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The Era of Unity |
All the signs of the times indicate that we are at the dawn
of a new era in the history of mankind. Hitherto the young
eagle of humanity has clung to the old aerie in the solid rock
of selfishness and materialism. Its attempts to use its wings
have been timid and tentative. It has had restless longings for
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something still unattained. More and more it has been chafing
in the confinement of the old dogmas and orthodoxies. But
now the era of confinement is at an end, and it can launch on
the wings of faith and reason into the higher realms of spiritual
love and truth. It will no longer be earthbound as it was before
its wings had grown, but will soar at will to the regions of wide
outlook and glorious freedom. One thing is necessary, however,
if its flight is to be sure and steady. Its wings must not
only be strong, but they must act in perfect harmony and
coordination. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:—“It cannot fly with one
wing alone. If it tries to fly with the wing of religion alone it
will land in the slough of superstition, and if it tries to fly with
the wing of science alone it will end in the dreary bog of
materialism.”
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Perfect harmony between religion and science is the sine
qua non of the higher life for humanity. When that is achieved,
and every child is trained not only in the study of the sciences,
and arts, but equally in love to all mankind and in radiant
acquiescence to the Will of God as revealed in the progress of
evolution and the teachings of the Prophets, then and not till
then, shall the Kingdom of God come and His Will be done on
earth as it is in Heaven; then and not till then shall the Most
Great Peace shed its blessings on the world.
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“When religion,” says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “shorn of its
superstitions, traditions and unintelligent dogmas, shows
its conformity with science, then there will be a great
unifying, cleansing force in the world, which will sweep
before it all wars, disagreements, discords and struggles,
and then will mankind be united in the power of the love
of God.”
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