THE BAHA'I VIEW ON VARIOUS TOPICS....
A SELECTION OF BAHA'I WRITINGS
The following is a selection of various Baha'i writings that I feel would be of some interest to the youths in particular. These are the writings of Baha'u'llah (founder of the Baha'i Faith), Abdul-Baha (the son of Baha'u'llah), Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian of the Faith) and the Universal House of Justive (the supreme governing body of the Baha'i Faith).
BAHA'I WRITINGS ON MUSIC
- "Music is an important means to the education and development of humanity."
- "The art of music is divine and effective. It is the food of the soul and the spirit. Through the power and charm of music the spirit of man is uplifted."
- "It has wonderful sway and effect in the hearts of children, for their hearts are pure and melodies have great influence on them. The latent talents with which the hearts of these children are endowed will find expression through the medium of music."
- "It is imcumbent upon every child to know something of music, for without knowledge of this art, the melodies of instrument and voice cannot be rightly enjoyed. Likewise it is necessary that the schools teach it in order that the souls and hearts of the pupils may become vivified and exhilarated and their lives be brightened with enjoyment."
- "We have made music a ladder by which souls may ascend to the realm on high."
BAHA'I WRITINGS ON THE EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
- Baha'is believe that women and men have been and will always be equal in the sight of God.
- The world of humanity has two wings-one is women and the other men. Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible. Not until the world of women becomes equal to the world of men in the acquisitions of virtues and perfections, can success and prosperity be attained as they ought to be.
- "The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged prerequisites of peace."
- "Only as women are welcomed into full partnership in all fields of human endeavour will the moral and psychological climate be created in which international peace can emerge."
- The Baha'i writings states that girls should be given preference over boys when education opportunities and resources are limited.
- In a Baha'i marriage, neither the husband nor the wife has a dominant voice.
- Any apparent inequality between the capacites of women and men is due solely to the lack of educational opportunities so far open to women.
BAHA'I WRITINGS ON EDUCATION
- Among the teachings of Baha'u'llah (Prophet Founder of the Baha'i Faith) is the promotion of education. Every child must be instructed in sciences as much as is necessary.
- "Education is the indispensible foundation of all human excellence."
- "In keeping with the requirements of the times, consideration should also be given to teaching the concept of world citizenship as part of the standard education of every child."
BAHA'I WRITINGS ON RACISM
- "Racism, one of the most baneful and persistent evils, is a major barrier to peace."
- "Its practice perpretates too outrageous a violation of the dignity of human beings to be countenanced under any pretext."
- "The spirit and intelligence of man is essential... Therefore, be it known that color or race is of no importance."
- "He who is the image and likeness of God, who is the manifestation of the bestowals of God-whether his color be white, black or brown; it matters not."
- "Man is not man simply because of bodily attributes. The standard of divine measure and judgement is his intelligence and spirit..."
- "A man's heart may be pure and white though his outer skin be black; or his heart be dark and sinful though his racial color is white. The character and purity of the heart is of all importance.
Located on the slopes of Mt. Carmel, the International Archives Building houses artifacts of the Baha'i Faith