Science a pathway to God The permanence of science, the fact that it belongs to the next world, not this, gives intellectual activities the highest rank; indeed, Bahá’u’lláh makes teachers one of the seven classes of heirs to whom Bahá’ís are recommended to leave their property. “The virtues of humanity are many, but science is the most noble of them all. … It is a bestowal of God; it is not material; it is divine. Science is an effulgence of the Sun of Reality, the power of investigating and discovering the verities of the universe, the means by which man finds a pathway to God. All the powers and attributes of man are human and hereditary in ori- gin—outcomes of nature’s processes—except the intellect, which is supernatural. … “… God has … deposited this love of reality in man. The development and progress of a nation is according to the measure and degree of that nation’s scientific attainments. Through this means its greatness is continually increased, and day by day the welfare and prosperity of its people are assured. “… this power of intellectual investigation and research … is an eternal gift producing fruits of unending delight. … All other blessings are temporary; this is an everlasting possession. … it is an eternal blessing and divine bestowal, the supreme gift of God to man. Therefore, you should put forward your most earnest efforts toward the acquisition of science and arts. … The man of science is perceiving and endowed with vision, whereas he who is ignorant and neglectful of this development is blind. The investigating mind is attentive, alive; the callous and indifferent mind is deaf and dead. A scientific man is a true index and representative of humanity, for through processes of inductive reasoning and research he is informed of all that appertains to humanity, its status, conditions and happenings. He studies the human body politic, understands social problems and weaves the web and texture of civilization. … “… science or the attribute of scientific penetration is supernatural and that all other blessings of God are within the
Science a pathway to God The permanence of science, the fact that it belongs to the next world, not this, gives intellectual activities the highest rank; indeed, Bahá’u’lláh makes teachers one of the seven classes of heirs to whom Bahá’ís are recommended to leave their property. “The virtues of humanity are many, but science is the most noble of them all. … It is a bestowal of God; it is not material; it is divine. Science is an effulgence of the Sun of Reality, the power of investigating and discovering the verities of the universe, the means by which man finds a pathway to God. All the powers and attributes of man are human and hereditary in ori- gin—outcomes of nature’s processes—except the intellect, which is supernatural. … “… God has … deposited this love of reality in man. The development and progress of a nation is according to the measure and degree of that nation’s scientific attainments. Through this means its greatness is continually increased, and day by day the welfare and prosperity of its people are assured. “… this power of intellectual investigation and research … is an eternal gift producing fruits of unending delight. … All other blessings are temporary; this is an everlasting possession. … it is an eternal blessing and divine bestowal, the supreme gift of God to man. Therefore, you should put forward your most earnest efforts toward the acquisition of science and arts. … The man of science is perceiving and endowed with vision, whereas he who is ignorant and neglectful of this development is blind. The investigating mind is attentive, alive; the callous and indifferent mind is deaf and dead. A scientific man is a true index and representative of humanity, for through processes of inductive reasoning and research he is informed of all that appertains to humanity, its status, conditions and happenings. He studies the human body politic, understands social problems and weaves the web and texture of civilization. … “… science or the attribute of scientific penetration is supernatural and that all other blessings of God are within the
gail_sheltering_branch.docx