A while back i was having a very abstract conversation with my manager at work and he brought up his faith and religious beliefs. He proceeded to tell me that he practices an eastern religion by the name of Baha'i (he is a white dude so i was immediately interested due to the irony). Baha'i is a religion that was created in 19th century Persia, and it has now spread to many corners of the globe. It emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind. He directed me to an actual Baha'i text online that stated the following:
“How its light is now dawning upon the world’s darkened horizon. The first candle is unity in the political realm, the early glimmerings of which can now be discerned. The second candle is unity of thought in world undertakings, the consummation of which will erelong be witnessed. The third candle is unity in freedom which will surely come to pass. The fourth candle is unity in religion which is the cornerstone of the foundation itself, and which, by the power of God, will be revealed in all its splendor. The fifth candle is the unity of nations—a unity which, in this century, will be securely established, causing all the peoples of the world to regard themselves as citizens of one common fatherland. The sixth candle is unity of races, making of all that dwell on earth peoples and kindreds of one race. The seventh candle is unity of language, i.e., the choice of a universal tongue in which all peoples will be instructed and converse. Each and every one of these will inevitably come to pass, inasmuch as the power of the Kingdom of God will aid and assist in their realization.”
I was truly astonished when I read this. I feel that having a truly open mind is one of the hardest things to achieve in the modern world, but it is a sign of true evolution. More people need to think like this. Mutual cooperation and understanding is always better than destruction.
Read more if you'd like: http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/PDC/pdc-33.html
