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A New Situation |
The position of Bahá’u’lláh among the Prophets is unprecedented
and unique, because the condition of the world at
the time of His advent was unprecedented and unique. By a
long and checkered process of development in religion, science,
art and civilization the world had become ripe for a teaching
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of Unity. The barriers which in previous centuries had made a
world unity impossible were ready to crumble when Bahá’u’lláh
appeared, and since His birth, in 1817, and more especially
since the promulgation of His teachings began, these barriers
have been breaking down in most astonishing fashion. Be the
explanation what it may, about the fact there can be no doubt.
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In the days of previous Prophets geographical barriers alone
were amply sufficient to prevent world unity. Now that obstacle
has been overcome. For the first time in human history men
on opposite sides of the globe are able to communicate with
each other quickly and easily. Things done in Europe yesterday
are known in every continent of the world today, and a speech
made in America today may be read in Europe, Asia and
Africa tomorrow.
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Another great obstacle was the language difficulty. Thanks
to the study and teaching of foreign languages, that difficulty
has already been to a large extent overcome; and there is every
reason to suppose that ere many years an international auxiliary
language will be adopted and taught in all the schools of
the world. Then this difficulty also will be completely removed.
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The third great obstacle was religious prejudice and intolerance.
That, too, is disappearing. Men’s minds are becoming
more open. The education of the people is passing more
and more out of the hands of sectarian priests; and new and
more liberal ideas can no longer be prevented from penetrating
into even the most exclusive and conservative circles.
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Bahá’u’lláh is thus the first of the great Prophets Whose
message has become known within a period of comparatively
few years in every quarter of the globe. Within a short time
the essential teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, translated from His own
authentic Writings, will be directly accessible to every man,
woman and child in the world who is able to read.
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