The basis of the teaching of Bahá’u’lláh is the Unity of
Mankind, and his greatest desire was that love and goodwill should live in the
heart of men.
As He
exhorted the people to do away with strife and discord, so I wish to explain to
you the principal reason of the unrest among nations. The chief cause is the
misrepresentation of religion by the religious leaders and teachers. They teach
their followers to believe that their own form of religion is the only one
pleasing to God, and that followers of any other persuasion are condemned by
the All-Loving Father and deprived of His Mercy and Grace. Hence arise among the peoples, disapproval, contempt, disputes and hatred. If
these religious prejudices could be swept away, the nations would soon enjoy
peace and concord.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk,
Paris, October 27, 1911, ‘Paris Talks’)
