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| The Baha’i Faith is unique among the world’s religions when it comes to the subject of hitting children. It places a high value on educating every single child—to the point that even secular education is regarded as a religious duty, and is considered equivalent to worship. | …in this new century the attainment of science, arts and belles lettres, whether divine or worldly, material or spiritual, is a matter which is acceptable before God and a duty which is incumbent upon us to accomplish.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Baha'i World Faith*, Page: 377)
If religion were contrary to logical reason then it would cease to be a religion and be merely a tradition. Religion and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Paris Talks*, Page: 143)
| | The Baha’i Faith is perhaps unique, or is at least in a small “club” of religions, when it teaches that any family that cannot afford to educate every child must educate girls before boys: | … but most important of all is the education of girl children, for these girls will one day be mothers, and the mother is the first teacher of the child. In whatever way she reareth the child, so will the child become, and the results of that first training will remain with the individual throughout his entire life, and it would be most difficult to alter them. And how can a mother, herself ignorant and untrained, educate her child? It is therefore clear that the education of girls is of far greater consequence than that of boys. This fact is extremely important, and the matter must be seen to with the greatest energy and dedication.
(`Abdu'l-Baha: Education, Page: 286) | | Most relevant to us here, however, and perhaps truly unique in world religions, the Baha’i Faith specifically forbids hitting children in its Scriptures. It is one of the world’s newest religions, dating from 1844, and has some six million followers worldwide. | | The following quote is from Baha’u’llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith, and is considered Scripture by Baha’is. Here Baha’u’llah commands His followers not to hit anyone: | Ye have been forbidden in the Book of God to engage in contention and conflict, to strike another, or to commit similar acts whereby hearts and souls may be saddened.
--Baha'u'llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book),
Pages: 72-73 |
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