A Pivotal Time for America
A Call for Transformation at this Pivotal Time in America
American society is passing through trying times and struggling to find common ground around a shared sense of values and vision for the future. Meanwhile divisions widen, and long-standing tensions, bigotry and prejudices rise to the surface. Many of us feel unsettled and anxious about the direction our nation is headed.
The spiritual roots of these conditions - materialism, moral decay and racial prejudice - are the focus of a letter written by the elected national leadership of the Baha’is of the United States in February 2017.
In the letter, the National Spiritual Assembly asserts its belief in “the fundamental goodness and decency of the masses of our fellow-citizens,” who “desire genuine justice and prosperity for everyone.”
The letter urges us all to work together in our neighborhoods to develop spiritually-based patterns of community life, and to engage with each other in enriching public discourse and collective social action. Read the letter below or download the PDF.
As you read, we encourage you to share your thoughts and feelings about these concepts, or contact us to work with Baha’is near you to create positive social change.
Read More Here:
Spiritual Roots of America’s Current Trials
At this pivotal juncture in our nation’s history, our foremost responsibility is to everywhere affirm―in the Name of Bahá’u’lláh―the truth of the oneness of humanity in a manner that will have an impact for decades to come. We must accelerate our efforts to remove the stains of prejudice and injustice from the fabric of our society. As you take up this call with courage and zeal, we ask that you keep the following concepts in mind.
The tensions, divisions, and injustices that currently beset America are symptoms of a longstanding illness. The nation is afflicted with a deep spiritual disorder, manifest in rampant materialism, widespread moral decay, and a deeply ingrained racial prejudice. As a result, millions of our fellow Americans, subject to systemic injustices in many facets of life, are prevented from making their full contributions to society and of partaking fully in its benefits. No one is immune to this disorder―we are all members of this society and to some degree suffer the effects of its maladies. That we live in a critical time can be seen in the way essential questions of identity, social vision, and global relations are being raised to a degree not seen in decades. Increasing numbers of our fellow-citizens are actively in search of solutions both moral and practical to answer them.
The resolution to these challenges lies in recognizing and embracing the truth at the heart of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation―the incontrovertible truth that humanity is one. Ignorance of this truth―which embodies the very spirit of the Age―is itself a form of oppression, for without it, it is impossible to build a truly just and peaceful world.
American society is passing through trying times and struggling to find common ground around a shared sense of values and vision for the future. Meanwhile divisions widen, and long-standing tensions, bigotry and prejudices rise to the surface. Many of us feel unsettled and anxious about the direction our nation is headed.
The spiritual roots of these conditions - materialism, moral decay and racial prejudice - are the focus of a letter written by the elected national leadership of the Baha’is of the United States in February 2017.
In the letter, the National Spiritual Assembly asserts its belief in “the fundamental goodness and decency of the masses of our fellow-citizens,” who “desire genuine justice and prosperity for everyone.”
The letter urges us all to work together in our neighborhoods to develop spiritually-based patterns of community life, and to engage with each other in enriching public discourse and collective social action. Read the letter below or download the PDF.
As you read, we encourage you to share your thoughts and feelings about these concepts, or contact us to work with Baha’is near you to create positive social change.
Read More Here:
- Contents:
- I: Spiritual Roots of America’s Current Trials
- II: Reshaping Society Based on the Oneness of Humanity
- III: A Many-Faceted Approach to Transforming Society
- IV: Community Building, the Foundation for Social Change
- V: Social Action, Discourse and a Spirit of Learning
- VI: Creating A Haven for a Suffering and Bewildered Humanity
Spiritual Roots of America’s Current Trials
At this pivotal juncture in our nation’s history, our foremost responsibility is to everywhere affirm―in the Name of Bahá’u’lláh―the truth of the oneness of humanity in a manner that will have an impact for decades to come. We must accelerate our efforts to remove the stains of prejudice and injustice from the fabric of our society. As you take up this call with courage and zeal, we ask that you keep the following concepts in mind.
The tensions, divisions, and injustices that currently beset America are symptoms of a longstanding illness. The nation is afflicted with a deep spiritual disorder, manifest in rampant materialism, widespread moral decay, and a deeply ingrained racial prejudice. As a result, millions of our fellow Americans, subject to systemic injustices in many facets of life, are prevented from making their full contributions to society and of partaking fully in its benefits. No one is immune to this disorder―we are all members of this society and to some degree suffer the effects of its maladies. That we live in a critical time can be seen in the way essential questions of identity, social vision, and global relations are being raised to a degree not seen in decades. Increasing numbers of our fellow-citizens are actively in search of solutions both moral and practical to answer them.
The resolution to these challenges lies in recognizing and embracing the truth at the heart of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation―the incontrovertible truth that humanity is one. Ignorance of this truth―which embodies the very spirit of the Age―is itself a form of oppression, for without it, it is impossible to build a truly just and peaceful world.