An instrument for peace
IT IS the Bahá’í view that the longawaited era of peace promised in many of the world’s religions and traditions is now well within our reach and that, “World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet.”
As we approach the International Day of Peace on September 21, let us reflect on the role that religion should play in promoting peace. Religion has served throughout history as the ultimate authority in giving meaning to life.
It has been the primary force binding diverse peoples together. Therefore, no serious attempt towards achieving world peace can ignore religion.
Religion, according to the Bahá’í Scriptures, “Is the source of illumination, the cause of development and the animating impulse of all human advancement and has been the basis of all civilization and progress in the history of mankind”.
Those universal spiritual principles shared by all major world religions - tolerance, compassion, love, justice, humility, sacrifice, trustworthiness, dedication to the well-being of others and unity, are the foundations of progressive civilization.
While religion is a vital force for creating a peaceful and prosperous global society, at the same time the distortion of religion has been one of the main causes of social disintegration, intolerance, hatred, poverty, oppression and war.
In addition, religious fanaticism has had and still has a great destructive impact on the stability and progress of the world.
If religion is to help in meeting the diverse challenges confronting the world community today, it must be a cause of unity, free from fanaticism, prejudice and animosity.
The Bahá’í Scriptures emphasize that “religion must be the source of fellowship, the cause of unity and the nearness of God to man. If it rouses hatred and strife, it is evident that absence of religion is preferable and an irreligious man is better than one who professes it.”
It is important that each religion demonstrates its capacity to guide the world’s inhabitants to peaceful co- existence, moral decency, mutual understanding and not fear or intolerance towards others.
The world’s great religions, in the Bahá’í view, are equally valid in nature and origin, and spiritual life is equally accessible to everyone.
The Baha’i Writings state, “… all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their teachings are but facets of one truth, that their functions are complementary …”
In its message of April 2002 to the world’s religious leaders, the governing council of the Bahá’í international community appeals to the honourable leaders of religions to consider promoting the principle that God is one and that, beyond all diversity of cultural expression and human interpretation, religion is likewise one.
By doing so, the process of harmonizing the world’s great religions will receive a considerable boost, and will make religion a more effective instrument for progress and peace.
The great religions of the world should become the cause of peace and unity.
They should emphasize that the individual’s spiritual fulfilment and well-being are tied up with the collective progress of the entire world community.
The teaching that ‘we should treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated’ is an ethic repeated in all the great religions and it sums up the moral attitude we should cleave to, as well as the peace-inducing aspect of religion.
By following this golden rule and promoting the principle of the oneness of humanity, religion can become a mighty force towards establishing international peace.