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SECTION NINE
ATTAINMENT TARGET TWOKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH AND OTHER RELIGIONS
This Attainment Target contains six Strands
a) LAWS
b) TEACHINGS
c) HISTORY AND KEY FIGURES
d) COVENANT AND ADMINISTRATION
e) SACRED SCRIPTURES
f) OTHER DIVINELY REVEALED RELIGIONS
AT 2
a) LAWSPerhaps in reaction to the excessive strictness of attitude, in the Nineteenth and first half of the Twentieth centuries, to laws, duties, regulations and codes of conduct, the second half of the Twentieth century seems to have swung into a mode of complete licence where anything goes. In such a liberal climate chaos and anarchy reign, no one’s safety is guaranteed, no building is immune from vandalism, no institution invulnerable to cynical undermining, no authority holds any credibility and no one’s life is worth anything.
The hallmarks of all social interaction are self-interest, profit-making, and buck-passing. Corruption is the norm; abnegation of all personal responsibility is endemic. It should come as no surprise to any one, therefore, that, as the traffic signals of life are being ignored, there are many fatalities and serious injuries in the population and the collapse of life’s infrastructures.
Between puritanical dictatorship and hedonistic libertarianism lies a happy medium. What truly sets a person and their society free is adherence to and respect for the law; a law, moreover, which is so framed as to promote the best interests and advancement of the human race, from local to global levels.
The Bahá’í student must be so inspired and trained that they come to see the divinely revealed laws of Bahá’u’lláh as the standard for human living, as a mighty stronghold for society’s protection and as a shelter for all who seek peace, justice, dignity and recompense.
Programme of Study for Laws
God given, a gift from God, God’s bounty and mercy
Unsealing of the choice wine
Renewed periodically, evolving to promote the progress of humanity
The test of the true believer
A standard to measure behaviour by
Laws as a code to live by
Laws as liberation
Sorting sheep from goats
Notions of reward and punishment
As basis of a new civilisation
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Other tablets and writings of Bahá’u’lláh
Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Writings of Shoghi Effendi
The Universal House of Justice
Daily prayer
Daily reading of sacred scripture
Fasting
Giving to the Fund
Marriage laws
Burial laws
Making a will
Paying Huqúq’u’lláh
Obedience to just government
Education of children
Having a trade or profession
Cleanliness etc.
v. Prohibitions in Bahá’í Law
Asceticism
Monasticism
Begging
Priesthood
Slavery
Alcohol
Drugs
Gambling
Sex outside marriage
Party politics
Voluntary military service.
Murder, Arson, Theft
Cruelty to animals
Lying
Backbiting etc.
KEY STAGE APPROPRIACY
KS 0, KS 1: Here laws might chiefly be approached through looking at rules for home, school and playing of games. The laws of daily prayer and reading, and of backbiting should be touched on.
KS 2: Introduce laws as traffic rules that allow everyone to drive freely. Basic Bahá’í laws to do with daily duties and what to avoid.
KS 3: Greater sophistication of ideas, looking at the nature of divine laws and their purpose, etc. Get students to keep a diary of what comes up as issues each day of their lives.
KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of divine laws with confidence, to be confident in their own obedience to the laws of Bahá’u’lláh, and to know how to enhance knowledge and practice of Bahá’í law in themselves and others.
AT 2
b) TEACHINGSThe world, having failed to renew and update its ships of state, having left its lifeboats rotting at the quayside, having dowsed its lighthouses, torn up its navigational charts and allowed its captains free access to the liquor store, is now drowning in a sea of confusion.
The world understands little, if anything, of the storms and tidal waves which are buffeting humanity. Even those who might be capable are unwilling to make the effort, lest in being distracted from their frantic swimming they might go under and not resurface.
The world will continue to suffer unless and until sufficient numbers of people, especially those of capacity, come to hear of and accept the teachings enshrined in Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation and in the writings of His appointed successors.
These teachings are the only effective medicine for the personal, moral, social, economic, political and environmental ills from which humanity is presently suffering. They are the ark which will rescue the human race from the deluge of its own making.
The Bahá’í student must be so educated in the teachings of their Faith that they may be enabled to know and understand them, live them out through their lives and apply them to the situations and problems of the world, as well as to share them in a meaningful and relevant way with others.
There is, literally, nowhere else to turn. Metaphorically, there is no other vessel that can withstand the tempest.
Programme of Study for Teachings
Unity, peace and globalisation
Universality, collective salvation
The establishment of God’s kingdom on earth
The unity and nature of God
The unity and nature of the Manifestations
The nature and purpose of creation
The nature and purpose of humanity
The worlds of God and their creatures
The soul and immortality
The abolition of priesthoods, monasticism and confession
The nature of divine institutions, etc.
The gifts of the Mind
The pursuit of arts, crafts and sciences for humanity’s benefit
Independent investigation of truth
The harmony of science and religion
The vital importance of education and training
Universal peace and world government
Equality of the sexes
Abolition of all forms of prejudice
Abolition of slavery
Abolition of extremes of poverty and wealth
Universal auxiliary language
Universal currency, weights and measures
Profit-sharing
Prison reform
Social and economic development of the whole world
Conservation of the world’s environments and biodiversity
Holistic approaches to everything
Empowerment and self-help, etc.
KEY STAGE APPROPRIACY
KS 0 , KS 1: Here teachings might chiefly be approached through songs of love, peace and unity, through friezes and collages showing unity in human diversity, etc.
KS 2: Introduce all the appropriate teachings at a basic level with posters, pictures, diagrams and plentiful examples to illustrate each one.
KS 3: Greater sophistication of ideas, looking at the more difficult concepts as well as exploring more familiar aspects in greater depth.
KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of the teachings with confidence, to be confident in acting on firm belief in the teachings, and to know how to enhance knowledge and practice of Bahá’í teachings in themselves and others.
AT 2
c) HISTORY AND KEY FIGURESCompared with the other great divinely revealed religions of the world, the Bahá’í Faith has a relatively short history. However, what it lacks in longevity it certainly makes up in drama and dynamism. To move from an apparent offshoot of an obscure Shi’ih sect of Islam to the eighth largest and second most widely spread religious community on earth in a century and a half is extraordinary by anyone’s standards.
Its founder, a lifelong prisoner of the Ottoman Empire, sent letters to all the monarchs, political and religious leaders of the late 1860’s - early 1870’s, calling upon them to acknowledge God’s new revelation and foster peace and public welfare. Ignored and rejected by all but one, this same founder announced that all authority had been taken from them and predicted their several downfalls. One by one they fell under the assassin’s bullet or were swept aside by revolution and world war. All perished or lost their positions except for the one who had received the letter graciously - Queen Victoria - whose descendant, alone, still occupies her throne. Of such stirring material is Bahá’í history made.
For the Bahá’í community as a whole, and for Bahá’í children and youth in particular, their history performs a number of vital functions. It assists in developing a sense of Bahá’í identity, for this is a glorious past all Bahá’ís share. It provides inspiring tales of courage and long-suffering from the many heroes and heroines who helped to forge a new destiny for the world. It provides a touchstone for individual transformation in contemplating the sufferings of Bahá’u’lláh and the Holy Family. It demonstrates the unfailing and inexorable power of the divine hand in human affairs. It points to an even more glorious future, dreamed of by countless generations gone before.
A thorough knowledge and understanding of Bahá’í history and its key figures is an indispensable aspect of Bahá’í education and upbringing, but as part of a balanced course of study. There is a temptation to spend more time on it than other strands, because there is a lot of material available and it is relatively easy to teach. However, in the end, the most effective use for history is in relation to all other aspects of the Faith.
Programme of Study for History and Key Figures
KEY STAGE APPROPRIACY
KS 0, KS 1: Here history and key figures might chiefly be approached through simple story and drama, pictures and songs of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
KS 2: Introduce more detail in the lives of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Introduce the Báb and Shoghi Effendi, along with Letters of the Living.
KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in both broader sweeps and more detail of the four central figures. Introduce the heralds of the Báb and the stories of the Hands of the Cause.
KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of Bahá’í history and key figures with confidence, to be confident in allowing the history of the Faith to mould their identity and inspire them, and to know how to enhance knowledge and inspiration of Bahá’í history in themselves and others.
AT 2
d) COVENANT AND ADMINISTRATIONThe Covenant is what separates us from oblivion. It is the umbilical cord for the soul. It is the fulcrum by which to lever the world. It is the driving force of the universe. Adherence to it in times of great danger causes all the angels, the Concourse on High and the creatures of the world beyond to rush to assist the faithful. No power can overcome it, all powers are its servant. To skirt its boundaries is to invite insanity and immolation.
The administrative order is the channel, the vehicle of the covenant in the material realm. It is the instrument by which the covenant can exert its influence on the human race.
No covenant in the history of humanity has been so clearly preserved, so clearly explained, nor so well provided with the means by which it might be affirmed, enacted and renewed.
No system of government in the panoramic sweep of human life on this earth has ever approached the beauty, the symmetry, the sensitivity, the grandeur or transformative potency of the administrative order of Bahá’u’lláh. It is a machine of infinite possibilities which can be operated by the simplest, purest souls to generate nothing less than a new world civilisation.
How can any Bahá’í parent or teacher fail, then, to impart to their children and youth the wonders of the covenant and administration? Socrates consulted the Oracle to learn the truth. Bahá’ís have only to turn their hearts to the covenant and consult with their divine institutions and truth can be theirs for the asking.
Programme of Study for Covenant and Administration
COVENANT
ADMINISTRATION
TEACHING PLANS
KEY STAGE APPROPRIACY
KS 0, KS 1: Here Covenant and Administration might chiefly be approached through making promises and how to keep them, introduce the Nineteen Day Feast, Naw-Ruz, etc.
KS 2: Introduce the basic idea of a covenant as a binding agreement, introduce the Bahá’í calendar, and the Local Spiritual Assembly, allow students to explain and describe their own experiences.
KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in broader sweeps and greater depth, looking at all three areas in all aspects.
KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of the Covenant and Administration with confidence, to be confident in acting on their knowledge and understanding of the Covenant and Administration, and to know how to enhance these in themselves and others.
AT 2
e) SACRED SCRIPTURESThe human race spends a disproportionate amount of time and effort sifting through seemingly endless libraries seeking books that will provide answers to the problems of personal happiness and fulfilment, life-skills, relationships and paranormal phenomena. They search in vain among pages of words whose substance evaporates like mist under the summer sun when exposed to the harsh light of reality. Unbeknown to them the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh encompasses not only the whole universe but all the other realms of God beyond, never mind all the world’s libraries, all its science and philosophy, and all its belief systems.
The word of God, as revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, is, in this day, the ultimate treasure. It is the surging ocean that girdles the globe. It is the sparkling stream for the thirsty millions, the true manna to the spiritually starving multitudes, the touchstone for the hearts of humanity, and the source of all knowledge and wisdom. It is the blueprint for all human endeavour; the standard by which all human thought and action is measured. Through God’s immeasurable bounty, the Word is reclothed, renewed and released once more into the contingent world.
This creative word of God can alone transmute the dross of the human heart into the purest gold. Our children and youth must be so imbued with its life-giving properties that it becomes like the air they breathe, that it springs to their tongues as readily as words of love to lovers, that their very being resonates with its harmonies.
There is an element of trust here: that the words really mean what they say, that, no matter how extraordinary or improbable to the cynical mind their claims, they are true. This trust in the veracity of the sacred word must be as natural to our children and youth as laughter and curiosity. This is the point to which parents and teachers must bring them, through the personal example of daily reference to scripture and acting out its truth.
Programme of Study for Sacred Scriptures
ASPECTS OF REVELATION
SACRED SCRIPTURE AND OTHER WRITINGS
WIDENING THE FOCUS
KEY STAGE APPROPRIACY
KS 0, KS 1: Here sacred scriptures might chiefly be approached through copying or illustrating short passages of the writings and learning to recite them by heart, or sing them.
KS 2: Introduce the basic idea of revelation and other authoritative writings and their differences, get students to identify the different types of revelation, etc.
KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in broader sweeps and greater depth; at this stage students should be studying passages of scripture to be able to extract inspiration and meaning for themselves.
KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of sacred scripture with confidence, to be confident in using their knowledge and understanding of Bahá’í scripture, and to know how to enhance these in themselves and others.
AT 2
f) OTHER DIVINELY REVEALED RELIGIONSThe tendency of humanity to see things separately, to be swayed by surface differences, to seize upon apparent inconsistencies, leads to division. This seemingly inherent tribalism lies behind parochialism, prejudice and, eventually, persecution.
Adherence to a religious belief system is not normally a matter of rationality. Commitment to a faith is meta-rational - beyond logic or scientific analysis. It is something profoundly felt, often against the evidence of reason and experience.
Religious belief allied to tribalism is a systemic poison in the matrix of human society. The doctrine of exclusivity exists in all theologies, in one form or another, and vitiates the unity that humanity might otherwise achieve.
Generally, those who are committed to their own religious beliefs and practices do not tend to acknowledge the worth of other religions, much less admit that they might all represent equally valid paths to God. They will admit that some religions grow out of earlier ones, but there their sense of an underlying pattern ends. For every member of a religious community who supports inter-faith dialogue and co-operation, there are many who raise the dangers of compromise and assimilation.
It is only in the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, where belief and reason go hand in hand, that we come to appreciate most fully a universal pattern, an ever progressing elaboration of God’s purpose unfolding through the various religions of the world. Such a view allows one to see the underlying spiritual truths which unite all religions, and to see the differences as surface considerations of practical and societal prescriptions for religious observance and human interaction, diet, dress, marriage and laying the deceased to rest; all of which stem partly from the historical and geographical context of the religions’ origins.
As Bahá’í parents and teachers, we must teach our children and youth about the other great religions and belief systems of the world, for two reasons. One is to prevent any trace of prejudice entering our dealings with those of other religious traditions. The other is to allow us to understand our own faith and its place in the grand scheme of things - existing in a context of rich cultural diversity and long tradition of adherence to ideas other than our own. The Bahá’í writings are full of references to God’s previous messengers and their sacred scriptures. You cannot fully appreciate a chapter in a novel unless you have read and understood the previous chapters. Nor must we forget that there will be chapters after this one.
Programme of Study for Other Divinely Revealed Religions
ASPECTS OF RELIGION
THE GREAT RELIGIONS
SACRED SCRIPTURES
RELIGIONS TODAY
KEY STAGE APPROPRIACY
KS 0, KS 1: Here the other divinely revealed religions might chiefly be approached through simple story and drama, pictures and symbol recognition, etc.
KS 2: Introduce more detail in the lives of the founders and key figures of the other religions, along with some key sayings and religious festivals, etc.
KS 3: Greater sophistication of approach, dealing in both broader sweeps and more detail of the founders, key figures, history, scriptures, teachings and practices of the world’s principal religious and other belief systems, including the Bahá’í view of them as expressed in Bahá’í writings and authoritative pronouncements.
KS 4: Enable students to discuss all aspects of other divinely revealed religions, to be confident in using their knowledge and understanding of other divinely revealed religions, and to know how to enhance these in themselves and others.
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