God is one, the effulgence of God is one, and humanity constitutes the
servants of that one God. God is kind to all. He creates and provides for
all, and all are under His care and protection. The Sun of Truth, the Word
of God, shines upon all mankind; the divine cloud pours down its precious
rain; the gentle zephyrs of His mercy blow, and all humanity is submerged
in the ocean of His eternal justice and loving-kindness. God has created
mankind from the same progeny in order that they may associate in good
fellowship, exercise love toward each other and live together in unity and
brotherhood.
But we have acted contrary to the will and good pleasure of God. We have
been the cause of enmity and disunion. We have separated from each other
and risen against each other in opposition and strife. How many have been
the wars between peoples and nations! What bloodshed! Numberless are the
cities and homes which have been laid waste. All of this has been contrary
to the good pleasure of God, for He hath willed love for humanity. He is
clement and merciful to all His creatures. He hath ordained amity and
fellowship amongst men.
Most regrettable of all is the state of difference and divergence we have
created between each other in the name of religion, imagining that a
paramount duty in our religious belief is that of alienation and
estrangement, that we should shun each other and consider each other
contaminated with error and infidelity. In reality, the foundations of the
divine religions are one and the same. The differences which have arisen
between us are due to blind imitations of dogmatic beliefs and adherence
to ancestral forms of worship. Abraham was the founder of reality. Moses,
Christ, Muhammad were the manifestations of reality. Baha'u'llah was the
glory of reality. This is not simply an assertion; it will be proved.
Let me ask your closest attention in considering this subject. The divine
religions embody two kinds of ordinances. First, there are those which
constitute essential, or spiritual, teachings of the Word of God. These
are faith in God, the acquirement of the virtues which characterize
perfect manhood, praiseworthy moralities, the acquisition of the bestowals
and bounties emanating from the divine effulgences--in brief, the
ordinances which concern the realm of morals and ethics. This is the
fundamental aspect of the religion of God, and this is of the highest
importance because knowledge of God is the fundamental requirement of man.
Man must comprehend the oneness of Divinity. He must come to know and
acknowledge the precepts of God and realize for a certainty that the
ethical development of humanity is dependent upon religion. He must get
rid of all defects and seek the attainment of heavenly virtues in order
that he may prove to be the image and likeness of God. It is recorded in
the Holy Bible that God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness." It is self-evident that the image and likeness mentioned do not
apply to the form and semblance of a human being because the reality of
Divinity is not limited to any form or figure. Nay, rather, the attributes
and characteristics of God are intended. Even as God is pronounced to be
just, man must likewise be just. As God is loving and kind to all men, man
must likewise manifest loving-kindness to all humanity. As God is loyal
and truthful, man must show forth the same attributes in the human world.
Even as God exercises mercy toward all, man must prove himself to be the
manifestation of mercy. In a word, the image and likeness of God
constitute the virtues of God, and man is intended to become the recipient
of the effulgences of divine attributes. This is the essential foundation
of all the divine religions, the reality itself, common to all. Abraham
promulgated this; Moses proclaimed it. Christ and all the Prophets upheld
this standard and aspect of divine religion.
Second, there are laws and ordinances which are temporary and
nonessential. These concern human transactions and relations. They are
accidental and subject to change according to the exigencies of time and
place. These ordinances are neither permanent nor fundamental. For
instance, during the time of Noah it was expedient that seafood be
considered as lawful; therefore, God commanded Noah to partake of all
marine animal life. During the time of Moses this was not in accordance
with the exigencies of Israel's existence; therefore, a second command was
revealed partly abrogating the law concerning marine foods. During the
time of Abraham--upon Him be peace!--camel's milk was considered a lawful
and acceptable food; likewise, the flesh of the camel; but during Jacob's
time, because of a certain vow He made, this became unlawful. These are
nonessential, temporary laws. In the Holy Bible there are certain
commandments which according to those bygone times constituted the very
spirit of the age, the very light of that period. For example, according
to the law of the Torah if a man committed theft of a certain amount, they
cut off his hand. Is it practicable and reasonable in this present day to
cut off a man's hand for the theft of a dollar? In the Torah there are ten
ordinances concerning murder. Could these be made effective today?
Unquestionably no; times have changed. According to the explicit text of
the Bible if a man should change or break the law of the Sabbath or if he
should touch fire on the Sabbath, he must be killed. Today such a law is
abrogated. The Torah declares that if a man should speak a disrespectful
word to his father, he should suffer the penalty of death. Is this
possible of enforcement now? No; human conditions have undergone changes.
Likewise, during the time of Christ certain minor ordinances conformable
to that period were enforced.
It has been shown conclusively, therefore, that the foundation of the
religion of God remains permanent and unchanging. It is that fixed
foundation which ensures the progress and stability of the body politic
and the illumination of humanity. It has ever been the cause of love and
justice amongst men. It works for the true fellowship and unification of
all mankind, for it never changes and is not subject to supersedure. The
accidental, or nonessential, laws which regulate the transactions of the
social body and everyday affairs of life are changeable and subject to
abrogation.
Let me ask: What is the purpose of Prophethood? Why has God sent the
Prophets? It is self-evident that the Prophets are the Educators of men
and the Teachers of the human race. They come to bestow universal
education upon humanity, to give humanity training, to uplift the human
race from the abyss of despair and desolation and to enable man to attain
the apogee of advancement and glory. The people are in darkness; the
Prophets bring them into the realm of light. They are in a state of utter
imperfection; the Prophets imbue them with perfections. The purpose of the
prophetic mission is none other than the education and guidance of the
people. Therefore, we must regard and be on the lookout for the man who is
thus qualified--that is to say, any soul who proves to be the Educator of
mankind and the Teacher of the human race is undoubtedly the Prophet of
His age.
For example, let us review the events connected with the history of
Moses--upon Him be peace! He dwelt in Midian at a time when the children of
Israel were in captivity and bondage in the land of Egypt, subjected to
every tyranny and severe oppression. They were illiterate and ignorant,
undergoing cruel ordeals and experiences. They were in such a state of
helplessness and impotence that it was proverbial to state that one
Egyptian could overcome ten Israelites. At such a time as this and under
such forbidding conditions Moses appeared and shone forth with a heavenly
radiance. He saved Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh and released them
from captivity. He led them out of the land of Egypt and into the Holy
Land. They had been scattered and broken; He unified and disciplined them,
conferred upon them the blessing of wisdom and knowledge. They had been
slaves; He made them princes. They were ignorant; He made them learned.
They were imperfect; He enabled them to attain perfection. In a word, He
led them out of their condition of hopelessness and brought them to
efficiency in the plane of confidence and valor. They became renowned
throughout the ancient world until finally in the zenith and splendor of
their new civilization the glory of the sovereignty of Solomon was
attained. Through the guidance and training of Moses these slaves and
captives became the dominating people amongst the nations. Not only in
physical and military superiority were they renowned, but in all the
degrees of arts, letters and refinement their fame was widespread. Even
the celebrated philosophers of Greece journeyed to Jerusalem in order to
study with the Israelitish sages, and many were the lessons of philosophy
and wisdom they received. Among these philosophers was the famous
Socrates. He visited the Holy Land and studied with the prophets of
Israel, acquiring principles of their philosophical teaching and a
knowledge of their advanced arts and sciences. After his return to Greece
he founded the system known as the unity of God. The Greek people rose
against him, and at last he was poisoned in the presence of the king.
Hippocrates and many other Greek philosophers sat at the feet of the
learned Israelitish doctors and absorbed their expositions of wisdom and
inner truth.
Inasmuch as Moses through the influence of His great mission was
instrumental in releasing the Israelites from a low state of debasement
and humiliation, establishing them in a station of prestige and
glorification, disciplining and educating them, it is necessary for us to
reach a fair and just judgment in regard to such a marvelous Teacher. For
in this great accomplishment He stood single and alone. Could He have made
such a change and brought about such a condition among these people
without the sanction and assistance of a heavenly power? Could He have
transformed a people from humiliation to glory without a holy and divine
support?
None other than a divine power could have done this. Therein lies the
proof of Prophethood because the mission of a Prophet is education of the
human race such as this Personage accomplished, proving Him to be a mighty
Prophet among the Prophets and His Book the very Book of God. This is a
rational, direct and perfect proof.
In brief, Moses--upon Whom be peace!--founded the law of God, purified the
morals of the people of Israel and gave them an impetus toward nobler and
higher attainments. But after the departure of Moses, following the
decline of the glory of Solomon's era and during the reign of Jeroboam
there came a great change in this nation. The high ethical standards and
spiritual perfections ceased to exist. Conditions and morals became
corrupt, religion was debased, and the perfect principles of the Mosaic
law were obscured in superstition and polytheism. War and strife arose
among the tribes, and their unity was destroyed. The followers of Jeroboam
declared themselves rightful and valid in kingly succession, and the
supporters of Rehoboam made the same claim. Finally, the tribes were torn
asunder by hostility and hatred, the glory of Israel was eclipsed, and so
complete was the degradation that a golden calf was set up as an object of
worship in the city of Tyre. Thereupon God sent Elijah, the prophet, who
redeemed the people, renewed the law of God and established an era of new
life for Israel. History shows a still later change and transformation
when this oneness and solidarity were followed by another dispersion of
the tribes. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, invaded the Holy Land and
carried away captive seventy thousand Israelites to Chaldea, where the
greatest reverses, trials and suffering afflicted these unfortunate
people. Then the prophets of God again reformed and reestablished the law
of God, and the people in their humiliation again followed it. This
resulted in their liberation, and under the edict of Cyrus, King of
Persia, there was a return to the Holy City. Jerusalem and the Temple of
Solomon were rebuilt, and the glory of Israel was restored. This lasted
but a short time; the morality of the people declined, and conditions
reached an extreme degree until the Roman general Titus took Jerusalem and
razed it to its foundations. Pillage and conquest completed the
desolation; Palestine became a waste and wilderness, and the Jews fled
from the Holy Land of their ancestors. The cause of this disintegration
and dispersion was the departure of Israel from the foundation of the law
of God revealed by Moses--namely, the acquisition of divine virtues,
morality, love, the development of arts and sciences and the spirit of the
oneness of humanity.
I now wish you to examine certain facts and statements which are worthy of
consideration. My purpose and intention is to remove from the hearts of
men the religious enmity and hatred which have fettered them and to bring
all religions into agreement and unity. Inasmuch as this hatred and
enmity, this bigotry and intolerance are outcomes of misunderstandings,
the reality of religious unity will appear when these misunderstandings
are dispelled. For the foundation of the divine religions is one
foundation. This is the oneness of revelation or teaching. But, alas, we
have turned away from that foundation, holding tenaciously to various
dogmatic forms and blind imitation of ancestral beliefs. This is the real
cause of enmity, hatred and bloodshed in the world--the reason of
alienation and estrangement among mankind. Therefore, I wish you to be
very just and fair in your judgment of the following statements.
During the time that the people of Israel were being tossed and afflicted
by the conditions I have named, Jesus Christ appeared among them. Jesus of
Nazareth was a Jew. He was single and unaided, alone and unique. He had no
assistant. The Jews at once pronounced Him to be an enemy of Moses. They
declared that He was the destroyer of the Mosaic laws and ordinances. Let
us examine the facts as they are, investigate the truth and reality in
order to arrive at a true opinion and conclusion. For a completely fair
opinion upon this question we must lay aside all we have and investigate
independently. This Personage, Jesus Christ, declared Moses to have been
the Prophet of God and pronounced all the prophets of Israel as sent from
God. He proclaimed the Torah the very Book of God, summoned all to conform
to its precepts and follow its teachings. It is an historical fact that
during a period of fifteen hundred years the kings of Israel were unable
to promulgate broadcast the religion of Judaism. In fact, during that
period the name and history of Moses were confined to the boundaries of
Palestine and the Torah was a book well known only in that country. But
through Christ, through the blessing of the New Testament of Jesus Christ,
the Old Testament, the Torah, was translated into six hundred different
tongues and spread throughout the world. It was through Christianity that
the Torah reached Persia. Before that time there was no knowledge in that
country of such a book, but Christ caused its spread and acceptance.
Through Him the name of Moses was elevated and revered. He was
instrumental in publishing the name and greatness of the Israelitish
prophets, and He proved to the world that the Israelites constituted the
people of God. Which of the kings of Israel could have accomplished this?
Were it not for Jesus Christ, would the Bible, the Torah have reached this
land of America? Would the name of Moses be spread throughout the world?
Refer to history. Everyone knows that when Christianity was spread, there
was a simultaneous spread of the knowledge of Judaism and the Torah.
Throughout the length and breadth of Persia there was not a single volume
of the Old Testament until the religion of Jesus Christ caused it to
appear everywhere so that today the Holy Bible is a household book in that
country. It is evident, then, that Christ was a friend of Moses, that He
loved and believed in Moses; otherwise, He would not have commemorated His
name and Prophethood. This is self-evident. Therefore, Christians and Jews
should have the greatest love for each other because the Founders of these
two great religions have been in perfect agreement in Book and teaching.
Their followers should be likewise.
We have already stated the valid proofs of Prophethood. We find the very
evidences of the validity of Moses were witnessed and duplicated in
Christ. Christ was also a unique and single Personage born of the lineage
of Israel. By the power of His Word He was able to unite people of the
Roman, Greek, Chaldean, Egyptian and Assyrian nations. Whereas they had
been cruel, bloodthirsty and hostile, killing, pillaging and taking each
other captive, He cemented them together in a perfect bond of unity and
love. He caused them to agree and become reconciled. Such mighty effects
were the results of the manifestation of one single Soul. This proves
conclusively that Christ was assisted by God. Today all Christians admit
and believe that Moses was a Prophet of God. They declare that His Book
was the Book of God, that the prophets of Israel were true and valid and
that the people of Israel constituted the people of God. What harm has
come from this? What harm could come from a statement by the Jews that
Jesus was also a Manifestation of the Word of God? Have the Christians
suffered for their belief in Moses? Have they experienced any loss of
religious enthusiasm or witnessed any defeat in their religious belief by
declaring that Moses was a Prophet of God, that the Torah was a Book of
God and that all the prophets of Israel were prophets of God? It is
evident that no loss comes from this. And now it is time for the Jews to
declare that Christ was the Word of God, and then this enmity between two
great religions will pass away. For two thousand years this enmity and
religious prejudice have continued. Blood has been shed, ordeals have been
suffered. These few words will remedy the difficulty and unite two great
religions. What harm could follow this: that just as the Christians
glorify and praise the name of Moses, likewise the Jews should commemorate
the name of Christ, declare Him to be the Word of God and consider Him as
one of the chosen Messengers of God?
A few words concerning the Qur'an and the Muslims: When Muhammad appeared,
He spoke of Moses as the great Man of God. In the Qur'an He refers to the
sayings of Moses in seven different places, proclaims Him a Prophet and
the possessor of a Book, the Founder of the law and the Spirit of God. He
said, "Whosoever believes in Him is acceptable in the estimation of God,
and whosoever shuns Him or any of the prophets is rejected of God." Even
in conclusion He calls upon His own relatives, saying, "Why have ye
shunned and not believed in Moses? Why have ye not acknowledged the Torah?
Why have ye not believed in the Jewish prophets?" In a certain surih of
the Qur'an He mentions the names of twenty-eight of the prophets of
Israel, praising each and all of them. To this great extent He has
ratified and commended the prophets and religion of Israel. The purport is
this: that Muhammad praised and glorified Moses and confirmed Judaism. He
declared that whosoever denies Moses is contaminated and even if he
repents, his repentance will not be accepted. He pronounced His own
relatives infidels and impure because they had denied the prophets. He
said, "Because you have not believed in Christ, because you have not
believed in Moses, because you have not believed in the Gospels, you are
infidels and contaminated." In this way Muhammad has praised the Torah,
Moses, Christ and the prophets of the past. He appeared amongst the Arabs,
who were a people nomadic and illiterate, barbarous in nature and
bloodthirsty. He guided and trained them until they attained a high degree
of development. Through His education and discipline they rose from the
lowest levels of ignorance to the heights of knowledge, becoming masters
of erudition and philosophy. We see, therefore that the proofs applicable
to one Prophet are equally applicable to another.
In conclusion, since the Prophets themselves, the Founders, have loved,
praised and testified of each other, why should we disagree and be
alienated? God is one. He is the Shepherd of all. We are His sheep and,
therefore, should live together in love and unity. We should manifest the
spirit of justness and goodwill toward each other. Shall we do this, or
shall we censure and pronounce anathema, praising ourselves and condemning
all others? What possible good can come from such attitude and action? On
the contrary, nothing but enmity and hatred, injustice and inhumanity can
possibly result. Has not this been the greatest cause of bloodshed, woe
and tribulation in the past?
Praise be to God! You are living in a land of freedom. You are blessed
with men of learning, men who are well versed in the comparative study of
religions. You realize the need of unity and know the great harm which
comes from prejudice and superstition. I ask you, is not fellowship and
brotherhood preferable to enmity and hatred in society and community? The
answer is self-evident. Love and fellowship are absolutely needful to win
the good pleasure of God, which is the goal of all human attainment. We
must be united. We must love each other. We must ever praise each other.
We must bestow commendation upon all people, thus removing the discord and
hatred which have caused alienation amongst men. Otherwise, the conditions
of the past will continue, praising ourselves and condemning others;
religious wars will have no end, and religious prejudice, the prime cause
of this havoc and tribulation, will increase. This must be abandoned, and
the way to do it is to investigate the reality which underlies all the
religions. This underlying reality is the love of humanity. For God is one
and humanity is one, and the only creed of the Prophets is love and unity.
9 November 1912
Talk at Home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Parsons
1700 Eighteenth Street, NW, Washington, D. C.