Pasteur Monnier: What is the similarity between the Cause of Christ and that of Baha’u’llah? And what relation do they hold towards each other?
‘Abdu’l-Baha: The foundation of the religion of God is one. The same basis which was laid by Christ and later on was forgotten, has been renewed by His Holiness Baha’u’llah.
As we said, the object of divine religion is one—each religion is divided into two parts. The first part is essential, and it belongs to the world of morality. It is the exposition of significances and realities. It is the expression of the love of God, the knowledge of God. This is one in all the religions, unchangeable and immutable, because it is the reality, and the reality is immutable and unchangeable.
The second part is non-essential. It belongs to practical life, to transactions and business. This changes according to the requirements of the time in which the Prophet lives.
For example, during the days of His Holiness Moses, the foundation and the origin of the religion of God spelled morality, and that was not changed in the Christian dispensation, but certain differences crept in through the change of the second part of the religion. For during the Mosaic period the hand of a person was cut off because he had committed a small theft; there was the law of an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. This was according to the spirit of the age, but as these laws were impracticable at the time of Christ, they were abrogated. Likewise divorce: It had become so universal and so easily put into practice, that the laws of marriage were too easily broken, therefore His Holiness Christ forbade it.
According to the exigencies of the time, His Holiness Moses revealed ten laws for capital punishment. It was impossible at that time to protect the body politic and preserve social security without these severe measures. For the children of Israel lived in the wilderness of Tah, they could not protect their rights and establish safety without these severe measures. As they were too antiquated in the time of Christ, they were abolished.
The difference in the second part of religion is unimportant, because it belongs to the customs of life only, but the foundation of the religion of God is one. Therefore His Holiness Baha’u’llah has renewed that foundation.
The Cause of Christ was wholly spiritual. He did not change anything save the Sabbath and the law of divorce. All the sayings of Christ deal with the knowledge of God, with the oneness of the world of humanity, the moral relations between the hearts, spiritual susceptibilities. His Holiness Baha’u’llah created these merciful sentiments in the most complete form and deposited them in the hearts of men. This is in keeping with the teachings of Christ, because it is the reality and the reality does not change.
Is it possible to say that divine unity is divisible, or the knowledge of God, the oneness of the world of humanity, universal love, and the solidarity of the human race, are ever subject to transformation? No, I declare by God they are immutable, for they are the reality.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Answers to questions by Pasteur Monnier of
Theological Seminary of Paris, February 17, 1913; Star of the West, vol. 4, no.
3, April 28, 1913)