Religion Must be the Source of Unity

The Fourth Basic Baha’i Principle is:
“Religion Must be a Source of Unity.”

If it is not, its non-being were better than its being. The fourth foundation stone, the emerald, is green. Green is the color of harmony and unity. There is no color known that green will not harmonize with, as the green foliage blends with every hued flower. It is the color of immortality and also of humility. – Abdu’l-Baha

The oneness of Religion, is an essential part of World Order. For until men are united spiritually, there can be no true brotherhood, nor any universally accepted authority. And both are essential to a social order.

Various religious systems desveloping round the Person of their Founder, come into contact with other “religions” which have grown in the same way, and because they see the outer differences, accentuated by differences of climate, occupation and clothing, conclude that they are actually different religions. The inevitable conclusion is that “ours” is the only true one, thus making superficial differences into impassable barriers.

Baha’u’llah shows how the teaching of a Manifestation of God is divided into two parts. The spiritual principles which do not change, and social ordinances and decrees which vary with the growth of man. He asks none of the established religions to accept the laws and ordinances of one among them. Neither does he leave us to fight it out among ourselves. In his own Revelation he fulfills the hopes and promises of all previous religions, those promises recorded in their own scriptures. His Book of Laws has the same authority as the Ten Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount and is acceptably to all religions. Without denying what has gone before and without “lowering” one Manifestation in favor of another, the Truth revealed by Bahá’u’lláh is able to bring religious unity to a torn and divided race.

This new age, this new cycle of human power, revolves around a new principle, the principle of Unity. “Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching. Unity of family, of tribe, of city, state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established. World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving. Nation building has come to an end. The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax. A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationship and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life.”

“A new life, is, in this age, stirring within all the peoples of the earth; and yet none received its motive.”

“O ye children of men, the fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race…” – Abdu’l-Baha

Religion is the cause of unity. No other source of involvement known to mankind has the inner power to unite all of the world within one family. The very foundation of civilization was brought into existence by Revelations from God, through His Divine Messengers. Without spiritual decree revealed unto man, his existence would still be as the animal, never changing, never able to bring about advancement by his own accord. By the light of the revealed word, all foundation of man’s civilization is brought about.

The purpose of religion is to draw the hearts of men together, to form one family, united as one through love and harmony. Even at the start of man’s spiritual cycle, an established pattern was revealed that through each age, man-kind comes one step closer to bringing about world peace and unity. We can only achieve such through the spiritual fundamentals of the revealed revelation from the All-Mighty and Loving God.

” That all nations should become one in faith, and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled…. These strife’s and this bloodshed and discord must cease, and all men be as one kindred and one family.” – Baha’u’llah

The call for unity is to the hearts of the spiritual creation of the earth. We are all of the same origin, like-wise, religious truths are all from the same source, the Blessed Beauty, the All-Mightiful God . Being of one family, let us recognize the essential need to join together in oneness. This unifying endeavor, will one day achieve its goal, once accomplished, prejudices of all kinds shall be displaced from the minds of mankind. And once for all there shall be an undying love among mankind for his neighbor. For we shall see them as ourselves, one family, one together in unity.

1. The Oneness of Humanity
2. Independent Investigation of the Truth
3. The Foundation of all Religions is One
4. Religion Must be the Source of Unity
5. Religion Must be in Accord with Science
6. The Equality of Men and Women
7. The Removal of All Prejudice
8. Universal Peace
9. Universal Compulsory Education
10. A Spiritual Solution to the Economic Problem
11. A Universal Language
12. A Universal House of Justice with the Davidic King as the President