IMO Simone Weil was one of the rare individuals that understood what would be necessary for World Peace or a super civilization.

As usual, I agree with her but in this case, knowing human nature as it is, I believe it would be impossible to take place in the modern age. All our education would make it impossible. Of course I hope I'm wrong but Simone, since you passed away, Plato's cave has become even more attractive through technology so I cannot see your wisdom taking hold. Anyhow, for the record:

I disagree with you! LOL Man that feels good.

I believe it is not just possible but we are heading straight for world peace.

I agree with Simone as she puts it:
The longing in the depth of the heart for absolute good, and the power, though only latent, of directing attention and love to a reality beyond the world and of receiving good from it – constitutes a link which attaches every man without exception to that other reality. Whoever recognizes that reality recognizes that link.

I would like to change the last line to:
This link connects all in all and harmony is the effect.

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May your awareness be perfection

I think you may disagree from inertia.

The trouble is that countries and their secular use of religion brings God down the secular level. Once this happens it is easy to fall into the my god is bigger then your god syndrome producing all kinds of conflict.

Simone suggests the same as in the book "The Transcendent Unity of Religions. From this point of view it is Man's obligation to raise himself and establish a relationship so as to fall under God's will. This is opposite of the standard approach of bringing God down to man's fallen understanding. Once this happens, the foolishness and futility of all this secularism becomes obvious and man can be respectful of others since we realize we are all in the same boat of needing this contact with the above. I just don't think our highley developed egotism could ever allow it to happen.

What gives you the impression we are moving towards world peace? I see the opposite.

In fact if Rudolph Steiner is correct and we are collectively falling more under the Ahrimanic influence of materialism, this pretty much assures me that things will get worse. Materialism will lead more towards the need for the expression of prestige and wars are really battles over prestige. Ahriman or not, materialism is gaining in influence.

I don't like thinking this way but the logic of the world situation suggests the high probability of trouble ahead rather than any world peace.

To me there are signs of world peace... by that I mean we have not had a global war where massive armies slug it out for some generations now..

Also in spite of failings the United Nations is probably still a best hope for peace...with it's international court of arbitration..

The world is shrinking nad more inter-dependent than ever..

that's probably a most important idea..that the world is one and can't really afford polarized power struggles anymore...

Disaster relief is also much more available...on a world wide basis.



-Art

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Art

Global wars are out of fashion now. The growth of technology as it is adapted to the art of war makes such global wars old fashioned The best new alternative will be chemical, bilogical, or nucleur tools of war smuggled into a country to do their work without the country knowing who to retaliate against.

The art of war like everything else profits from technology and must be brought up to date.

As a Baha'i, I am obligated to believe that World Peace is definitely possible. But not in an idyllic, utopian version of what would be imagined, but a society that functions spiritually with opportunities for all peoples regardless of sex, class, creed, age, race, etc. And in order for such a Peace to happen, it takes much work.

Many of the Baha'i tenets of faith are instruments that can help build this awaiting global civilisation, including the suppression and ultimate abolition of all prejudices, equality between the sexes, removal of the extremes of wealth and poverty, the seeking of spiritual solutions to economic problems, universal compulsory education, etc.

And of course, for the realisation of these things, much hard work must be put into the education of the masses, in literature and basic reading and writing. After all, at this age, it is no longer seemingly the crafts that are wanted, but ideas, thoughts, opinions, etc. encapsulated in media.

We already have nucleic versions of such a unity in diversity. When one looks at Canada, we live in an ideologically, racially, sex-orientationally, religiously pluralistic society, which would have never even been fathomed 100 years ago. Yet the testimony of our existence is a proof of such a possibility. Another would be that people used to laugh at the idea that man could travel across water, land, air, and communicate over vast differences, yet the inventions of submarines and boats, automobiles, airplanes and cellular phones show that we have the capability of going beyond natural law. Through the continuing development of business networks and communicative technologies such as the internet, cell phones, cable radio, cable television, etc. the world is becoming smaller and smaller and it is becoming easier to communicate with others who otherwise would not be able to talk with us at all.

Obviously, at the rate of humankind, we must primarily go through some rough times until desparation occurs (or so I believe) so that haste can be done to remedy the world. But the possibility stands, and Baha'is recognise this natural progression of human nature, so as long as one realises eir potential.


"Today the world of humanity is in need of international unity and conciliation. To establish these great fundamental principles a propelling power is needed. It is self-evident that the unity of the human world and the Most Great Peace cannot be accomplished through material means. They cannot be established through political power, for the political interests of nations are various and the policies of peoples are divergent and conflicting. They cannot be founded through racial or patriotic power, for these are human powers, selfish and weak. The very nature of racial differences and patriotic prejudices prevents the realization of this unity and agreement. Therefore, it is evidenced that the promotion of the oneness of the kingdom of humanity, which is the essence of the teachings of all the Manifestations of God (Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, the Bab, Baha'u'llah), is impossible except through the divine power and breaths of the Holy Spirit. Other powers are too weak and are incapable of accomplishing this.

For man two wings are necessary. One wing is physical power and material civilization; the other is spiritual power and divine civilization. With one wing only, flight is impossible. Two wings are essential. Therefore, no matter how much material civilization advances, it cannot attain to perfection except through the uplift of spiritual civilization.

All the Prophets have come to promote divine bestowals, to found the spiritual civilization and teach the principles of morality. Therefore, we must strive with all our powers so that spiritual influences may gain the victory. For material forces have attacked mankind. The world of humanity is submerged in a sea of materialism. The rays of the Sun of Reality are seen but dimly and darkly through opaque glasses. The penetrative power of the divine bounty is not fully manifest."

(Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 12)


~ Ardhanari.

Hi Ardhanari

I respect your good intentions but let me ask you honestly to do something for me. Read the following short excerpt and tell me if there is any way your beliefs include such thoughts. You seem to refer to what we must do yet this author asserts that what is done is a reflection of what we ARE. Consequently what we do will always be turned around to reflect what we ARE.

Is there a way in your teaching to reconcile this?

Greed is the major problem. As long as there are people who are impoverished and people who are greedy there will be wars. I agree with Art. We are becoming more interdependent on each other to survive. When we have an attitude of share and share alike we will have world peace. I don't think religion will have a lot to do with it, but rather a compassion for our fellow beings. We can learn that it feels better to give a leg up rather than to knock someone down.

Also, if there were an outside threat the world would unite to fight that threat.

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Lk

It is a nice ideal but sadly I don't believe it possible because we are as we are. We are governed by prestige and the worst thing for prestige is equality.

Nick, the statement "we are as we are" eliminates all hope for change and growth. Even Jesus said to repent. What does repent mean to you?

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