day of God” that readersmay ponder and understand the truemeaning of this New Age into whichwe are entering, the deep signifi-cance of the chaos through which weare passing, and the bounty andglory of the New Age which is dawn-mg.

Our readers will remember twoprevious articles by Virginia Orbi-son, the first telling of her adventur-ous trip to South America, and thesecond “Pioneer Journey —- Para-guay,” published last June, tellingof further experiences on the wayto and in Paraguay. Now we haveher equally interesting and inspiringaccount of her life in Bolivia. MissOrbison has been having a vacationin the United States but will soon re-turn tc South America to carry onher pioneer work for the Baha'iFaith in that continent.

Corporal Duart Brown sends froma separation center in California his

J-#111?

233 WORLD onnsastirring appeal “From One ServiceMan to Another.” By the same au-thor was “Deep Shadows in theOrient” in our November number.One of his poems “The Light of Life”appeared in a previous number.

Arthur L. Dahl Ir. who contrib-utes “Challenge to Liberal Thought”lives in Palo Alto, California. Hemade his first contribution to WorldOrder in October, I942. Since thenhe has made several contributions tothese pages. In our recent Septembernumber we published his timely arti-cle about the progress of interna-tional Ianguage. He is chairman ofthe Geyserville Baha’i School pro-gram committee and serves the Faithin many other ways.

Angela Morgan, well known poetand lecturer permits us to print herpoem, “Time for Love.” “Song ofthe New World” by the same poetwas printed with her permission inour August, 1941, issue. One of ourfriends recalls a brief interview withMiss Morgan who spoke of her greataffection for Martha Root when theybecame acquainted with each otherin London.

Under the title “ ‘Abdu’l-Baha,the Divine Exemplar” MariamHaney continues her series which weare publishing from time to timetelling about Bahé’i activities in theUnited States from 1903 to 1921. Inthe October. issue Mrs. Haney toldof "Abdu’l-Baha's visit to America.This month her article continues thatvisit but is concerned with how

‘Abdu’l-Bahé. taught and what Hetaught.

The Index to The Advent of DivineIustice which we are printing thismonth has been made by KennethChristian, chairman of the NationalIndex Committee. In submitting itfor publication in World Order Mr.Christian writes that he has suggestedits publication in this magazine “be-cause past study material in themagazine has seemed to be very use-ful to the believers and since an in-dex to the Advent might help stimu-late teaching by calling attention tothe many wonderful things packedinto that letter.” We print this asa number in our Literature Seriesand hope as Mr. Christians suggeststhat our readers will- find it mostvaluable in study and teaching. Mostof our readers are acquainted withMr. Christian through his previouscontributions to the magazine andthrough his public talks. He has re-cently moved to East Lansing, Mich-igan, where he is engaged in teachingand study at Michigan State College.The Index Committee is working ona complete index of Bahé’i booksand Mr. Christian asks for com-ments and suggestions from the be-lievers concerning this sample in-dex. If such letters are sent in careof World Order they will be for-warded to Mr. Christian.

The thoughtful and timely edi-torial, “The Basis of Optimism,” byGarreta Busey and this department,complete the contents of this issue.

-—THE Enrrons

Baha’i World Faith

This book contains a representative selection of the Writings ofBaha’u’lléh and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, and is the largest collection of Bahé’iliterature in English translation now available in one volume.

A detailed Table of Contents and an Index make the Baha’i teach-ings readily accessible for study as well as reading and meditation.

The plan of the book arranges the contents in nine chapters, asfollows :— S

Part One——Writings of Bahé’u’llahChapter One—The Great AnnouncementChapter Two--The Promised OneChapter Three-—The -Life of the SoulChapter Four—Law.s of the New AgeChapter Five-—-The Mystery of God

Part Two—Writings of ‘Abdu’l-BahéChapter Six—The Faith of Bahci’u.’lMhChapter Seven——Soul, Mind and SpiritChapter E'ight—-The Loom of RealityChapter Ninc-——The Divine Plan

1.

Each of these chapters has been treated as a unit of significance,and the sequence of the nine chapters conveys a sense of the unfold-ment of the Bahé’i Dispensation in the Tablets of Bahé’u’llah, HisWill and Testament, the Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, andin His Testament and Plan for the World Order of Bahé’u’lléh.

The passages selected have been taken from fifteen different pub-lications as well as from the National Archives.

Printed on thin light paper and bound in green fabrikoid. 465pages. Per “copy, $1.50.

~\I II

Bsnfi Punusnmc COMMITTEE110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

'—"' "-—"-'-

THE BAHA’I FAITH

Recognizes the unity of God and His Prophets,Upholds the principle of an unfettered search

after truth,Condenms all forms of superstition and preju-

dice,Teaches that the fundamental purpose of rc-

ligion is to promote concord and harmony,that it must go hand in hand with science, andthat it constitutes the sole and ultimate basisof a peaceful, an ordered and progressivesociety. . . .

Inculcates the principle of equal opportunity,rights and privileges for both sexes,

Advocates compulsory education,Abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth.Exalts work performed in the spirit of service

to the rank of worship,Recommends the adoption of an auxiliary inter-

national language, . . .Provides the necessary agencies for the estab-

lishment and safeguarding of a permanentand universal ' peace.

—Snocnr Errsnm.

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JANUARY. ‘I946

"-

TWO ROADS WE FACE —-——- William Kenneth Christian

FRUIT IN ABUNDANCE --— Mary Marlowe

THE MIRROR AND THE Dusr, Poem ~—-—-- William l\/I. Sears

A NEW DISPENSATION, Editorial -—-— Horace Holley

RELIGION AND ScIENcE -— Otto Zmeskal

SONG OF TOMORROW, Poem ~—- Nell Griffitl1 Wilson

BLACK BOY, Book Review —— Arthur Dahl

ABDU’L-BAHA IN AMERICA --- Mariam Haney

THE DAY OF G01) —- BARA’U’LLAH

WITH OUR READERS

THE BAH/=1’ I’ AGAZI15¢:

E

World Order was founded March 21, 1910 gs Bahd’it News, the firstorgan of the American Baha’i's. In March, 1911, its title was changedto Star of the West. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appearedunder the name of The Bahci’i' Magazine. The issue of April, 1935carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bahd’i Maga-zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI of the continuous Baha’ipublication.

WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, 111., by the PublishingCommittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahfi’is of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, William Kenneth Christian,Gertrude K. Henning, Horace Holley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.

, Editorial OfiiceMrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

69 Assorrsroao Roan, WINNETKA, ILL.

Publication Ofiice110 Lmnsn Avenue, Wmmarrs, ILL.

C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A.

JANUARY, 1946, VOLUME XI, NUMBER 10 _

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and posses-sions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 150.Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to WorldOrder Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. Entered as second classmatter April 1, 194-0, at the post ofice at Wilmette, 111., under the Act of March3, 1379. Contents copyrighted 1945 by Baha'i Publishing Committee. Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Ofice.

CI-LANCE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTEDONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

The Bahfi’i MagazineVOLUME XI JANUARY, 194-6 NUMBER 10

Two Roads We Face- WILLIAM KENNETH CHRISTIAN

WE STAND in the day ofopportunity. We say that

peace has come. We mean that atitanic war has ended. That isabout all we can say. Essentiallythe world has again entered aperiod of armistice. The armedmight of the victorious UnitedNations is temporarily the guar-antee of peace. But the causes ofwar, the hatreds, the fears, andthe injustices from which warsspring, have not yet been re-moved; and their elimination isthe task of this century.

We have seen two major stepsthis year toward a political peace-———-the arrangements for the mili-tary control of Germany and ofJapan, and the forging of theUnited Nations Charter at SanFrancisco . Reinforcing thesehave been the beginnings ofworld arrangements in agricul-ture and finance.

The difference between a cre-ative peace and an armistice maybe stated negatively in terms offear, and positively in terms ofsecurity and social purpose. An

armistice may have the outerappearance of peace for a num-ber of decades, but if, duringthat period, common sense re-quires the development andmaintenance of defense forces,then we may know that peacehas not been achieved. Theworld will maintain an armisticeas long as any one group, race,or nation fears a near or distantneighbor.

A creative peace, on the otherhand, would be a world withoutfear. The defeat of Germanyand Japan has not produced sucha world, but it has given men andwomen the world over their lastopportunity to transform anarmistice into a creative peace.For peace in its true sense meansthat all people would share acertain basic security regardlessof color, or religion, or geo-graphic location. The phrase“winning the victory” will takeon meaning in relation to thebasic security gained by all thetwo billions of people on thisplanet. ,

289

290 woRLn ORDERBut if we are to consider how

to achieve a creative peace, weshould look for a moment at theprinciple of endsand means. Wemust realize clearly and com-pletely that the desired end doesnot justify the means. On thecontrary, the means used mustbe in harmony with the desiredend.

_ The American people wantedpeace after World War I. Peacewas the desired end. The generalmeans used has been called iso-lation. It was a policy of: “We’lllet you live, so you let us live.”In such a spirit of selfish benevo-lence, weak-kneed tolerance, andfalse high-mindedness, we shrug-ged ofi any world responsibilityand worshipped our own goldencalf of prosperity. As a nation,we were like a child refusing togrow up. The result: Years oftragedy have given us anotheropporttmity.

And the present opportunity iswondrous and perilous becauseof the awesome harnessing ofatomic power in the atomic bomb.There is now no postponement ofour rendezvous with God andwith destiny. “The time fore-ordained unto the peoples andkindreds of the earth is nowcome,” declared Baha’u’lléh.“Bestir yourselves, O people, inanticipation of the days of Di-vine justice, for the promisedhour is now come. Beware lest

ye fail to apprehend its importand be accounted among theerring." _

If there is any evil nation orany large group of evil men inthe world, you and I will not besafe in the years ahead. Thearmistice this time provides nogeographic barricades for pro-tection and no security in time.The dropping of two atomicbombs has profoundly changedthe history of the world. Ourconcepts of military security,spheres of influence, economicrights, political sovereignty, andinternational law are all radi-cally altered by this catastrophicevent.

Our future, then, is betweena creative peace or the hauntingfear of armistice. At this hourof choice, we face two roads.First, we may try to create peacesolely by the old methods of sci-ence, politics, economics, andsectarian religion. This wouldmean trying to achieve the de-sired end of peace by meanswhich have already miserablyfailed. Or, second, we may takethe road of the World Faith ofBahé’u’lléh.

Let’s look at the means onthis first road.

Science has brought unprece-dented comfort and cleanlinessto the world; it has conqueredmany a disease and helpedgreatly to clarify the mind of

TWO ROADS it » 291man. It has presented us withmultitudinous machines as vehi-cles of power. All these thingshave been great blessings tomillions of people, and sciencewill continue to extend its benefi-cence. But science cannot createmoral value. Science is amoral;it is a method; the knowledge itproduces is a tool; it reflects themorality of those who possess it.

Science cannot remove cancer-ous prejudices from the mind.Anthropology has proven thatthere is no basic difference incapacity between the races ofman. But these carefully assem-bled and well verified facts can-not solve the race question in theSouthern States, cannot removesocial hatred anywhere in theworld. Science cannot cause mento love each other; it cannot cre-ate mutual trust or discipline; itcannot cause men to serve justice-

The atomic bomb is a finalanswer that science cannot createpeace. Science can present menwith awesome power. And thatis all. R

We have heard it said that theright economic conditions will bean absolute guarantee of peace.But we have had such a recentexperience of the economic gos-pel in the United States that weall should remember it vividly,and keep recalling it to mind asa lesson. The economic scrip-tures of the 1920's told us that

to - be decent Americans we mustown two automobiles, have aradio in every room, and neverfry less than two chickens. Wewhittled God down to the size ofa crumpled dollar bill -—-orthought we did. R

An economic panacea is ade-lusion and a mirage. It reducesmen to dollars and cents. Wemight well ask: what shall wehave money and goods for? Ifwe shall have material things fortheir own sake, then we shallbuild an unending spiral ofgreed. Never in history has thegospel of materialism provideda sound morality. Materialismhas always bred disunity anddivision. it

Modern world economicsmakes all peoples R and nationsclosely interdependent, but thisclear fact does not automaticallyshow men how to live creativelytogether as a closely-knit, mu-tually interdependent world.Men make economics. Econom-ics is as good as men ares. Eco-nomics, like science, cannot wavea wand and create a moral pur-pose adequate to the atomic age.

And economics is the whip-ping-boy of politics. Modernworld politics is based upon theprinciple of national sovereignty.This principle was developed foran agricultural society, withoutthe radio, the airplane, or theatomic bomb. “Then the modern

292 WORLD ORDERstates of western Europe tookform, men tilled the soil in thesame way that men had farmedfor thousands of years. The av-erage individual never traveled.Life was localized to an extremedegree.

But the rush of inventions inthe last century and the develop-ment of modern industry andworld economics have destroyedthe agricultural societies underwhich a national sovereignty de-veloped. We cannot turn backthe tide of industrial develop-ment. We have reached the pointwhere the economic boundariesof any large nation interpene-trate the political boundaries ofother nations in all the five con-tinents. This process of eco-nomic interpenetration and inter-dependence we cannot change.Yet there has been no politicaldevelopment based upon this in-escapable fact. The charter ofthe United Nations, like the oldLeague, considers each memberstate as a sovereign and inde-pendent power.

The morality of the nation-state, directly in some cases andindirectly in all cases, deter-mines the educational objectivesin each particular nation. Chil-dren in the early grades espe-cially are usually indoctrinatedwith a localized view of humanlife and human loyalty.

What good will independence

do the people of any one nationwhen we realize that the secretof the atomic bomb is open todiscovery and development byscientists everywhere? Nationalsovereignty, if adhered to in thefuture, can only, like the MaginotLine in the past, serve to divideand entrap millions of people.The independent sovereignty ofa nation is based upon the as-sumption of the superior race.The limited and divisive princi-ple of national sovereignty cannow destroy civilization.

In the world of the atomicbomb men must be united, notdivided. Fear can’t serve as anenduring basis of unity. Menmust be united in trust. Millionsand millions of men must have aclear and firm basis for trustingeach other. Only religion canprovide this basis for trust.

But the sectarian religions ofthe past cannot meet this chal-lenge for the world. In thecourse of these last few years, thevery term Christianity has beenmore and more replaced in thenewspapers by the more accurateterms “the Roman Catholic andProtestant Faiths.” We read ofconferences of Catholics, Protes-tants, and Jews, the tolerantmeeting together of three faiths.These conferences represent ihetolerance of armistice, a kind ofbalance of power between theo-logical systems. They do not

Two ROADS 293represent the uniting of the chil-dren of one God in one commonspiritual allegiance. Sectarianreligion in the western world isdivided by the same antagonisticphilosophy which is representedin world politics by the principleof national sovereignty. Andthis same condition of conflict isfound in the sectarianism of theolder faiths of the Eastern world.The traditional sectarian faithsindoctrinate their followers witha limited, local view of truthsimilar to the primitive worshipof the tribal gods.

The traditional religions arein competition, each seeking thetriumph of its own theology andits own particular rituals. Thesectarian religions function onthe principle of the superiormoral race. While religion inthe past has provided dynamicmoral values for the basis ofsociety, we cannot turn to theolder faiths since they sufierfrom the localisms and the divi-sions typical of the individualis-tic agricultural societies in whichthey were born.

We now face a new condition.We need, most desperately, tohave a faith that will unite menliterally anywhere in the world.We have seen in our time anattempt to deify every form ofmaterialism. We have seen mencrucified in order to preserve inwholeness and sanctity varied

types of economic systems. Wehave seen human beings reducedto terms of dollars and cents.We have seen science exalted asthe automatic saviour of human-ity; and science, unable to createmoral value, has given us theatomic bomb. We have fallenpitiful victims to the machines ofour own creation. We have re-peatedly placed our highest trustin political arrangements, and,forgetting that political arrange-ments are no better than the menwho carry them out, we havebeen repeatedly betrayed. Wehave ignored the great politicalfact of our time ——that nationalsovereignty can no longer servethe best interest of all the people.In the great moral crisis of theseyears, the old sectarian faithshave given the world’s peoplesthe polished stones of moral sep-aration when they cried out forthe living bread of unity andmutual faith.

If we wish an enduring, cre-ative peace, we cannot place ourreliance upon the first road ofeconomics, science, politics, andsectarian religion. Economicsand science are amoral, and weneed moral purpose. Politicsand sectarian religion are dedi-cated to the proposition that menare by nature divided into com-petitive political and religiousstates. These methods will failus because they depend upon and

294 WORLD ORDERemphasize: materialism, thepower and the mere mechanismof the machine, the continuedpolitical separation of people,and the moral division of peoplesin denial of the fact that there isbut one God.

A prominent university presi-dent, discussing the future, nowthat atomic power is withinreach, has suggested that fear ofthe consequences will force us tokeep the peace. But when didfear ever prevent two nationsfrom fighting a war? When didfear ever keep two races atpeace? When did fear ever cre-ate cooperation that endured?

The atomic bomb demands ananswer based upon the nature ofman. Not a negative answer offear, but a positive answer ofunity and justice. A moral anddivisive means are not in har-mony with the desired end of anenduring peace for all people.The answer lies on the alternateroad, the road of the World Faithof Baha’u’llah. The price ofworld peace is world faith.

The teachings of Baha’u’llahgive purpose to the fruits of sci-ence. Baha’u’llah has likenedscience and religion to the twowings of humanity. Both areneeded if man is to rise in thisage in fulfillment of the potentialgreatness of civilization which ishis deserved destiny. Baha’u’llahhas declared that unity is the

monarch of all ambitions. Thisis the time of the coming of ageof the entire human race.

Religion, in the Baha’i view,would sink into the morass ofsuperstition and prejudice with-out the aid of science and reason.Science, without the moral pur-pose and social direction ofreligion, becomes entangled inmaterialism and begets irrespon-sible and undirected power. Bythe restatement of the purpose ofhuman life in our time, Baha-’u’llah gives moral purpose toscience. Individuals are born toknow and love God, to live cre-atively together in unity through-out the whole earth.

In no uncertain terms, Baha-’u’llah has condemned the bar-riers of racial, nationalistic, so-cial, and religious prejudiceswhich keep men apart. He advo-cates the adoption of a worldauxiliary language to facilitatecommerce and human under-standing. He urges adoption ofa basic world curriculum of edu-cation. He upholds high stand-ards of cleanliness and health.He emphasizes the necessity fora minimum economic level forall people. When we survey theworld’s misery and ignorance,here is a challenge of infinite hu-man worth for the energy andcreative skill of science. Theprinciples of Baha’u’llah outlinethe basic foundation for a world

rwo ROADS ' 295civilization. But science cannotachieve these things until it isdedicated to the uniting of theworld’s peoples. The Faith ofBaha’u’llah gives moral purposeto all scientific ability.

“The earth is but one country;and mankind its citizens.” Andagain Baha’u’llah has said: “Letnot a man glory in this, that heloves his country, let him ratherglory in this, that he loves hiskind.” Here is the spiritual an-swer of Baha’u’llah to the eco-nomic and political antagonismsof the modern world.

God, through Whose unspeak-able majesty and power all of theseen and unseen universe wascreated, calls you and me, today,to the realization of the onenessof humankind. The pattern ofthe world society which Baha-’u’llah advocates in His teach-ings may be described brieflythus:

“Some form of a world Super-State must needs be evolved, inwhose favor all the nations of theworld will have willingly cededevery claim to make war, certainrights to impose taxation and allrights to maintain armaments,except for purposes of maintain-ing internal order within theirrespective dominions. Such astate will have to include withinits orbit an International Execu-tive adequate to enforce supremeand unchallengeable authority

on every recalcitrant member ofthe commonwealth; a World Par-liament whose members shall beelected by the people in their re-spective countries and whoseelection shall be confirmed bytheir respective governments;and a Supreme Tribunal whosejudgment will have a bindingeffect even in such cases wherethe parties concerned did notvoluntarily agree to submit theircase to its consideration. A worldcommunity in which all economicbarriers will have been perma-nently demolished and the inter-dependence of Capital and Labordefinitely recognized; in whichthe clamor of religious fanati-cism and strife will have beenforever stilled; in which theflame of racial animosity willhave been finally extinguished;in which a single code of inter-national law —-—the product ofthe considered judgment of theworld’s federated representatives—— shall have as its sanction theinstant and coercive interventionof the combined forces of thefederated units; and finally aworld community in which thefury of a capricious and militantnationalism will have been trans-muted into an abiding conscious-ness of world citizenship --— suchindeed, appears, in its broadestoutline, the Order anticipated byBaha’u’llah, an Order that shallcome to be regarded as the fair-

296 woRLn ORDERest fruit of a slowly maturingaged’ v

Here is not limited national-ism, hut a secure and creativeinternationalism. Here the goodof men and women -—- all menand women regardless of theircolor or place --—- is made themeasuring rod of rightness andjustice, of high social purpose.God calls us to dedicate our-selves, our time, our money, ourtalents of any kind, to the crea-tion of a world order, durable,decent, and founded upon divineprinciple and law.

Where men and women arenow organized against eachother, Baha’u’llah commandsunity. Where men and womennow use the individualism of thelocalized agricultural era to jus-tify many an unkindness, manyan unsocial act, many an in-justice, Baha’u’llah commands anew standard of maturity.

In the Baha’i view, any indi-vidual who evades social respon-sibility is immature and childish.Any individual who withdraws ina huff from others, nursing hispitiful ego, is like a child who,stubbing his toe, in rage blamesnot himself but some inanimateobject. Any man or woman whotries to organize people againstothers is the enemy of mankind,is a potential tyrant, is settinghimself up as a god dividingmankind, is functioning by the

vicious principle of the superiorrace. 1 I

As Baha’u’llah condemns themurderer and the thief as de-spoilers of human happiness, soalso He condemns the injusticeof men who enforce the divisionand separation of peoples in or-der to maintain personal power.Therefore, any leader or party,wishing to continue the separa-tion of people, merely continuesthe day of armistice and delaysthe merging of people in a uni-versal and creative peace.

The oneness of mankind is thesole political motive greatenough, clear enough to createa world society under the condi-tions of modern industry andworld economics. “The princi-ple of the Oneness of Mankind(is) the point around which allthe teachings of Baha’u’llah re-volve. . . . It represents the con-summation of human evolution--—-an evolution that has had itsearliest beginnings in the birthof family life, its subsequent de-velopment in the achievement oftribal solidarity, leading in turnto the constitution of the city-state, and expanding later intothe institution of independentand sovereign states.” It callsfor the canalizing of human en-ergy in the creation of a worldfederal state. For such anachievement of human solidar-ity, there can be no lesser politi-

Two Roms 297cal morality than is expressed byBaha’u’llah —- “The earth is butone country and mankind itscitizens.”

How will men move into thisnew world? Whats will stir theirhearts and fire their minds?What vision will be clear andstrong enough to sustain in dis-couragement and setback? Onlythe force of religion. But not thesectarianism which constitutesthe pitiful inheritance from thepast. The leaders of religion donot measure up to the newstandard of world morality.What greater spiritual tyrannycould there be than to divide menand women into sectarian groups,fostering the delusion that theypossess the prize of personal sal-vation? The dark glasses oftheological difference blind mento the worth of their fellows andcannot provide the required in-sight into the spiritual needs ofour time.

But Baha’u’llah brings us theclean breath of unity. He re-stores the simple fundamentalsof religion and gives them prac-tical, universal purpose. Hepoints out that one God, unknownand unknowable, has created allhuman life and the infinite won-ders of the universe. This God,the God of all men regardless ofthe name by which He has beenknown, has showered His boun-ties upon all people. t In giving

men freedom of choice, He gavethem responsibility and the pow-er of creative response to divinewill.

Cod is the creative force be-hind the development of life on-this planet. He has never ignoredor excluded the children of Hiscreation. Repeatedly He has fo-cused His knowledge and powerupon one Chosen Man and en-abled that Person to enunciateHis Will in terms of human un-derstanding. Each age has seenthe expression of God’s choice.Thus in every period of historya High Prophet has stated andrestated the one religion of God.At one time it was Abraham, atanother Moses, at another Zoro-aster, and Buddha, and Jesus,and Muhammad. Others in dis-tant times and places have beenlost to the memory of man. Butall these manifestations of God'slove and knowledge -have servedone great, continuous purpose —-the spiritual education of theworld’s peoples. Beneath thethick crusts of tradition andselfish theologies, we see theclear and progressive divine pur-pose. N O

All the traditional faiths ofthe world, now reduced by sec-tarianism to disunity and harm-ful competition, are expressionsof the one unfolding divine Faith.And in our time Baha’u’llah isthe chosen Manifestation Yof

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293 woRLo ORDERCod’s-will. He it is Who has re-stated religion in terms of mod-ern life. Of the Baha’i Faith,He has written: “This is theeternal Faith of God, eternal inthe past, eternal in the future.”The people in various parts ofthe world who become Baha’is,do not deny the basic truths oftheir particular inheritance. In-stead, they enlarge upon thetruths they already know. Theyenter a larger arena of salvation.They step from division intounity. They leave the localismsof childhood and enter the uni-versal arena of maturity. TheBaha’i, catching the vision ofGod’s will in our time, strugglesagainst the limitations of currentpublic opinion that he mayachieve for himself and for allmen the blessings of a worldcivilization.

Baha’u’llah has declared:“The best beloved of all thingsin My sight is justice.” All theforces of life must be harnessedto this majestic ethical purposefor the world. The road of theWorld Faith of Baha’u’llah pro-vides the means for attaining thisuniversal goal. The teachings ofBaha’u’llah give a just and uni-versal moral purpose to scienceand economics. The teachings ofBaha’u’llah outline the institu-tions of a world federal govern-ment and present the principlesfor the equitable administration

of the world’s peoples. Here arethe means adequate to the de-sired end of an enduring andcreative peace.

Trust is the answer to theatomic bomb. A common worldcitizenship will remove the neces-sity for war preparation. Butonly through the uniting of menin one common faith can such anadequate trust be achieved, formen are trustworthy accordingto the moral purposes to whichthey are dedicated.

The price of world peace isworld faith. The Baha’i Faith isdedicated to the uniting of menand women everywhere in onecommon faith and one worldorder. This is the instrumentraised by God in this day for thesaving of humanity. It is for theachievement of world civiliza-tion that all the Prophets of Godtaught and lived. It is for thisconsummation that Jesus livedand died. While men may di-vide, God unites. This challengeof God is to you and to me... Thisopportunity from God is for youand for me. In proportion as wehave moral courage, in propor-tion as we dedicate ourselves toGod’s will for our age, will thestrengthening confirmations ofGod sustain us as we move for-ward to the deliverance of menfrom the evils of division and to-ward the founding of the prom-ised Kingdom.

J

Fruit in AbundanceMARY MARLOWE

WHEN we travel fromcity tocity the vision of future civ-

ilization is brought close to ourattention. The countryside ofvineyard and farm, orchard andhayfield, deep evergreen woodand birch grove, stretches be-tween the cities like arms thatgo forth to embrace and unite;while the city, the body of manysouls, sends forth the fruit ofminds in abundance, and highwalls of clustered dwellings en-case the ceaseless ener ofgyman’s toiling mind.

The vision is one of constantinterchange of life. Corn belts,cotton fields and fruit orchardspour their wealth into the streetsof great cities. The machinery ofthe body is quickened by goldenoranges, grains and leafy greens;and man’s mind by this quicken-ing health reaches out into theunknown to bring forth a gemof science with which to easethe burden of all men.

God has ordained that brickand fruit and brain shall all playtheir part in the maturing of thehuman family. God has ordainedthat soul and body shall serveeach other, until the flow of in-terchange is so regulated thatthe whole world vibrates, as to

the harmonious music of a welltuned instrument.

But how? In these houses ofdarkness, so far from the melo-dious harmony that has been or-dained, a voice from behind thedusty walls of the city cries out,“Where is the plan of God?Where can it be found? Who willtell us of His mighty plan?” Andthe man with his face bent tothe earth, his plow in the soil andhis tears upon the earth moansout, “Where is the mighty planof interchange that will bringthe goods of the earth to thepeople of the earth, to fulfill theirdesperate need?”

The man who leaves city andcountry to be carried over water,into battle, not knowing whetherhe goes to destroy or be de-stroyed, he asks his question; andthe mother who has no morefood turns her face to the wallwith her question still sealed inher heart.

“The equilibrium of the worldhath been upset”-—--but, peopleof questions, the answer has beengiven: not from the wind, notfrom the sides of mountains, notfrom the roar of wind in theforest, not from the swell of theocean, nor from the stone that

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300 woRLn ORDERlies at the top of the mountains,in caves, or at the bottom of thesea-—-not from any questionless,soulless object of earth butfrom the voice, from the lips,from the intelligence, from thespirit, of One created by Godto deliver His great Message tothe understanding, yearningheart of man! For man can onlyunderstand the voice of man, andGod has spoken through a humanvoice. He has chosen one mightyVoice for all humanity to hear,one supreme Voice that fromage to age has uttered the com-mand of God for the governingof human action, for the coordi-nation of human enterprise. It isthe voice of the Prophet of God.Many times has the Prophet ofGod spoken———and now the wholeworld is stunned by the greatestutterance God has ever givento His chosen Messenger. Baha-’u’llah, the Manifestation of God’swill for this day, stands, as on

the peak of the loftiest moun-tain and speaks to the groaningworld those words which aredestined to transform the heartsof men, bringing all people ofall nations under one banner—capturing heart after heart withHis utterance until every livingbeing is linked to the commandof God and every creature movesthrough this connection with Hisutterance; until every joy is thejoy of nearness to Him, and everysorrow the failure to obey Hislaw. Baha’u’llah is the Name ofthe Messenger of God for thisage. When the people of sorrowhave taken His word into theirhearts then shall the spiritualplan unfold and the fruit of themind, and the fruit of the soilyield unending benefits for thepeople of every nation. Then thenations, like brothers and sisters,shall ioin hands to give praise to

1the Glory of God.

i

THE MIRROR AND THE DUST

WILLIAM M. SEARSGod’s boundless love falls equallyUpon the mirror and the dust.But men reflect it difierently:As star, as earth, as steel, as rust.The tarnished heart can mirror none,

A While polished hearts reflect the sun.

gifiioriaf AI A New -Dispensation

THERE is an interval betweentwo successive civilizations

when chaos and anarchy seem toreign supreme. Individuals he-come lawless, institutions seeksurvival without “regard to theneeds and rights of their societyas a whole. Predatory interestsarise, pressures are exerted byeconomic, racial and politicalgroups; the denominations sub-stitute social programs to becarried out by the state for thespiritual ideals originally en-trusted to faith by the Manifesta-tion of God.

The social order becomes over-burdened by the weight of regu-lations; the family unit loses itsintegrity and power of union;education divides into numerousunrelated branches of knowl-edge; industry produces goodsbut does not establish security asthe balance between costs, prices,wages and living is overthrown.

At such times men seek to re-pair the political ills with thefabric of ethics; they attempt tomend the economic machine withphilosophy; they endeavor tosalvage the creeds by a closeridentification of church and state.Each type of social engine and

_ I + -.

machine comes to the breakingpoint; and the material used forrepair is itself outworn.

More and more desperatelythe people of vision and discern-ment realize that the condition ofdisorder is general throughoutsociety and throughout men’s in-ner world of desire, knowledgeand will. They perceive that theaccelerated movement is notprogress; it is not even a resoluteattack upon the true source ofthe disorder; it is like a mob flee-ing in time of earthquake from abuming building to a buildingshaken until it falls. ‘

r When political institutions be-come prey to conflicting inter-ests; when unity cannot be pre-served by justice and the consti-tutional order is made subject toschemes and experiments; whenhuman beings refuse to admitthat disorder is first of all a dis-ease of the soul but would heal itby violence and social revolution---- at such a time the foundationsof an entirely new order are be-ing laid.

These foundations are thoseattitudes and convictions and loy-alties which the Manifestation ofthe new day evokes in the souls

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302 woRLn ORDERof all who recognize and obeyHim. The humble one who praysto God in the spirit of a quick-ened hope, the martyr whoseblood stains the block ——— theseand their fellows, no matter howfrustrated and suppressed in theworld of human thought and ac-tion, are the first, the essentialand all-important evidence thatone age has passed and a newage dawned.

The basis of human life andsociety is divine law. Divine lawgives to all emotions their in-tegrity, to all ideas their validauthority, to individual plansand actions their sanction, to thecommunity its power to unite andestablish the agencies of civiliza-tion.

The ultimate cause of confu-sion is not that too many personsconsciously deny the significanceof divine law but that they denythe progressive character of rev-elation. They refuse to under-stand that the ancient dispensa-tion can be annulled, and there-fore the very foundation ofmoral and social life is removedand a new foundation laid. Theanarchy which marks certain

stages of history proceeds fromthe destruction of every form ofimitation and substitution menhave adopted in order to evadethe real purpose of divine law.The annulment of the dispensa-tion brings down their artificialsociety, and only sincere accept-ance of the new revelation canterminate the chaos in which theyhave become immersed.

Widespread anarchy provesthat men camtot create civiliza-tion by artificial devices in orderto transform life itself into self-worship and glorified exploita-tion. There is a fixed time for theend of concealment and falsityand the beginning of sacrificeand truth. At the heart of theworld today lies the mystery ofthe coming of Baha’u’llah, apulsation of new life on whichall affairs depend. “Tear asun-der, in My Name, the veils thathave grievously blinded your vi-sion, and, through the power ofyour belief in the unity of God,scatter the idols of vain imita-tion. Enter then, the holy para-dise of the good-pleasure of theMerciful.”

- Religion and ScienceOTTO ZMESKAL

THE world is rapidly comingto the realization that science

can be applied to the destruc-tion of civilization as well as toits development. Little imagina-tion is needed, with the scarredhorror of Europe brought to oureyes in the magazines and mo-tion pictures, to visualize thedevastating power of the weaponsof destruction that the scientistscould devise in the future.

The peoples of the nations ofthe earth, “as yet unconscious ofHis Revelation (The Baha’iFaith) and yet unwittingly en-forcing the general principleswhich He has enunciated,” aredemanding that man be pre-vented from misusing science.The material progress of theworld produced by the triumphsof science is evident to all men,but it is also becoming increas-ingly clear that science is notcapable of being the source ofguidance to the correct use of itsdiscoveries and inventions. Re-ligion is the only power greatenough to direct science, but re-ligion cannot assume that re-sponsibility and progress in vio-lation of the dictates of reasonany more than science can pro-

gress without the guidance of thelove of God.

The rigid oppression and tyr-anny of the church and its tabooon self-expression and personalinvestigation caused the separa-tion of science and religion thathas lasted to this day. The un-reasonable authority of thechurch precipitated the battlebetween mind and heart that isonly now slowly being termi-nated. Science could not possi-bly have contributed so much tothe world’s welfare if it had beenshackled by ecclesiastical juris-diction. The insistence on theliteral truth of the first chapterof Genesis would have prohibitedthe growth of geological science.Adherence to the views of Platoand of Aristotle and to the scho-lasticism of Thomas Aquinaswould have prevented the devel-opment of the experimental sci-ences. As Sir William Dampier,of Cambridge University, haswritten, “It is unfortunate thattheology opposes each changewhen first it comes.”

True religion (that is, the di-rect teachings of the prophets ofGod), was always in accord withreason and science, but it was the

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304 WORLD oRnER“débris of imaginations and thesuperstitions of men . . .. the de-bris of strife and misunderstand-ing” that produced the discord.Science, on the other hand, hashelped to bring the basic princi-ples of the fundamental teach-ings of the _Manifestations ofGod to an increasingly wide-spread acceptance. “Religion willnotregain its old power,” writesA.; (N. iWhitehead, of CambridgeUniversity, “until it can facechange in the same spirit as doesscience. Its principles may beeternal but the expression ofthose principles requires contin-ual development.” i

‘Abdu’l-Baha, greatest Apostleand Exemplar of the Faith givento the world by his Father, Baha-’u’llah, in a discourse deliveredat Stanford University in 1912stated that, “The scientist throughhis beneficent achievements in-vades the regions of ignorance,conquering the realm of I mindsand hearts.”

' Through science and its appli-cations man has advanced fromthe state of being dependent onnature to the state of being ableto control nature. The floodsneed no longer wipe out hisfarms. He can dam the rivers toregulate the flow of water forwhen it is needed and to supplyelectric power for better living.

The harnessing of energy andmatter in the most eflicient ways

to useful ends, the improvementof the physical welfare of man,the great developments in thesciences allied with communica-tion and transportation whichhave drawn the world togetherinto one great community, theknowledge of the means to pro-mote and maintain good health,the removal of the veils causedby blindness and deafness, thesharpening of the human brainby widespread training and edu-cation, the elevation of the eco-nomic condition through the de-vising of more eflicient machin-ery to allow greater productionof goods and of their distribu-tion at lower cost, have advancedman to the stage where he hasbecome ready for the great uni-versal Manifestation of God.

The very proof by science ofthe continuity of energy and ofthe evolutionary processes hasmade man ripe to accept the con-tinuity and the evolution of re-ligious revelation. This thoughtis expressed by Sir WilliamDampier: “The real lesson whichevolutionary biology teaches togeneral thought is that continu-ous change must be expected inall things.”

The search for truth of thescientist has enabled him tocarry the same attitude of thequest for right into religion, andhe is fortified to sweep aside theveils of vain imaginings and tear

RELIGION AND scrsncr: 305from his mind the bindings ofdogma, creed, and doctrine. Hisknowledge is not accepted fromaxioms and upon authority, butit is derived from observationand experiment.

Kirtley F. Mather, of HarvardUniversity, maintains, “The geol-ogist in his study of forces opera-tive in recent epochs concludesthat they have been favorable toman’s progress. Science preparesman to accept the promise ofGod of a great future in store forhim.”

Emest Nagel, of ColumbiaUniversity, writes, “There is nowan experimental attitude towardsproblems of conduct . . .. a wide-spread conviction that policiesboth public and private must beevaluated not in terms of con-formity with the pronouncementsof uncriticizable authority, but interms of rational methods ofweighing evidence employed inscience.”

“The scientist is eager thathis science shall work for hu-man welfare,” insists Arthur H.Compton, of the University ofChicago. “He sees vast new pos-sibilities for the betterment oflife and he is impatient to seethese possibilities become reali-ties.”

Sir William Bragg, of OxfordUniversity, has written that, “Sci-ence was not merely a collectionof inventions to be applied by

the rich for the comfort of thepoor. It was a glorious purposeto be shared by all mankind.”

In the history of science therehas been the growth from deter-minism to uncertainty. The earlyscientists, exemplified by ReneDescartes, “attempted to reducethe whole secret of creation toa few mathematical formulas.”“Newton contemplated the possi-bility of explaining all naturalphenomena in mathematicalterms of matter and motion,”writes Sir William Dampier. Fora time, scientists thought that itwas merely a matter of time untilall of the facts of the universewere collected and cataloged,and from them the basic lawsunderlying all phenomena wereestablished. All that seemed tobe left to do was but to measuremore accurately the physicalconstants. The spirit of manseemed to be bound in “the fet-ters of Law”.

In the latter part of the nine-teenth century a new era in sci-ence began. Radio-activity andX-rays lead to the quantumtheory, which in turn led to rela-tivity, and relativity yielded anew view of the universe. Theold classical mechanics had manas a machine—he could not havefree will; “His acts were deter-mined, and could be predictedby applying the laws of physicsto the atoms in his brain.” The

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306 wonrn onnsnnew quantum mechanics made itimpossible to predict the precisebehavior of a system. It has be-come increasingly apparent that“Science can only disclose cer-tain aspects of reality.”

R. C. Tolman, of the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology, writes,“The Heisenberg principle of un-certainty has sometimes beenpraised as bringing moral re-sponsibility back into the world.”

As more and more has becomeknown it has become more andmore apparent that we know verylittle about the great complexmystery that is nature. The morescience ponders, discovers, andobserves, the more completely itrealizes the great remoteness ofthe answer to the question,“Why?” The scientist was al-ways the first to acknowledge theimmeasurably exalted characterof the great Law-Maker, but hisintellectual arrogance in his abil-ity to precisely describe theselaws has given way to an intel-lectual humbleness in the knowl-edge of his inability to ever pre-cisely describe them. As KirtleyF. Mather writes, “Who morethan the scientist is filled withawe and wonder as he observesthe incomprehensive workings ofnature? The deeper we penetrateinto the why and wherefore ofany reaction, the more wonder-ful and mysterious do we dis-cover the reaction to be.”'

But, as Ernest Nagel writes,“Science as a body of knowledgehas no control of the use to whichit is put.” Karl T. Compton,president of the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, writes,“It is a grim and discouragingcontrast to see the scientists ofthe world engaged today in de-veloping new instrumentalitiesfor protection against the de-struction which would be wroughtupon us by the engines of war ofour enemies. The fact that thisis so is a grim reminder that ourskill in statesmanship and ourart and ethics of Christian livinghave not kept pace with ourideals.”

We have seen that the freedomof scientists to carry on their un-trammeled search for knowledgehas been destroyed by militantnationalism. “Progress in sci-ence,” wrote Karl K. Darrow,director of the Bell TelephoneResearch Laboratories, “De-pends on the spirit of the bril-liant man; and in this case aboveall the spirit bloweth where itlisteth, heedless of national boun-daries and heedless of racialgroups.” But we have seen menlike Einstein banished becauseof racial prejudice. Applied sci-ence has been used to furthersecret military preparation andthen open warfare.

It is plain that science itselfhas no will as to how or in what

RELIGION AND scrsncs 307direction it shall be used. Sci-ence revealed the law and orderwithin nature, but man has takenadvantage of this knowledge todevise ways to subjugate hisfellow man. Emotion and theheart have left experimentationin some national laboratories.Michael Faraday held nobleideals for science which “canlight our lives for us as the sun-shine lights the earth.” How-ever, today we see inventions mis-used and diverted from theiroriginal purpose of lighting theearth. Arthur Nobel meant thathis dynamite be used to helpfarmers clean away stumps fromthe land, but its explosions now“light the earth,” and in theirbrilliant flashes reveal the car-nage of man pitted against man.

Each new discovery has beenexploited for its destructivepower to permit man to dominateman, until we see all of the tre-mendous faculties of science con-centrated on the problem of find-ing more efficient methods ofkilling and destroying.

Religion must determine theobjective to which science willhelp civilization attain. It mustset the goal and science will helpto reach it. Arthur H. Comptonquestions, “When peace comeswhat will be the objective thatwill unite our efiorts? Will webe inspired by the new possibili-ties presented by science for

making the world suitable for thehighest needs of man? Here is achallenge of a millennium thatscience presents to religion. Foris it not the great task of religionto show us the goals for which weshould strive?” Dr. Isaiah Bow-man, past president of the Amer-ican Association for the Advance-ment of Science, has written,“The scientist must make use ofthe qualities of mind that sciencefosters in dealing rationally withthe terrible waste in vital re-sources that war imposes uponthe human species.”

Whether the aeroplane is tohelp to carry mail, passengers,and freight, to fight fires, to de-stroy insect pests in large foresttracts, or to destroy cities, is thetask assigned to religion. Wheth-er jet power will be used to liftaeroplanes heavily laden withsupplies, medicines, and ma-chinery into the skys to come tothe help of an expedition open-ing up a remote corner of theearth, or to propel robot enginesof chaos, is part of this task.Whether steel will be used as aplowshare to break the ground toprovide food to adequatelystrengthen and nourish theworld’s population, or whetherit will be used as a shell casingto help in the propulsion of adeath-dealing rocket, is up to re-ligion. Whether the knowledgeof how to harness and use atomic

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303 v woatn onnsn energy will be applied by manto improve his life or to sendhimself into oblivion will besolely determined by religion.

The Guardian of the Bahé’iFaith, Shoghi Effendi, answersfor true religion. “ln the futureWorld Commonwealth . . . theenormous energy dissipated andwasted on war, whether economicor political, will be consecratedto such ends as will extend therange of human inventions andtechnical development, to the in-crease of the productivity ofmankind, to the extermination ofdisease, to the extension of scien-tific research, to the raising ofthe standard of physical health,

to the sharpening and refinementof the human brain, to the exploi-tation of the unused and un-suspected resources of the planet,to the prolongation of humanlife, and to the furtherance ofany other agency that can stimu-late the intellectual, the moral,and spiritual life of the entirehuman race.”

“Who can doubt,” furtherwrites the Guardian, “that sucha consummation -——— the comingof age of the human race — mustsignalize, in its turn, the inaug-uration of a world civilizationsuch as no mortal eye hath everbeheld or human mind con-ceived?”

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SONG OF TOMORROWNELL GRIFFITH WILSON

Peace enters like a whisper in the heart,Then swells across the waiting world in song;

Peace, mindful of war's sufierings, must be firm;Remembering injustice, must be strong;

So that a New World, wiser for its sorrow,Shall build the promised, happier Tomorrow.

BLACK BOYBook Review

ARTHUR DAHL

Black Boy is the story of RichardWright’s childhood in the deepSouth. It is also a bitter, vivid, pain-fully moving analysis of the essenceof the race problem in its most hu-man form.

Richard Wright has already push-ed to the forefront of the youngerAmerican novelists. He has a clean,incisive style which lends vigor andpunch to his narrative. But morethan that, when writing on the ex-periences of the Negro in a hostileland he transfers to the reader hisintense sense of injustice and shameand his urgent determination thatsomething must and will be done tocorrect this situation at its deepestlevel, that an understanding must beachieved so that all Americans canlive side by side as human beings.

He is the ideal writer to bring tothe white race some comprehensionof the Negrois point of view, for hehas personally undergone the worstsort of degradation at the hands ofthe whites, and as an artist, withhighly sensitive perceptions, he isable to convey with vivid clarity hisfeelings and reactions during thecourse of his gradual awakening tothe full implication of the society inwhich he had to live. The psycho-logical make-up of the Negro is farfrom simple, in spite of the two-dimensional colored characters en-countered most frequently in con-temporary movies and novels, andWright has explored all the nuancesof character involved in the emo- '

Black Boy, by Richard Wright. Harper& Bros., 1945.

tional conflict he underwent duringhis bitter, often violent clashes withhis social environment.

Wright’s childhood was not typicalsimply because Wright was not atypical child. He did not react theway he was expected to react. Hedid not see why the Negro in twen-tieth century America should belooked upon as chattel property, assome higher form of animal, ratherthan as a human being. He could notbring himself to read the valedic-torian speech written for him by theschool principal to be sure he ex-pressed the “right” sentiments, eventhough it meant killing his chancesfor teaching in the city schools. Hecould not lo-ok on unmoved while hisemployer slashed a Negro woman forfailing to pay her bill, right underthe eye of an unconcerned whitepoliceman. He felt insulted whenurged by his white co-workers tofight a “grudge” fight against an-other colored boy for pay, just likefighting cocks. He could not bear theultimate degradation of being al-lowed, when running errands, freeaccess to the rooms of the white pros-titutes at the hotel in which he work-ed, as if he were not a man withnormal instincts, and subject to thehuman social code.

Wright seems cold to organized re-ligion because his two experienceswith it in childhood were both un-happy. He finally joined the Metho-dist church simply because, at a wild-ly emotional revival meeting, whichis beautifully described, he wasmaneuvered into a position where not

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310 WORLD onnnnto join would have brought a pro-found public humiliation upon hismother. But his spirit was not touch-ed, and he deeply resented the pres-sure methods used to force opinionswhich the individual should be freeto determine for himself.

In his earlier years, RichardWright’s rebellion against the Ne-grois way of life was instinctive andforceful, but he did not know why hefelt that way, nor had he begun tounderstand the broader implicationsof the problem. It was not until hereached Memphis and through forgednotes on a loaned library card wasable to borrow books from the li-brary, that he began to know some-thing of the world around him. Heimmersed himself in the critical,realistic works of Mencken, Dreiser,Lewis, Anderson, who nourished hisrebellious spirit and fortified his de-termination to go North and betterhimself to an extent impossible in theSouth at that time.

Black Boy contains a variety ofriches. As sheer melodramatic narra-tive, told with extraordinary skilland vividness, it is fascinating. Itoffers a panorama o-f sharply drawn,highly varied, and consistently inter-esting characterizations, dominatedby the commanding character ofWright himself. But best of all, itdevelops a marvelously clear, subtle,

analysis of the Negro’s feelings abouthis life in America, his case againstthe whites, his ultimate aims and ob-jectives. As such it should help great-ly in bringing the two races together,and its wide circulation at this timeis a blessing.

But Baha’is will find one furthertreasure in Black Boy. They willgain a heightened conviction that theBaha’i teachings and the society en-visioned by the Bahali Administra-tive Order offer the only completeand permanent solution to the prob-lems created by racial prejudice.Richard Wright’s deep-seated yearn-ings were for a society in which allmen looked on each other as men, re-gardless of their color, and judgedeach other by individual merits, ca-pabilities, and virtues, where all menhad an equal opportunity to takepart in the creative process, to enjoythe fruits of their labors, and to earnthe love and respect of other men.Wright shows that the feelingsagainst such a society are deep-rooted and violent. An intellectualapproach, no matter how reasonablenor how embued with good will, cando little more than achieve an armedtruce. A reconstructed, reinspiredsociety, stemming from the powerand wisdom of the renewed Word ofGod, is needed to reach the heart ofthis problem.

'

The unity which is productive of unlimited results is first a unity ofmankind which recognizes that all are sheltered beneath the overshadowingglory of the All-Glorious; that all are servants of one God; for all breathethe same atmosphere, live upon the same earth, move beneath the sameheavens, receive effulgence from the same sun and are under the protection ofone God. This is the most great unity, and its results are lasting if humanityadheres to it; but mankind h.as hitherto violated it, adhering to sectarian orother limited unities such as racial, patriotic or unity of self-interests; there-fore no great results have been forthcoming. —--‘ABDU’L-BAHK

‘Abdu’l-Baha in AmericaMARIAM HANEY

IN REVIEWING the period be-tween 1912 and 1921, it is

amazing to note how graduallybut very definitely the Truthsproclaimed by Baha’u’llah al-most a century ago, and publiclyand widely spread by ‘Abdu’l-Bahé. during His European andAmerican tours in 1911 and1912 (as well as stated in manywritten documents year afteryear before that time) have beenin a limited way put into effect.A substantial beginning has beenmade foreshadowing the fulfill-ment of every statement andevery prophecy of this New Dis-pensation, for the Creative Worddoes not return unto Him void,and God the Almighty is able toraise up instruments and endowthem with capacity to put intoeffect His Laws and Remedies.For instance we see various signswhich denote progress: represen-tative government; limitation ofthe extremes of wealth and pov-erty; abolition of chattel andeconomic slavery; equality ofmen and women; discussion con-cerning the adoption of a uni-versal auxiliary language; for-mation of a League of Nations;an international court of arbitra-tion; compulsory universal edu-cation, etc. Progress has been

made along all of these lines,and such subjects are no longernew, but are now widely dis-cussed.

With every Word He uttered,‘Abdu’l-Baha was laying thefoundation of the unity of theworld, for a genuine world-widebrotherhood that will last forhundreds of years to come.Nothing but the unalterable pow-er of the Revealed Word of Godcan change the hearts of hu-manity and ‘Abdu’l-Bahé said,“Hearts must be changed.”There will never be heaven onearth as willed by the Prophetof God until man turns to andaccepts the Law of God.

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s voice, so beau-tiful and so distinctly different,sounded a note of warning to theapathetic and proclaimed might-ily the call to world unity inchurches, synagogues, in uni-versities, in halls, and otherpublic places. A few of theseplaces are here mentioned:

Church of the Ascension,Grace M.E. Church, Church ofthe Divine Paternity, Metropoli-tan Temple, Mount Morris Bap-tist Church, All-Souls UnitarianChurch, also the Bowery Mission,all in New York City; CentralCongregational Church in Brook-

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312 WORLD onnnnlyn; Unity Church, Montclair,N. J.; Brotherhood Church, Jer-sey City; Unitarian Conference,Boston; Baptist Temple, and theUnitarian Church, in Philadel-phia; Church of the Messiah andSt. James Methodist Church inMontreal; Universalist Church,Metropolitan A. M. E. Church,Eighth Street Temple (Syna-gogue), in Washington, D.C.;and the Temple Emmanu-El inSan Francisco.

He also spoke in ColumbiaUniversity, New York; in LelandStanford University, Palo Alto,Calif.; Northwestern University,Evanston, Ill.; and in HowardUniversity, Washington, D.C.

Other important places where‘Abdu’l-Baha spoke to the peoplein accordance with their needs,might also be mentioned, such asHull House and Handel Hall inChicago; Peace Conference atLake Mohonk; meetings in largehotels from coast to coast; Feder-ation of Women’s Clubs in manydifierent cities; Theosophical So-cieties; Esperantist gatherings;in the Public Library Hall and inNeighborhood Settlement Housein Washington, D.C.; MasonicTemples; Carnegie Lyceum, NewYork; Green Acre Conferences,Eliot, Maine; New Thought For-ums; meetings for children inseveral cities; Town Halls, etc.Another group He addressed wasthe Socialist group in Montreal

to whom He explained the difier-ence between equality and soli-darity. He spoke at the dedica-tion of the Mas_l_1riqu’l-Adbkarand laid the cornerstone of thisnow famous Baha’i House ofWorship. He gave talks also inthe mansions and homes of therich and poor and all classes andtypes of humanity. B

Special mention should bemade of a Unity Feast at thehome of Mr. Roy C. Wilhelm, inWest Englewood, N. J., arrangedby ‘Abdu’l-Bahé Himself. Hewas the Divine Host to a largegroup gathered from New Yorkand vicinity, from Philadelphia,Buffalo, Green Acre, Washing-ton, D.C., Pittsburgh, San Fran-cisco, Portland, and other cen-ters. Christians, Jews, Muham-madans, and the white and col-ored races were represented. Agreat significance attached to thisspiritual and material Feast. Onequotation from ‘Abdu’l-Baha'stalk at that time is sufficient:

“This is a New Day and thishour is a New Hour wherein wehave come together here. . . .This gathering has no peer orlikeness upon the surface of theearth. . . . This assembly has aname which will last forever andever. Hundreds of thousands ofmeetings shall be held to com-memorate such an assembly asthis, and the very words I utterto you on this occasion shall be

‘xBou’L-Bani 313reiterated by them in the ages tocome. . . . How many blessedsouls havelonged for this blessedcentury and their utmost hopesand desires were centered uponthe enjoyment of one such day... . . They yearned to realize evenan hour of this time.” And onthe last Saturday in June in everysucceeding year since that time aUnity Feast has been held in thissame place commemorating thegreat event of 1912.

Down through succeeding gen-erations ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Feastwill be commemorated and itwill ever and ever continue to bea great teacher, indicating toBaha’is and non-Baha’is the Wayof Life. Probably thousandshave been spiritually refreshed,strengthened and illumined, asthe Bahé’i teachings were spreadfrom this center in West Engla-wood, N. J. --— a sacred place in-deed.

Another event of utmost im-portance during this visit of‘Abdu’l-Baha, was a meeting onNovember 9, 1912, held inRauscher’s Banquet Hall, inWashington, D.C. To understandthe miracle of this dinner-meet-ing, one has to know and fullyrealize existing conditions amongthe white and colored people atthat time; they must also realizethat this Banquet Hall was usedonly by the socially prominent,and for very special official gath-

erings. That a dinner was givenin such a place for white andcolored Baha’is was almost un-believable. Of course it was ac-complished through the power ofGod and naught else. For thefirst time in the history of Wash-ington the colored and whitefriends dined together in thisprominent place under the pro-tection of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé. Thosefortunate enough to be presenton this supremely spiritual occa-sion couldnot possibly forget thebeautiful picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé standing in the midst ofthis group serving all alike withsuch tenderness. He spoke suchwords as these in His talk at thattime:

“May you consider all reli-gions the instruments of God andregard all races as channels ofdivine manifestation. May youview mankind as the sheep ofGod and know for a certaintythat He is the real Shepherd.Consider how this kind and ten-der Shepherd cares for all Hisflock; how He leads them ingreen pastures and beside thestill waters. How well He pro-tects them! Verily this Shepherdmakes no distinctions whatso-ever; to all the sheep He isequally kind. Therefore we mustfollow the example of God andstrive in pathways of good-willtoward all humanity.”

So the Divine Servant of God

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314 wontn onnsnspoke to all races, religions andpeoples, not favoring any par-ticular group. He was no “re-specter of persons,” for the Mes-sage of the New Age is universal.

On His way to California‘Abdu’l-Baha called at the homeof Honorable William JenningsBryan, in Lincoln, Nebraska, andwas received by Mrs. Bryan andher daughter. It is recorded thatMr. Bryan, on his return tripfrom India many, many yearsago, had called on ‘Abdu’l-Bahéin the Most Great Prison in‘Akka, Palestine; He even triedto see ‘Abdu’l-Baha a secondtime but was prevented by thesoldiers and guards of the oldTurkish regime. ‘Abdu’l-Bahé,while traveling in this countrytherefore, graciously called tosee Mr. Bryan, but when he wasaway from home on a lecturetour, ‘Abdu’l-Baha left a messagefor him with Mrs. Bryan. A shortexcerpt from that message willbe of interest:

“I shall never forget our meet-ing in ‘Akké, and ever pray thatyou may become assisted in theaccomplishment of such serviceas to cause you to shine like abrilliant star from the horizonof everlasting glory forever andever. Your aims and intentionsare honorable, and their fullrealization conducive to the pub-lic weal.”

Many were the important per-

sonalities in all circles of lifewho had the privilege of associa-tion with ‘Ahdu’l-Bahé duringHis American visit. Among thesemight be mentioned that greatworker for peace, Dr. DavidStarr Jordan, who was at thetime President of Leland Stan-ford University. It was Dr. Jor-dan who said that “ ‘.Abdu’l-Bahawalks the mystical path withpractical feet.”

At the Grand Hotel in Cincin-nati, ‘Abdu’l-Baha addressed alarge group, and from this talkthe following is quoted:

“As we are in Cincinnati, thehome of President Taft who hasrendered such noble service inthe cause of peace, I will dictatea statement for the people of Cin-cinnati and America generally:“America is a noble nation, thestandard bearer of peace through-out the world, shedding light toall regions. . . . I am most grate-ful to President Taft for givinghis influence to the movement forinternational peace, and what hehas done toward establishingpeace treaties is good; but whenwe have the interparliamentarybody, composed of delegatesfrom all the nations of the world,devoted to maintaining universalpeace and good-will, then we willhave the Parliament of Man ofwhich the poets have dreamed.”

To Mr. C. C. Philips, Secretaryof the tMohonk Conference on

‘sBnu’L-Bani 315International Arbitration, ‘Ab-du’l-Baha said: “This brilliantcentury has no likeness andsimilitude in the history of man.From every standpoint it is dis-tinguished above all other cen-turies. It is specialized with suchexcellencies that the shining starof the heavenly confirmationsshall gleam from the horizon ofthis century upon all the futurecycles and periods. One of themost extraordinary events of thistime, which indeed is a miracle,is the founding of the oneness ofthis realm of humanity and itsessential branches such as uni-versal peace and the unity of thedifferent nations.”

This entire subject of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s American visit and HisTeachings is so vast, so vital, sofull of those great and dynamicseeds of Truth that relate to thetransformation and reformationof life on this planet that to re-cord an adequate survey and ex-position of such a theme wouldrequire volumes, and this is notan exaggerated statement. Nomere human being could justly

and completely evaluate the su-preme importance of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s authoritative Teaching, orpresent an adequate picture ofsuch a Holy Being, as He cam-estly called to the people every-where to turn toward the “RisenSun of Righteousness” and ac-cept that which God requires ofHis people in this Day. His liv-ing of the life amongst us cannotbe measured by any criterionwhatsoever; the measureless dis-tance between ‘Ahdu’l-Bahé andhumanity resulted in a reverenceabsolutely indescribable; HisPresence was an overwhelmingPresence, entirely independent ofthe material universe, manifest-ing a spiritual grandeur, majestyand sublimity transcending anyand all concepts of human ideals,yet at the same time was He sonatural and so humble as to bringrealization of God’s fathomlesslove to the most stony heart. Butthe record remains in His Wordsand His Works. s

Number eight in a series of notations onBaha'i activity in North America from1893 to 1921.

*

O Son of Man!Should prosperity befall thee, rejoice not, and should abasement come

upon thee, grieve not, for both shall pass away and be no more.-—Bxn.i’u’LL.iH

The Day of GodJ‘worms or BAnA’U’LLin

II0 KINGS OF CHRISTENDOM! Heard ye not the saying of Jesus, the

Spirit of God, “I go away, and come again unto you”? Wherefore,then, did ye fail, when He did come again unto you in the clouds of heaven,to draw nigh unto Him, that ye might behold His face, and be of them thatattained His Presence? In another passage He saith: “When He, the Spiritof Truth, is co-me, He will guide you into all truth.” And yet, behold how,when He did bring the truth, ye refused to turn your faces towards Him, andpersisted in disporting yourselves with your pastimes and fancies. Yewelcomed Him not, neither did ye seek His Presence, that ye might hear theverses of God from His own mouth, and partake of the manifold wisdom ofthe Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise. Ye have, by reason of yourfailure, hindered the breath of God from being waited over you, and havewithheld from your souls the sweetness of its fragrance. Ye continue rovingwith delight in the valley of your corrupt desires. Ye, and all ye possess,shall pass away. Ye shall, most certainly, return to God, and shall be calledto account for your doings in the presence of Him Who shall gather togetherthe entire creation . . .

Twenty years have passed, O kings, during which We have, each day,tasted theagony of a fresh tribulation. No one of them that were before Ushath endured the things We have endured. Would that ye could perceive it!They that rose up against Us have put us to death, have shed our blood, haveplundered our property, and violated our honor. Though aware of most ofour afiictions, ye, nevertheless, have failed to stay the hand of the aggressor.For is it not your clear duty to restrain the tyranny of the oppressor, and todeal equitably with your subjects, that your high sense of justice may befully demonstrated to all mankind?

God hath committed into your hands the reins of the government of thepeople, that ye may rule with justice over them, safeguard the rights ofthe downtrodden, and punish the wrong-doers. If ye neglect the duty pre-scribed unto you by God in His Book, your names shall be numbered withthose of the unjust in His sight. Grievous, indeed, will be your error. Cleaveye to that which your imaginations have devised, and cast behind your backsthe commandments of God, the Most Exalted, the lnaccessible, the All-Compelling, the Almighty? Cast away the things ye possess, and cling tothat which God hath hidden you observe. Seek ye His grace, for he thatseeketh it treadeth His straight Path.

t O Kings of the earth! Give ear unto the Voice ‘of God, calling fromthis sublime, this fruit-laden Tree, that hath sprung out of the Crimson Hill,upon the Holy Plain, intoning the words: “There is none other God but He,the Mighty, the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.” . . . Fear God, O concourse of

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DAY or con 317kings, and suffer not yourselves to be deprived of this most sublime grace.Fling away, then, the things ye possess, and take fast hold on the Handle ofGod, the Exalted, the Great. Set your hearts towards the Face of God, andabandon that which your desires have hidden you to follow, and be not ofthose who perish. Relate unto them, O servant, the story of ‘Ali (the Bab),when He came unto them with truth, bearing His glorious and weighty Book,and holding in His hands a testimony and proof from Cod, and holy andblessed tokens from Him. Ye, however, O kings, have failed to heed theRemembrance of God in His days and to be guided by the lights which aroseand shone forth above the horizon of a resplendent Heaven. Ye examinednot His Cause when so to do would have been better for you than all that thesun shineth upon, could ye but perceive it. Ye remained careless until thedivines of Persia-——those cruel ones—~pronounced judgment against Him, andunjustly slew Him. His spirit ascended unto God, and the eyes of the inmatesof Paradise and the angels that are nigh unto Him wept sore by reason ofthis cruelty. Beware that ye be not careless henceforth as ye have beencareless aforetime. Return, then, unto God, your Maker, and be not of theheedless . . . My face hath come forth from the veils, and shed its radianceupon all that is in heaven and on earth; and yet, ye turned not towards Him,notwithstanding that ye were created for Him, O" concourse of kings! Follow,therefore that which I speak unto you, and hearken unto it with your hearts,and be not of such as have turned aside. For your glory consisteth not inyour sovereignty, but rather in your nearness unto God and your observanceof His command as sent down in His holy and preserved Tablets. Shouldany one of you rule over the whole earth, and over all that lieth within itand upon it, its seas, its lands, its mountains, and its plains, and yet be n.otremembered by God, all these would profit him not, could ye but know it . . .Arise, then, and make steadfast your feet, and make ye amends for thatwhich hath escaped you, and set then yourselves towards His holy Court. onthe shore of His mighty Ocean, so that the pearls of knowledge and wisdom,which God hath stored up within the shell of His radiant heart, may berevealed unto you . . . Beware lest ye hinder the breeze of God from blowingover your hearts, the breeze through which the hearts of such as have turnedunto Him can be quickened . . .

Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling Cause, andsummon, then, the nations unto God, the Exalted, the Great. Be thou not ofthem who called upon God by one of His names, but who, when He Who isthe Object of all names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him,and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest injustice.Consider and call thou to mind the days whereon the Spirit of God (Jesus)appeared, and Herod gave judgment against Him. God, however, aided Himwith the hosts of the unseen, and protected Him with truth, and sent Himdown unto another land, according to His promise. He, verily, ordainethwhat He pleaseth. Thy Lord truly preserveth whom He willeth, he he in themidst of the seas, or in the maw of the serpent, or beneath the sword of theoppressor . . .

WITH OUR READERSWHEN ‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote in-

structions to American Bahfi'isabout spreading the Baha’i Faith allover the world He said this about theimportance of Panama: “Likewise,ye must give great attention to theRepublic of Panama, for in thatpoint the Occident and Orient findeach other united through the Pan-ama Canal, and it is also situatedbetween the two great oceans. Thatplace will become very important inthe future. The Teachings once es-tablished there, they will unite theEast and the Wmt, the North and theSouth.”

The following, written by a newBaha’i in Colon, Republic of Panama,assures us that the Baha'i Faith isestablished there, is welding togetherpeople of different races and bring-ing happiness to hearts. No thoughtof publication was in the mind ofthe writer but it has been sent to uswith permission to print in WorldOrder. This new Baha’i says:

“Reflecting on my visit to Panamayesterday, I can’t help but expressthe pleasure of the little visit I paidto- C’s home. It was about sunset,the evening was cool and calm andthe skies beautiful with the sunsetglow. The apartment was quiet andcomfortable and a sense of peace,well-being and harmony seemed topervade the room. We four chattedabout the Baha'i Faith in general andCl showed us some pictures of ‘Ab-du’l-Baha and some snap -shots o-ffriends in America, telling us littleincidents and interesting facts aboutthe different persons.

“What struck me was this ——here

were we, one white American, onecolored American and two BritishWest Indians sitting together in per-fect harmony and accord. For thetime it seemed as though there wereno trouble in the world, no hate, noprejudice, no sickness, nothing butpeace and tranquillity as we sat inthat quiet room and enjoyed the com-panionship of one another. I guessGod's Spirit was there and trans-formed that room into a little taber-nacle, and I think we should alwaysremember that moment, and in factall moments such as that. Too oftenthe weather is awful, or we are nerv-ous or worried, or the neighbors arenoisy, etc., and we don't get a chanceto feel tranquil through and through,so that when, unexpectedly, thosemoments arrive, we should learn torealize and treasure them.

“What brought this about? Well,the Baha'i Faith; otherwise we wouldhardly have been there, and even ifwe were, there would not have beenthat sense of confidence, trust andreal friendliness between us. Wemight have been with Iola, certainlynot with C, and even then after somesilly shop talk we most likely wouldhave turned to a little local gossip inorder to ‘chat.’ Now there is no needfor that sort of thing because we‘ havesomething definite to talk about,something that holds our mutual in-terest. Let’s try to keep that friend-ship alive, and our interest in theFaith, a real thing.”

Another Panamanian Baha’i whois superintendent of education in theRepublic of Panama, had an oppor-tunity to speak to a group which was

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wrrn ova anaonns 319observing Brotherhood Week. Hesaid:

“As a member of a minority groupI consider the observance of Brother-hood Week a timely and significantstep in the right direction. The en-tire world is passing through a verygrave crisis. Even in this age ofenlightenment, pernicious doctrinesand prejudices destructive to thefoundations of human developmenthave been invented and circulatedwidely. What therefore is the idealof brotherhood, and how can it beachieved?

“True religion and science teachthat the peoples and races of theearth are all brothers. All areservants of Cod and members of onefamily. ‘Ye are all fruits of onetree, the leaves of one branch, theflowers of one garden,’ proclaims agreat Baha'i Prophet. The onenessof the world of humanity is onemeaning of brotherhood.

“If unity, peace and justice are tobe attained, then prejudices, whetherreligious, racial, or patriotic, mustbe dispelled. Prejudices of any kindare the destroyers of human happi-ness and welfare. Fears, animositiesand hatreds should be abandonedand in their stead loving coopera-tion, mutual respect and sincere un-derstanding fostered. We must be-come the cause of unity of the humanrace. Unity in diversity is anothermeaning of brotherhood.

“The achievement of the ideal ofbrotherhood is- the great challengefor our day. In all our human rela-tionships—- in our families, in ourneighborhoods, in our schools, andin our communities-—-there arecountless opportunities in whichthese and other meanings of brother-hood may be exemplified. In addi-tion, since many of us believe that

organized education as a form ofsocial action and interpretation canbe a creative undertaking for incul-eating new social values, we there-fore look to our educational institu-tions-——-the school, the church, themovies, the radio and the press-—-for courageous leadership in this rel-atively unexplored field. Surely forour day this is our great opportunity:First, to develop in our boys andgirls a recognition of their kinshipwith the human race as a whole sothat their concern in matters pertain-ing to human needs extends beyondthe boundaries of the particulargroup with which they are primarilyidentified; and secondly, to instill inthese young people, the men andwomen of tomorrow, a burning de-sire to cherish human achievementin any group or class or race, as acontribution to present day living.”

Truly the spirit and understandingshown in the words of these twoPanamanian Baha’is assure us thatthe seeds are planted for makingPanama “very important in the fu-ture.”

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In our leading article, “Two RoadsWe Face,” Kenneth Christian pointsout the direction which we must taketo solve the world dilemma. Bahé'isare not boastful when they say thatthe path and the goal are found onlyin the Baha’i teachings. It is Baha-’u’llah, the Divine Prophet, Who hasset the goal. This article was firstpresented as a public talk in Wash-ington, D.C., and later in Boston,Massachusetts. Mr. Christian is afrequent contributor to World Order.Our December number carried hisindex to the book, The Advent ofDivine fustice, by Shoghi Efiendi.Mr. Christian teaches in the depart-ment of Written and Spoken English

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329 WORLD ORDERat Michigan State College, East Lans-ing, Michigan. The editors are gladto announce that the N.S.A. has re-cently appointed Mr. Christian to theeditorial committee of World Order.

Spiritual insight and longing forthe speedy coming of the time offruit prompts Mary Marlowe’s con-tribution, “Fruit in Abundance” andas we read we, too, know that thistime of fruit will come. Mrs. Marlowecontributed “Can Your ReligionUnite the Nations?” in our Octobernumber and previously several poemsby the same author have appeared inthese pages under the signature PollyMcClellan.

“Religion and Science” is OttoZmeskal’s first contribution to WorldOrder. This article is one in a serieswhich we have been presenting fromtime to time showing signs of prog-ress in world affairs. Dr. Zmeskal isa metallurgist and chemist who didhis graduate work at the Massachu-setts Institute of Technology. Hiswork and ho-me are in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, where both he andMrs. Zmeskal are active in the Baha’icommunity.

Those who have already readBlock Boy will appreciate ArthurDahl’s review of it. Others, we think,will he stimulated to read the bookwhich shows as perhaps no otherbook has how deep rooted in Ameri-can life is the cancer of racial preju-dice. We have printed many previouscontributions from Mr. Dahl. Thelast previous one was in our Decem-ber number, “Challenge to LiberalThought.” Mr. Dahl lives in PaloAlto, California, and is chairman ofthe Geyserville Baha’i School pro-gram committee and active for theBaha’i Faith in many other ways.

Mariam Haney continues in this

issue her series which we are pub-lishing from time to time tellingabout Baha'i activities in the UnitedStates from 1893 to 1921. Thesearticles were written at the time ofthe Baha’i Centenary celebration, buthave been printed only in WorldOrder. Mrs. Haney’s home is inWashington, D-.C-.

Again, as in our December num-ber, we print excerpts from the wordsof Baha’u’llah under the title “TheDay of God" that our readers mayponder and understand the truemeaning of this New Age into whichwe are entering, the deep significanceof the chaos through which we arepassing, and the bounty and gloryof the New Age which is dawning.

During the war World Order hasgone to young Baha’is in service inmany parts o-f the world and often,perhaps always, after being eagerlyread has been shared with others.One young Baha’i in England writesof sending a copy to a brother of thelate Dr. John Esslemont whose book,Bahd’u'lldh and the New Era hasalready been translated into someforty difierent languages. The youngman writes as follows:

“Have just read the September,194-5, World Order magazine. Thearticle by Gayle Woolson on CostaRica impressed me immensely andespecially the reference to Behri-’u’lltih and the New Em. As I readthe article I thought to whom I mightsend the magazine, a pioneer of theSix Year Plan of the British Isle oranother friend of the Teachings. Itis being addressed to Mr. Peter Essie-mont of Aberdeen, Scotland (thebrother of Dr. John Esslemont) , whois interested in the progress of theFaith, especially in America.”

—--THE Enrroas

Bahé’i Literature‘H

Gleonings from the Writings of Bahé’u’lléh, selected and translated byShoghi Eflendi. The Bahé’i teachings on the nature of religion, the soul,the basis of civilization and the oneness of mankind. Bound in fabrikoid.360 pages. $2.00.

P

The Kitdb-i-fqtin, translated by Shoghi Efiendi. This work (The Bookof Certitude) unifies and coordinates the revealed Religions of the past,demonstrating their oneness in fulfillment of the purposes of Revelation.Bound in cloth. 262 pages. $2.50.

Prayers and Meditations by Bohci’u’llcih, selected and translated by ShoghiEffendi. The supreme expression of devotion to God; a spiritual flamewhich enkindles the heart and illumines the mind. 348 pages. Boundin fahrikoid. $2.00. y

Bahd’i Prayers, a selection of Prayers revealed by Bahé’u’llah, the Baband ‘Abdu’l-Baha, each Prayer translated by Shoghi Efiendi. 72 pages.Bound in fabrikoid, $0.75. Paper cover, $0.35.

Some Answered Questions. ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s explanation of questions con-cerning the relation of man to God, the nature of the Manifestation,human capacities, fulfillment of prophecy, etc. Bound in cloth. 350pages. $1.50. A ,

The Promulgotion of Universal Peace. In this collection of His Americantalks, ‘Abdu’l-Baha laid the basis for a firm understanding of the attitudes,principles and spiritual laws which enter into the establishment of truePeace. 4-92 pages. Bound in cloth. $2.50.

The World Order of Bahci’u’lldh, by Shoghi Effendi. On the nature of thenew social pattern revealed by Baha’u’llah for the attainment -of divinejustice in civilization. Bound in fabrikoid. 234 pages. $1.50.

God Passes By, by Shoghi Efiendi. The authoritative documented histori-cal surveyc of the Baha’i Faith through the four periods of its firstcentury: The Ministryof the Bab, the Ministry of Baha’u’lléh, theMinistry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, and the Inception of the Formative Age (1921-194-4-). In these pages the world’s supreme spiritual drama unfolds.xxiii plus 412 pages. Bound in fabrikoid. $2.50.

J

A Bsnfi Punusnmc Commrrrsa110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

Words of Baha’u’]1ahInscribed Over the Nine Entrances of the

House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois

The earth is but one country; and man-kind its citizens. AThe best beloved of all things in My sightis Justice; turn not away therefrom if thoudesirest Me. '_My love is My stronghold; he that entereththerein is safe and secure.Breathe not the sins of others so long asthou art thyself a sinner.Thy heart is My home; sanctify it for Mydescent.I have made death a messenger of joy tothee; wherefore dost thou grieve? -Make mention of Me on My earth that inMy heaven I may remember thee.O rich ones on earth! The poor in yourmidst are My trust; guard ye My trust.The source of all learning is the knowl-edge of God, exalted be His glory.

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’ -" FEBRUARY. 1946i131-

WORLD ORDER Is THE GDAL — Horace HolleyTHE CHALLENGE OF THE AT0MIc AGE —- Arthur Dahl

IN THE ARMY — Benjamin Kaufman

W0RsHIP IN ONE FAITH, Editorial ---- Bertha Hyde KirkpatrickTHIs EARTH ONE CDUNTRY, Book Review A

——- William Kenneth ChristianAN EARLY TEACHER —- Eleanor Crane Carter

“THEN TELL ME,” Poem -—- Elsie Paterson Cranmer

BAHL’i WORLD FAITH, Book Review — Eleanor Sweney HutchensBAHA’i, P0emI—- Ruth Foster Froemming

THE GUARDIANsHIP AND THE AD1vIINIsTRATIvE ORDERA l Study Outline -—— Paul E. Haney

WITH OUR READERs ‘I5:

i I ITHE BAHA’l GAZI Er .

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World Order was founded March 21, 1910 as Balui’i News, the firstorgan of the American Bahéfis. In March, 1911, its title was changedto Star of the West. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appearedunder the name of The Bahti’i Magazine. The issue of April, 1935carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bahtfi Maga-zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI of the "continuous Bahé’ipublication. _

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WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, 111., by the PublishingCommittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the" BahR’is of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, William Kenneth Christian,Gertrude K. Henning, ~Horace Holley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick.

Editorial OfiiceMrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary

69 ARRoTTsFoRD Ro-AD, WINNETKA, II.L.

.Publication Oflice110 LINDEN AVENUE, WILMETTE, ILL. -

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C. R. Wood, Business Manager Printed in U.S.A.

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FEBRUARY, 1946, VoLUME XI, NUMBER 11'4 I-._

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its tenitories and posses-sions; for Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 15c.Foreign subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to WorldOrder Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. Entered as second classmatterApril 1, 1940, at the post ofice at Wilmette, 111., under the Act of March3, 1879. Content copyrighted 194-6 by Baht‘-i.’i Publishing Committee. Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Ofice. _

CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTEDONE MONTH IN ADVANCE ,

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The Bahé’i MagazineVDLUME XI FEBRUARY, 194-6 NUMBER 11

World Order Is the GoalHORACE I-IOLLEY

OUR Chairman referred to aday one hundred and one

years ago as a great and signifi-cant day in the rise of a worldfaith. In 1844- a new spiritualcondition was established in thelife of mankind. A great im-pulse was released for the devel-opment of humane intelligenceand feeling, and a new andhigher direction was given to theforces of social evolution.

In the hour of dawn the sunmay be obscured by the mists ofthe early day. Nevertheless itshines behind the clouds and themist and its penetrating light andheat do make their effect uponall living things.

Men realize that they live in aphysical world where light is notvaguely diffused and reflectedfrom all the innumerable objectsof the earth without a definitesource; where light is not anattribute of things in themselvesbut has its source in the sun.

But when the light of a newtruth dawns upon human con-sciousncss, people for a time feel

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a stirring, and they are movedby some particular ideal or pos-sibility, that seems nearest totheir personal life or their innatepowers.

Eventually, however, historydemonstrates the fact that Truthis not a self-germinating spirit-ual influence. It is not somethingwafted back and forth by humanargument and debate, but Truthis a thing that is created, a powerthat becomes manifest in oneparticular and unique type ofspiritual being. It is when weturn to the source of the Truthand receive its direct rays and itsguidance that we can in our hu-mility and weakness become partof a great organism of Truthwhose combined effect is irre-sistible and serves as the ulti-mate source of all change andprogress in this world.

The year 184-4 coincided withcertain outer changes in 1nen’ssocial condition, outer and per-ceptible conditions which we canexamine with the calm and dis-passionate eye of the historian,

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322 woRLD oRDERuntil we begin to realize thatthere is a connection between theflowing out of the spiritual forcethrough a great prophetic being,and those significant changes inthe physical conditions of man’slife which are required in orderto make the new spiritual powercome to actual fulfilment in thisworld.

The first great historicalchange was that the age-long so-cial condition of man’s orderedexistence had become completelyoverthrown. I mean by that, thecondition of territorial isolationwhich has been the basis onwhich all human societies, races,nations and creeds have devel-oped in the past. It is becausethe large or small bodies of hu-man beings were geographicallyseparated, one from another,long enough for each group tobe stamped with unique charac-ter, to evolve a particular way ofthinking and feeling, that madethe group a self-centered entity.It is because of this conditionthat certain peoples have difier-ent colored skins, that the peo-ples have diflerent languages,that we have evolved differenteconomic systems and differentphilosophies to explain thetruths of social progress or thecosmic truths of the Universeitself.

Until 1844- then, humanityconsisted of an infinite number

of diversities. Each diversitycomposed of human beings, likeyou and me, but each group ofhuman beings became convincedthat its destiny was unique, thatit had to strive for perpetuationof its life and fulfilment of itsneed in a condition of latent oractive struggle with all othersimilar groups of human beings.

Indeed, the student who en-deavored at that time to give theworld a fundamental life princi-ple evolved the theory of thestruggle for existence, and peo-ple became convinced that onlyby adaptation to that principlecould any group have survivalin this world, that man had beengiven that law as a determiningelement of human existence, thatthe only valid purpose could beto attain sufficient power tomake the law work for one’s owngroup, even at the expense ofother human societies.

But about the year 1844 theprinciple of territorial isolationwas overthrown and all these di-versities became the physical in-habitants of one world that hadbeen physically unified and inwhich the principle of diversitycould no longer hope to prevail,because the other name for di-versity is isolation.

Therefore, the world’s peo-ples, black and white, Orientalor Western, have been living forone hundred years, carrying for-

woRLD ORDER Is THE GOAL 323ward the inertia of struggle anddifference and yet human liveshave been based upon the newprinciple of unity and coopera-tion, a principle which we haveonly dimly apprehended, imper-fectly grasped, and ‘assuredlynot yet applied in any of the im-portant undertakings of life.

Coinciding with that new so-cial condition we find anothermanifestation of a new day inthe sudden capacity given to hu-man beings to apply scientifictruths to invention and industryand revolutionize the fundamen-tal activity of man’s life, theactivity of securing food andshelter and the things that weneed and the things we desire.

The application of science toindustry intensified this annihi-lation of physical separation,uniting the peoples of the worldtogether in an ever-increasingbond of economic interdepend-ence.

If we look at the machinewhich modern genius has evolvedin the evolution of the great fac-tory, we realize what human be-ings have done is to find a way toembody thought in the substancesof the lower kingdoms and attaina fulfilment of expression formental powers utterly transcend-ing the physical capacity ofhand and arm and foot. Menhave been the machine —manand the horse and the dog and

the other beasts of burden ——-until this new day when thoughtfound its embodiment and so-ciety entered a new era of possi-bility, when through mechanicalproduction we possessed the fa-cilities for eliminating povertyand want from the surface ofthe earth.

We, however, have sought inthis new day to reapply the prin-ciple of the struggle for exist-ence on a greater scale, and wehave mis-used this power ofthought and the servitude of thelower kingdoms which thoughtrequires for its mechanical ex-pression. We have employedthis genius, not to face the funda-mental human problems of pov-erty and ignorance, not to re-move the sense of the alien whichis the dark cloud between us andour fellowmen, but we multi-plied our capacity to destroy,and because we held this destruc-tive power in our hands we pro-jected fear and terror to otherpeoples and when they enteredthe same arena of scientific mili-tary equipment they stimulatedthe sense of fear in us.

Therefore, you have from1844- to 1914-, the developmentof a crisis in which human beingswere sharpening the sword,which inevitably would be turnedagainst themselves. As ‘Abdu’l-Baha mentioned, at the expira-tion of the First World War, in

324 woRLD oRDERa solemn prayer that I-Iebreathed forth on Mount Carmelin Palestine; I-Ie said: “Forgivethem, God, they have plowed toodeep in the field of war.”

Now, the new spiritual condi-tion which has not been as per-ceptible to us as these externalsocial changes has been the ca-pacity to grasp the truth of theoneness of mankind, and thistruth came into the world, notby the mental activity of the sci-entists or the philosopher. Itcame, as Truth has always beenborn in the world of mankind ——--it came as the life expression ofa Divine Will, acting through ahallowed and consecrated beingwho could embody a truth be-cause I-Ie had yielded up thoseselfish elements of human per-sonality which in us drag everytruth down into the arena of thestruggle for existence.

Therefore, if we would be truestudents of history, aware of allthe forces released in our day,we cannot afford to overlook theelement of that heroism, thatsacrifice that was the characteris-tic of all those who come to thisworld with a spiritual mission,and which in them conveys to thepeople who look with a clear andillumined eye the sense of theworking of a Divine IVIII.

Therefore, in the darkenedland of Persia ~—-— from a rationalpoint of view perhaps the most

unlikely place on earth for therevelation of a new and highertruth —— this principle of the one-ness of humanity was impressedin the destiny of the human racethrough the martyrdom andsacrifice of the great being asso-ciated with the founding of theBahé’i Faith.

-How are you and I to beginapprehending this principle ofthe oneness of mankind? It iscompletely alien to our tradi-tional culture, whether political,economic, philosophic or reli-gious in character. A It is new andit is unprecedented.

The word oneness is simple.We know the letters with whichthe word is composed, but thetruth for which it stands has asimplicity for which you and Iare unprepared in the little com-plexity of our restless minds.But there is an approach to theconviction that there is but onedestiny for all humanity, thatthere is no enduring victory forany race of people or any nationor empire, nor class, nor creedin this new age.

The approach was indicatedin that, since the prophetic beingcame to this age at a time whenman was more mature than whenthe earlier prophets came, Hecould reveal the processes bywhich spiritual truth and energyenter into the evolving life of thehuman race.

woRLD oRDER Is THE coAL 325The founder of the Baha’i

Faith declared that He did notcome as a new and differentprophet. The inner being andessence of all the prophets is thesame. If you have true rever-ence for the founder of any pre-vious revelation, whether Mosesor Jesus or Buddha or Zoroasteror Muhammad you must haveequal reverence for all otherprophets, because if you denyone, you deny the reality of all.You cannot accept one DivineLawgiver unless you accept themall as messengers from the sameCod.

But we see there is diversity ofreligion in the world. There is adifference between the prophetsas manifested in the social ex-pression of the various religions.

The answer to this problem isthat the prophet reveals the truthfor which the people are pre-pared and He unfolds a largerpossibility in the evolution ofmankind. He is like a teacherthat in one day inculcates thefundamental lessons of the al-phabet and numbers in the classof the child. Then as the childbecomes more mature the teachercan return and unfold greaterknowledge and reveal highermysteries. It is the one teacherbut the times change and as eachprophet appears in the world,the former dispensations are an-nulled and if the people turn to

the source of the creative energyin their own time they becomeadapted to solve the problems oftheir age. We have been giventhis supreme problem of uni-versal peace as the greatest chal-lenge ever laid upon humanityto give expression to its funda-mental power.

We cannot solve the problemof universal peace by politicalstatutes because political statutescan be enacted and given a mate-rial power but statutes do notchange the consciousness of hu-man beings. Universal peacewill not come about through anymanipulation of the economicinterest of the various parties atissue today. Universal peace isnot something that we can pur-chase, nor something we can con-trol. It is that organic relation-ship of human beings in union,so as to make them act as anorganism.

Peace is the unity of humanbeings arranged in a world pat-tern, and therefore any peacethat endeavors to maintain thefallacy of independent and di-verse sovereignties is simply nota peace. It may use the word butit does not inaugurate the fact.

Now, when a new era isbrought into human conscious-ness (and our histories make itperfectly clear that human lifehas gone from cycle to cycle andfrom era to era), we know that

326 WORLD ononaat the moment when one age be-gins to decay and a new age isborn there is a bitter period ofdarkness when human beings areuncertain and divided in them-selves, and the world seems to begiven over to chaos. There seemsto be no possibility of reformingthis intensity of struggle thatcharacterizes the collapse of agreat civilization.

How many generations suf-fered when the Roman Empirewent into decay? How terriblewas the immorality and thecruelty that characterized thepeople of that collapsing empireuntil the new spirit released fromChrist in Palestine began to pen-etrate and revive the darkenedsouls of men?

Baha’u’llah says of these earlyyears of the new era: “The vi-tality of men’s belief in God isdying out in every land; nothingshort of His wholesome medicinecan ever restore it. The corro-sion of ungodliness is eating intothe Vitals of human society; whatelse but the Elixir of His potentRevelation can cleanse and re-vive it?”

Bahé’u’lléh said, and He de-clared in the letters He addressedto the kings, the rulers, the headsof religions throughout theworld, seventy years ago, warn-ing them that society wouldcome to chaos if they could notfind a new law of God: “Soon

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will the present-day Order berolled up, and a new one spreadout in its stead.

“The signs of impending con-vulsions and chaos can now bediscerned, inasmuch as the pre-vailing Order appeareth to belamentably defective.”

And He said, to clarify onceand for all in this mature age theultimate spiritual basis of all hu-man society: “The religion ofGod and His Cause is the great-est cause and the mightiestmeans for the development ofthe world, the training of na-tions; the tranquillity of the ser-vants and the security of thepeople of all lands have been dueto the Divine precepts and ordi-nances. Religion is the greatestcause for the appearance of thisgreat gift. lt bestows the cup ofvitality, confers immortal lifeand imparts eternal benefits.”

Bahé.’u’llah used the word “re-ligion” as meaning the expres-sion of the Heavenly Powerthrough the consecrated spirit ofthe Prophets. He did not meanthat you and I can write creedsand make ceremonials and in-vent new modes of worship. Thatis a movement of the humanimagination. It is not a law or apower that brings new life intothe human world.

Therefore, today, if we seek abasis on which universal peaceand world order can be estab-

WORLD onnnn IS THE GOAL 327lished, we must find it in the onepower which will unify the con-sciences of human beings andmake them feel themselves partof one great body.

There is no real contact andassociation between human be-ings beyond the little personalrealm of our private emotionsunless we are gathered togetherin the encircling principle ofspiritual truth. Baha’u’llah hasgiven us the symbol of that Di-vine Law today to which all thepeoples of the world can turnand in turning draw near, and indrawing near to the principle ofunity and peace, draw near toeach other because the meaningof this day is that the principleof the struggle for existence isto be destroyed and the law ofcooperation made the basis ofthe life of men.

Therefore, we say that thisnew era is the most blessed timethat has ever come to humanity.Our very sufferings and ourfears can be a blessing to us ifthrough them we can leave ourinner fears and superstitions be-hind, if our vision can be clari-fied, if we realize that God is theGod of all mankind, He is not theGod of our nation or race orclass or creed. If we can realizethat God is the source of all life,then we can be sure that He hasthe means of expressing thatpower so that it will be equally

valid to the people of the Eastand of the West.

Baha’u’llah said: “My objectis none other than the bettermentof the world and the tranquillityof its peoples. The well-being ofmankind, its peace and securityare unattainable unless and untilits unity is firmly established.

“Through the power of thewords He hath uttered the wholeof the human race can be il-lumined with the light of unity,and the remembrance of HisName is able to set on fire thehearts of all men, and burn awaythe veils that intervene betweenthem and His glory.”

Now, there have been very sig-nificant indirect and unconsciousresponses to this spiritual power.What we call “the Peace Move-ment” arose with great influencein the early years of the 19thcentury. Thousands, pe rh a p smillions of people were stirredas long as 75 or 80 years ago bya vision of the possibility ofpeace in this time. They workedthrough the instruments at hand.They expressed their ardor andconviction in the terminology towhich they were accustomed.They went from disappointmentto disappointment, but the seedsof that hope could never be up-rooted, nor men be put back intothe lesser pattern of the formerera.

So we came to the year 1918-

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323 WORLD onnnn v1919, when for the first timegreat responsible nations assem-bled together to try to write theCovenant of the League of Na-tions. Now, the Spirit uses allthe instruments which exist andundoubtedly that was a greateducational factor in the life ofthe people today, It had to be afailure politically, because wedid not go through the process ofspiritual development uponwhich peace can rest, but theprinciple of peace was broughtfrom the abstract realm of truthinto the world of human actionand the name of Woodrow Wil-son will be honored for ages be-cause he primarily had the cour-age-——-perhaps I might say thestubbornness —- to insist that thisnew vision of peace should be atleast attempted by the nations.

But the nations retained theirindependent sovereignties andwhile the League was able totransact many useful interna-tional affairs and set up manyinternational bodies of great use-fulness which have trained won-derful workers for humanitarianends, nevertheless, the League ofNations was like a second mort-gage on a property. The nationswere going to pay themselvesfirst and be assured of their eco-nomic and industrial welfare incomparison with other nations,and with any energy or resourcesleft over they were willing to

support the League. The nationscould not, alas, pay their domes-tic debts and the second mort-gage was soon foreclosed.

Now, my friends, in this year1945 a larger number of nations,and, thank God, including thenations of North America, havecombined again in a Charter thatindirectly expresses in the worldthe movement of the Spirit whichwe see directly expressed in theteachings of Baha’u’llah. For inthis world, things evolve slowly.Nothing perfect is created all atonce. You have the seed and yousow the seed and after a time youhave the fruitful tree. You havea truth and you sow it in theminds of men and after a timethe truth comes to fulfilment.Therefore, from the Bah:-i’i pointof view we have a condition to-day in which a great technicalwork has been done in the nameof peace, but, alas, the heartsand souls of the people are notunited in mutual trust. We stillthink of ourselves as parts ofdifferent systems, of differentraces, pursuing different inter-ests, and we hope we can retainthese varieties and still havepeace.

But the Law of God is thathumanity is given a certainlength of time in which to adaptto the new principle, and the out-break of the Second World Warmeant that we had exceeded our

wonu) onorzn IS THE GOAL 329allotted time, and therefore wewere given a supreme sufferingto remind us of the need to turnfor guidance to an AlmightyHand. _

For the first time in the historyof Religion, Baha’u’lléh hasgiven us not merely laws, prin-ciples, precepts, prayers andforms of worship, but He hasgiven us a social pattern whichthe Baha’is are confident will beaccepted by the leaders of theworld, because in that patternthe ultimate sovereignty is vestedin all mankind and is reflected inobedience to the Divine Will,that there is no more any separa-tion of nations, nor separation ofeconomic classes, but the work-ing out of an organic human so-ciety, the first traces of whichhave already been given to theworld as a demonstration in thecommunity of the followers ofBaha’u’llah. If you will watchtheir lives you will see that intheir coming together in littlegoups, people of s differentclasses and races and creeds,people who are equally sincereand devoted to the study of thenew revelation, have fellowshipwith similar groups of believersin other countries, and this greatnew creation of light is drawingin power, day by day. The dem-onstration of its life in the worldis that mankind cannot continueunder the conditions of the past.

We must have peace if we wouldretain the integrity of our exist-ence as human beings.

Finally, I will read from adescription of the future Com-monwealth which the Baha’is up-hold as the perfect pattern ofthis principle of unity:

“Some form of a world Super-State must needs be evolved, inwhose favor all the nations ofthe world will have willinglyceded every claim to make war,certain rights to impose taxationand all rights to maintain arma-ments, except for purposes ofmaintaining internal order with-in their respective dominions.Such a state will have to includewithin its orbit an InternationalExecutive adequate to enforcesupreme and unchallengeableauthority on every recalcitrantmember of the commonwealth;a World Parliament whose mem-bers shall be elected by the peo-ple in their respective countriesand whose election shall be con-firmed by their respective gov-ernments; and a Supreme Tri-bunal whose judgment will havea binding effect even in suchcases where the parties con-cerned did not voluntarily agreeto submit their case to its con-sideration.” -i

Address delivered at Baha’i meeting,Royal York Hotel, Toronto, October 29.1945.

The Challenge of the Atomic AgeARTHUR DAHL

EVENTS in the field of interna-tional relations since the atomic

bomb was announced, clearly indi-cate that the statesmen of the world,and presumably the peoples forwhom they are spokesmen, haveutterly failed to grasp the implica-tions of this momentous scientificdevelopment. For distrust betweennations has been growing, and hasbeen accompanied by increasingskepticism of the attempts to achieveinternational organization and by afalling back towards old concepts ofbalance of power and control ofstrategic areas. The vacillating for-eign policy of the United States hasnot escaped these failings.

Yet any consideration. of the har-nessing of atomic power cannot butwarn us of the powder keg we are socomplacently sitting on. The dangeris made only too clear by the follow-ing twelve facts about the atomicbomb, abstracted by Time“ from themass of data published to date:

1. Atomic weapons will over-shadow peacetime uses of atomicenergy, at least until the world isconfident that it has atomic weaponsunder control.

2. No military or scientific de-fense can be expected.

3. Breaking up cities is the onlypractical defense idea advanced sofar.

4. Much larger atomic chargesare in prospect, adapted for deliveryto a target as rockets, as robombs,or shipped in wardrobe trunks.

5. Atomic weapons might kill

"'Issue of November 12, 194-5.

20% of a nation’s people in an hour.No nation lost 10% of its people bymilitary action in all the years ofWorld War II.

6. All major powers have accessto the necessary raw materials.

7. No big secret protects theatomic bomb. The U. S. alone knowssome engineering quirks, whichother nations may learn in a fewyears.

8.. The cost of atomic weaponsis not prohibitive. Any nation thatcan afford a large army or navy canafford them.

9. Out-producing the enemy isnot much advantage in atomic war-fare. Two hundred bombs may bebetter than 100, but 10,000 is nobetter than 5,000, because 5,000would destroy all important targetsin a country. Consequently, a small,relatively poor nation might defeata larger, richer nation.

10.. Atomic weapons increase theincentive to aggression by multiply-ing the advantage of surprise.

11. International control will beextremely difficult. Expert inspectorswill have to follow raw materialsthrough every step of the process,which would be almost impossible innations intent on evading control.

12. Publication of atomic researchdata will mitigate distrust, but com-plete national or international con-trol of atomic research is impossible.

It is inescapable that old conceptsof military strategy are basicallyaltered, that the great powers can nolonger expect to keep the peace bypolicing the world, that no power,

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CHALLENGE 331great or small, is safe so long as thewill to make war remains in anypart of the world.

Some people have tended to re-gard the atomic bomb as merely an-other and more potent weapon of thetype which fitted into the militarypattern of the war just completed.When Cassandras warn that an atom-ic war could mean the rapid end ofour civilization, they point out thateven atomic bombs are effective onlyagainst concentrations of population,that they could not hope to kill every-body. This is perfectly true, andenough people and books wouldprobably survive to furnish the nu-cleus fo-r the rebuilding of our civil-ization. But it would take centuries,and the destructiveness that wouldresult from such an attack would beof such an order as to constitute, forpractical purposes, the end of civil-ization and a high standard of livingin our times, and must be avoided atall costs.

The scientists who created theatomic bomb realize this full well,a.nd are vigorously pointing out theineffectiveness of present-day con-trols to regulate the bomb, and thenecessity for true world control andorganization.‘ Yet men of affairs,and people everywhere, have eithermissed the point, or are afraid tobring themselves to face the issuesquarely, since it means tossing over-board deeply rooted concepts carriedover from the past.

Life posed the challenge when itbluntly began a recent editorial onthe bomb* with the statement thatno religion, philosophy, educationalI‘ I I Fri: -|

‘Life for October 29, 194-5. Also seestatement of Albert Einstein in AtlanticMonthly for November, 194-5. Also Nation,November 17, 1945.

institution, or other thinking grouphad come up with a plan or an ideawhich met on a spiritual level thechallenge the atomic bomb has madeon the material level. We must abol-ish the will to war, or else, in spiteof all the physical precautions wemight take, the atomic bomb will beused to destroy us. And time is ofthe essence. This is not an academicproblem for future ages to solve. Itis something we are face to face withtoday, that must be met at once, andit takes precedence over all otherquestions, opinions, prejudices, orcustoms.

Baha’is take issue with Life’sstatement that no spiritual programhas appeared to meet the challengeof the atomic bomb. Their program,which measures up fully to this chal-lenge, is contained within the teach-ings of Bahé’u’llah, Founder of theBaha’i Faith, and has been availableto those who would listen for morethan seventy years. The conditionwhich makes the bomb so dangerous,the disunity among nations and racesin a world that has become physi-cally united and interdependent, isnot new. It has been recognized andchallenged by B-aha’i leaders for acentury. But the atomic bomb po-tentially places in the hands of irre-sponsible people a new weapon sodestructive that it makes the allevia-tion of this condition of disunity im-perative without further delay.

The condition arises from a lackof spiritual values in our age, andcan be solved only by reconstructingthe moral and spiritual frameworkof our society. To- do this, thebarriers between the religions, races,and nations of the world must bebridged. Such a task, reaching allpeoples everywhere, needs a compre-

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332 wont!) ORDERhensive plan, and a powerful spirit-ual dynamic to put it into effect.

Both of these are found within theBaha’i Faith. By recognizing theDivine Origin and the essential har-moniousness of the teachings of theFounders of all the major religions,Baha’u’llah laid the foundation forreconciling the religious differencesthat have been one of the principalobstacles to close contact betweenthe great regions of the world. Byadvocating, more than seventy yearsago, a sovereign world government,He anticipated what is today recog-nized as one of the prime necessitiesfor lasting peace. And since Baha’islook upon Him as the Prophet o-fGod for this age, fulfilling the samefunction and bringing with Him thesame dynamic power to influencethe minds and hearts of men asChrist, Moses, and Muhammad be-fore Him, they believe their Faithoffers the spiritual force needed toput this mighty plan into practicaloperation by leading all peoples toembrace once more the basic moralvalues that have so largely beenforgotten.

There is no longer time for half-way measures. The problems of our

age must be met comprehensivelyand thoroughly. It is a tremendoustask, one which needs the breadth,the spiritual insight, and the realisticapproach of the Baha’i Faith. Theworld can no longer afford to ignorethis great Teaching.

This is not only a time of extremedanger, but of great opportunity.For, in the words of Shoghi Effendi,present Guardian of the Baha’iFaith: “The Revelation of Baha-’u’llah, whose supreme mission isnone other but the achievement ofthis organic and spiritual unity ofthe whole body of nations, should,if we be faithful to its implications,be regarded as signalizing throughits advent the coming of age of theemtire human race. . . . Who candoubt that such a consummation. . . must signalize, in its turn, theinauguration of a world civilizationsuch as no mortal eye hath ever be-held or human mind conceived?Wlio is it that can imagine the loftystandard which such a civilization,as it unfolds itself, is destined toattain? Who can measure theheights to which human intelligence,liberated from its shackles, willsoar?”

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Today nothing but the power of the Word of God which encompassesthe realities of things can bring the thoughts, the minds, the hearts and thespirits under the shade of one Tree. He is the potent in all things, the vivifierof souls, the preserver and the controller of the world of mankind. Praisebe to God, in this day the light of the Word of God has shone forth uponall regions, and from all sects, communities, nations, tribes, peoples, religionsand denominations, souls have gathered under the shadow of the Word ofOneness and have in the most intimate fellowship united and harmonized!

—‘ABnU’L-Bani

In the ArmyBENJAMIN KAUFMAN

|rHERE is not a man, womanor child in the world today

who has not been touched some-what by the war. The cataclys-mic forces which it unleashedcannot be described adequatelyin words, but to the man in theService, as his contacts withthese forces increased, certainthings stand forth bold and clear.

For example, he knows thathumanity needs more than aWorld Charter supported bymost nations. He knows that aworld police force alone cannotquench international crime, andhe knows that universal peacedid not arrive with the atomicbomb and final surrender. Hefeels that there is an elusiverequisite to be added. Some areseeking it, some have given uphope, some believe they havefound it.

Here are a few mild" personalexamples to illustrate why G.I.Joe is beginning to stop anddo some independent thinking.Multiply them a million fold andyou will be getting only a smallfraction of what has happenedin Europe, Asia and Africa dur-ing the last six years.

I asked a woman in Belgiumwhether there were any Jews inher town. Silently she led me to

the rear of the house where grasswas beginning to sprout overthree mounds of earth. “Hereis where they are,” she answeredsimply.

A hospitable family in Edin-burgh put me up for the night.Over the mantelpiece hung pic-tures of a son and daughter inuniform. “The boy isn’t comingback,” said the Mother. “Wehope the girl will.”

I handed a bar of chocolate toa destitute child somewhere inFlanders. He grabbed it eagerlyand raced away to devour it inhiding, fearful lest someone takethis manna from him.

The sole survivor of a tor-pedoed Liberty ship told meof his experiences. Twenty-fourdays he lay on a raft, awaitingdeath or insanity. His food con-sisted of raw fish which he man-aged to catch when they swamup to nibble at his fingers.

I walked by the prisoners’cage in Namur. Eyes, sullen,dark, full of hatred and venom,stared out at me.

I met the young pilot of a P-51in Calcutta. His plane had beenshot down over Burma and hehad walked forty miles throughthe jungle to escape capture. Hisbody was covered with sores and

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334 WORLD onnnnitches. “Pm not talking,” hesaid bitterly. “No one backhome would believe my story.It’s too fantastic.”

It all leads to one, great un-avoidable question: “That hasman wrought? From London toMoscow, from Paris to Chung-king, from Port Said to the NorthSea, the evidence indelibly iscarved in the hearts and on thefaces of millions.

For what did we fight? Iusethe word in its highest sense.) Itdoes not suffice merely to answerapple pie, or chocolate sodas atthe corner drug store, or the rightto live as one pleases. HappilyI have known soldiers who dig-nified their lives with loftiersentiments than these.

They who have suffered knowthe answer —— the answer thatcomes not alone through suffer-ing that is experienced person-ally' which is difficult enough,but through the suffering thatone sees about him and is unableto assuage. The thin, emaciatedbodies of hungry, weary chil-dren, the resigned looks ofwomen from battle-torn France,Holland and Belgium, old be-fore their time, faintly hopingfor the return of husband, broth-er or sweetheart, and the haggard

faces of men who have seen theirhomes demolished and theirloved ones destroyed. Some daya mighty pen will describe thepent-up emotions that havewelled in their hearts, but thoseof us who were present have noneed of such corroboration. Itwas there to observe and touchand feel.

I stood for the first timein June of 1945 in Wilmette,Illinois. Before m-e, peeping ma-jestically over green trees, deli-cate in its exquisite tracery, rosethe Temple of Light shining likea beacon.

At that moment the sum totalof it all le-ft one all-inclusivethought. Humanity requires aspiritual renaissance to strength-en its moral fibers and resusci-tate a dying soul. With it mustcome moral integrity, an under-standing and respect for therights of others, and educationaccessible to everyone. If warsare to cease, if hate is to departfrom the hearts of men, if earth-shaking sorrows are to visit usno more, if children are to smileagain, if kindness, mercy andjustice are to illuminate thisworld, men everywhere musthearken to God’s guiding princi-plesand learn to follow them.

All that leads to the quickening of the peoples and the salvation of theworld hath been revealed from the kingdom of utterance by the Lord ofMankind. -—-—B-AHAiUiLLAH

'_"""'_'_élct/iforiaij Worshi in One Faith jPAMONG the things which seem

revolutionary to some in theinitial stages of investigating theoutward evidences and signs ofthe Bahé.’i Faith is the matter ofform of worship. Often it isasked: what in the Baha’i Faithtakes the place of the weeklyservice in the Christian and Jew-ish Faiths? Others when told ofone universal religion with nosects or divisions and a universalhouse of worship often ask: sinceindividuals vary so much intemperament, belief, and spirit-ual and intellectual endowmentdo we not need many types ofworship to satisfy the religiousneeds of the various types of in-dividuals? Accustomed, as weare, to freedom of belief andworship, it seems to some un-necessary and perhaps even in-tolerant to look forward to atime when all peoples, regard-less of former or ancestral be-liefs will worship together in oneuniversal house of worship. Butfurther study of the teaching ofBaha’u’llah makes one realizethat He has bestowed upon hu-manity not an arbitrary com-mand forcing people into acommon mold, but somethingvastly greater, the establishment

of the fundamental oneness ofall true religion.

The idea and practice of re-ligious tolerance has made prog-ress in recent years, but it seemsdifficult for people to grasp thegreat truth of unity in religion.This is partly due to indifferenceto religious belief. It is partlydue to the fact that we look atthe differences of the religionsof the world as they are practicedtoday. And truly these differ-ences are great. But Bahé’u’lléhcalls us to consider the basicteachings of those Holy Messen-gers of God Who in all cases andin spite of all opposition taughtand established the love of Godand of fellow men. Differencesare due to the needs of the timesand to later man-made interpre-tations of the original teachings,to rituals and ceremonials intro-duced by the priestly class.

But it is something more thanintellectual acceptance of thefact of unity in religion thatmakes the sincere seeker ponder-ing the words of Baha’u’llahforget religious differences andknow with joy that the great in-spired Prophets Who establishedpure religions have not onlybrought the same fundamentalMessage from God but that Theyare one in spirit in that they were

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all moved by the one indwellingSpirit of God, that They “haveall appeared and raised the callwith the one purpose of trans-forming the world of man intothe Kingdom of God” and thatthrough Baha’u’llah God hasonce more raised the call toestablish the Kingdom on earthand made unity in religion thefoundation stone of the King-dom, the necessary basis for en-during peace.

Those to whom this truth be-comes reality gladly draw to-gether in worship whether theycome from Christian, Hebrew orother Faiths,‘ discarding rituals,creeds and ceremonies of formerFaiths. A

So Bah:-.i’i worship is simple,for, according to the instructionsof Baha’u’ll:-ih, in the Baha’iFaith are no clergy, no preach-ing, no ritual. Religious instruc-tion is given in school, in thehome and in special classes.Since this new dispensation ush-ered in by Baha’u’llah is the agein which mankind reaches hisspiritual maturity, a clericalclass is no longer necessary;each v individual is responsiblefor his own approach to andcommunion with God. Revealedprayers and other holy inspiredwords and meditation are used.Each morning and eveningprayers and holy utterances willbe read or chanted in the uni-

versal house of worship pro-vided in every community.Daily obligatory prayers areused by each individual in theprivacy of his home. W0-rshipis observed at the unity feast ormeeting held every nineteendays.

Shoghi Eflendi, Guardian ofthe Baha’i Faith, makes clear themeaning, beauty and effective-ness of Baha’i worship when hewrites:

“The central House of Baha’iWorship . . . will gather withinits chastened walls, in a serenelyspiritual atmosphere, only thosewho, discarding forever the trap-pings of elaborate and ostenta-tious ceremony, are willing wor-shipers of the one true God, asmanifested in this age in thePerson of Baha’u’llah. . . .Theirs will be the conviction thatan all-loving and ever-watchfulFather Who, in the past, and atvarious stages in the evolutionof mankind, has sent forth HisProphets as the Bearers of HisMessage and the Manifestationsof His Light to mankind, cannotat this critical period of theircivilization withhold from Hischildren the Guidance whichthey sorely need amid the dark-ness which has beset them, andwhich neither the light of sciencenor that of human wisdom andintellect and wisdom can succeedin dissipating.” -——-B. H. K.

This Earth One CountryBook Review

WILLIAM KENNETH CHRISTIAN

AS THE world enters the atomicage and discussion centers

around the awesome possibilitiesahead, Baha'is are fortunate in thepublication of Emeric Sala's bookThis Earth One Country. Althoughthe book contains no mention of theatomic bomb, the deeper questionsnow so dramatically forced intopublic consciousness are here dealtwith from the Baha’i viewpoint.

Three things make Mr. Sala's booka valuable addition to Baha’i litera-ture: first, the simplicity of languagein which the book is written; second,the clarity in showing the relation-ship of the Baha’i teachings to worldeconomic and social problems; and,third, the excellent summary of theBaha’i world community.

Mr. Sala realizes that there aremany people who have no connectionwith institutional religion, yet aredeeply concerned about world prob-lems and realize the moral dilemmaof our time. He has written withsuch people in mind and so beginshis argument by showing the basisof a planetary economy. As a suc-cessful business man and student ofeconomics, he knows his ground.

The problem of one economicworld poses three large political al-ternatives: world-domination, world-association (as in a league), andworld federation. The analysis ofthese possibilities is brief and point-ed; recent events greatly reinforcethe argument for world federation.

But the question of a moral stand-

This Earth One Coantry, Emeric Sela.Bruce Humphries, Boston, Mass. 194-5.

ard by which world problems mabe solved, is the heart of the book):Chapter III “The Christian Individ-ual in an Immoral Society” will bedisturbing to the traditional mindedwho would offer the naked GoldenRule as answer to the atomic bomb.In this chapter Mr. Sala discussesthe historic reasons why Christianitydid not build a culture reflectingChristian love.

From the time of Christ's momen-tous declaration: “Render untoCaesar the things that are Caesar’sand to God the things that areGod’s”, there has grown a deepchasm between the individual Chris-tian morality and the morality o-fthose nations inhabited by Christianpeople.

“The people Christ taught did notbelong to an integrated society withan awakened social consciousness.How could it have been otherwise?In an agricultural world, for theChristian world was, until very re-cently, mainly pastoral and agricul-tural, the -individual tiller of the soillived a solitary and contemplativelife. He depended for his sustenanceon the elements of nature rather thanthe life of the community. Whileworshipping God and getting alongpeacefully with his few neighbors,he remained ignorant of the worldand its inhabitants. In our age ofspeed, we are apt to forget that foreighteen hundred years the averageChristian did not wander more thanthirty miles from the place of hisbirth.”

Although a Church was necessaryfor the promulgation of Christ's

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Mill 338 wonrn ononnMessage, that Church never suc-ceeded in carrying individual Chris-tian love over into the economic andpolitical activities of nations. Andso a dual morality-—~ a high stand-ard of love in the Christian individ-ual as opposed to the rapacious,materialistic ethic of self-worship-ping nation-states --- has b e c ornefirmly embedded in the western tra-dition.

This patent ethical dichotomy hascaused many people to turn from re-ligion as an effective fo-rce in estab-lishing a world o-f organized decencyand law. It is at this point that Mr.Sala introduces the challenging fea-tures of the Baha’i Faith. Justice,he points out, is the world ethicalgoal toward which Bahaiis are work-ing. “The highest moral expressionbetween groups or nations is notlove, which can issue only fro-m in-dividuals, but justice, which is theimpersonal expression of a collec-tive conscience.”

To clarify the claims advanced byB-aha’u’llah, Mr. Sala proposes an-swering several questions. “First,can religion have a wide-spreadeffect upon the institutions of so-ciety? This we must know, sincenineteen hundred years o-f Chris-tianity brought primarily changeonly to individuals. Second, how dothe social institutions and principlesof the Baha’i faith meet modernneeds? Third, does the first hundredyears of the Baha’i faith indicate anability to change the social outlookof individuals enough to effect aradical change in society?”

Over half the book is devoted toanswering these questions. And ofthis latter half, perhaps the finestdiscussion is that which centers inChapter V, “The Supranational Com-munity.” Mr. Sala discusses theBahéifs as people, and their objec-tives. The administrative institutionscreated by Bal1éi’u’llah are carefullydescribed as a functioning patternof world order. He shows ho-w aspiritual democracy without partypolitics works.

The technique of consultation isclearly set forth. “In Baha’i consul-tation each mind gives as well astakes, is constantly trained to remainopen, and to understand and appre-ciate other points of view than itsown. The ideas born in such a meet-ing are the result of creative inter-action with other minds, inspired bya common faith and a common aim:the welfare of the who-le community.The union of these unselfish mindsproduces a breadth of vision and apower of insight which is incompre-hensible to the uninitiated.”

This chapter is the best shortsummary of the functioning Baha’iorder that I have ever seen, exceptfor the statement of the Guardian.It is clear, comprehensive, and espe-cially stimulating to those who donot know of the B-ahaii Faith.

Readers will also be grateful forthe care with which the book is an-notated and for the fine index.

Copies of This Earth One Country maybe ordered through the Baha’i' PublishingCommittee, Wilmette, Illinois, $2.50.

It is the structure of His New World Order now stirring in the womb ofthe administrative institutions He Himself created, that will serve both asa pattern and a nucleus of that world commonwealth which is the sure, theinevitable destiny of the peoples of the earth. -—-SHoc1-II EFFENDI

i

An Early TeacherELEANOR CRANE CARTER

THIRTY years ago a womancame to our town a stranger.

In one hand she carried a suit-case, in the other she held themoist warm palm of a little girl,her daughter. To our town, smugin its material wealth and con-tent with its social and religiousstandards, this woman came un-announced and unafraid to earna living for herself and child.Her face radiated ethereal hap-piness and her large dark eyesseemed to see far beyond. Theliving she sought to earn was notparamount in her thoughts. Shewanted to tell these people of thenew prophet who had come tothe world. “His name is Baha-’u’llah,” she said simply. “Itmeans Glory of God.”

The town had long been di-vided by its many creeds out ofwhich social and business stratahad been drawn. Members ofeach church did not associatewith other religious groups anda newcomer would wisely reflecton his choice of affiliation for thesake of his material success.But this woman sought no sec-tarian nor social prestige. Manmade distinctions were nothingto her, for had not Baha’u’llah,the new prophet, said, “Ye areall the fruits of one tree, leaves

of one branch and members ofthe same family.” And only ameager living did she seek toearn for again had not Baha-’u’llah said, “O Son of Being!If poverty overtake thee, benot sad; for in time the Lordof wealth shall visit thee. Fearnot abasement‘ for glory shallone day rest on thee.”

Day after day often timesmiles in the country she walkedfrom house to house, hoping notso much for the sale of her goodsas that the doors of people’shearts would be open to receiveher message.

“Do you realize what a glori-ous age you live in?” she wouldask with her face aglow and hereyes sparkling with joy. “Thisis a New Day, a New Age, a NewCycle. The old order is passingaway and a New Dispensationhas come.” Then, as if lookingat a vision before her, she wouldcontinue, “Just as the sun arisesfrom the East to bring materiallight to the world after a periodof darkness . . . so does God sendDivine Revealers to bring spirit-ual light to mankind. Since thebeginning of time these DivineMessengers” have come. Zoroas-ter, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad --—and now Baha’u’llah has come to

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34-9 woarn onnnnunite all re-ligions, races and na-tions. These prophets are likenotes in a heavenly song and wemust not accent one note morethan the other lest we mar theharmony. How wonderful! Howclear are God’s plans.”

With great tenderness shewould tell of the Bab -——- Hispurity of life and cruel martyr-dom —-~— a story of such bravery,such sacrifice, such faith that italways increased in beauty witheach repetition.

“Bab means Gate,” she said,“and like John the Baptist in thetime of Jesus, He came to pre-pare the people for the advent ofthe Promised One. . . . Someheeded . . . others disbelievedand killed Him for bringingthem a message of love, in hopesof quenching this heavenly light. . . but it could not be stoppedany more than they could stopthis material sun from shining.. . . All mankind can do is toclose its heart from seeing it . . .and just as the Bab foretold‘Baha’u’llah, the great Revealer,came . .. . only to be imprisonedby these same blind people.Even then they could not shut outHis light. It penetrated deeperand deeper through the thickprison walls even to us here inAmerica. Yes, some Americanshave gone and seen and believed.After many years of imprison-ment and exile, Baha’u’llah

died, asking that His eldest son,‘Abdu’l-Baha, carry on His greatmessage. ‘Abdu’l-Baha means‘servant of God.’ He and othermembers of His family werefreed a few years ago and nowlive in ‘Akka . . . only two yearsago He came to America tospread these teachings and whilehere He visited the grave of thefirst American believer . . . justseventy miles from here.”

“ ‘Abdu’l-Bahat came and wedid not know? . . . Why were wedeprived this privilege?”

“One does not have to see tobelieve,” she answered. “I, too,never saw Him. Think alwaysof Him as a loving father. Askyourself when problems come,‘How would He want me to do?’And never doubt a Manifestationof God. Believe and do whatthey have hidden you do . . .some day, if not now, you willsee the wisdom of it.”

On her table stood a pictureof ‘Abdu’l-Baha. By it alwayswas a vase of flowers. “ ‘Abdu’l-Baha loves flowers . . . their per-fume is significant of His life,”she would say, looking tenderlyat them. “He loves children, too,and has several beautiful grand-children.” There before us wasthe picture of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. “Hehas grandchildren — He lovesflowers —- He lives to serve Hisfather and mankind” --——- theseare living people walking, talk-

_ _q_

EARLY TEACHER 341ing, loving—-—not story bookpeople. A

On the wall above ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s picture was the Arabicword meaning “God Most Glori-ous,” the Greatest Name, shecalled it and said it signifiedthese teachings Baha’u’llah hadbrought. They were called theBaha’i Faith . . . Baha’i mean-ing Light. “The Bab, Baha-’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the Baha’iFaith.” How melodiously shespoke these wordsl. Would thetime ever come when we, too,could do likewise?

“Some day these words willbe spoken universally. They willbecome as well known as thenames in the Bible,” she assuredus.

In her tiny two rooms she be-gan her meetings. A few worntablets sent by ‘Abdu’l-Baha toAmerican believers, copied andhanded on, lip to lip, heart toheart, stories of the history of theFaith, and a paper bound copyof Baha’u’llah’s Hidden Wordswith a few prayers includedwere her only material. Nightafter night three adults and threechildren gathered there to readth es e words — spelling, stam-mering out their pronunciationonly to meet her happy smile andapproval. She explained the sig-nificance and necessity of TheNineteen Day Feast, establishedby Baha’u’llah and considered it

a very special privilege. Onthese occasions her small tablewould be perfumed from thescent of a homemade bouquet. . . oftentimes a single roseplaced in the center with twocandles on either side which ra-diated a light not confined to thelimitations of wax and string.No ceremonial banquet could beserved with greater love and de-votion than her often times sim-ple fare of cocoa and crackers.

In time, as ever, the opposersworked to belittle, criticize andridicule this “new fangled re-ligion” without investigation.Never a look of reproach or dis-couragement clouded her coun-tenance for had not Baha’u’llahsaid in the Hidden Words:

“O My Servant!“Free thyself from the fetters

of this world, and loose thy soulfrom the prison of self. Seizethy chance, for it will come tothee no more.”

“O Man of Two Visions!‘CClose one eye and open the

other. Close one to the worldand all that is therein, and openthe other to the hallowed beautyof the Beloved.” And had not‘Abdu’l-Baha admonished thosewho believed to “Be silent con-cerning the faults of others, topray for them, and to help themthrough kindness to correct theirfaults.” The Bab, too, had

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342 WORLD onnnnuttered this assurance: “God willassist all those who arise toserve.”

She stayed among us severalyears, living as near as was hu-manly possible to all the Divineprecepts she had brought. Whenthe time came for her departure,she went away as unostentatious-ly as she had come .. . . herdaughter now a young womansharing the weight of the suit-case.

Thirty years ago! In the in-terim ‘Abdu’l-Baha passed fromthis world, appointing His eldestgrandson, Shoghi Effendi, Guar-dian of the Cause He had sodearly loved. These teachingshave encircled the globe. Thewords are spoken in seventy-eight countries, r e p-re sent in gthirty-one races. Our town hasbecome more tolerant. Unionprayers are held by the variouschurches and fellowship meet-ings have come out of the socialgroups. The names “the Bab,Baha’u’llah, ‘Abdu’l-Bah:-i, Sho-ghi Effendi and the Baha’iCause” are familiar words andfall easily from the lips of many.

Some may not know who firstspoke them in our town . . .others will never forget. Tosome her words fell like dew-drops and melted away . . . toothers they became precious dia-monds in this the world’s mostpriceless heritage. And whetherthey believed or disbelieved themessage she brought, no one whocontacted her was left unmoved,untouched by the radiance of herspirit.

Death came a swift messengerto her a few years ago. In cross-ing a street one stormy night shewas instantly killed by an unseencar. To those who knew her itis easy to believe she was look-ing far beyond impendingdanger, listening to the notes ofher heavenly melody. In tributeto her I quote from her sourceof inspiration, The HiddenWords of Baha’u’llah, the fol-lowing:

“O Son of Spirit!“My first counsel is this: Pos-

sess a pure, kindly and radiantheart, that thine may be a sover-eignty ancient, imperishable andeverlasting.”

The ordinances of God have been sent down from the h.eaven of Hismost august Revelation. All must diligently observe them. Man’s supremedistinction, his real advancement, his final victory have always depended,and will continue to depend upon them. Whose keepeth the commandmentsof God shall attain everlasting felicity.

—BAnA’U’LLAH

“THEN TELL ME”Then tell me. Do the children know the Father and confess Him

or do they contradict Him as the people contradicted Him before?”

ELs1E PATEnsoN CRANMER

We wandered in perpetual night,Without a star, without a moon,The Sun from which men drew their lightWas hid in clouds themselves had wrought.The earth was dumb and still and stark.Oh, star for which the wise men soughtWas there not once a promise madeThat He would come when night was dark . . .Are we betrayed, are we betrayed?

In other lands, and other skiesLived Eastern Christs, as well-belovedAs our own Christ, the Jewish Lord.Their light gave knowledge to the wiseThey too had strange symbolic birthAnd lived and died and rose again,And left with men their holy Word.Praise be to God that He has left

5 His finger-prints on all the earth!Yet, still our brothers weep, bereft:“The gold has gone from that gold storyWe too have lost the heavens’ glory.”

I have a secret I must tellFor it bursts my breast with its bursting bell,When night was blackest and most men slept,The promise given was kept, was kept.He shook the earth with His thunderous treadAnd stirred the living and woke the deadWho rose from their self-wrapped winding sheetAt the thud of His sounding shattering feet.Though the whole earth shivered, scarce none knew whyScarce any knew when the Lord went by.

- And lightless moon —-- now rich with lightOh, darkened Sun, now bright with gold,The story of the Lord is told.

Shout His New Name both wide and farBaha’u’llah, Baha’u’llah!

343

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BAHA’I WORLD FAITHBook Review

A ELEANOR SWENEY HUTCHENS

T-HE Word of God has the po-werto create mens hearts anew. It

can make a new heaven and a newearth to descend upon mankind, candestroy the selfishness and smallnessof the hearts, and can fill the soulswith an overwhelming love for allmankind, a love made strong becauseit is the love of God.

The world has never been mo-re inneed of that regeneration. The Israelof Moses’ day, the Judea of Christ’stime, the Arabia of Muhammad’s erawere none of them more materialistic,none of them more headlong in theirrush towards destruction than theworld of today. The corruption ofsociety, the laxness of morality, thedisobedience to Go-d’s commands, thefear and suspicion that rule men’shearts are-all signs of the end of acivilization. The mercy of God informer ages sent a Moses, a Christ,a Muhammad to be the salvation ofa people, the builders o-f a new civi-lization. The message of Baha’u’llahis that God has sent one of HisProphets once again to lead men toa fuller life.

Baha’i World Faith, a recentlypublished selection of the writings ofBaha’u’llah and ’Abdu"l-Baha, Hisson, offers to- humanity the Word ofGod for today. There are prayersthat reshape the lives of those whouse them. There are exhortations thatrefresh the spirit and reinterpretgood and evil. There are laws for themaintenance of universal peace andthe creation of a worldwide civiliza-tion. There are explanations of the

Baha’i World Faith, Baha’i PublishingCommittee, 1943.

Scriptures of the past and proofs ofthe Divine Mission of Baha’u’llah.Here also are the talks and letters of’Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’u’llah.’s ch o s e nExemplar and Interpreter... A greatfeast is spread for the nourishmentof a starving world.

The organization of Bahti’i WorldFaith makes it a valuable aid to thestudy of the Faith. The editor, Mr.Horace Holley, has collected from allavailable authentic English transla-tions, including many previously un-published tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Baha,arranging the material according tosubject matter and developing thedistinctive features of the B-aha’iRevelation. There are five chapterscorrelating the various writings ofBaha’u’llah under th ese subjects:I. The Great Announcement; II. ThePromised One; III. The Life of theSoul; IV. Laws of the New Age;V. The Mystery of God. The-n thereare four carefully edited chaptersfrom the writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha:VI. The Faith of B-aha’u’llah; VII.Soul, Mind, and Spirit; VIII. TheLoom of Reality; IX. The DivinePlan. These chapter headings indi-cate the general plan of the book.The student is given further aids in avery complete table of contents, agood index, and an appendix givingthe source of each selection.

To Napoleon III of France, toQueen Victoria of England, to- Alex-ander II of Russia, to Kaiser WilhehnI of Germany, to the Shah of Persiaand the Sultan of Turkey, and totheir successors as well as to therulers of the world collectively,Baha’u’llah issued commands unique

I 34-4-

IBAnA’i FAITH 345in the history of religion. Theseletters are a valuable portion of theBahd’£ World Foith. He addressedking and emperor as “One havingauthority,” saying, “Your glory con-sisteth not in your sovereignty, butrather in your nearness unto Godand your observance of His com-mand as sent down in His holy andpreserved Tablets.” Again He said,“Thou art God’s shadow on earth.Strive therefore to act in such man-ner as befitteth so eminent, so augusta station.” To these rulers He gaveprinciples for universal peace andjust government.

The magnificent concept of onecontinuous divine religion progress-ing thro-ugh the periodic Revelationsborne by the great Prophets is de-veloped by Bah,a’u’ll:ih in other pas-sages quoted, and the part Baha-’u’llah plays in the Divine Plan isexplained by ‘Abdlfl-Baha in wellchosen selections. Of all theseProphets, Baha’u’llah writes: “Who-soever recognizeth them hath recog-nized God. Whosoever hearkeneth totheir call hearkeneth to the Voice ofGod, and whosoever testifieth to thetruth of their Revelation hath testi-fied to the ruth of God. Himself. Who-soever turneth away from them hathturned away from God. and whosodisbelieveth in them has disbelievedin God. Every one of them is the wavof God that connecteth this worldwith the realms above, and the stand-ards of His Truth unto everyone inthe kingdoms of earth and heaven.They are the Manifestations of Godamidst men, the evidences of HisTruth, and the signs of His Glory.”

The meditations of B-aha’u’llah onthe spiritual life known as the Hid-den Words are erhaps the mostp .widely known of all His writings.These are included in Bo:hd’i World

Faith in part. “Thy heart is Myhome; sanctify it for My descent.Thy spirit is the place of My Revela-tion; cleanse it for My manifesta-tion,” He wrote, and in a series ofsuch brief and poetic passages, Hecrystallized the spirit of all religions.

His prayers are unexampledhymns of praise. Choice selectionsfrom these are included in the book.There are prayers for nearness toGod, for protection, for purity, forforgiveness, for healing, for ourlo-ved ones, for guidance, for the re-generation of the world. In no otherway can our knowledge of God’sattributes be gained so well as byreading and praying the prayers ofBaha’u’llah.

In the volume are also Baha-’u’ll:§ih’s explanation of immortalitywhich reinterprets the old conceptof Heaven and Hell as states of near-ness and distance from God, yet doesnot destroy the moral effects of beliefin reward and punishment. The goalof life in this world and the next issearch for the presence of God.Passages from both Baha’u’llah and‘Abdtfl-Baha are included concern-ing the eternal life of the soul ofman.

The bases of the Baha’i plan foruniversal peace are given in variousplaces in the volume, but are pre-sented most clearly perhaps in theletter which ‘Abdu’l-Bahé. wrote tothe Committee for Durable Peace,The Hague, in 1919. It outlines theinternational organization that shallcome about, composed of membersof every nation of the world gatheredin an international legislature. Alldisputes must be submitted to an in-ternational court whose decisionswill be enforced by an internationalpolice force. A. universal auxiliarylanguage will be taught in all the

34-6 WORLD ORDERschools. There will be a uniformsystem of weights and measures, asingle currency, and a uniform calen-dar. But these outward organizationscan never achieve the Kingdom ofGod on earth until the individualshave transformed themselves withlove for God and devotion to theinterests of each other. The principleof the onesness of humanity and theabolition of all prejudice, whetherracial, class, religious, national, orpolitical must come about before therealization of the Most Great Peace.It is the message of the book, Bohd’iWorld Faith that God has once again

sent His Messenger to guide and in-spire man to universal brotherhoodand absolute servitude to God.

If there could be but two Bahé’ibooks in each of our libraries, theyshould probably be Bohei’u’lléh andthe New Em, John Esslemont’s sum-mary of the principles and teachingsof the Bahé’i faith, the lives of itsfounders, and its history, and Bo:hd’iWorld Foith, the new, comprehensivecompilation of the writings of Baha-’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Bahé.

This is one in a series of articles onBaha'i hooks.

¢

F’!BAHAIRUTH Fosrsa FROEMMING

Baha’i means “spiritual light,” its glorious ray,Toward brotherhood and peace lights mankind’s way.

Shows blessed states to which man can unfold,When golden rule supplants the rule of gold.

Sends beams of light to show wherein man failed;Solves economic wrongs from which he ailed.

Illuminates the path to brotherhood,As kinship of mankind is understood.

Dissolves disunity of class and creed,And fosters love, Man’s universal need.

Equality of sex its light has brought,That links to progress be more firmly wrought.

In answer to man's wish for wars to cease,It points the way to international peace.

And speeds the day when world securityWill lift the hearts of all humanity.

Thus to the world, Baha’i, the super-sun,Proclaims with God that all mankind is one!

F

THE GUARDIANSHIP AND THEADMINISTRATIVE ORDER

A Study OutlinePAUL E. HANEY

I. INTRODUCTION ——-- FOUNDATIONS of the ADMINISTRATIVEORDER

A. Scope of C.ourse.1. Origins of the Administrative Order. d2’. The Twin Pillars of the Administrative Structure—-The Guar-

dianship and the Universal House of Justice.3. Present-Day Functions of National B-aha’i Administrative

Bodies.4-. The Local Spiritual Assembly and the Baha’i Community.5. The Individual Believer; Laws and Ordinances.-6. Broad Significance of the Administrative Order: The Baha’i

World Commonwealth.B. Foundations of the Administrative Order.

1. Writings of Baha’u’llah.(a) The Book of the Covenant.(b) Tablet of the B-ranch.(c) Kitab-i-Aqdas.(d) Words o-f Paradise.(e) Thirteenth Glad Tidings.

References:Three Tablets of BaM’tt’ll¢:ih, pp. 14-1-14-3; 152Ba/ui’i World Faith, pp. 182»-183; 195-196

2. The Will and Testament of ‘Abdu’l-B-aha.(a) Appointment of the Guardian.(b-) Explanation o-f Institution of Universal House of Justice.

References:The IVill and Testament of ‘Abdn’l-Bahd (Excerpts, 194-0

Edition). pThe World Order of Bahd’tt’lltih, pp. I4-3-157.Bahcfi Administration (Third Edition, I936), pp. 53-54-.

II. THE TWIN PILLARS of the ADMINISTRATIVE S-TRUC.TURE---THE GUARDIANSI-IIP and the UNIVERSAL HOUSE of JUSTICE.

A. The Institution of the Guardianship.1. Authority and Responsibilities -~—- Relation to Central Figures

-—-Unique Character of Institution of Guardianship.2. Permanent Head of Universal House of Justice.3. Successorship.4-. The Hands of the Cause.

B. The Universal House of Justice.1.. Functions.2. Method of Election —- “Secondary Houses of Justice.”

34-7

n?KiqI

343 wontn oanun3. Clearly Defined Spheres of Jurisdiction of Guardian and Uni-

versal House of Justice.References:

The Will and Testament of ‘Abdrfl-Baha (Excerpts, 1940Edition).

The World Order of Bahd’u-’lldh, pp. 143-157.Bahd’i Administration (Third Edition, 1936), pp. 36, 4-1, 54.Tablets of ‘Abduil-Bah-ai, Vol. I, p. 90.Bahd’i World Faith, p. 176.The Advent of Divine Justice, pp. 11-12.Some Answered Questions, pp. 67-68, 198-199.Bahrfi News, Number 77, p. 2.

III. PRESENT-DAY FUNCTIONS of NATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVEBODIES.

A. The American National Spiritual Assembly.1. Chief Pillar of Future House of Justice.2. Formation and Legal Organization.3.. Method o-f Election.4-. Authority and Responsibilities.5. Relation to Local Assemblies.References: ‘

The World Order of Bahd’a’llah, p. 89.Bahtfi Administration (Third Edition, 1936), pp. 34--35,

74--75, 78-79.Bahtfi Procedure (Second Edition, 1942), p. 65.Declaration of Trust and By-Laws of the National Spiritual

Assembly (194-5 Revision) .B. The National Convention.

1. Two--fold Function.2. Basis of Election of Delegates.3. Administrative Status of Convention. I4-. Convention Procedure.5. Time of Holding Convention.References:

Bah-d’i Administration, pp. 69, 81-82.By-Laws of the National Spritnal Assembly, Article VIII.Bahd’i Procedure (Second Edition, 194-2) , pp. 77-91.Baha’i News, Number 38, p. 1; Number 91, pp. 1-3.

IV. THE LOCAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY and the B-AHA’I COMMUNITY.A. Significance of Institution of Local Spiritual Assembly.B. Election, Duties and Obligations of Local Assemblies.C. Relationship to Community and to the National Spiritual Assem-

bly; The Nineteen Day Feast.References :

Bahaii Admin-istration, pp. 2'0-24¢, 32, 54-, 118.Bahdi Procedure (1937 Edition), Section II, 1-29.

ADMINISTRATIVE onmza 349Bahdii Procedure (Second Edition, 194-2), pp. 29-57, 108-

115.The World Order of Bahd’a’lla'h, p. 6.By-Laws of the National Spiritual Assembly, Article VII.A Procedure for the Conduct of the Local Spiritual Assem-

bly (Insert, Bahtfi News, August, 1945).Tablets of ‘Abduil-Bahd, Vol. I, pp. 1-26.

V. THE INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER; LAWS and ORDINANCES.A. The Individual and the Community.B. Obligations and Rights of Individual Believers; Administrative

Procedure.C. Laws and Ordinances.

References:Bahdli Procedure (1937 Edition), Section I, 1-22.Bahd’i Procedure (Second Edition, 194-2) , pp. 3-25.Bahdi World Faith, pp. 166-203.Will and Testament of ‘Abda’l-Bahd (Full Text), p. 10.

VI. BROAD SIGNIFICANCE of the ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER- THEBAHA’I WORLD COMMONWEALTH.

A. The Guiding Principles of World Order; The Federation of Man-kind.

B. The Lesser Peace and the Most Great Peace.C. Future World Peace Assured as a Fundamental Accomplishment

of the Administrative Order of Bahé'u'llah.References : I

The World Order of Bahd’a’llah, pp. 6-7, 18-19.. 34-38, 4-O-4-1,4-5, 156-167, 162-163, 2'02-204.

The Advent of Divine lastice, pp. 11-12, 72-77.The Promised Day Is Come, pp. 128'-129.Bahd’i World Faith, p. 24-7.Star of the West, Vol. XIII, p. 253.

Z

High aims and pure motives, however laudable in themselves, will surelynot suflice if unsupported by measures that are practicable and methods thatare sound. Wealth of sentiment, abundance of good-will and eflort, willprove of little avail if we should fail to exercise discrimination and restraintand neglect to direct their flow along the most profitable channels. Theunfettered freedom of the individual should be tempered with mutual consul-tation and sacrifice, and the spirit of initiative and enterprise should bereinforced by a deeper realization of the supreme necessity for concertedaction and a fuller devotion to the common weal.

—SuocH1 EFFENDII

1I

WITH OUR READERS

OUR leading article, “World Or- Mr. Dahl’s home is in Palo Alto,der Is the Goal, is a talk given

by Horace Holley at Toronto wherethe first of a series of public meet-ings was held October 29. Thesepublic meetings, held in eleven keycities, are a concerted effort to carrythe Baha’i Message to leaders ofthought and to the masses through-out the country. They are plannedand sponsored by the Baha'i Na-tional Assembly and supported andcarried out by the combined effortsof such national committees as thepublic meetings, the radio, the publicrelations, the news service and othercommittees in cooperation with localBaha’i committees in the cities wherethe meetings are held. By the timethis issue of World Order is in printmeetings will have been held inTolronto, Boston, Washington, At-lanta, New Orleans, Los Angeles,Denver. Other cities where they willbe held are Portland, New York,Detroit and Chicago. From time totime World Order plans to printother talks given in this importantseries of public meetings.

Many and diverse are opinionsabout the significance and use ofatomic energy. Fear rivals hope inregard to its use. Is it not possiblethat there is a deeper significance tothe age o-f atomic power than mostas yet suspect? In his article “TheChallenge of the Atomic Age” ArthurDahl sheds the light of Bahali teach-ings on this important subject. Mr.Dahl is a frequent contributor toWorld Order. His review of the bookBlack Boy was in our January issue.

California.

In our August, 194-2, issue weprinted “In the Army,” by Benja-min Kaufman, a member of theLos Angeles Bahé’i community. Inthis issue we print another article bythe same author under the sametitle. Lt. Kaufman writes: “In thefall of 1942 an article, “In theArmy” expressing my thoughts up-on induction was published in WorldOrder. Now after three and a halfyears I would like to submit theenclosed effort based on a similartheme. I have been overseas fourtimes and have recently returnedfrom India. I feel that my thoughtsare representative of a soldier and aBahé’i.”

William Kenneth Christianls re-view of Emeric Sala’s book, ThisEarth One Country, is comprehensiveand most timely. Baha’is will findthis book invaluable for gaining abroader view of the Baha’i Faith andits implications and as a means ofapproach for those not familiar withBahé’i Teachings. It may be ob-tained from. the Bahs’i PublishingCommittee, 110 Linden Avenue, Wil-mette, Illinois. Mr. Christian teachesin the department of Written andSpoken English of the Basic Collegeof Michigan State College at EastLansing.

In connection with her story, “AnEarly Baha’i Teacher,” EleanorCrane Carter writes as follows: “Ithas long been my desire to pay trib-ute to Santa Paula’s (California)

350

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WITH OUR READERS 351first Baha’i teacher, the late Mrs.Lesly O’Keefe Long. . . . I quotedmainly from the Hidden Words, hersource of inspiration, which, as Irecall, was the only book in printat that time.”

Only rarely do we receive con-tributions from our Baha’i friendsin England so when we received thepoem “Then Tell Me” by Elsie Pater-son Cranmer of Southbourne, nearBournemouth, we wrote askingMrs. Cranmer if she would tellus something about herself and herBahé’i experiences. Mrs. Cranmeris an artist in both poetry and music.Her poems have appeared in manyBritish magazines and several booksof her collected poems have beenprinted. She is a talented pianistwho instructs both in piano and inchoir singing. Parts of her lettertell us something about her Bahé’iexperiences and her work for theBahé’i Faith.

She writes: “I lost my husbandand my two brothers in the late war[world war I] and had later a terri-ble breakdown (we had some otherpersonal tragedies in our family)and this breakdown was really theinstrument used by Baha'u’llah forbringing me into the Cause. Beforethen I had been an agnostic of therankest and most virulent natureand looked upon all religion as somuch ‘dope,’ including Baha'i! Butwhen I was so ill and God hadstripped me, it seemed, of every-thing, suddenly it appeared to methat nothing in the world was of anyvalue save God and I began to iden-tify myself with the Baha’i Faith.This was many years ago, when I gotwell. Later I served on the L.S.A.for over a year and finally (or later,I should say) removed to Bourne-mouth. I have held weekly Baha'i

picnic meetings here every Saturday.Sometimes as many as sixteen attend.

“Hlhen my sister-in-law and I firstsettled here we had only two B-ahéfis,one completely inactive owing tobusiness circumstances, and theother semi-active. We have nowseventeen Baha’is and quite a flour-ishing community. Wel worked sohard last winter at my picnics thatwe made six Baha’is in six monthsand we were delighted with thesuccess of our efforts. I am now be-ginning the picnics again and do sopray for further success. We haveonly comparatively recently formedan Assembly and we’ve not got ourccnter yet which we want very bad-l . . . .y“Miss Pinchon [some of our

readers will remember Miss Pinch-on’s book, The Coming of theGlory.] has been in the Cause formany years but her health preventsher from taking any active part. Ifand when the community getsstronger I shall hope to pioneer.

“I know Norman Smith and Clar-ence Stigal, now in Chicago, whohimself sends me literature for myteaching work and also Duncan Mc-Alear whom I’ve not met, but whowrites regularly, and he too sendsliterature which is most helpful tome in my teaching work.”

Eleanor Sweney Hutchens, for-merly of Urbana-Champaign, Illi-nois, and a graduate of the Uni-versity of Illinois and one of ouryoungcr contributors, is now livingin Palos Heights, Illinois. Her ap-preciative survey or review of thebook, Bah.-:i’i World Faith, is anumber in our B-aha’i Literatureseries. This is Mrs. Hutchens’ firstcontribution to World Order.

352 WORLD oannnIncluded in this number is an out-

line for study of “The Guardian-ship and the Administrative Order”by Paul Haney. This should behelpful especially to new believerswho have not made a careful studyof the Baha’i Administrative Order.Mr. Haney is a member of the localAssembly of Alexandria, Virginia,and chairman of the regional teach-ing committee for Maryland, Vir-ginia and West Virginia.

Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick who con-tributes the editorial this month on“ill/orsh.ip in One Faith” has herhome in Olivet, Michigan.

In writing of Philip Marangellain this department in our Octoberissue through a slip we wronglystated that his ho-me was in Wilm-ington, Delaware. We are sorry forthe mistake. He is living in NewOrleans where he is chairman of thelocal Baha’i Assembly. Mr. Marau-gella has served the Cause in manyways and in many places since hecame into the Faith in 1921. He hasserved on Bahéfi Assemblies inWashington, Eliot, Teaneck, NewYork and Chicago and spoken inmost of the states east of the Missis-sippi before college groups and Ro-tary and other service clubs. He andhis wife spent fifteen months in Cubaand established the Baha’i center inHavana. A few years ago we pub-lished a letter from his daughter,Mrs. Ayned Mcclomb, who has beenpioneering in San Juan, Pucrto Rico,for the past four years. At presentMr. Marangella is employed by theUnited States Maritime Commissionin a financial advisory capacity. Hispermanent home is in McLean, Vir-ginia.

The aim of World Order Maga-zine is to help Baha’is themselves tobroaden their understanding of theBahé’i Faith, to help them in theirteaching, and through them to reachindividuals who are interested in thisFaith and the general public. Theeditors appreciate letters telling howyou think we can better fulfill ouraims.

We are always in need of fresh,vital, well written human intereststories and articles, examples of howthe Bahéfi Faith works.

In a fine report of a co-urse onspeaking and writing given at GreenAcre last summer we find some ex-cellent rules and suggestions forwriting.‘ We have- space to selectonly a few:

“Remember the ‘yon-psychology’;use it always; thatis, write from theother ;‘eZZ0w’s point of view becauseyou must get the truth to him inhis terms o-f thinking.‘

“Make only one major point ---—amplify as you like, but stick to theone point.

“Know the subject---know muchmore than you say. Say no morethan absolutely necessary.

“In presenting Baha’i ideas keepterminology down to easy under-standing of readers.

And here are some general sugges-tions which apply to both writingand speaking:

“Know what is going on-—-studyTime, News Digest, news broadcasts,etc. y

“B-e familiar with the Teachingsthat have application to events andpublic interests.

“Keep a file of speeches (non-Baha’i) that can be quoted, indicat-iug need for the B-aha’i Faith.”

-—TI-IE Eorroas

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. Baha’i World Faith- I..' |-

This book contains a representative selection of the Writings ofBahfi’u’ll5.h and of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, and is the largest collection of Bahfi’iliterature in English translation now available in one volume.

A detailed Table of Contents and an Index make the Bahé’i teach-ings readily accessible for study as well as reading and meditation.

The plan of the book arranges the contents in nine chapters, asfollows:—-

Part One—Writings of Bahé’u’lléh cChapter One—-The Great AnnouncementChapter Two—-The Promised OneChapter Three—The Life of the SoulChapter Four---Laws of the New AgeChapter Five—-The Mystery of God :-

Part Two—-Writing of ‘Abdu’l-Baha 'Chapter Six—-The Faith 0f Bah¢i’u’lMh o 'Chapter Seven——Soul, Mind and SpiritChapter Eight--The Loom 0f Reality

g Chapter Nine—The Divine Plan

Each of these chapters has been treated as a unit of significance,and the sequence of the nine chapters conveys a sense of the unfold-ment of the Bahé’i Dispensation in the Tablets of Bal1é.'u’llah, HisWill and Testament, the Tablets and Addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, andin His Testament and Plan for the World Order of Bahé’u’lléh.

The passages selected have been taken from fifteen difierent pub-lications as well as from the National Archives. _

i' Printed on thin light paper and bound in green fabrikoid. 465pages. Per copy, $1.50.

Banjfi Pususnmc Conmrrrss110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

TRUTHS FOR A NEW DAY

promulgated by ‘Abdu'l-Bahfithroughout North America in 1912

These teachings were given by Bah¢i’u’llt'ihover seventy years ago and are to be

found in His publishedwritings 0f that time.

The oneness of mankind.Independent investigation of truth.‘The foundation of all religions is one.Religion must be the cause of unity.Religion must be in accord with science and

reason.Equality between men and women.Prejudice of all kinds must be forgotten.Universal peace.Universal education.Spiritual solution of the economic problem.A universal language.An international tribunal.

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MARCH. 1946

THE BASIS 01:~*Ec01\r0M1cs—-—i- ‘Abdu’l-Baha

- THE NEW AGE --- Robert Reid L* POVERTY WILL B1-2: REMOVED -—- Martha L. Root

THE ARMY DOEs SOMETHING T0 A MAN ——-— John H. Stroessler

THE SPIRITUAL SPRINGTIME, Poem —— Mary Marlowe

THE CALL T0 GREATNESS, Editorial -—- William Kenneth Christian

ONE NATION, Book Review -—- Arthur Dahl

THE CHRISTIAN HERITAGE, B00/c Review _—-—- Phyllis Hall a

FAITH, Poem —— Philip Amalfi Marangella

BAHri’i ACTIVITY IN AMERICA, 1912-1921 --— Mariam Haney

WITH OUR READERS-1

J

‘V INDEXH 1

THE BAH/W CSAZI E

World Order was founded March 21 1910 as Bahd’i News, the firstorgan of the American Bahzifis. In March, 1911, its title was ‘changedto Star of the West. Beginning November, 1922 the magazine appearedunder the name of The Bahti’i Magazine. The issue of April, 1935carried the present title of World Order, combining The Bahd’i Maga-zine and World Unity, which had been founded October, 1927. Thepresent number represents Volume XXXVI oi the continuous Bahé’ipublication. I

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WORLD ORDER is published monthly in Wilmette, Il1., by the PublishingCommittee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahfi'is of the UnitedStates and Canada. EDITORS: Garreta Busey, William Kenneth‘ Christian,Gertrude K. Henning, Horace Holley, Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick. d

. ‘ Editorial OfliceMrs. Gertrude K. Henning, Secretary -

69 Aaaorrsrono Rom, WIRNETKA, ILL.

Publication Ofiice110 Lmnsn AvEmJE, WrLME'rrE, ILL. ,

II‘

C. R. Wood, Business Manager F Printed in U.S.A.

i

I " Manon, 1946, VOLUME XI, NUMBER 12-I

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $1.50 per year, for United States, its territories and posses-sions; ior Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Central and South America. Single copies, 15c.Forei@ subscriptions, $1.75. Make checks and money orders payable to World-Order Magazine, 110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois. Entered as second classmatter April 1, 1940, at the post ofice at Wilmette, Il1., under the Act of March3, 1379. Content copyrighted 1946 by Ba.ha’i Publishing Committee. -Titleregistered at U. S. Patent Ofice. - A

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CHANGE OF ADDRESS SHOULD BE REPORTEDR ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

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The Bahfi’i Magazine _VoLUME XI Mmcn, 1946 NUMBER 12

A The Basis of Economics ‘ABnU’L-RAHA

THE Bahé’is must not engagein political movements which

lead to sedition. They must in-terest themselves in movementswhich conduce to law and order.In Persia at the present time theBaha’is have no part in the revo-lutionary upheavals which haveterminated in lawlessness and re-bellion. Nevertheless. a Baha’imay hold a political office andbe interested in politics of theright type. Ministers, state oili-cials and governor-generals inPersia are Baha’is and there areother Bahalis holding govern-mental positions, but nowherethroughout the world should thefollowers of Bahé.’u’llah be en-gaged yin seditious movements.For example, if there should bean uprising here in America hav-ing for its purpose the establish-ment of a despotic government,the Baha’is should not be con-nected with it.H The Baha’i cause covers alleconomic and social questionsunder the heading and ruling ofits laws. The essence of the

Baha’i spirit is that in order toestablish a better social order andeconomic condition, there mustbe allegiance to the laws andprinciples of government. Underthe laws which are to govern theworld, the socialists may justlydemand human rights but withoutresort to force and violence. Thegovernments will enact theselaws, establishing just legislationand economics in order that allhumanity may enjoy full mea_s-ure of welfare and privilege; butthis will always be according tolegal protection and procedure.Without legislative administra-tion, rights and demands fail andthe welfare of the commonwealthcannot be realized. Todayggthemethod of demand is the stril-;eand resort to force which is mani-festly wrong and destructive ofh u m a n foundations. Rightfulprivilege and demand must be setforth in laws and regulations.

While thousands are consider-. - 1- '

ing these questiions, we havemore essential purposes. The fun-damentals of the whole economic

353

354 WORLD ORDERcondition are divine in natureand are associated with the worldof the heart and spirit. This isfully explained in the Bahé’iteaching and without knowledgeof its principles no improvementin the economic state can be real-ized. The Baha’is will bringabout this improvement and het-terment but not through seditionand appeal to physical force; notthrough warfare, but welfare.Hearts must be so cemented to-gether, love must become sodominant that the rich shall mostwillingly extend assistance to thepoor and take steps to establishthese economic adjustments per-manently. If it is accomplished inthis way it will he most praise-worthy because then it will be forthe sake of God and in the path-way of His service. For example,it will he as if the rich inhabi-tants of a city should say “It isneither just nor lawful that weshould possess great wealth whilethere is abject poverty in thiscommunity,” and then willinglygive their wealth to the poor, re-taining only asnmuch as will en-able them to live comfortably.

Strive therefore to create love

in the hearts in order that theymay become glowing and radiant.When that love is shining, it willpermeate other hearts even asthis electric light illumines itssurroundings. When the love ofGod is established, everythingelse will he realized. This is thetrue foundation of all economics.Reflect upon it. Endeavor to be-come the cause of the attractionof souls rather than to enforceminds. Manifest true economicsto the people. Show what love is,what kindness is, what true sev-erance is and generosity. This isthe important thing for you to do.Act in accordance with the teach-ings of Bahé’u’llah. All Hisbooks will be translated. Nowis the time for you to live in ac-cordance with His words. Letyour deeds be the real translationof their meaning. Economic ques-tions will not attract hearts. Thelove of God alone will attractthem. Economic questions aremost interesting but the powerwhich moves, controls and at-tracts the hearts of men is thelove of Cod.

Excerpts from a discourse made July 23,1912 in Boston, Mass.

'

Real love is impossible unless one turn his face towards Cod and beattracted to His Beauty.

W --‘AsoU’L-Bani .

. The New AgeROBERT REID

A-NY thoughtful student of cur-. rent affairs cannot help but

see that mankind is passingthrough a period of reform of sovast and far reaching a characterthat its like has never before beenapparent in the history of thehuman race. The unmistakableevidences of this reformation arefound in every branch of humanactivity.

In politics we find a rapid de-cline of systems of governmentwhich have served us for hun-dreds of years. London duringthe war was the home of numer-ous deposed kings and queens.The fall of the Hapsburgs inAustria and of the Hohenzollernsin Germany, the abdication ofKing Alfonso of Spain; the trag-ic end of the imperial family ofRussia in 1918; the rise of TheYoung Turks in Turkey with thesubsequent overthrow of the des-potic religious sultanate, coupledwith similar widespread changesin the East such as the rise of theKuo Min Tang in China with theoverturning of a government andChinese system of life hoary withthe traditions of vast periods oftime—all these are forceful indi-cationsof a tremendous upheavalin political thought. O

At-the same time as these out--' .

355

worn systems are being cast asidewe see the rapid rise of the new.Mankind is groping towards abetter system. And from a studyof the rise of communism in Rus-sia, the rise and fall of militarydespotisms based on the idea ofracial supremacy in Germanyand Japan, one dominant factemerges. That is the extremerapidity of change in systems ofgovernment in the last hundredyears. This rapidity of changeseems to have the quality of ac-celleration. We can expect to seea more rapid change of thoughtin the political ideas in the nearfuture.

In the field of economics thereformation in the last hundredyears has been no less remark-able. Through the application ofindustrialism and mass produc-tion in Europe and its subsequentspread to every country in the;world, it is now physically pos-sible to provide in an ever in-creasing abundance all the needsof food, shelter, and the ameni-ties of life to every individual onthe earth. The economic theoriesof mankind have been throwninto utter confusion by thischange from the old law basedon scarcity of commodities.Economists are becoming in-

356 WORLD oRoERcreasingly aware that the onlyworkable theory is one in whicheconomic security is guaranteedto all mankind. Systems of econ-omics based on exploitation mustsoon pass away.

In the sphere of science thebasic ideas of classical sciencearebeing attacked daily by mod-erniscientists who no longer holdthe View that the universe can beexplained from a materialistic-outlook. Modern research hasshown that matter cannot cor-rectly be described as a motion-less solid. And the idea is gain-ing ground that all visible thingsare in their fundamental essencemanifestations of energy. An allpervading energy of such a na-ture that it is but a short step tothe scientific acceptance of thebelief that all things exist onlythrough the power of God.

In orthodox religion we find awide general revision of ancientdogmas and creeds. The quest-ing mind of modern man cannolonger blindly accept the super-stitions, rituals and traditionswith which the pure moral teach-ings of the great founders of re-ligions have become so encrustedthat their original light and up-lifting force can barely be dis-corned.

All these signs of a reforma-tory age show that there is a greatspiritual force at work in theworld guiding and directing

man's mind along a clearly de-fined path. This spiritual forceincreased in vigor at the sametime as the Prophet of God forthis day, Baha’u’llah, declaredHis mission in Persia about ahundred years ago. He gave tothe world a complete and com-prehensive outline of the moraltruths necessary for mankind’sguidance in this confusing re-constructive age.

At intervals of time outstand-ing men appear in all branchesof human endeavor who towerhead and shoulders above theirfellow workers. We have intel-lectual giants, such as Beethovenin music, Shakespeare in dramaand a host of others in science,physics, engineering and mathe-matics. All these great men havethis in common that they give tomankind knowledge and wisdomwhich they could not havelearned from anyone. They areoriginators of new technics andmethods of thought.

And yet the creative power ofthese men is but a reflection ofthat emanating from the Prophetsof Cod who are the Founders ofthe great religions. These greatleaders of mankind give to theworld moral and religious truthsand spiritual guidance whichhave a tremendous influence "onthelives and progress. of men intheir day and age. They teachno particular science, but give us

NEW AGE 357fundamental spiritual t r u t h swhich have the power to coordi-nate and make coherent all ourdiverse knowledge of particularsciences, crafts, and philoso-phies. Their teachings -have thepower to awaken mankind fromthe blind following of tradition.They set free a spiritual forcewhich enables man to take a tre-mendous step forward in prog-ress. They change man’s moralsand characters and wipe awaythe falsities and evils which haveencrusted past teachings.

Baha’u’llah declared plainlyand repeatedly that He was theProphet, Teacher, and Educatorof Mankind for this day.

His writings are the founda-tion for unity throughout thewhole world and the means ofbringing about that glorious ageof peace on earth goodwillamong men of which the Prophetshave told and the poets have sungfrom time immemorial.

The following are nine of theprinciplm which amongst manyothers are contained in His Booksand Tablets:

The independent search afterTruth.

The oneness of mankind.y The fundamental unity of all

religions.p The unity of nations, of races,

and of east and west.

The reconciliation of religionand science.

The eradication of prejudiceand superstition.

The equality of men and wo-men.

The unification of languages.The compulsory diffusion of

knowledge.His teachings are comprehen-

sive enough to solve all man’sindividual problems as well asall our international ones.

All the wars, depressions, andother social calamities of recenttimes could have been avoidedby mankind if we had acceptedand followed the explicit instruc-tions given to us by Bahd’u’lléh.As His message becomes morewidely understood and acceptedby mankind the social order willchange. It is changing now to-wards a better world. The Jus-tice of God will become mani-fest throughout human afiairs.The whole world will becomeorganized as one country andall men will live as one family.The complete brotherhood of allraces will be an accepted fact.The collective energies of man-kind will be set free from thenecessity to maintain armamentsand will be devoted to increas-ing the amenities of life. Thenwill commence a reigt of secur-ity, peace and abundance for all.

Poverty Will Be Removed MARTHA L. ROOT -

THERE is a Bahé’i solution ofthe economic problem by

which poverty will pass from thisearth. It is a spiritual solution.“The secret of the whole eco-nomic question is divine in na-ture and is connected with theworld of the heart and spirit.”Only the love of God will changemen’s hearts and create an en-during brotherhood, a brother-hood illumined with justice andlove.

First I shall speak of theBahé’i economic teachings andwhat they will do for the externalworld, and secondly what wealththey bring to the impoverishedspirits. Baha’u’llah has a solu-tion of the economic problem bywhich every child in this world,both boy and girl, can haveproper education to earn his orher living and learn to be ofservice to humanity. He saysthat there must not be one in-dividual in this whole worldwithout education. He states thatin the future every village, townand city will have its CentralStorehouse into which funds willcome for education and thebetter help of the poor.

Also there will be an Inter-national House of Justice. Hisplan his very good because it be-

gins with the farmcrs; they mustbe helped first. Most economicreadjustments begin at the capi-tal, but this economic plan be-gins with the farmers, and whatis left over from their needs willfind its way to the national gov-ernment.

How is money to be raised forthese Central Storehouses, youask? There are different ways,first there will be the taxes whichare graded, and are based onman’s income and his needs. Aman’s capacity for productionand his needs will be equalizedand reconciled through taxation.If his production exceeds he willpay a tax; if his necessities ex-ceed his production, he will re-ceive an amount sufficient toequalize or adjust. Therefore,taxation will be proportionate tocapacity and production andthere will be no poverty in thecommunity. The taxes will bemuch higher for the rich than atpresent. (1938) In future therewill not be the enormously richnor the desperately poor. TheBahé’i Faith is based upon abso-lute social justice.» Bahé’u’lléhtells us that in the future one-third of the mineral wealthunder the earth, such as the gold,the silver, iron, copper, coal will

358

POVERTY nnmovun 359he turned over to these CentralStorehouses to be used for edu-cation and the help of the poor.If a man dies and leaves no willand no family, all his estate willbe given to the Central Store-house. There will be a small taxon all animals. All things foundfor which there is no owner willbe given to the Central Store-house.

Also, in the Baha’i dispensa-tion there will be voluntary shar-ing of one’s property with othersof mankind. This sharing isgreater than legally imposedequality and should not be in-troduced by coercion so that itbecomes a law by which man iscompelled to share.

Another of the Bahé'.’i eco-nomic Teachings is that theremust be work for all and all mustwork; there must be no drones inthe social hive. If all were towork and if there is useful workfor all, whether by brain or hand,as Bahé’u’lléh commands andplans, there would be enough fora healthful, comfortable, noblelife for all.

. However, Bahé’u’lléh does notcondemn riches rightly acquired.He says: “The people of Bahémust not refuse to discharge thedue reward of any one, and mustrespect possessors of talent —one must speak with justice andrecognize the worth of benefits.”

Still another distinguishing

feature of the Bahé’i economicprogram is that there should beprofit sharing in industrial ac-tivities. “Laws and regulationsshould be established whichwould permit the workmen to re-ceive from the factory ownertheir wages and a share in thefourth or fifth part of the profits,according to the wants of thefactory, or in some way the bodyof workmen and the manufac-turers should share equitably theprofits and advantages. Indeed,the direction and administrationof affairs come from the ownerof the factory, and the work fromthe body of workmen."

“According to the Divine law,employes should not be paidmerely by wages. Nay, rather,they should be partners in everywork,” said ‘Abdu’l-Bahé.

The owners of properties,mines and factories, should sharetheir incomes with their em-ployes, and give a fairly certainpercentage of their profits totheir working men, in order thatthe employe should receive inaddition to his wages, some ofthe general income of the factory,so that each employe may strivewith his soul in the work.

The inheritance plan of Bahi-'u’lléh is most just. He advocatesthat estates should be divided in-to seven legacies as follows:(1), children, husbands orwives, (3) fathers, (4) mothers,

» sec' WORLD ORDER

(5) brothers, (6) sisters, (7)teachers. In this way wealth willbe more widely distributed andteachers are honored. Thuswealth will never be monopo-lized by a limited few, and noindividual through sheer force-ful skill will come into posses-sion of another’s wealth. How-ever, one is free to bequeath hisproperty just as he wishes.

If there are no children, thentheir shares go to the Interna-tional House of Justice. If thechildren are alive and if anyothers (in this list of seven) arenot alive, then two-thirds of theshare of those who have passedon go to the children, and one-third to the International Houseof Justice. This InternationalHouse of Justice controls thepublic treasury; money from thispublic treasury will be used forthe poor, the fatherless, thewidows, or on useful works. Ifthe deceased has no heirs thenall his property goes into thepublic treasury, if he has madeno will.

Bah:i’u’llah states further thatevery one must engage in someone occupation such as arts,crafts, trades; and that workdone in the spirit of service toone’s fellow-men is identical withworship to Cod. He says: “Themost despised of men before Codis he who sits and begs. Clingunto the rope of means, relying

upon God, the Causer of Causes.Every soul who occupies himselfin an art or trade -- this will beaccounted an act of worship be-fore Cod."

‘Abdu’l-Bahé, the son of Baha-’u’lléh, visited our country, theUnited States, in 1912. He saidto our American people: “Be-tween 186O and 1865 you did awonderful thing, you abolishedchattel slavery; but today youmust do a much more wonderfulthing: you must abolish indus-trial slavery . . . ” .

“The solution of the economicproblem will not be broughtabout by array of capitalagainstlabor, and labor against capital,in strife and conflict, but by thevoluntary attitude of good-willon both sides. Then a real andlasting justness of conditions willhe secured. . . .”

“Among the Bahé’is there areno extortionists, mercenary andunjust practices, no rebelliousdemands, no revolutionary up-risings against existing govern-ment. . . .”

“It will not be possible in fu-ture for men to amass great for-tunes by the labor of others. Therich will willingly divide. Theywill come to this gradually, nat-urally, by their own volition. Itwill never be accomplished bywar and bloodshed.”

I give you one other quotationfrom ‘Abdu’l-Bahé: “Now I wish

Povsnrr REMOVED 351to tell you about the law of God.According to the Divine law,employes should not be paidmerely by wages. They shouldbe partners in every work. Thequestion of socialization is verydifficult. It will not be solved bystrikes for wages. All the gov-ernments of the world must beunited and organize an assembly,the members of which shall beelected from the parliaments andthe noble ones of the nations.These must plan with wisdomand power, so that neither thecapitalists suffer enormous.losses, nor the laborers becomeneedy, In the utmost modera-tion they should make the law,then announce to the public thatthe rights of the working peopleare to be effectively preserved;also the rights of the capitalistsare to be protected. When sucha -general law is adopted, by thewill of both sides, should a strikeoccur, all the governments of theworld should collectively resistit. Otherwise the work will leadto much destruction, especiallyin Europe. Terrible things willtake place.”

All the alarming conditions inthe world today are the result ofhaving carried the physical, theanimal law of competition andthe survival of the fittest into thisnew universal era of cooperation.Struggle and competition areproducing poverty instead of

wealth. The principle of thisnew age is that man’s economicenvironment is not nature, buthis fellow-man. In economicswe are making the fatal mistakeof trying to rectify the presentcivilization instead of realizingthat it must be spiritually andsocially transformed.

There can be no economictranquility until we have worldpeace, and as I said, the wholeaim of the Baha’i Teachings isthe oneness of mankind and thepermanent establishment of uni-versal peace through universaleducation, t th r o u g h a u.ni-versal economic solution, auniversal auxiliary language, auniversal league of nations withevery country a member, througha world court and an internation-al police force; through equalityof the sexes and the equal educa-tion of the girl and the boy;through the harmony of scienceand religion; and through the in-dependent investigation of truthand the absolute command toconsort, mingle with people ofall religions with joy and frag-rance.

We Baha’is . . . believe thatthe economic solution will comebefore the end of this century,because these Baha’i Teachingsare the breaths of the Holy Spiritthat create men anew.

Excerpts of a speech by Miss Martha L.Root at the All Faiths’ League Conferencein Indore, Central India, April 19, 1933.

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The Army Does Something to a ManJOHN H. STROESSLER y

IN A few days I will be observ-ing the completion of three

years in the army, half of whichtime has been spent overseas.Mine has been an experience notof combat and violent changes,but of the monotonous drudgeryof the supply base. There hasbeen plenty of opportunity tothink, to discuss, and to watchmen react to army life and theevents of the world. As a Baha’i,there has also been the privilegeof spreading the Baha’i Faith,and as a lone Baha’i in whateverplace stationed, that Faith hascertainly been put to some criti-cal tests.

It is said that “the army doessomething to a man.” I’ll not tryto analyze that in reference tomyself-—I’m still too much in-volved in it to be objective—--but Ifeel it"s true. I’ve felt it in my-self, and have seen it happeningto soldiers of my acquaintance.It seems that life’s many stimuliare concentrated in their effecton the person. Everything hap-pens faster. No, not the daily hap-penings. “Nothing ever happensin this place.” But the more basicthings, those that mold a man’scharacter, that shape his outlook,that determine what kind of a per-son he is to be later, all confront

one with forceful suddenness. Itcreates a situation of indecisionand hasty reactions, a period ofgroping and searching for val-ues, and disillusionment in notfinding them.

Naturally, soldiers, as do otherpeople, vary in their maturity ofoutlook. Ask a group of soldierswhy they are fighting and theanswers will range from, “To beable to get a chocolate maltedwhen I want it” to “To preparethe conditions for the realizationof world peace.” Unfortunately,the type of answer such as thelatter is in the small minority.The first group will frequent thepost movie and read pulp maga-zines looking for escape; the sec-ond will read modern economistsand perhaps attend the weeklydiscussion club. Each to his levelof search and each doomed to hislevel of disappointment. A dis-mal picture of men withoutvision, and seemingly insensibleto the great force that waits togive them sight.

Even the most casual observercould point out the paucity ofmoral and ethical values amongmen in the army. Probably notlower than average, but coveredup in a less subtle manner thanin civilian life. However, the

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THE ARMY nous somrrrunvc r 363problem is greater than one justof goodness. It is more basicallyfundamental. It concerns thewhole point of life. I daresay thatnot one in a thousand soldiershas a formulated answer to thequestion, “Why am I alive?”And these men are supposed tobe ready to die for a reason un-derstandable to them. It is ratherinconsistent and confusing.

Ofter I feel myself, a Baha’i,as one with food for hungry peo-plc, but unable to attract theirattention because they are blind.lvhile they detect vaguely thesavor of the presence of food,their materialistic sense of smelldeceives them and they keepfumbling around looking in barecorners and rubble heaps for thelife-giving substance that wouldrestore their sight and minister totheir hunger.

I have seen the Bahé.’i Faithas it acts on men. I have seen iteagerly sought after; I have seenit shunned. I have seen interestand apathy. But in all this hu-man variability, the Faith standsconstant and valid. Often menhave denounced the writings ofBaha’u’llah only to champion oneof His teachings in their nextbreath. I have seen men laugh atthe word, Baha’i, but earnestly

uphold some of its principles. Itis most unpredictable what bit ofthe greater truth each man willclaim as his share.

The Baha’i soldier must needsbe strong to shoulder a two-foldburden, that of keeping his faithglowing within himself and ofinfusing others with the warmthof 1t. True, every Baha’i has thistask, but only the soldier lives1n the locale of the war machine.“The army does something to aman.” A flower is more diflicultto nurture in a desert than in aIIOIIIB garden. The Bahé.’i soldier1s a pioneer wherever he goes.The people he contacts disperseto all parts of the world. He isforever planting and, seemingly,never harvesting. Since he is hu-man, he experiences disappoint-ment. Because he is Bah5.’i, hethanks Cod for every opportunityto serve.

Adverse as the conditions are,the Baha’i’s song never ends ona hopeless note. Its final cadenceis one of confidence and triumph.It has the sequence of assurance.Its theme reaches new heights ofinspiration. Its harmony is at-tuned to the hungry hearts of to-day. Without its melody, the rep-ertoire is “ incomplete. Let thevoices ring out.

The Spiritual SpringtimeMARY MARLOWE

He has come! He has come!The hunter on the mountain has blownA golden note of welcome.From the high places come birdsSinging the sweet notes of His Name.

He has come!As the sun comes out of the East at dawn,As lightning flashes out of the East,He has appeared. i

Day after day I have walked in my lonely garden alone,As you were alone.But now, the Friend has come;Our true Friend, keeping His promise,Entering at the Cate, q .|Keeping indeed His promise.Did anyone doubt that He would come?

I am not alone or lonely any more,Nor are you —The spray of little gray twigsIn the pale lightWill soon be a shower of greenWith scarlet blossoms.The earth, like a stone in the pale light,Will soon be a carpet of emerald greenShowered with gold. s

Could anything keep Him from comingWhen the love song of the whole worldHas ever been —- “He will come! He will come!”

He has come! And He is not only like light and like water —An ocean to-ward which every streamHas been flowing;But now the ocean has overflowed its banks.The hour is at hand,And every little stream is caught upIn the waves of Its Glory.

Fear not little streams that you have reachedYour destination at last.Had you grown so used to moving aloneOn your way to His Oneness?

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SPRINGTIME

He has come, and likethe ocean, * vHe comes forth to embrace you.

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Fear not His roaring! Fear not His thtmderlIt isthe hour of union;It is the moment of Oneness.

He has come! Do you not know Heihas come?Strange that you sit so silent, “IAs if still wondering. AWould God make a promise and thenFail to keep it? 1Have we not come to the hourWhen we need Him most? . a p _. _. _Can any human philosopher, saint or scientistGive us a plan " J P A P PFor the healing of hearts —--y and of nations?

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O my friend, He is spreading the plan , I FBefore our eyes. IHow sweet is the scent of HeavenIn His snow-white scroll.

I cannot be still any longer, tIt is the season of joyfulnesslNo wonder we were so sad, hoeing our garden,Many years ago, in the pale light, P 5Not knowing at what hour He tWould enter our gate -—-But now He has “come!

Blessed friends of Islam, roll upThe faded skirts _of tradition rAnd harken to the Voice of Muhammad, your Lord.Adorn your bodies with new garments of shining silk.

Blessed friends of Moses, recognize your Lord. ABlessed friends of Buddha, The Promise is fulfilled.

Blessed friends of Christianity,Every church spire has reached its aspiration,And every church door leads outInto the arena of Oneness — ~For Christ has fulfilled His promiseAnd the Glory of God has penetrated every stone.

The Lord alone can interpret, expound and make Laws,And since He has comeShall we not ask Him the answers?

r éhfiforiaij The Call to Greatness

DISAPPOINTMENT, b i tt e r-ness, and a subtle, creeping

bewilderment have marked thesemonths since the end of the war.Physical necessity brought forthmany forms of heroism and sac-rifice. But now the lustre of hero-ism is dulled, and the horror ofour time stands a naked and mis-shapen thing.

The human race is reduced toits true stature, two billion ants,some hunting for scraps of foodor waiting a slow starvation,some bludgeoning for power,some scurrying for money, beatenand bent by the scramble, ob-sessed by little dreams. The timeis heroic, all proportions vast. Itis as if God held a blinding lightand sought us out, each man,each woman.

For too long men have beenfooled by the appearance ofgreatness. The glib tongue, theflashy uniform, the massed num-bers have been used to concealheads stuffed with straw andbodies lacking heart or soul. Wehave seen those with the appear-ance of greatness hanging by theheels from the rafters of a gasstation, as slabs of beef are hungafter the slaughter.

Let us mark well the lesson ofour time. There can be no great-ness in isolation. There can beno greatness without world com-munity. There can be no great-ness on the basis of human per-sonality. There can be no great-ness through the merc balance ofopposing groups. There can beno greatness without heroic sac-rifice for a timeless, divine goal.

The true Prince of Peace,Whom Jesus promised, haswalked the earth. While isms,ideologies, and special groupswrestle to imprison the humanmind and spirit, this men andwomen mayknow-———--the Prince ofPeace has walked the earth.

In our time, to all men living,He has spoken. In His voice iscommand and healing, “Theearth is one country; let it bein unity.” “Love Me, that I maylove thee. It thou lovest Me not,My love can in no wise reachthee. Know this, O servant.”

The call of Baha’u’llah is tospiritual greatness. To a standardof character which will remainuntarnishcd; to a love and un-derstanding which pierccs thefalse barriers of our environ-ment; to an honesty which no

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CALL T0 casarnzss 367

sham or personal appeal canshake; to a unity rooted in liv-ing, divine principle.

In every sense the Faith ofBaha’u’llah is a religion of themarketplace. It is for the peopleof city and farm, of East andWest. There is no person, family,tribe, race, or nation which doesnot need unity with its kindthroughout the earth. “Blessedis the spot, and the house, andthe place, and the city, and theheart, and the mountain, andthe refuge, and the cave, and thevalley, and the land, and the sea,and the island, and the meadowwhere mention of God hath beenmade, and His praise glorified.”

Tolerance and charity are wasbitter gall when we need thehealing of unity. The deeperscars of these years cannot behealed by a gift or silently leftto time. The love of God alonecan enliven scarred tissues.

t Divine love has a focus, likethe sun. It is not like sweet senti-

ment which a strong wind maydisperse. Its warming rays sinkthrough the indifferent earth andtouch the roots of life. A tree sonourished grows even in gloomand storm.

The creative secret of civiliza-tion is the imier response todivine love and law. To releasethis power in the lives of men andwomen, Baha’u’llah has come.He has called us to greatness ofword and action in all the mar-ketplaces of the world. ‘AbdulBaha has shown us, through along and full life, in the Eastand the West, the patience andand tireless service required ofthose who would honor the nameBaha’i. And for almost a quarterof a century Shoghi Effendi haspatiently shown us the culmina-tion of unity, love, and law ininstitutions of justice.

The call to greatness has goneforth. “The Book of God is wideopen . . .” —*—W.K.C.

Mere knowledge of principles -is not suficient. We all know and admitthat justice is good, but there is need of volition and action to carry outand manifest it . . . The ways and means must be provided. . . All ofus know that international peace is good, that it is conducive to human wel*fare and the glory of man but volition and action are necessary before itcan be established. Action is the essential. Inasmuch as this century is a cen-tury of light, capacity of action is assured to mankind. Necessarily the divineprinciples will be spread among men until the time of action arrives. Surelythis has been so and truly the time and conditions are ripe for action now.

~ _ -—‘Asnu’L-BAH); e

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ONE NATION* is Book‘ Review

-, p + . .- ARTHUR DAHL -

IT IS generally recognized that oneof the most dificult and crucial

problems facing America in the post-war era is that of prejudice againstvarious minority and racial groups.Such prejudice isgsharply -in conflictwith the basic tenets of equal rightsand brotherhood -found in both de-mocracy and Christianity, ~ yet itflourishes undiminished in this coun-try which considers itself the laststronghold of democracy and a pillarof the Christian faith.

In the atomic age we are facing,such. prejudice, if allowed to con-tinue unabated, is fraught with dan-gerous consequences. At a time whenpeace can be maintained only withthe closest v cooperation between thenations of the world, our persecutionof the Negroes, Filipinos, andChinese within our borders under-mines our character and good faithin» the- eyes of all darker-skinnedpeoples, and is a serious impedimentto the trust and friendship that mustbe the foundations of all sound in-ternational relations.

Many people realize this danger,and are trying to do something aboutit. In the field of publicity, one ofthe most intelligent and successfulof recent efforts is One Nation, bythe distinguished young Americannovelist Wallace Stegner, in collab-oration with the editors of Look.The authors have skillfully used thepicture-text technique, developed so

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One Nation, by Wallace Stegner and theEditors. of Look; Houghton, -Mifiin .Co.,'

rapidly during the past few years bythe great picture magazines, to pre-sent rationally and humanely theproblems of the minorities, both ra-cial and religious, living in ourmidst. v - - '

The authors have gone to greatpains to be objective. They obvious-ly feel sympathy for these persecutedgroups, but they have not attemptedto 'whitewash them, or glamorizethem, or show them in a distortedlyfavorable light. They do believe thatthere is nothing in the facts aboutthese people, when viewed in theproper perspective, that would causethem to be disliked or shunned. Andso they have tried to present ‘thesefacts, in word and picture, so thatthe reader can come _to know thesepeople and their problems first hand:where they came from, iwhere theylive now, how they are treated, thetypes of persecution they are sub-jected to, and the origin and realreasons for this persecution. On thislast point, the authors fearlessly andbitterly expose the premeditatedcharacter and economic self-interestthat lie behind mostminority perse-cution and prejudice.

The book considers not only theobvious minorities: the Negroes,Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Catho-lics and Jews, but also some of theless publicized but none the less in-teresting groups, such -as the Ameri-can Indians, the Hispanos, the Mexi-cans and Pachucos. It is beautifullywritten, contains par great deal of use-ful M information; about these people,and the pictures are tmusually; effec-

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one NATION 369tive in giving one the “feel” of theirenvironment and culture. It can beread with interest and profit by allBa.ha’is, and should prove a desirablesupplementary teaching aid.

‘But it is doubtful how much bookslike this, no matter how skillfull andwith what passionate sincerity theyare composed, can accomplish inallyeviating the injustices they de-scribe. Prejudice as it is practicedtoday in America is too deeplyrooted, too intolerant, to yield solelyto a rational, educational approach.Such prejudice is one of the mostserious effects of the spiritual bank-ruptcy of our times, and it can onlybe ‘corrected by reaching its rootcause, and reconstructing the moraland spiritual framework of our civil-ization. Clearly, since this is aspiritual malady, its cure lies in therealm of the spirit, of religion.

It is here that the Baha’i Faithmakes its great and unique contribu-tion to the solution of the problemof r_prejudice.r For this is a livingFaith, daily inspiring its followers toa deep sense of kinship with God andtheir fellow-men. The teachings ofBaha'u’llah are looked upon as theWord of God for this day, and are

accepted and absorbed b Baha‘is astheir own belief. And the teachingsof Baha'u’llah on the question ofracial and religious prejudice followthe only approach which can possi-bly meet the question in today’:world: that “the world is one coun-try, and mankind its citizens”, thatthere are differences" but no basicspiritual inequalities between thepeoples of the world, that 1t ls Cod swill that we should make no distinc-tions between people because of theircolor or physiognomy or creed, butshould live in peace and harmonywith all.

This is no arm’s-length trucebetween peoples. Within the Baha'icommunity, in more than seventy-eight cotmtries of the world, there istoday being formed the foundationfor the truly universal society of to-morrow, in which people of all racesare living and working together infreedom and friendship, drawn to-gether by the bond of a commonCreator and a common purpose inlife. This is the dynamic, spiritualapproach that is needed to overthrowthe negative forces of prejudice, ha-tred and misunderstanding, and toplace race relations on a plane intune with the realities of our age.

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Does not the very operation of the world unifying forces that are atwork in this age necessitate that He Who is the Bearer of the Message of Godinthis day should not only reafirm that self-same exalted standard of individ-ual conduct inculcated by the Prophets gone before Him, but embody in Hisappeal, to all governments and peoples, the essentials of that social code,that Divine Economy, which must guide humanity's concerted efiorts in es-tablishing that all-cmbracing federation which is to signalize the advent of the

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Kingdom of God on this earth? . . .I 1. . I

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Y j The Christian Heritagev _ . PHYLLIS HALL r

“This above all: to thine own self be true,_And it must follow, as the night the day,i Thou canst not then be false to any man."THIS fatherly advice of Polo-

, nius to his son, Laertes, inWilliam Shakespeare’s Hamletmight well be said to be thetheme of two books that CanonGeorge Townshend, Archdeaconof Clonfert, Ireland, has ad-dressed to the Christian world.These books, The Promise of AllAges‘ and The Heart of the Gos-pel’ appeal to Christendom toknow itself, and to arise with con-scious knowledge to the stationfor which it was created. t

A In The Promise of All AgesDr. Townshend shows how thecollective life of mankind hasbeen leavened in ages past witha spirit of expectancy, an ever-eager awaiting for the appear-ance of the Messenger of God.In the Gospels, especially, is thisgreat Day of Fulfillment empha-sized as the goal of the unfold-ment of man’s collective life uponthis planet. In his The Heart ofthe Gospel he restates the “teach-ings of the Bible in terms ofmodern thought and modernneed.”

i In these two books Dr. Town-shendnot only restores to us the

1. Baha'i Publishing Committee, I935.2. Baha'i Publishing Committee, 1940.

past of the Christian world, butgives us glorious hope for bothtoday and tomorrow. He setsevents in their true relationshipto each other, allowing us toperceive the full measure of thewisdom and beneficence of thework of Christ in fulfilling thePromise of Moses to a needyhumanity.

Psychological research into theworkings of the human mind hasdemonstrated the danger of cut-ting ourselves off from our past.When a person has shoved someincident of his past life out ofhislmind, has buried it from alldispassionate and conscious con-sideration, he feels vague alarm,becomes tense, unreasonable andanxious about any remark or in-cident that makes him recall theattitudes and emotions that weredrawn out from him by similarsituations in his buried and for-gotten past.

In like manner, many of us inthe Christian world become tenseand anxious when the word,“Jew,” is mentioned. This ismainly because circumstanceshave conditioned us not to placethe details of the Jewish religionin their natural situation as thethoroughly beautiful and gloriousyesterday of the Christian today.

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CHRISTIAN HERITAGE 371We are all hazily aware that

the roots of Christianity lie inthe faith surrounding Moses, justas we are aware that, unless weare full-blooded American In-dians, our cultural roots liesomewhere in the old world ofEurope, Asia or Africa. Yet weunconsciously tend to deny rec-ognition to our religious and cul-tural past, and isolate ourselvesin an inglorious present.

When knit, through the pagesof these books, to our religiousheritage, we can see the faith ofthe followers of both Moses andthe Christ functioning as part ofthe “grand Creative Scheme ofGod.” In helping us to know our-selves, Dr. Townshend enrichesus with an awareness of our partin the plan of our creator. Thus,he renews our self-respect andpresents us with a sound idea ofthe part Christianity plays in thedrama of creation.

Dr. Harry Stack Sullivan saysin his Conceptions of ModernPsychiatry*, “If there is a validand real attitude toward theself, that attitude will manifestas valid and real toward others.”So, sure of our place in the Playof Life, we are freed of our fear-bound prejudices, and are will-ing to admit the right of allhumanity to their place in thesun. '

Dr. Townshend gives us back‘Psychiatry: Vol. 3, No. 1, Feb. 1940.

our lost pride and interest in ourreligious past. He dissipates ourfear of the present winter ofwide-spread irreligion by intro-ducing us to the springtime of theFaith of Bahé’u’lléh, the prophetof today, and proves this newrevelation to be the fruition ofthe manifold prophecies in theOld and New Testament. ' t

The Christian of today feelsbewildered, frustrated and in do-spair when he looks at the prob-lems facing the world of human-ity, bcause he has been divorcedfrom the strength of his past, andhas no hope in his future. l

Dr. Townshend reveals in clearoutlines the vision and power ofthe faithful ones of old, who forall their apparent unimportancein the eyes of their fellowmen,went forth and began to build anew and greater civilizationamidst the ruins of the decayingsociety into which they had beenborn.

He shows us how space andtime have separated these spring-times of religious renewal. Wehave lost our past and our knowl-edge that the drama of revela-tion is played all over againevery once in a while in humanhistory. We think that we are in-creasingly alone in our religiousbelief. Our life values have be-come narrow and sectional.Seemingly alone, we feel weakand enervated, unable to cross

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sBaha’u’lléh has said in HisWords of Wisdom, “True lossis for him whose days havebeen spent in utter ignorance ofhis self.” Somehow in the read-ing of Dr. To"wnshend’s bookswe find ourselves. We learn to re-spect Your religious roots. i Wegain ta fellow feeling for the dis-ciples and faithful ones who cir-cled around the*Prophet infwhat-5soever age S -He appeared; Weshare the warm glow of love andfaith which animated them. Inevery age of revelation of spir-itual truth through a Prophet ofGod there are those who precedethe rest of 'manl-rind in embrac-ing the light of the new day. Weloam to recognize the pattern oftheir service in the drama sur-

rounding the harbinger of eachnew spiritual springtime in theever-evolving growth of humansociety.

Through these books the sea ofmystery that surrounds our relig-ious knowledge is spanned as bya soaring plane. Space and timeand accidents of geography,in the past have separated thepeoples of the world, fall y intoperspective, and we gain a com-posite picture of our common re-ligious heritage; ta sense of re-ligious t oneness emerges. t t.

Then from the‘ depths of ourformer loneliness well the words,“You and I share a common

9!past. United, we can ego forwardwith all the peoples and races ofthe world and lay the foundationfor the Golden Ageof the Baha'iEra. - S s

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FAITHPHILIP AMALFI Msruuvcstut

Although I see a sad world, crumbling in decay,My inner vision clings to that resplendent Day ’Decreed by God. From heaven's source the shafts of lightShall pierce the awesome darkness of this man-made night,Andsdawn shall bring to view, upreared by lordly grace, yThe temples of life’s beauty in a nobler race.

_ I1 1. ' | G.Bal1a’i_ Activity in America J e T1912-1921 l

s MARIAM HANEY J

‘ABDU’L-BAHA left Americae on December t 5, 1912,

when He had finished His greatwork of pouring out both spirit-ual and material bounties as Hetraveled from coast to coast for,as He Himself had said: “Re-ligion is an attitude toward Godreflected in life.” Countless wereHis generous deeds. F

But He Himself took nothingfrom this country. He refused toaccept any money for Himself orfor the Bahé’i Faith. The expenseof His joumey to this country wasrefused. He instructed that theoffering be given to the poor. TheAmerican Bahé’is wanted to giveHim gifts of various kinds and tosend gifts with Him, but He gra-ciously refused everything, forHe was interested in no materialthing of any kind.

A few days before ‘Abdu’l-Bahé left America, a Bahé.’ifriend said to Him: “What weexpected in connection with yourvisit to America has not hap-pened and what we did not ex-pect to happen has indeed cometo pass. We expected an attitudeof hostility toward you by theclergy and theologians. Insteadof this they have welcomed youin the spirit of fairness and sin-

cerity. We did not expect thechurches and religious societiesWould open their doors, but theyhave done so and most of yourimportant public addresses havebeen delivered from pulpits ofvarious denominations.”

‘A-hduil-Baha replied: “Ac-cording, to the record of threeGospel-%; His Holiness ,_ JesusChrist went into the Temple ofJerusalem, rebuked the Jews forthe degeneracy of their worshipinto materialisticJ.forms and de-livered the message of Divineglad-tidings. For nineteen hun-dred years this has been pointedout Christians as a most won-derful event---that His Holinesswithout opposition from the Jewswas permitted to enter their mostsacred place of worship and pro-claim the Word of God. Considerwhat had happened in this cen-tury. During the past year Wehave been welcomed in churchesand pulpits of Europe and Amer-ica by different denominations,upraising the divine standard ofunity, summoning mankind to theglad-tidings of the Most GreatPeace, proclaiming the reality ofthe Kingdom of Abhé. And thishas been accomplished not onlywithout opposition but by invita-

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374 wortua ORDERtion, and in a spirit of the utmostlove and fragrance. Considertherefore the wonderful influenceand importance of this in the fu-ture.”

A ‘Abdu’l-Bahé said of His ex-perience in America: “TheAmerican people have a real lovefor advancement. They are notcontent to stand still. They aremost energetic and progressive.When you see a tree growing anddeveloping be hopeful of its out-come. It will blossom and bear-fruit eventually. If you see drywood or old trees there is nohope whatever of fruitage.”

On His return to Palestine‘Abdu’l-Bahé. continued to live,as at all times, a completely holylife, always full of activities, al-ways encouraging, guiding, min-istering to the needs of all.

Then came World War I withall its sorrows and tragedies whenthe greed of possession manifest-ed itself as a definite thing amongnations as among human beings.

-~ Here reference must be madeto the prophecies about this warpublicly pronounced many timesby ‘Abdu’l-Bahé while He was inthis country:

“Today the European conti-nent is like an arsenal. It is astorehouse of explosives, readyfor just a spark, and one spark-could set aflame the whole ofEurope, particularly at this timewhen the Balkan question is be-

fore the world.”On the eve of the great con-

flict, He said: “A general meleeof the civilized nations is in sight.A tremendous conflict is at hand.The world is at the threshold of amost tragic struggle. . . Vast ar-mies-—millions of men—-are be-ing mobilized and stationed attheir frontiers. They are beingprepared for the fearful contest.The slightest friction will bringthem into a terrific crash, andthere will be a conflagration, thelike of which is not recorded inthe past history of mankind.”

When the war finally came,outward‘ communication with‘Abdu’l-Bahé was almost com-pletely cut ofi. J

This period of teaching theCause in America was stimulatedthrough study of the RevealedWord.

A teaching activity of thegreatest importance, during thisperiod, was the InternationalBahé.’i Congress and Bahé’i Con-vention held in San Francisco,April 19-25, 1915, at the time ofthe Panama-Pacific InternationalExposition. The Bahé’i Congresswas held on April 24, 1915, asa part of the program of the ex-position. At the reception givento the Bahé’i Congress, Mr. JohnA. Britton, president and directorof the exposition, ofhcially wel-comed the Baha'is on behalf ofthe Directorate of the Exposition

nanfi ltcnvrrv 375in a never to be forgotten addressof some length, presenting tothem at the same time a bronzemedallion with a fitting Baha’iinscription. In closing his addressMr. Britton said: “And, let mesay to you in all honesty and can-dor of mind, that in the manytimes I have, in my official capac-ity, given to those who have comehere, recognition of our appre-ciation of their participation inour afiairs, none has afforded methe extreme-pleasure I am afford-ed today by the privilege of giv-ing this to you who represent somuch to humanity.”

The President of the Baha’iCongress, Dr. F. W. D’Evelyn,accepted the bronze medallion onbehalf of the Bahé’is.

The Baha’i Convention held atthis same time, with sessionsevery day and night during theperiod, was a most fruitful activ-ity. Both the Congress and Con-vention were international t inscope and demonstrated how theleaven of the Baha’i Faith weldsthe different races and religionsin a bond of oneness. World WarI, in progress at that time, showedhow the world was suffering frommany maladies and was in needof the Heavenly Remedy.

During 1916 and 1917, whileoutward communication with theHoly Land was still cut off,‘Abdu’l-Bahé living quietly inthe seclusion of His home in Pal-

estine, revealed what are calledthe Teaching Tablets, ‘whichreached this country some timelater. They have now been print-ed under the title Americtfs Spir-itual Mission. In these Tablets‘Abdu’l-Bahé gave very specificinstructions to His followers, notonly about spreading the Bahé’iMessage in the United States andCanada, but in every area of theworld. s

During the war period ‘Ab-du’l-Baha wrote countless in-spiring tablets (letters) to theBahé’is and others which weresent forth as soon as communica-tion was reopened. These instruc-tions further stimulated the fol-lowers of the Faith, and activitiesincreased everywhere, especiallyin America. The Baha’is wereintense not only in teaching theFaith, but on the work connectedwith the Baha’i House of Wor-ship to be built on the piece ofland which the American Baha’ishad acquired in Wilmette, Illi-nois.

Among the letters ‘Abdu’l-Bahé wrote to His friends outsideof the Faith, was one to Mr. An-drew Carnegie. ‘Abdu’l-Bahé. ad-dressed him in this way: “O thouillustrious soul! O thou great pil-lar of the palace of universalpeace!” Coming from -‘Abdu’l-Baha these were not idle wordsfulsome in their implications, butrecognition of the services of Mr.

376 WORLD onnnnCamegic along the lines of peace.In" this letter to him, ‘Abdu’l-Baha repeated His prophecy con-cerning World War I, and em-phasized the requirements for alasting peace. '

Another letter of importancewas one written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahéto Honorable William Sulzer, for-mer Governor of New York, inwhich letter among other things‘Abdu’l-Bahé wrote: “Your epis-tle concerning the League of Na-tions has been received and readwith great joy. I am hopeful thatthe members of the League of Na-tions, especially President Wood-row Wilson, the well-wisher ofthe world, shall be confirmed inthis, that in accordance with theTeachings of Baha’u’llah thereshall soon be established a GreatTribunal the members of whichshall be composed of the bestmen and women from all the gov-ernments of the earth. This GreatTribunal must be the guarantorof universal peace.”

To the Bahé’is in London,‘Abdu’l-Bahé wrote a letter dur-ing this particular time in whichHe referred to the text of a tabletHe had revealed some months be-fore and which was widelyspread. He closed the text withthese Words: “Thou didst com-plain of the decline of trade.This year calamities, unfortunatedecline and corruption have en-compassed" the world. Now the

proof his apparent to all. ‘Abdu'l-Blahéi in churches. . .and meetingsin most of the cities of Europeand America loudly proclaimedthe Cause of His Holiness Baha-’u’lleh and called (people) to theKingdom of Abhé. And He(‘Abdu’l-Baha) brought forthluminous proofs and stated clearconclusions and manifest argu-ments. There remained no excusefor any soul whatsoever, becausemost of the talks were publishedin newspapers and spread in theworld. Notwithstanding this, stillthe people are captives in thesleep of negligence and are pris-oners of nature and inattentive toReality. Still the people desirematerial luxury to such a degreethat . . . the trumpet of Israfilsummoning mankind to resurrec-tion, does not awaken them. Ofcourse this negligence, unthank-fulness and unmindfulness arethe causes of regret, distress, warand dispute and produce devas-tation and misfortune. If thepeople of the world do not turnto the Greatest Name (Bshé’u-’llah) great misery will follow.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahé expressed a sim-ilar thought in these words afterHis return to the Holy Land:“We crossed oceans and seas andknocked at the door of Europeand America, warning them ofthe great calamity, but they werein such deep slumber they couldnot be awakened.”

Bar-ui’i acrtvrrv

The divine character» of‘Abdu’l-Baha’s life and teachingswas not appreciated or realizedby the masses of people. Was thisdue to selfishness, incapacity,slothfulness and preoccupation?Let each one answer the questionfor himself. The Bahé’i laws arenot rules and regulations forcedupon humanity from its ownlevel, but the Word and Will ofGod, that Word which carrieswith it Perfection in all things.‘Abdu’l-Baha said: “The Revela-tion of Bahé.’u’llah is not merehistory; it is the Voice and Willof God. . .Peter perceived Christwhen thousands of Jews saw Himnot. Peter reached that station atonce. This knowledge is the glancefrom the eye of God. It is moreprecious than all the wealth ofthe world.” He also said that thepeople “did not wake up by theVoice of Christ nor did they gainconsciousness. Now again thesame is the case in the Manifes-tation of Bahé’u’llah.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahé was once asked:“What shall I say to those whostate that they are satisfied withChristianity and do not need thispresent Manifestation?” He an-swered: “Let them alone. Whatwould they do if a former kinghad reigned and a new king wasnow seated upon the throne? Theymust acknowledge the new kingor they are not true subjects ofthe Kingdom. Last year there was

A 377

a springtime. -Can apman say“,-do not need a new springtime -thisyear, the old springtime isenough for me?’ No, the newspring must come to fill the earthwith beauty and brightness.” A

Another teaching activity ofthe utmost importance during thelast months of this period (1912-1921), was the organization ofthe first Amity Convention forharmony between the races, es-pecially the colored and whiteAmericans. This Inter-racial Con-vention held in Washington, D. C.covered a period of three days,March 19, 20, 21, 1921, with ses-sions morning and evening. Theprogram records the fact thatgovernment oflicials and otherdistinguished individuals con-tributed their efiorts toward thesuccess of this outstanding Baha’iteaching activity. Among thesemight be mentioned HonorableMoses B. Clapp, former U. S.Senator from Minnesota; Honor-able Theodore Burton, U. S. Sen-ator from Ohio; Honorable Mar-tin B. Madden, former Represen-tative in Congress from Illinois;Mr. Alfred Martin, President ofthe Ethical Culture Society ofNew York; Mrs. Coralie Frank-lin Cook, member of the Board ofEducation, Washington, D..C._,Rev. Dr. Jason Noble Pierce, andmany others. There was a Baha'ispeaker and Baha’i chairman foreach session. J

373 wonto oaosaA This Convention was planned

by Mrs. Agnes Parsons who actedupon they instructions from‘Abdu’l-Baha. It attracted one ofthe largest groups ever gatheredtogether under Bahé’i auspicesup to that time. The happinesscreated by this Convention washeavenly, and no one in attend-ance, it is certain, could ever for-get the spiritual forces operatingat every session. ‘Abdu’l-Bahéhad said of it: “Never since thebeginning of time has one moreimportant been held.” This onewas called the Mother Conven-tion, and from it many otherBaha'i Amity Conventions for in-terracial harmony have beenborn down through the years. Itwas a teaching activity whichbrought the greatest happiness tothe heart of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, for Hehas (and we repeat) emphasizedthe fundamental need for racialharmony and good will by HisWords and deeds, and indicatedwhat would happen if unity werenot established.

Step by step the world has

been sweeping on toward the ful-fillment of the magnificent andstupendous aims of the Bahé’iFaith, and one day in the not toodistant future it will be evidentthat the bestowals of Cod are end-less and that “Bahé'u’llah'steachings are the health of theworld.” Abundant are the evi-dences that the Baha’i Revelationwas born of God, that it is thelatest and greatest Manifestationof C-od’s omniscience, and that“unsupported by any of the ad-vantages which talent, rank andriches can confer”, its devoteeshave pressed forward with loyal-ty and devotion spreading faith-fully the great God-Message ofthis New Age through the care of‘Abdu’l-Bahé Who said, “theseseeds which are scattered hereand there are spreading strongroots in the bosom of the earthand these will develop and growuntil many harvests are gath-cred.” -

Number nine in a series of notations onBaha'i activity in North America from 1893to 1921.

'

The world of humanity cannot advance through mere physical powersand intellectual attainments; nay, rather, the Holy Spirit is essential. Thedivine Father must assist the human world to attain maturity. The body ofman is in need of physical and mental energy but his spirit requires thelife and fortification of the Holy Spirit. Without its protection and quickeningthe human world would be extinguished.

t i t s -—'ABDU'L-BAH1

WITH oua READERS TiHE words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha which

make up the opening pages ofthis issue were spoken by Him atthe Hotel Victoria in Boston, July23, 1912. They are taken from thebook entitled The Promulgation ofUniversal Peace which is the collec-tion of the addresses given by‘Abdu’l-Bahé in the United Statesand Canada in the course of His tourthroughout the two countries in1912. After forty years of imprison-ment in ‘Akka Palestine, ‘Abdu’l-Baha was released in 1908. In thefall of 1910 He began three years oftravel. Of ‘Abdu’l-Baha and the im-

ortance of His travel Shoghi Effendihas written in God Passes By as fol-lows:

“ ‘Abdu’l-Baha was at this timebroken in health. He suffered fromseveral maladies brought on by thestrains and stresses of a tragic lifespent almost wholly in exile and im-prisonment. He was on the thresholdof three score years and ten. Yet assoon as He was released from Hisforty year long captivity, as soon asHe had laid the Bab’s body in asafe and permanent rmting place,. . . He arose with sublime cour-age, confidence and resolution to con-secrate what little strength remainedto Him, in the evening of His life,to a service of such heroic propor-tions that no parallel to it is to befotmd in the annals of the first Baha'icentury.

“Indeed His three years travel,first to Egypt, then to Europe andlater to America, mark, if we wouldcorrectly appraise their historic im-portance, a tuming point of the ut-

most significance in the history ofthe century. . . . He Who, in Hisown words, had entered prison as s.youth and left it an old man, Whonever in His life had faced a publicaudience, had attended no school,had never moved in Western circles,and was unfamiliar with We-stem cus-toms and language, had risen notonly to proclaim from pulpit andplatform, in some of the chief capi-tals of Europe and in the leading eit-ies of the North American continent,the distinctive verities enshrined inHis Father’s Faith, but to demon-strate as well the Divine origin of theProphets gone before Him, and todisclose the nature of the tie bind-ing them to that Faith.” s

Robert Reid sends his contribu-tion “The New Age” from Aus-tralia. With it came a short letterwith a bit of personal news whichmakes us feel closer to him and ourAustralian friends. The letter is datedWollongong, New South Wales, andhe says: “We are a very young groupin Wollongong for my wife and I arethe only believers, but we are grad-ually making the principles of theFaith known and hope to have someadditions to our group in the nearfuture.” A second letter tells of theReids' having taken, up residence inMelbourne, a city of 1,100,000.

“Poverty Will Be Removed” is atalk given by Martha Root, probablymore than once in her extensivetravels around the world. lt was sentto World Order by D.

379

380 WORLD oansnMacPhee. Of Martha Root ‘Abdu’l-Baha wrote, “Thou art really at her-ald of the Kingdom and a harbingerof the Covenant and doest self-sacrifice. Thou showest kindness toall nations; thou art sowing a seedthat shall in the long run give riseto thousands of harvests; thou "artplanting aitree that shall till eternityput forth leaves, blossoms and fruits,and whose shadow shall day by daygrow in magnitude.” The last twentyyears of her life were spent in travel-ing throughout the world giving theMessage of .Baha’u’llah. At her pass-ing Shoghi Efiendi wrote, “Posteritywill establish her as foremost Handwhich ‘Abdu’l-Ba.ha’s will has raisedup in first B-aha’i century.”

With the manuscript “The ArmyDoes Something to a Man,” sent byJohns H. Stroessler was this "littlenote: “One of the brightest spots inthe month" is the arrival of WorldOrder. I have just finished theAugust and September numbers withgreat pleasure. I couldnit help notic-ing your plea for more manuscripts,so I am submitting the enclosed one.While it doesn’t merit a place inyour magazine, it will at least affordyou with more material from whichto make your choice.” [We can al-ways use well written pieces of thishuman interest type.-——Editors’ note]

He adds that he will soon be outof the army and will be in Seattle.

*Mary Marlowe's poem “SpiritualSpringtirnem was written for New-Rfiz and read at the Boston-Broololine gathering Naw-Rfiz, 194-5 I102Bahé’i Era). In our recent Januarynumber was her prose piece “Fruitin Abundance”. Mrs. Marlowe'shome is in Portsmouth, New Hamp-shire.. . ~ o . - . I

This month's editorial, “'lhe Callto Greatness,” is by William KennethChristian, whose name is familiar toreaders of World Order. Mr. Chris-tian, as announced in this departmentin our January issue, has recentlybeen appointed by the National Spir-itual Assembly to the Editorial Com-mittee of World Order.

Arthur Dahl, Jr., contributes a re-view of the book One Notion. In ourDecember, 1945, issue he contributeda review of an article by JohnDewey entitled Challenge to LiberalThought. It is through reviews suchas these that Baha’is who do notfind the time and opportunity forsuch wide reading may be kept intouch with the best thought of thosewho are outside the Bah:-i’i' Faithand yet I have similar aims alongsome phase of our Faith. And someof us may be guided to read some ofthe books reviewed in these pages.Mr. Dahlis home is in Palo Alto.He is chairman of the CeyservilleBaha’i School committee.

For over a year we have beenpublishing from time to time appre-ciative reviews of Bahé’i books. “TheChristian Heritage” is another inthis Bah.-i’i literature series. In thisreview Phyllis Hall makes us feelhow invaluable are these two booksby Dr. Geo. Townshend, one of thefew among Christian clergymanwhose eyes are open to the truemeaning of the New Day. Miss Hallhas previously contributed an articlein our April, 1945, issue about theSpringfield Plan entitled “A NewAttitude in Education”. Miss Hall’swork is with "I somewhat defectivechildren in the Detroit schools. Shewrites that if anyone has an abacusthat she would like to donate, it

wrrn oua aaanaas 331would help her in teaching thesechildren to count. Miss Hall’s ad-dress is 2387 Woodstock Drive, De-troit 3, Michigan.

With this issue we bring to a closethe series of notations by MariamHaney covering some of the teachingevents of the Faith in America dur-ing the years 1893-1921. The first inthe series was in the February num-ber of 194-5. Mrs. Haney's home is inWashington, D;C. * I

Shortly after the review by Wil-liam Kenneth Christian of EmericSala's book, This Earth One Coun-try, was in type for our Februaryissue, air mail from England broughtus a review of the same book byMarion Holley Hofman. Mr. Sala’sbook seems so important just now inits practical world approach to theBaha’i Faith that we would like toprint this second review. Also con-tributions from other lands help totie" together more firmly members ofour Faith in different countries. Alsocontributions from Marion HolleyHofman are always welcomed byWorld Order and we hope she willfind time to send us others soon.Mrs. Hofmarfs home is now inNorthampton, England and was for-merly in California. The introduc-tory paragraphs of Mrs. Hofman'sreview follow: i

“Emeric Sala’s book, This EarthOne Country, reaches England on theeve of the convening of the GeneralAssembly of the United Nations(January 10, 194.6). Although writ-ten apparently before the San Fran-cisco Conference, the book could notbe more timely. All the world nowknows that the institutions embodiedin the United Nations Charter arefar from adequate to meet the threat

of atomic war. But what does thefuture _, require?

“One wishes, at this very junc-ture, that reprmentatives of govern-ments and, indeed, the people of allnations could become familiar withMr. ' Sala’s lucid and convincingtheme: The only foundation of peace,and of that justice and economicwelfare for which the hearts of mennow yearn, is the establishment of atrue supranational community, a fed-eration of the members of the humanrace. And the achievement of thatmighty federation waits on the 0 ap-plication of the spiritual and socialprinciples which constitute the Reve-lation of Baha’u'llah.”

And this brief paragraph seems.especially important for Baha'is,:“. . . Baha’is the world around findthemselves confronted with an urgentbut staggering task: how to bringvividly and convincingly to the atten-tion of masses of men the DivineProgram which they alone recognizeand support... And it is for this taskthat Emeric Sala has provided yetanother invaluable tool.” t t

The review closes with these wordswhich we heartily endorse: “Ourthanks go to Mr. Sala, who hasmadeavailable a real and efiective instru-ment for all those whorwould under-stand the principlm and practicewhich characterize the world com-munity of Bahé’u’llah." I

Our readers will recall that weprinted a condensation of Mr. Sala'schapter on Islam in our Februaryand March issues, 1945.

I‘ I‘ I’

The index for volume eleven com-pletes this issue. Our April numberwill begin volume twelve. y A , , y '

y ---Tux-: Enrrons --I |

' -I

-r

INDEXWORLD ORDER

Volume Eleven, April, I945 to March, 1946

TITLES‘Abdul-Baha: The Tablets of, Book Re-

view, by H. Emogene Hoagg, 87; Visit toAmerica, by Mariam Haney, 215: TheDivine Exemplar, by Mariam Haney,280; in America, by Mariam Haney, 311

“Advent of Divine Justice". Index lo, byWilliam Kenneth Christian, 232

Age, The New, by Robert Reid, 355‘Akka, Pilgrimage to, 89Army, In the, by Benjamin Kaufman, 333;

The, Does Something to a Man, by JohnH. Stroessler, 362 _

Atomic Age, The Challenge of the, by Ar-thur Dahl, 330

Atomic Power, “Greater Than, Editorial, byBertha Hyde Kirkpatrick, 207 '

start: Essential Teachings, by HoraceHolley, I; Youth in Persia, by RustamPaymfin, 83; First American :_ ThorntonChase, by Carl Shefier, 152; Faith, EarlyGrowth of the, by Mariam Haney, 186;The Faith in America to 1912, by AI-bert R. Windust, 24-6; World Faith, BookReview, by Eleanor Sweney Hutchens,344; Poem, by Ruth Foster Froemming,34-6; Activity in America, 1912-1921, 373

Baha’u’llfih: The World Physician, by. Mabel Hyde Paine, 193; Poem, by Philip

Amalfi Marangella, 204-; The World Or-der of, Book Review, by Marion Holley,209 - _

Bahd'u'llah's Tablet to the Pope, 129Black Boy, Book Review, by Arthur Dahl,

309Child, Training the, by Olga Finke, 115Christian Heritage, The, Book Review, by

Phyllis Hall, 370Christians, Awake! by Marguerite True,

201Costa Rica, the Beautiful, by Gayle Wool-

son, 166Day, God’s New, Poem, by Edwinna Powell

-Cliflord, 82Dispensation, A New, Editorial, by Horace

Holley, 301Early Teacher, An, by Eleanor Crane Car-

ter, _3-39 _ . -

332

Economics, The Basis of, by 'Abdu'l-Bahd,353

Education: A New Attitude in, by PhyllisHall, 12; Spiritual, Editorial; by Ger-trude K. Henning, 113 '

Faith, One, Worship, in, Editorial, byBertha Hyde Kirkpatrick, 335: Poem,by Philip Amalfi Marangella, -372

Fruit in Abundance, by Mary Marlowe,299

God: Joined by, by George Townshend,109; The Gift of, by Thornton Chase,147; The Day of, words of Bah5‘u’lldh,264, 316

“God Passes By”, Study Outline for, byHorace Holley, 123

Greatness, The Call to, Editorial, by Wil-- Liam Kenneth Christian, 366

Guardianship and the Administrative Or-der, The, Study Outline, by Paul E.Haney, 347

Language, Progress Toward an Interna-tional, by Arthur Dahl, 182

Law, Enforcement of the Spiritual, Edi-torial, by Horace Holley, 30

“Let Deeds, Not Words Be Your Adorn-ing", by Mary McCl-ennen Marlow, 23

Liberal Thought, Challenge to, Book Re-view, by Arthur Dahl, 276

Lord Christ, The Mission of the, _ byGeorge Townshend, 139

Lore, The Time for, Has Come, Poem, byAngela Morgan, 273

Mirror and the Dust, The, Poem, by Wil-liam M. Sears, 300

Nation, One, Book Review, by Arthur Dab],363

Optimism, The Basis of, Editorial, by Gar-reta Busey, 271

Orient, Deep Shadows in the, by DuartBrown, 243

Palestine, Editorial, by Gertrude K. Hen-ning, 241 '

Path to the Kingdom, The, by 'Abdu'l-Baha, 132 .

Peace: Getting Ready for the, by H. A.Overstreet, 44; Mankind Can Establish,

INDEX 383by G. A. Shook, 65; The, in San Fran-cisco, by Marzieh Gail, 97; He Brought,Book Review, by - William KennethChristian, 119; World, The Assurance of,I. The Evolution of Peace, by HoraceHolley, 225; 2. The Nations Build theLesser Peace, by George Orr Latimer,228; 3. The Most Great Peace, by Dor-othy Baker, 232

Pioneer: Journey-Paraguay, by Virginia- Orbison, 72; Period, The American, by

Mariam Haney, 92: Journey: Bolivia, byVirginia Orbison, 266.

Poverty Will Be Removed, by Martha L.Root, 353 .

Prayer, Poem, by Silvia Margolis, 24-0Race Relations, References on, by Esther

Popel Shaw, 219Religion: and the Schools, Editorial, by

Garreta Busey, 145; Unite the Nations,Can Your? by Mary Marlowe, 205; ls

_ One, Poem, by William M. Sears, 221;and Science, by Otto Zmeskal, 303

Reggaissance, A Spiritual, by G. A. Shook,7

Rhythm, A New, Editorial, by GarretaBusey, 16“Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New", byRuhiyyih Khantim, 33

Service Man to Another, From One, byDuart Brown, 273

Song of Tomorrow, Poem, by Nell GrifitbWilson, 308

Sons, For My, by Evelyn V. Loveday, 153Spiritual Housecleaning, by Marguerite

True, 29Spiritual Springtime, The, Poem, by Mary

Marlowe, 364Teaching: by the Early American Believ-

ers, by Mariam Haney, 24; Activity,Early, by Mariam Haney, 60

“The Door of Thy Gate", Poem, by JanetR. Lindstrom, 213

"The Most Important Matter Is to Founda Temple", by Mrs. Corrine True, 52

“Then Tell Me", Poem, by Elsie PatersonCranmer, 343

This Earth One Country, Book Review,by William Kenneth Christian, 337

Times, Signs of the, by Annemarie Kuna- _ Honnold, 77Truth, Search for, Editorial, by Bertha_ Hyde Kirkpatrick, 54

Two Roads We Face, by William_KennethChristian, 289 ‘ 1

Vision, Poem, by Clara E. Hill, 23 .With Our Readers, by Bertha Hyde Kirk-

patrick, 31, 63, 94, 127, 159, 189,. 222,254, 236, 318, 350, 379 -

World Order Is the Goal, by Horace Hol-ley, 321 -

World: The Power to Unify the, by Sey-mour Weinberg, I3; Preparing for aPost-war by Ali M. Yazdi 56; Build-ing a United, by Margaret Kunz Rube,161; Undertakings, Editorial, by HoraceHolley, 180; Without Nations, The, BookReview, by Bertha Hyde Kirkpatrick,184; Citizens, by Marguerite True, 261

Youth: in Persia, Baha'i, by Rustam Pay-man, 83; Character and, Today, by Char-lotte P. Timm, 103; Heritage to, by EvaFlack McAllister, 212

AUTHORS ~‘Abdu’l-Baha: The Path to the Kingdom,

132; The Basis of Economics, 353Bahé'u’llr‘ih: Tablet to the Pope, 129; The

Day of God, 264, 316Baker, Dorothy, The Most Great Peace, 232Brown, Duart: Deep Shadows in the

Orient, 243; From One Service Man toAnother, 273 _

Busey, Garreta: A New Rhythm, 16; Re-ligion and the Schools, 145; The Basis ofOptimism, 271

Carter, Eleanor Crane, An Early Teacher,339 '

Chase, Thornton, The Gift of God, 147Christian, William Kenneth: He Brought

Peace 119; Index to “Advent of DivineJustice", 282; Two Roads We Face, 289;This Earth One Country, 337; The Callto Greatness, 366

Clifiord, Edwinna Powell, God's New Day,Poem, .32 - - t

Cranmer, Elsie Paterson, “Then Tell Me",Poem, 34-3

Dahl, Arthur: Progress toward an Interna-tional Language, 132; Challenge to Lib-eral Thought, 276; Black Boy, 3-09; TheChallenge of the Atomic Age, 330; OneNation, 363

Finke, Olga, Training the Child, 115Froemming, Ruth Foster, B_ahi'i', Poem,

l

I

__4

i 384Gail, Marrieh, The Peace‘ ‘in San "Fran-

ciwo‘ 97 . . . - . .

Hall, Phyllis: A New Attitude in Educa-tion, 12-; The Christian Heritage, 370

Ir

Haney, Mariam: Teaching by the EarlyAmerican Believers, 24; Early TeachingActivity, 60; The American PioneerPeriod, 92; Early Growth of the Bahfi"iFaith, 186; ‘Abdu'l-Baha’s Visit toAmerica, 215; ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the DivineExemplar, 280; 'Abdu'l-Baha in Amer-ica, 311; Baha'i Activity in America,1912-1921, 373 '

Haney, Paul E., The Guardianship andthe Administrative Order, Study Out-line, 347

Henning, Gertrude K.: Spiritual Educa-tion, l13; Palestine, 241

Hill, Clara E., Vision, Poem, 28Hoag8- H. Emogene, The Tablets of

‘Abdu'l-Bahfi, 37Holley, Horace: Essential‘ Baha’i Teach-

ings, I; Enforcement of the SpiritualLaw, 80; Study Outline for “God PassesBy”, 123; World Undertakings, 180; TheEvolution of Peace, 2'25; A New Dispen-gaétlion, 301; World Order "Is the Goal,

Holley, Marion, The World Order ofBah6'u'llah, 209

Honnold, Annamaria Kunz, Signs of theTimes, 77

Hutchens, Eleanor Sweney, Babaii WorldFaith, 344

Kaufman, Benjamin, In the Army, 333Kirkpatrick, Bertha Hyde: The Search for

Truth, 54; The World Without Nations,184-; Greater Than Atomic Power, 207;Worship in One Faith, 335; With OurReaders, 31, 63, 94, 127, 159, 139, 222,254, 286, 318, 350, 379

Latimer, George Orr, The Nations Buildthe Lesser Peace, 228

Lindstrom, Janet R., “The Door of "ThyGate"- Poem, 218

Loveday, Evelyn V., For _My Sons, 153Marangella, Philip Amalfi: Baha‘u'llfih,

Poem, 204; Faith, Poem, 372Margolis, Silvia, Prayer, Poem, 240Marlowe, Mary McClennen: “Let Deeds,

Not Words Be Your Adorning", 23; CanYour Religion Unite the Nations? 205;

11-. -l- —

_ WORLD ORDER -

Fruit in Abundance, 299;‘ The SpiritualSpringtime, Poem, 364 - -

Morgan, Angela, The Time for Love HasCome, Poem, 273

McAllister, Eva Flack, Heritage to Youth,212 '

Orbison, Virginia: Pioneer Journey-Parasguay, 72; Pioneer Journey: Bolivia, 266

Overstreet, “H. A., Getting Ready for -thePeace, 44

Paine, Mabel Hyde, Bahd'u'lltih, the WorldPhysician, 193

Payman, Rustam, Baha’f Youth in Persia,33

Reid, Robert, The New Age, 355 *Root, Martha L., Poverty Will Be Re-

moved, 353Ruhe, Margaret Kunz, Building a United

World, 161 _Ruhiyyih Khantim, “Ring Out the Old,

Ring in the New’, 33Sears, William M.: Religion Is One, Poem,

221; The Mirror and the Dust, Poem,300

Shaw, Esther Popel, References on RaceRelations, 219

Shefiler, Carl, Thornton Chase: FirstAmerican Bal1a’i, 152

Shook, G. A.: Mankind Can EstablishPeace, 65; A Spiritual Renaissance, 257

Stroessler, John H., The Army DocsSomething to a Man,~362

Timm, Charlotte P., Character and YouthToday, 103 ~ '

Townshend, -George: Joined by God, 109;The Mission of the Lord Christ, 139 .

True, Mrs. Corinne, “The Most ImportantMatter Is to Found a Temple", 52

True, Marguerite: Spiritual Hous,ee_lesn-ing, 29; Christians, Awake! 201; WorldCitizens, 261

Weinberg, Seymour, The Power to Unifythe World, 18

Wilson, Nell Grifith, Song of Tomorrow,Poem, 303

Windust, Albert R., The Bahdif Faith‘ inAmerica to 1912, 246

Woolson, Gayle, Costa Rica, the Beauti-ful, 166 ' '

Yazdi, Ali M., Preparing for a Post-WarWorld, 56 i

Zmeskal, Otto, Religion and Science, 303

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Cleanings from the Writings of Bahci’u’lléh', selected and translated byShoghi Efiendi. The Bahéfi teachings on the nature of religion, the soul,the basis of civilization and the oneness of mankind. Bound in fabrikoid.360 pages. $2.00. 2 tThe Kitcib-i-Iqcin, translated by Shoghi Efiendi. This work (The Bool:oi Certitude) unifies and coordinates the revealed Religions of the past,demonstrating their oneness in fulfillment of the purposes of Revelation.Bound in cloth. 262 pages. $2.50. - ~Prayers and Meditations by Bahd’u’lla"Ih, selected and translated by ShoghiEflendi. The supreme expression of devotion to God; a spiritual flamewhich enkindles the heart and illumines the mind. 348 pages. Boundin fabrikoid. $2.00. " r 2 ' sBah¢i’i Prayers, a selection of Prayers revealed by Baha'u’llé.h, the Baband ‘Abdu’l-Bahé, each Prayer translated by Shoghi Efiendi. 72 pages.Bound in fabrikoid, $0.75. Paper cover, $0.35. ~Some Answered Questions. -‘Abdu’l-Baha’s explanation of questions con-cerning the relation of man to Cod, the nature of the Manifestation,human capacities, fulfillment of prophecy, etc. Bound in cloth. 350pages. $1.50. 'The Promulgation of Universal Peace. In this collection of His Americantalks, ‘Abdu’l-Bahii laid the basis for a firm understanding of the attitudes,

-|__

principles and spiritual laws -which enter into the establishment of truePeace. 492 pages. Bound in cloth. $2.50.

The World Order of Bahti’u’llzih, by Shoghi Efiendi. On the nature of thenew social pattern revealed by Baha’u'lléh for the attainment of divinejustice in civilization. Bound in fabrikoid. 234 pages. $1.50.

God Passes By, by Shoghi Efiendi. The authoritative documented histori-cal survey of the Baha’i Faith through the four periods of its firstcentury: The Ministry of the Bab, the Ministry of Bahé’u’llah, theMinistry of ‘Abdu’l@-Bahé,and the Inception of the Formative Age (1921-194-4). In these pages ‘the world’s supreme spiritual drama unfolds.

plus 412 pages. Bound int fahrikoid. $2.50.

Ial‘Bans 1 Punusnrnc Comrrrrsn110 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois

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Inculcates the principle of equal opportunity,s rights and privileges for both sexes,Advocates compulsory education,

Abolishes extremes of poverty and wealth,Exalts work performed in the spirit of service

- to the rank of Worship, vRecommends the adoption of an auxiliary inter-

national language, . . . PProvides the necessary agencies for the estab-

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