The Baha'i Studies Listserv 'Abdu'l-Bahá seems to say that almost any motivation of the man always is dyed of a bit of self-love. Obviously that in different degrees. And I do not find any reason in order that the atheists and agnostics are the exception because they also are human. We are not much better than other mammals because of our inclination to help others. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrBqEslJgQg&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGuGtMULDuI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dSu_1z3vIY
2010/9/11 David Regal <[email protected]> > The Baha'i Studies Listserv > > Sincerity is the foundation-stone of faith. That is, a religious > individual must disregard his personal desires and seek in whatever way he > can wholeheartedly to serve the public interest; and it is impossible for a > human being to turn aside from his own selfish advantages and sacrifice his > own good for the good of the community except through true religious faith. > For self-love is kneaded into the very clay of man, and it is not possible > that, without any hope of a substantial reward, he should neglect his own > present material 97 good. That individual, however, who puts his faith in > God and believes in the words of God -- because he is promised and certain > of a plentiful reward in the next life, and because worldly benefits as > compared to the abiding joy and glory of future planes of existence are > nothing to him -- will for the sake of God abandon his own peace and profit > and will freely consecrate his heart and soul to the common good. > (Abdu'l-Baha, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 96) > > I suspect I don't understand the meaning of this passage as it doesn't seem > to square up to facts. It's impossible to sacrifice your own good for the > good of the community except through religious faith. Huh? Am I to believe > atheists, agnostics, and people who believe in God but not religion never do > anything selfless for the sake of others? Or that these people never give > to charity? There was a period in my life where I didn't have true > religious faith by any means, yet I still donated generously during this > time. I wasn't hoping for a 'substantial reward' then and a reward isn't > my first priority now. > > Also, I didn't think you were supposed to believe in the words of God just > because of a reward when you get to heaven. Since when have most needed > rewards in order to believe? > > Regards, > David > > > > > __________________________________________________ > You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] > Unsubscribe: send a blank email to > mailto:leave-525945-161002.592694c28c12a081fa91d66872c19...@list.jccc.edu > Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] > Or subscribe: > http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st > Baha'i Studies is available through the following: > Mail - mailto:[email protected] > Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st > News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st > Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > -- "Dos piedras preciosas, la una falsa y la otra buena, son difíciles de distinguir: la firmeza y la obstinación". Johann Georg Kohl __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:leave-525983-27401.54f46e81b66496c9909bcdc2f7987...@list.jccc.edu Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [email protected] Or subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[email protected] Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News (on-campus only) - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
