True Educators of Humanity

Critics of religion

Since the beginning there have been many critics on religion…

Seen as a tool for powerful people to enslave others…

… and as a source of all problems in the world

Educators of Humanity

Religion is as old as humanity. It is difficult to identify a time in the history of humankind when religion did not exist. God has always revealed his purpose to man through an individual called by different names, such as a prophet or a messenger of God. In the Bahá’í Faith, those Holy men are called the Manifestations of God as they manifest the attributes of God and bring His message to man.

The Manifestations of God are the only true educators of humanity. In every age, They have provided an education that harmonizes spiritual, intellectual and material development. Moreover, the Manifestations of God and Their teachings are in harmony with each other. They provide a progressive series of objectives whose aim is the eventual unity of mankind.

Hence, without religion we will ignore the development of an important aspect of our reality and consequently we will not achieve our full predestined potential.

This is how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes the effect of a true educator:

“Man is said to be the greatest representative of God, and he is the Book of Creation because all the mysteries of beings exist in him. If he comes under the shadow of the True Educator and is rightly trained, he becomes the essence of essences, the light of lights, the spirit of spirits; he becomes the centre of the divine appearances, the source of spiritual qualities, the rising-place of heavenly lights, and the receptacle of divine inspirations. If he is deprived of this education, he becomes the manifestation of satanic qualities, the sum of animal vices, and the source of all dark conditions.”[1]

[1] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, p. 236, Bahá’í Publishing Trust, Willmette, 1981.