As to the difference between that material civilization now
prevailing, and the divine civilization which will be one of the benefits to
derive from the House of Justice, it is this: material civilization, through
the power of punitive and retaliatory laws, restraineth the people from
criminal acts; and notwithstanding this, while laws to retaliate against and
punish a man are continually proliferating, as ye can see, no laws exist to
reward him…
Divine civilization, however, so traineth every member of
society that no one, with the exception of a negligible few, will undertake to
commit a crime. There is thus a great difference between the prevention of
crime through measures that are violent and retaliatory, and so training the
people, and enlightening them, and spiritualizing them, that without any fear
of punishment or vengeance to come, they will shun all criminal acts.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (‘Selections from the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’)
