Re: When Deeds Harmonize With Words

Hello Susan,

There are many natural phenomena that have been thought of in the past
as being supernatural Susan, simply because we didn't understand what
the actual causes behind those phenomena were.

What is "superstition" and "imagination", as Abdu'l-Baha' himself
referred to it Susan, if not belief in what is taken to be
supernatural? In the face of reason based scientific evidence which
shows that those supposedly supernatural phenomena are actually quite
natural phenomena belief that those phenomena are supernatural is
clearly nothing but superstition and imagination.

It is religion which must stand the analysis of reason Susan, as
Abdu'l-Baha himself states, not visa-versa:

Among other principles of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings was the harmony of
science and religion. Religion must stand the analysis of reason. It
must agree with scientific fact and proof so that science will sanction
religion and religion fortify science. Both are indissolubly welded and
joined in reality. If statements and teachings of religion are found to
be unreasonable and contrary to science, they are outcomes of
superstition and imagination. Innumerable doctrines and beliefs of this
character have arisen in the past ages. Consider the superstitions and
mythology of the Romans, Greeks and Egyptians; all were contrary to
religion and science. It is now evident that the beliefs of these
nations were superstitions, but in those times they held to them most
tenaciously. For example, one of the many Egyptian idols was to those
people an authenticated miracle, whereas in reality it was a piece of
stone. As science could not sanction the miraculous origin and nature
of a piece of rock, the belief in it must have been superstition. It is
now evident that it was superstition. Therefore, we must cast aside
such beliefs and investigate reality. That which is found to be real
and conformable to reason must be accepted, and whatever science and
reason cannot support must be rejected as imitation and not reality.
Then differences of belief will disappear. All will become as one
family, one people, and the same susceptibility to the divine bounty
and education will be witnessed among mankind.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 175)
----

The truth is Susan that we can not say that which God is. To say that
God is supernatural is meaningless because God by definition is beyond
all human concepts.

God is beyond our capacity of comprehension, does this make God
supernatural? Clearly it does not because the concept of what is
supernatural is based on human imagination. What God truly is, is
unknowable. As Abdu'l-Baha' states: "This much is known: It exists and
Its existence is certain and proven -- but the condition is unknown."

Yours

Larry Rowe

All the people have formed a god in the world of thought, and that form
of their own imagination they worship; when the fact is that the
imagined form is finite and the human mind is infinite.[1] Surely the
infinite is greater than the finite, for imagination is accidental (or
non-essential) while the mind is essential; surely the essential is
greater than the accidental.
[1 Infinite in regard to imagination, for without the mind there would
be no imagination. Another translation of this paragraph is as follows:
"All the people have formed a god in the world of thought and they
worship that form of their own imagination, while the fact is that the
imagined concept is comprehended by the mind which is comprehensive.
Surely that which comprehends is greater than the comprehended for
imagination is accidental (non-essential), while the mind is essential.
Surely the essential is greater than the accidental."

Therefore consider: All the sects and peoples worship their own
thought; they create a god in their own minds and acknowledge him to be
the creator of all things, when that form is a superstition -- thus
people adore and worship imagination (or illusion).

That Essence of the Divine Entity and the Unseen of the unseen is holy
above imagination and is beyond thought. Consciousness doth not reach
It. Within the capacity of comprehension of a produced (or created)
reality that Ancient Reality cannot be contained. It is a different
world; from it there is no information; arrival thereat is impossible;
attainment thereto is prohibited and inaccessible. This much is known:
It exists and Its existence is certain and proven -- but the condition
is unknown.

All the philosophers and the doctors knew that It is, but they were
perplexed in the comprehension of Its existence and were at last
discouraged, and in great despair they left this world. For the
comprehension of the condition and mysteries of that Reality of
realities and Mystery of mysteries there is need for another power and
another sense. That power and sense is not possessed by mankind,
therefore they have not found any information. For example: If a man
possess the power of hearing, the power of tasting, the power of
smelling and the power of feeling, but no power of seeing, he cannot
see. Hence, through the powers and senses present in man the
realization of the Unseen Reality, which is pure and holy above the
reach of doubts, is impossible. Other powers are needed and other
senses required. If those powers and senses are obtained, then
information can be had; otherwise, not.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 562)

The fourth teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the agreement of religion and
science. God has endowed man with intelligence and reason whereby he is
required to determine the verity of questions and propositions. If
religious beliefs and opinions are found contrary to the standards of
science they are mere superstitions and imaginations; for the
antithesis of knowledge is ignorance, and the child of ignorance is
superstition. Unquestionably there must be agreement between true
religion and science. If a question be found contrary to reason, faith
and belief in it are impossible and there is no outcome but wavering
and vacillation.

(Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith - Abdu'l-Baha Section, p. 240)

The first teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the duty incumbent upon all to
investigate reality. What does it mean to investigate reality? It means
that man must forget all hearsay and examine truth himself, for he does
not know whether statements he hears are in accordance with reality or
not. Wherever he finds truth or reality, he must hold to it, forsaking,
discarding all else; for outside of reality there is naught but
superstition and imagination.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 62)

The third principle or teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the oneness of
religion and science. Any religious belief which is not conformable
with scientific proof and investigation is superstition, for true
science is reason and reality, and religion is essentially reality and
pure reason; therefore, the two must correspond. Religious teaching
which is at variance with science and reason is human invention and
imagination unworthy of acceptance, for the antithesis and opposite of
knowledge is superstition born of the ignorance of man. If we say
religion is opposed to science, we lack knowledge of either true
science or true religion, for both are founded upon the premises and
conclusions of reason, and both must bear its test.

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 107)


.

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