Peace and Love

Q: Read the next chapters on Baha'u'llah and also watch the short video posted of Karen Armstrong discussing her vision of compassion as a theme that unites religious traditions. Does the faith developed by Baha'u'llah reflect this vision, or contradict it? Give specific passages from the biography that give some idea as to how Baha'u'llah might relate to the ideas of Karen Armstrong.

A: First, I want to say that I really enjoyed the video of Karen Armstrong. All too often I feel like religion is polarized; it's either view as all/mostly good, or all/mostly bad. This video did not try to ignore the awful things that have come along with some religious movements and groups, it pushes for a much more universal truth that I think that most of us can resonate with: that compassion is what underlies all religions, and whether you're religious or not, it can connect us.

I think that Baha'u'llah would've agreed with Karen Armstrong's general message, even if it might have seemed a bit too liberal for him due to different time periods. It was obvious that Baha'u'llah was a great supporter of connecting people through compassion, partially just through his actions. Although this book may present a somewhat biased view of Baha'u'llah's history, he is never once seen as an uncaring person. In fact, he seemed to be an incredibly bighearted person, as he seemed very self-sacrificing and often looked out for others. His ideals seem to tie in very well to Karen Armstrong's, as exemplified by his hope to unify "the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men." (p. 198)