FOR THE WELL-BEING OF ALL Eliminating the Extremes of Wealth and Poverty
Compiled by Bonnie J. Taylor
Bahá’í Publishing 401 Greenleaf Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091 Copyright © 2020 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States All rights reserved. Published 2020 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper ∞ 23 22 21 20 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Control Number: 2020040586
Cover design by Carlos Esparza Book design by Patrick Falso
CONTENTS Introduction...............................................................................................ix Letter Regarding Economic Life from the Universal House of Justice..........1 Chapter 1: The Problem and the Effects of the Extremes of Wealth and Poverty............................................................................................ 9 The Effects of Extreme Poverty Endanger All Humanity.....................9 The Lack of Unified Efforts for Resolving Societal Problems.............11 Injustice, Tyranny, and Oppression...................................................18 Inadequate Legislation for Social Justice............................................19 Racism Blights Human Progress........................................................20 The Lack of Human Kindness and Cooperation...............................22 Materialism, Immorality, and Absence of Spiritual Values................26 Inadequate Education.......................................................................34 The Failure of World Leaders to Adjust National Policies to the Needs of an Interdependent World.........................................................36 Chapter 2: Fundamental Principles for the Peace and Prosperity of the World......................................................................................... 41 On Eliminating Extremes of Wealth and Poverty.............................. 41 The Global Formula for Peace and Prosperity...................................42 Coherence between the Spiritual and the Material............................46 The Source of Moral Conviction.......................................................52 Institutional Framework for a Just and Secure Order.........................58
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Chapter 3: Spiritual and Practical Foundations for a Just Economic System................................................................. 63 Individual and Collective Transformation through Application of Spiritual Principles............................................................... 63 Capital and Labor, Private Ownership...............................................73 Generosity and Voluntary Sharing.....................................................75 Legislative and Tax Systems...............................................................78 Absolute Equality is Untenable.........................................................81 Benevolent Use of Corporate Wealth.................................................85 Strikes, Profit Sharing, Legal Protections...........................................85 Education for Prosperity...................................................................90 Economic Policies for an Interdependent World................................91 Philanthropy.....................................................................................93 Chapter 4: The Necessity of Justice..................................................... 97 The Purpose of Justice.......................................................................97 The Definition of Justice.................................................................100 Individual Obligation to Justice......................................................102 Justice: A Divine Law......................................................................106 Chapter 5: On Wealth and Poverty.....................................................109 Wealth and the Wealthy..................................................................109 Wealth as a Spiritual Test................................................................ 111 The Insecurity of Wealth................................................................ 114 True Wealth.................................................................................... 116 The Poverty of the Prophets of God...............................................124 A New Economic Order.................................................................. 131 Chapter 6: The Obligation to Work.................................................. 133 Work in a Spirit of Service is Worship.............................................133 Work as a Duty...............................................................................135 Idleness and Begging.......................................................................137 vi
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Women and Work...........................................................................138 Preparing Children for Work...........................................................140 Chapter 7: Obligations of World Leaders to Promote Justice and Peace ............................................................................... 143 The Sacred Trust of Kings and Rulers.............................................143 The Character, Conduct, and Obligations of Elected Representatives of the People..............................................................................149 Appointing Trustworthy Ministers of State......................................154 To the Rulers of America................................................................156 The Role of Religious Leaders.........................................................157 Chapter 8: Advancing Economic Justice at the Grassroots Level........ 161 Worldwide Bahá’í Community Engagement in Social and Economic Development.............................................................................. 161 The Building of Capacity................................................................170 Universal Participation in Social Action...........................................177 The Methodology of Bahá’í Social and Economic Development.....178 Chapter 9: Religion’s Vital Role in Human Progress......................... 187 The Goal of Religion......................................................................187 The Prophets of God Were United in Purpose................................190 A Progressive Revelation of Divine Guidance..................................195 The Promise of the Future..............................................................199
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INTRODUCTION This compilation offers a selection of passages on one of the key aims of the Bahá’í Faith—the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty on a global scale. The selections gathered here, taken from Bahá’í scripture and other Bahá’í sources, present the vision of a just and unified global civilization that is both materially and spiritually prosperous. Achieving such a vision requires individual and collective transformation, based on learning over time and through experience how to put spiritual principles into practice. This work offers a collection of passages setting out such principles and related guidance, along with a brief description of how the worldwide Bahá’í community is currently engaged in learning to advance economic justice at the grassroots level. The Bahá’í Faith is an independent world religion founded in Persia (present-day Iran) in 1844. In the words of Shoghi Effendi, the appointed head of the Faith from 1921 until 1957, the Faith . . . upholds the unity of God, recognizes the unity of His Prophets, and inculcates the principle of the oneness and wholeness of the entire human race. It proclaims the necessity and the inevitability of the unification of mankind, asserts that it is gradually approaching, and claims that nothing short of the transmuting spirit of God, working through His chosen Mouthpiece in this day, can ultimately succeed in bringing it about. It, moreover, enjoins upon its followers the primary duty of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all manner of prejudice and superstition, declares the purpose of religion to be the promotion of amity and concord, proclaims its essential harmony with science, and ix
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recognizes it as the foremost agency for the pacification and the orderly progress of human society. The Faith’s scripture is comprised of the writings of its Prophet-Founder Bahá’u’lláh (1817–92); His forerunner and Prophet-Herald, the Báb (1819– 1950); and His son and appointed successor ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844–1921). Their writings, along with those of Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice, are considered authoritative by Bahá’ís. The House of Justice is the elected international governing body of the Bahá’í global community and an institution ordained in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh. Selections from other sources in this work, such as those of international agencies of the Faith, while not authoritative, are included for the insight they offer into the application of these teachings. It is to a message of the Universal House of Justice, addressed to the Bahá’ís of the world in March 2017, that we first turn, as it effectively frames the content that follows. This letter provides invaluable insight into the state of the modern world and offers a broad glimpse of the Bahá’í perspective on the nature of global economics, as well as our role as individual participants in economic systems.
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LETTER REGARDING ECONOMIC LIFE FROM THE UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE In an increasingly interconnected world, more light is being cast on the social conditions of every people, giving greater visibility to their circumstances. While there are developments that give hope, there is much that should weigh heavy on the conscience of the human race. Inequity, discrimination, and exploitation blight the life of humanity, seemingly immune to the treatments applied by political schemes of every hue. The economic impact of these afflictions has resulted in the prolonged suffering of so many, as well as in deep-seated, structural defects in society. No one whose heart has been attracted to the teachings of the Blessed Beauty can remain unmoved by these consequences. “The world is in great turmoil,” Bahá’u’lláh observes in the Law¥-i-Dunyá, “and the minds of its people are in a state of utter confusion. We entreat the Almighty that He may graciously illuminate them with the glory of His Justice, and enable them to discover that which will be profitable unto them at all times and under all conditions.” As the Bahá’í community strives to contribute at the level of thought and action to the betterment of the world, the adverse conditions experienced by many populations will more and more demand its attention. The welfare of any segment of humanity is inextricably bound up with the welfare of the whole. Humanity’s collective life suffers when any one group thinks of its own well-being in isolation from that of its neighbours or pursues economic gain without regard for how the natural environment, which provides sustenance for all, is affected. A stubborn obstruction, then, stands in the way of meaningful social progress: time and again, avarice and self-interest prevail at the expense of the common good. Unconscionable 1
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quantities of wealth are being amassed, and the instability this creates is made worse by how income and opportunity are spread so unevenly both between nations and within nations. But it need not be so. However much such conditions are the outcome of history, they do not have to define the future, and even if current approaches to economic life satisfied humanity’s stage of adolescence, they are certainly inadequate for its dawning age of maturity. There is no justification for continuing to perpetuate structures, rules, and systems that manifestly fail to serve the interests of all peoples. The teachings of the Faith leave no room for doubt: there is an inherent moral dimension to the generation, distribution, and utilization of wealth and resources. The stresses emerging out of the long-term process of transition from a divided world to a united one are being felt within international relations as much as in the deepening fractures that affect societies large and small. With prevailing modes of thought found to be badly wanting, the world is in desperate need of a shared ethic, a sure framework for addressing the crises that gather like storm clouds. The vision of Bahá’u’lláh challenges many of the assumptions that are allowed to shape contemporary discourse—for instance, that self-interest, far from needing to be restrained, drives prosperity, and that progress depends upon its expression through relentless competition. To view the worth of an individual chiefly in terms of how much one can accumulate and how many goods one can consume relative to others is wholly alien to Bahá’í thought. But neither are the teachings in sympathy with sweeping dismissals of wealth as inherently distasteful or immoral, and asceticism is prohibited. Wealth must serve humanity. Its use must accord with spiritual principles; systems must be created in their light. And, in Bahá’u’lláh’s memorable words, “No light can compare with the light of justice. The establishment of order in the world and the tranquility of the nations depend upon it.” Although Bahá’u’lláh does not set out in His Revelation a detailed economic system, a constant theme throughout the entire corpus of His teachings is the reorganization of human society. Consideration of this theme 2
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inevitably gives rise to questions of economics. Of course, the future order conceived by Bahá’u’lláh is far beyond anything that can be imagined by the present generation. Nevertheless, its eventual emergence will depend on strenuous effort by His followers to put His teachings into effect today. With this in mind, we hope that the comments below will stimulate thoughtful, ongoing reflection by the friends. The aim is to learn about how to participate in the material affairs of society in a way that is consistent with the divine precepts and how, in practical terms, collective prosperity can be advanced through justice and generosity, collaboration and mutual assistance. Our call to examine the implications of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh for economic life is intended to reach Bahá’í institutions and communities but is directed more especially to the individual believer. If a new model of community life, patterned on the teachings, is to emerge, must not the company of the faithful demonstrate in their own lives the rectitude of conduct that is one of its most distinguishing features? Every choice a Bahá’í makes—as employee or employer, producer or consumer, borrower or lender, benefactor or beneficiary—leaves a trace, and the moral duty to lead a coherent life demands that one’s economic decisions be in accordance with lofty ideals, that the purity of one’s aims be matched by the purity of one’s actions to fulfil those aims. Naturally, the friends habitually look to the teachings to set the standard to which to aspire. But the community’s deepening engagement with society means that the economic dimension of social existence must receive ever more concentrated attention. Particularly in clusters where the community-building process is beginning to embrace large numbers, the exhortations contained in the Bahá’í Writings should increasingly inform economic relationships within families, neighbourhoods, and peoples. Not content with whatever values prevail in the existing order that surrounds them, the friends everywhere should consider the application of the teachings to their lives and, using the opportunities their circumstances offer them, make their own individual and collective contributions to economic justice and social progress wherever they reside. Such efforts will add to a growing storehouse of knowledge in this regard. 3
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THE PROBLEM AND THE EFFECTS OF THE EXTREMES OF WEALTH AND POVERTY The inordinate disparity between rich and poor, a source of acute suffering, keeps the world in a state of instability, virtually on the brink of war. Few societies have dealt effectively with this situation. The solution calls for the combined application of spiritual, moral and practical approaches. A fresh look at the problem is required, entailing consultation with experts from a wide spectrum of disciplines, devoid of economic and ideological polemics, and involving the people directly affected in the decisions that must urgently be made. It is an issue that is bound up not only with the necessity for eliminating extremes of wealth and poverty but also with those spiritual verities the understanding of which can produce a new universal attitude. Fostering such an attitude is itself a major part of the solution. —The Universal House of Justice, The Promise of World Peace, œ30 The Effects of Extreme Poverty Endanger All Humanity The passionate and violent happenings that have, in recent years, strained to almost the point of complete breakdown the political and economic structure of society are too numerous and complex to attempt, within the limitations of this general survey, to arrive at an adequate estimate of their character. Nor have these tribulations, grievous as they have been, seemed to have reached their climax, and exerted the full force of their destructive power. The whole world, wherever and however we survey it, offers us the sad and pitiful spectacle of a vast, an enfeebled, and moribund organism, 9
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which is being torn politically and strangulated economically by forces it has ceased to either control or comprehend. (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 188) When such a crisis sweeps over the world no person should hope to remain intact. We belong to an organic unit and when one part of the organism suffers all the rest of the body will feel its consequence. This is in fact the reason why Bahá’u’lláh calls our attention to the unity of mankind. (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi, dated 14 April 1932, to a Bahá’í family, in Lights of Guidance, no. 446) With the fresh tide of political freedom resulting from the collapse of the strongholds of communism has come an explosion of nationalism. The concomitant rise of racism in many regions has become a matter of serious global concern. These are compounded by an upsurge in religious fundamentalism which is poisoning the wells of tolerance. Terrorism is rife. Widespread uncertainty about the condition of the economy indicates a deep disorder in the management of the material affairs of the planet, a condition which can only exacerbate the sense of frustration and futility affecting the political realm. The worsening state of the environment and of the health of huge populations is a source of alarm. (The Universal House of Justice, A Wider Horizon, Selected Letters 1983–1992, pp. 102–3) The increasing disparity between the rich and the poor is a major destabilizing influence in the world. It produces or exacerbates regional and national conflicts, environmental degradation, crime and violence, and the increasing use of illicit drugs. These consequences of extreme poverty affect all individuals and nations. Increasingly we are becoming aware that we are all members of a single human family. In a family the suffering of any member is felt by all, and until that suffering is alleviated, no member of the family can be fully happy or at ease. Few are able to look at starvation and extreme poverty without feeling a sense of failure. (Bahá’í International Community, 10
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February 12, 1993, Statement to the 49th Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, “Human Rights and Extreme Poverty”) The turmoil now convulsing human affairs is unprecedented, and many of its consequences enormously destructive. Dangers unimagined in all history gather around a distracted humanity. The greatest error that the world’s leadership could make at this juncture, however, would be to allow the crisis to cast doubt on the ultimate outcome of the process that is occurring. A world is passing away and a new one is struggling to be born. The habits, attitudes, and institutions that have accumulated over the centuries are being subjected to tests that are as necessary to human development as they are inescapable. What is required of the peoples of the world is a measure of faith and resolve to match the enormous energies with which the Creator of all things has endowed this spiritual springtime of the race. “Be united in counsel,” is Bahá’u’lláh’s appeal, “be one in thought. May each morn be better than its eve and each morrow richer than its yesterday. Man’s merit lieth in service and virtue and not in the pageantry of wealth and riches. Take heed that your words be purged from idle fancies and worldly desires and your deeds be cleansed from craftiness and suspicion. Dissipate not the wealth of your precious lives in the pursuit of evil and corrupt affection, nor let your endeavors be spent in promoting your personal interest. Be generous in your days of plenty, and be patient in the hour of loss. Adversity is followed by success and rejoicings follow woe. Guard against idleness and sloth, and cling unto that which profiteth mankind, whether young or old, whether high or low.” (Bahá’í International community, The Prosperity of Humankind) The Lack of Unified Efforts for Resolving Societal Problems Behold the disturbances which, for many a long year, have afflicted the earth, and the perturbation that hath seized its peoples. It hath either been ravaged by war, or tormented by sudden and unforeseen calamities. Though the world is encompassed with misery and distress, yet no man hath paused to reflect what the cause or source of that may be. Whenever the True Counsel11
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lor uttered a word in admonishment, lo, they all denounced Him as a mover of mischief and rejected His claim. How bewildering, how confusing is such behavior! No two men can be found who may be said to be outwardly and inwardly united. The evidences of discord and malice are apparent everywhere, though all were made for harmony and union. (Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 163–64) It is certain that the greatest of instrumentalities for achieving the advancement and the glory of man, the supreme agency for the enlightenment and the redemption of the world, is love and fellowship and unity among all the members of the human race. Nothing can be effected in the world, not even conceivably, without unity and agreement, and the perfect means for engendering fellowship and union is true religion. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, ¶135) As with the whole, so with the parts; whether a flower or a human body, when the attracting principle is withdrawn from it, the flower or the man dies. It is therefore clear that attraction, harmony, unity and love, are the cause of life, whereas repulsion, discord, hatred and separation bring death. We have seen that whatever brings division into the world of existence causes death. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, no. 42.7) The whole of mankind is groaning, is dying to be led to unity, and to terminate its age-long martyrdom. And yet it stubbornly refuses to embrace the light and acknowledge the sovereign authority of the one Power that can extricate it from its entanglements, and avert the woeful calamity that threatens to engulf it. (Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 201) Disunity is a danger that the nations and peoples of the earth can no longer endure; the consequences are too terrible to contemplate, too obvious to 12
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