by Verbus M. Counts

When Verbus M. Counts posted to net.religion in January 1985, he was among the first voices on the early internet to articulate the Baha'i Faith's core social teaching: that humanity is one family, and that all religions are expressions of a single, progressive divine revelation. Counts was a researcher at AT&T Bell Labs in Short Hills, New Jersey — one of the great intellectual hubs of the early ARPANET era — and his patient, good-faith posts on net.religion brought Baha'i scripture to an audience that had likely never encountered it.

This post presents two texts. The first is a passage from the writings of Baha'u'llah (1817–1892), founder of the Baha'i Faith, on the light of unity. The second is the second principle from 'Abdu'l-Baha's Paris Talks — a series of lectures delivered in Paris in 1911 and published in English in 1912 — which articulates the unity of mankind as a theological and cosmological fact, grounded in the nature of divine love and the structure of existence itself. The post closes with a prayer for unity attributed to 'Abdu'l-Baha.

The Baha'i writings reproduced here are in the public domain. Baha'u'llah died in 1892; 'Abdu'l-Baha died in 1921; the Paris Talks was first published in 1912.

From the Writings of Baha'u'llah

The utterance of God is a lamp, whose light is these words: Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. He Who is the Daystar of Truth beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the world earth. The one true God, He Who Knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words.

From Paris Talks — The Second Principle: The Unity of Mankind

by 'Abdu'l-Baha

I spoke yesterday of the first principle of the Teaching of Baha'u'llah, "The Search for Truth"; how it is necessary for a man to put aside all in the nature of superstition, and every tradition which would blind his eyes to the existence of truth in all religions. He must not, while loving and clinging to one form of religion, permit himself to detest all others. It is essential that he search for truth in all religions, and, if his seeking be in earnest, he will assuredly succeed.

Now the first discovery which we make in our "Search after Truth", will lead us to the second principle, which is the "Unity of Mankind". All men are servants of the One God. One God reigns over all nations of the world and has pleasure in all His children. All men are of one family; the crown of humanity rests on the head of every human being.

In the eyes of the Creator all His children are equal; His goodness is poured forth on all. He does not favor this nation nor that nation, all alike are His creatures. This being so, why should we make divisions, separation one race from another? Why should we create barriers of superstition and tradition bringing discord and hatred among the people?

The only difference between members of the human family is that of degree. Some are like children who are ignorant, and must be educated until they arrive at maturity. Some are like the sick and must be treated with tenderness and care. None are bad or evil! We must not be repelled by these poor children. We must treat them with great kindness, teaching the ignorant and tenderly nursing the sick.

Consider: Unity is necessary to existence. Love is the very cause of life; on the other hand, separation brings death. In the world of material creation, for instance, all things owe their actual life to unity. The elements which compose wood, mineral, or stone, are held together by the law of attraction. If this law should cease for one moment to operate these elements would not hold together, they would fall apart, and the object would in that particular form cease to exist. The law of attraction has brought together certain elements in the form of this beautiful flower, but when that attraction is withdrawn from this center the flower will decompose, and, as flower, cease to exist.

So it is with the great body of humanity. The wonderful Law of Attraction, Harmony and Unity, holds together this marvelous Creation.

As with the whole, so with the parts; whether a flower or a human body, when the attraction principle is withdrawn from it, the flower or the man dies. It is therefore clear that attraction, harmony, unity and love are the cause of life, whereas repulsion, discord, hatred and separation bring death.

We have seen that whatever brings division into the world of existence causes death. Likewise in the world of the spirit does the same law operate.

Therefore should every servant of the One God be obedient to the law of love, avoiding all hatred, discord, and strife. We find when we observe nature, that the gentler animals group themselves together into flocks and herds, whereas the savage, ferocious creatures, such as the lion, the tiger, and the wolf, live in wild forests apart from civilization. Two wolves, or two lions, may live amicably together; but a thousand lambs may share the same fold and a large number of deer can form one herd. Two eagles can dwell in the same place, but a thousand doves can gather into one habitation.

Man should, at least, be numbered among the gentler animals; but when he becomes ferocious he is more cruel and malicious than the most savage of the animal creation!

Now Baha'u'llah has proclaimed the "Unity of the World of Mankind". All people and nations are of one family, the children of one Father, and should be to one another as brothers and sisters! I hope that you will endeavor in your lives to show forth and spread this teaching.

Baha'u'llah said that we should love even our enemies and be to them as friends. If all men were obedient to this principle, the greatest unity and understanding would be established in the hearts of mankind.

A Prayer by 'Abdu'l-Baha

O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household.

In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.

O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, doest shelter all, conferest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy Mercy.

O Thou Kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations as one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony.

O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind.

O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.

Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together. O Thou Kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.

Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcoming of all mankind.

Colophon

Posted to net.religion by Verbus M. Counts ([email protected]), AT&T Bell Laboratories, Short Hills, New Jersey, 3 January 1985. Original Message-ID: [email protected].

The source texts are the writings of Baha'u'llah (1817–1892) and 'Abdu'l-Baha (1844–1921). The extended passage is from 'Abdu'l-Baha's Paris Talks, second principle, "The Unity of Mankind"; the Paris Talks was first published in English in 1912 and is in the public domain. This is the second Baha'i teaching post preserved in this archive from Counts; companion to "A Call to Religious Unity — The Baha'i Faith" (November 1984) and "God and His Manifestations — The Baha'i Doctrine of Progressive Revelation" (January 1985).

Preserved from the Usenet archive for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Original Message-ID: [email protected].

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