need "World Peace" quotes for inter-faith devotion

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dyesneancyDex
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Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:42 pm

need "World Peace" quotes for inter-faith devotion

Postby dyesneancyDex » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:09 am

Hello friends,


Our assembly is sponsoring an inter-faith devotional gathering this Sunday evening and I have been asked to provide 3 of Bahá’u’lláh quotes to be read at the gathering.

The subject for the night is world peace. We had our strategy meeting last night and the gathering is Sunday, needless to say just as soon as I am asked to help I find myself in the busiest part of my industry’s year.

I was curious if the good folks on this board my help in my search.

If any of you have any ideas for some particular quotes that might be poignant, I would surely appreciate the assistance. We are looking for few longer quotes or sections of any of the holy writings.

Thanks in advance,

Donald

curt
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Location: Iowa

quotes for devotional meeting

Postby curt » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:36 pm

Hello Donald,

I had some free time this evening so I looked up several quotes for you. I won't type them out fully, but rather let you look them up and see if they are suitable for your purposes. They relate to world peace.

First five paragraphs of the Suriy-i-Haykal, the Surih of the Temple, found in the Summons of the Lord of Hosts. Glorified is He Who hath revealed His verses to those who understand. Glorified is He Who sendeth down His verses to those who perceive...

Gleanings XXXIV, 1 paragraph: The Prophets of God should be regarded as physicians whose task is to foster the well-being of the world and its peoples, that, through the spirit of oneness, they may heal the sickness of a divided humanity...

Gleanings CXXXI, 2 central paragraphs: The well-bring of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly estalished...

Gleaning CLVI, 1 paragraph: ...Ye dwell in one world, and have been created through the operation of one Will. Blessed is he who mingleth with all men in a spirit of utmost kindliness and love.

Gleanings CXVII, 1 paragraph: ...It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.

The Bab revealed a remarkable, lovely prayer found on pages 198-199 of Selections of the Writings of the Bab. You may find it suitable as well.

These should get you started. Good luck!

Curt

dyesneancyDex
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Postby dyesneancyDex » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:50 am

:ug:

excellent
many thanks

British_Bahai
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Postby British_Bahai » Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:49 am

how about this one? :smile:

We must now highly resolve to arise and lay hold of all those instrumentalities that promote the peace and well-being and happiness, the knowledge, culture and industry, the dignity, value and station, of the entire human race.


reference - the secret of divine civilisation, abdulbaha, page 4.
link - http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SDC/sdc-1.html#pg4

British_Bahai
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Postby British_Bahai » Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:33 pm

oh,oh,oh! you HAVE to include this one aswell!! :D I've highlighted the best part of the sentence (my opinion of course!) but if you do decide to use this, make sure to use the WHOLE quote, as it sets it very nicely!!!.

"During the last six thousand years nations have hated one another, it is now time to stop. War must cease. Let us be united and love one another and await the result. We know the effects of war are bad. So let us try, as an experiment, peace, and if the results of peace are bad, then we can choose if it would be better to go back to the old state of war! Let us in any case make the experiment. If we see that unity brings Light we shall continue it. For six thousand years we have been walking on the left-hand path; let us walk on the right-hand path now. We have passed many centuries in darkness, let us advance towards the light.."

reference, abdulbaha in london http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/ABL/abl-23.html

you know you want to!

dyesneancyDex
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Joined: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:42 pm

Postby dyesneancyDex » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:47 am

BB,

thanks for the help.

I didn't see your post until today but the funny thing is i used the opening two paragraphs from The Secret of Divine Civilisation.

btw, i really like the one from AbdulBaha in London. the master's method was peerless. what a laugh!


mmmmm.....let's see...if we stop killing each other then maybe people will be happy.........i don't know, but it sounds like a good place to start our experiment.



Thanks again

BritishBahai
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Location: UK

Re: need "World Peace" quotes for inter-faith devotion

Postby BritishBahai » Sun Mar 31, 2013 9:58 am

hmm...:computer: How weird...

In some of the messages I posted (above), for some reason, (a) my username has been changed to "chubyseesse", and (b) when you hover over "email", a different email address shows.
I think it has something to do with when the website was updated a few years back.

Strange.

[EDIT from moderator: I don't know, this error hasn't come up with anyone else before, but it's a repeat for you... When I click on chubbyseesse's profile link, it shows zero posts. However, this seems to predate the software update. Check your outgoing email from April 2, 2009, for an email with screenshots you sent me and Brett inquiring about this same issue. I'm afraid I didn't have an answer... :error: ]
"I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love"

iranpour
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Re: need "World Peace" quotes for inter-faith devotion

Postby iranpour » Sun Mar 31, 2013 2:54 pm

A few more texts which may be used for your meeting:

Today there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the Most Great Peace. Peace is light, whereas war is darkness. Peace is life; war is death. Peace is guidance; war is error. Peace is the foundation of God; war is a satanic institution. Peace is the illumination of the world of humanity; war is the destroyer of human foundations. When we consider outcomes in the world of existence, we find that peace and fellowship are factors of upbuilding and betterment, whereas war and strife are the causes of destruction and disintegration. All created things are expressions of the affinity and cohesion of elementary substances, and nonexistence is the absence of their attraction and agreement. Various elements unite harmoniously in composition, but when these elements become discordant, repelling each other, decomposition and nonexistence result. Everything partakes of this nature and is subject to this principle, for the creative foundation in all its degrees and kingdoms is an expression or outcome of love. Consider the restlessness and agitation of the human world today because of war. Peace is health and construction; war is disease and dissolution. When the banner of truth is raised, peace becomes the cause of the welfare and advancement of the human world. In all cycles and ages war has been a factor of derangement and discomfort, whereas peace and brotherhood have brought security and consideration of human interests. This distinction is especially pronounced in the present world conditions, for warfare in former centuries had not attained the degree of savagery and destructiveness which now characterizes it. If two nations were at war in olden times, ten or twenty thousand would be sacrificed, but in this century 124the destruction of one hundred thousand lives in a day is quite possible. So perfected has the science of killing become and so efficient the means and instruments of its accomplishment that a whole nation can be obliterated in a short time. Therefore, comparison with the methods and results of ancient warfare is out of the question.


The Great Peace towards which people of good will throughout the centuries have inclined their hearts, of which seers and poets for countless generations have expressed their vision, and for which from age to age the sacred scriptures of mankind have constantly held the promise, is now at long last within the reach of the nations. For the first time in history it is possible for everyone to view the entire planet, with all its myriad diversified peoples, in one perspective.World peace is not only possible but inevitable. It is the next stage in the evolution of this planet—in the words of one great thinker, “the planetization of mankind”.

Whether peace is to be reached only after unimaginable horrors precipitated by humanity’s stubborn clinging to old patterns of behaviour, or is to be embraced now by an act of consultative will, is the choice before all who inhabit the earth. At this critical juncture when the intractable problems confronting nations have been fused into one common concern for the whole world, failure to stem the tide of conflict and disorder would be unconscionably irresponsible. (The Promise of World Peace, p.1).

The Guardian has also read with deep interest all the enclosed papers. He is firmly convinced that through perseverance and concerted action the cause of Peace will eventually triumph over all the dark forces which threaten the welfare and progress of the world today. But such purely human attempts are undoubtedly ineffective unless inspired and guided by the power of faith. Without the assistance of God, as given through the message of Baha'u'llah, peace can never be safely and adequately established. To disregard the Baha'i solution for world peace is to build on foundations of sand. To accept and apply it is to make peace not a mere dream, or an ideal, but a living reality. This is the point which the Guardian wishes you to develop, to emphasize again and again, and to support by convincing arguments. The Baha'i peace programme is, indeed, not only one way of attaining that goal. It is not even relatively the best. It is, in the last resort, the sole effective instrument for the establishment of the rei ... (Peace, p. 33).


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