One reason that people despair of the world of religion is
this very matter of superstitions and imitations practiced by religious
leaders. When intelligent and learned people see these imitations and customs
as being contrary to reason and knowledge they forsake the divine religion and
are not aware that these are idle fancies of the leaders and have nothing to do
with divine principles. The foundations of divine religion do not negate sound
reason and true science. The principles of divine religion do not contradict
knowledge and insight, except for some principles and minutiae of the law which
were given according to the exigencies of the time and age. Of course, the
second or social laws suited to the Mosaic dispensation and useful for the
Jewish people at that time are now purposeless and ineffective and seem futile,
but they were pertinent and useful at the time.
Now, praise be to God, Bahá'u'lláh has solved these
difficulties. All His teachings and laws are in keeping with the spirit of this
age and the needs of the people. And greatest of all is the abandonment of
religious superstitions and dogmas and the conformity of spiritual matters with
scientific and rational arguments
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Words
of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, November 13, New York, recorded by Mahmud Zarqani; ‘Mahmud’s
Diary’)
