Two fundamental teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Prophet Founder of the
Bahá’í Faith, are that 1) we are personally responsible for investigating truth, and
2) we are to use science and religion as the standards for making judgments. These
materials have been assembled to assist in that task.
The first principle of
Baha'u'llah is independent investigation of truth, that is, all the nations of the world
have to investigate after truth independently and turn their eyes from the moribund blind
imitations of the past ages entirely. Truth is one when it is independently investigated,
it does not accept division. Therefore the independent investigation of truth will lead to
the oneness of the world of humanity.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Japan Will Turn Ablaze, p. 35
There is no contradiction between
true religion and science. When a religion is opposed to science it becomes mere
superstition: that which is contrary to knowledge is ignorance.
How can a man believe to be a fact that which science
has proved to be impossible? If he believes in spite of his reason, it is rather ignorant
superstition than faith. The true principles of all religions are in conformity with the
teachings of science.
The Unity of God is logical, and this idea is not
antagonistic to the conclusions arrived at by scientific study.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 141
It is hoped that all the Bahá’í students will...be led to investigate
and analyse the principles of
the Faith and to correlate them with the modern aspects of philosophy and
science. Every intelligent and thoughtful young Bahá’í should always
approach the Cause in this way, for therein lies the very essence of the
principle of independent investigation of truth.
(Letter on
behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, 6 August 1933.)
Source:
http://www.mediafire.com?mwjlvzotnzw
With regard to the harmony of science and religion, the
Writings of the Central Figures and the commentaries of the Guardian make
abundantly clear that the task of humanity, including the Baha’i community
that serves as the "leaven" within it, is to create a global civilization
which embodies both the spiritual and material dimensions of existence.
The nature and scope of such a civilisation are still beyond anything
the present generation can conceive.
The prosecution of this vast enterprise will depend on a progressive
interaction between the truths and principles of religion and the
discoveries and insights of scientific inquiry.
This entails living with ambiguities as a natural and inescapable
feature of the process of exploring reality.
It also requires us not to limit science to any particular school of
thought or methodological approach postulated in the course of its
development. The challenge facing
Baha’i thinkers is to provide responsible leadership in this endeavour,
since it is they who have both the priceless insights of the Revelation and
the advantages conferred by scientific investigation.
(Issues
Related to the Study of the Baha’i Faith: Extracts
from Letters written on behalf of the
Universal House of Justice,
May 1998.)
Source:
http://bci.org/bahaistudies/reference_documents/scholcan.htm
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