In life man should hope for reward and fear punishment. It is necessary that this hope and this fear should be considered by those in authority and those who have important posts in the government. If the officials are not guided by these sentiments, it is to be feared that they will not act as they ought to.
This hope and fear are like pillars that support the altitude of the world. There is no better prevention of tyranny than these two sentiments, hope and fear. In reactionary governments where fear does not exist, the administration is badly managed.
There are both political and spiritual consequences. A man who takes into consideration spiritual consequences is a perfect government official. If a man is guided by religious feeling and by the respect of the law, he will act in a perfect manner.
A minister of government, if he is guided by Divine faith, will always act for the good, above all if he knows that the consequences of his act are without limit. Such a man will detach himself from tyranny and will work for Justice.
If men believed that they will reap the consequences of their actions in the next world, they would never act contrary to Justice. You see then how important it is that a minister of state should be religious.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Discourses given by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in London and Paris’; Star of the West, vol. 3, no. 2, April 9, 1912)