For Marleen...
1866. "Equality is a Chimera!"
"Equality is a chimera! It is entirely impracticable! Even if equality could be
achieved it could not continue -- and if its existence were possible, the whole
order of the world be destroyed. The law of order must always obtain in the
world of humanity. Heaven has so decreed in the world of humanity. Heaven has
so decreed in the creation of man."
('Abdu'l-Bahá: Paris Talks, p. 132, London, 1961 ed.) (Compilations, Lights of
Guidance, p. 549)
****
1209. One Must learn to Control Animal Impulses, Not be a Slave to Them
"In considering the effect of obedience to the laws on individual lives, one
must remember that the purpose of this life is to prepare the soul for the
next. Here one must learn to control and direct one's animal impulses, not to
be a slave to 360 them. Life in this world is a succession of tests and
achievements, of falling short and of making new spiritual advances. Sometimes
the course may seem very hard, but one can witness, again and again, that the
soul who steadfastly obeys the Law of Bahá'u'lláh, however hard it may seem,
grows spiritually, while the one who compromises with the law for the sake of
his own apparent happiness is seen to have been following a chimera: he does
not attain the happiness he sought, he retards his spiritual advance and often
brings new problems upon himself."
(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer,
excerpts from letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies, February 6, 1973)
(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 359)
****
Two points bear emphasizing in all these issues. One is that the abolition of
war is not simply a matter of signing treaties and protocols; it is a complex
task requiring a new level of commitment to resolving issues not customarily
associated with the pursuit of peace. Based on political agreements alone, the
idea of collective security is a chimera. The other point is that the primary
challenge in dealing with issues of peace is to raise the context to the level
of principle, as distinct from pure pragmatism. For, in essence, peace stems
from an inner state supported by a spiritual or moral attitude, and it is
chiefly in evoking this attitude that the possibility of enduring solutions can
be found.
(The Universal House of Justice, 1985 Oct, The Promise of World Peace, p. 3)
****
30. Governments and their partners must bear in mind that material equality is
neither achievable nor desirable. Absolute equality is a chimera. At various
points along the way, there will nevertheless be the necessity for the
redistribution of some of the world's wealth. For, indeed, it is becoming
increasingly obvious that unbridled capitalism does not provide the answer
either. Some regulation and redistribution is necessary to promote material
justice. In this regard, a tax on income is, in principle, one of the fairest
and most equitable means. There must also be a role for the voluntary sharing
of wealth -- both at an individual and an institutional level. Equal
opportunities for economic advancement and progress, however, must be woven
into the very fabric of the new order. Ultimately, the most important
regulation on any economic system is the moral regulation that begins in the
hearts and minds of people
(Baha'i International Community, 1995 Oct, Turning Point For All Nations)
****
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