As to the difference between that material civilization now prevailing,
and the divine civilization which will be one of the benefits to derive
from the House of Justice, it is this: material civilization, through the
power of punitive and retaliatory laws, restraineth the people from
criminal acts; and notwithstanding this, while laws to retaliate against
and punish a man are continually proliferating, as ye can see, no laws
exist to reward him. In all the cities of Europe and America, vast
buildings have been erected to serve as jails for the criminals.
Divine civilization, however, so traineth every member of society that no
one, with the exception of a negligible few, will undertake to commit a
crime. There is thus a great difference between the prevention of crime
through measures that are violent and retaliatory, and so training the
people, and enlightening them, and spiritualizing them, that without any
fear of punishment or vengeance to come, they will shun all criminal acts.
They will, indeed, look upon the very commission of a crime as a great
disgrace and in itself the harshest of punishments. They will become
enamoured of human perfections, and will consecrate their lives to
whatever will bring light to the world and will further those qualities
which are acceptable at the Holy Threshold of God.
See then how wide is the difference between material civilization and
divine. With force and punishments, material civilization seeketh to
restrain the people from mischief, from inflicting harm on society and
committing crimes. But in a divine civilization, the individual is so
conditioned that with no fear of punishment, he shunneth the perpetration
of crimes, seeth the crime itself as the severest of torments, and with
alacrity and joy, setteth himself to acquiring the virtues of humankind,
to furthering human progress, and to spreading light across the world.