PASSAGES FROM THE BAHÁ'Í WRITINGS:

THE ONENESS OF HUMANITY

"O CHILDREN OF MEN!   Know ye not why We created you 
all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over 
the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. 
Since We have created you all from one same substance it is 
incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same 
feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that 
from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of 
oneness… may be made manifest."
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 20) 

"Every human creature is the servant of God. All have been 
created and reared by the power and favor of God; all have been 
blessed with the bounties of the same Sun of divine truth… and 
all in His estimation and love are equal as servants.  He is 
beneficent and kind to all. Therefore, no one should glorify 
himself over another; no one should manifest pride or superiority 
toward another; no one should look upon another with scorn and 
contempt; and no one should deprive or oppress a fellow 
creature. All must be considered as submerged in the ocean of 
God's mercy. We must associate with all humanity in gentleness 
and kindliness. We must love all with love of the heart.  Some 
are ignorant; they must be trained and educated. One is sick; he 
must be healed. Another is as a child; we must assist him to 
attain maturity. We must not detest him who is ailing, neither 
shun him, scorn nor curse him, but care for him with the utmost 
kindness and tenderness. An infant must not be treated with 
disdain simply because it is an infant. Our responsibility is to 
train, educate and develop it in order that it may advance toward 
maturity."        ('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal 
Peace, p. 73).  

SPIRITUAL STATION OF CHILDREN

"He that bringeth up his son or the son of another, it is as 
though he hath brought up a son of Mine…"
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 37)

"…this teaching of the children is a service to the Blessed 
Perfection… The education of children is one of the most great 
services.  All these children are mine.  If they are educated and 
illumined, it is as though my own children were so 
characterized…" ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Talk of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the 
Holy Land:  Star of the West, Vol. XIII, No. 6, p. 172)

"O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of 
the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy 
greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them 
to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of 
humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be 
nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness. 
Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving."    ('Abdu'l-Bahá, 
Compilation, Bahá'í Prayers, p. 34)

"Every child is potentially the light of the world—and at the 
same time its darkness; wherefore must the question of education 
be accounted as of primary importance."  ('Abdu'l-Bahá, 
Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 130) 

"Children are the most precious treasure a community can 
possess, for in them are the promise and guarantee of 
the future." (The Universal House of Justice Ridván 
Message 2000)

DISCRIMINATION

"Until recently, the disabled have constituted a minority in 
obscurity. Unlike certain other groups that fall victim to 
discrimination, the disabled do not comprise a self-contained, 
close-knit social community. Instead, they populate every social 
sector, every class, every age group, every ethnic and religious 
community. And at every level, society has tended to ignore 
them, believing them incapable of participating in the 
community, or avoiding them as unpleasant reminders of the 
fragility of our existence."     (Statement of the Bahá'í 
International Community to the fortieth session of the United 
Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and 
Protection of Minorities presented in August of 1988)

THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN

"That which is of paramount importance for the children, that 
which must precede all else, is to teach them the oneness of God 
and the laws of God."   (Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í World Faith, p. 
182; Compilation, Bahá'í Education, p. 6) 

"Among the greatest of all services that can possibly be rendered 
by man to Almighty God is the education and training of 
children, young plants of the Abhá Paradise, so that these 
children, fostered by grace in the way of salvation, growing like 
pearls of divine bounty in the shell of education, will one day 
bejewel the crown of abiding glory.
 ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Ibid., p. 133).

"The education and training of children is among the most 
meritorious acts of humankind and draweth down the grace and 
favour of the All-Merciful, for education is the indispensable 
foundation of all human excellence and alloweth man to work 
his way to the heights of abiding glory." 
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Ibid., pp.129-30)

"…education exerteth the strongest possible influence on 
humankind… however… differences in the level of intelligence 
are innate… For we see that children of the same age, the same 
country, the same race, indeed of the same family, and trained by 
the same individual, still are different as to the degree of 
their comprehension and intelligence. One will make rapid 
progress, one will receive instruction only gradually…That 
is to say, education cannot alter the inner essence of a man, 
but it doth exert tremendous influence, and with this 
power it can bring forth from the individual whatever 
perfections and capacities are deposited within him. 
Thanks to a teacher's loving efforts, the children... 
may reach the highest levels of achievement; indeed, 
his benefactions may lift some child of small account to 
an exalted throne. Thus is it clearly demonstrated that 
by their essential nature, minds vary as to their capacity, 
while education also playeth a great role and exerteth 
a powerful effect on their development.   
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Ibid., p. 132)

DUTY OF THE PARENTS

"Ye should consider the question of goodly character as of the 
first importance. It is incumbent upon every father and mother to 
counsel their children over a long period, and guide them unto 
those things which lead to everlasting honour."
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections of the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 
134)

It is enjoined upon the father and mother, as a duty, to strive 
with all effort to train the daughter and the son, to nurse 
them from the breast of knowledge and to rear them in the 
bosom of sciences and arts. Should they neglect this matter, 
they shall be held responsible and worthy of reproach in 
the presence of the stern Lord.
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Ibid., p. 127)

DUTY OF THE COMMUNITY

"It is the duty of those who are in charge of the organization of 
society to give every individual the opportunity of acquiring the 
necessary talent in some kind of profession, and also the means 
of utilizing such a talent, both for its own sake and for the 
sake of earning the means of his livelihood. Every individual, 
no matter how handicapped and limited he may be, is under the 
obligation of engaging in some work or profession, for work, 
especially when performed in the spirit of service, is according 
to Bahá'u'lláh a form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian 
purpose, but has a value in itself, because it draws us nearer to 
God, and enables us to better grasp His purpose for us in this 
world." (Shoghi Effendi, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 192)

(The three next passages are from the Universal House of Justice 
Ridván Message 2000, To the Bahá'ís of the World) 

"The necessity exists… for individuals and the institutions at 
all levels, which is to say the community as a whole, to show a 
proper attitude towards children and to take a general interest 
in their welfare…. Children are the most precious treasure a 
community can possess, for in them are the promise and 
guarantee of the future. They bear the seeds of the character of 
future society which is largely shaped by what the adults 
constituting the community do or fail to do with respect to 
children. They are a trust no community can neglect with 
impunity. An all-embracing love of children, the manner of 
treating them, the quality of the attention shown them, the 
spirit of adult behaviour toward them--these are all among 
the vital aspects of the requisite attitude…. An atmosphere 
needs to be maintained in which children feel that they 
belong to the community and share in its purpose."  

"Our children need to be nurtured spiritually and to be 
integrated into the life of the Cause.  They should not 
be left to drift in a world so laden with moral dangers. 
In the current state of society, children face a cruel 
fate. Millions and millions in country after country 
are dislocated socially. Children find themselves 
alienated by parents and other adults whether they 
live in conditions of wealth or poverty. This alienation 
has its roots in a selfishness that is born of 
materialism that is at the core of the godlessness 
seizing the hearts of people everywhere. 

"The social dislocation of children in our time is a sure 
mark of a society in decline; this condition is not, 
however, confined to any race, class, nation or economic 
condition—it cuts across them all…The spiritual and 
psychological damage defies estimation. Our worldwide 
community cannot escape the consequences of these 
conditions. This realization should spur us all to 
urgent and sustained effort in the interests of 
children and the future… Spiritual education of children 
and junior youth are of paramount importance to the 
further progress of the community. 

"It is therefore imperative that this deficiency be remedied. 
Institutes must be certain to include in their programmes the 
training of teachers of children's classes…But although 
providing spiritual and academic education for children is 
essential, this represents only a part of what must go into 
developing their characters and shaping their personalities."