ves was permissible.
But during the time of Christ the exigency which had sanctioned it did not
exist; therefore, it was forbidden. Moses lived in the wilderness and
desert of Sinai; therefore, His ordinances and commandments were in
conformity with those conditions. The penalty for theft was to cut off a
man's hand. An ordinance of this kind was in keeping with desert life but
is not compatible with conditions of the present day. Such ordinances,
therefore, constitute the second or nonessential division of the divine
religions and are not of importance, for they deal with human transactions
which are ever changing according to the requirements of time and place.
Therefore, the intrinsic foundations of the divine religions are one. As
this is true, why should hostility and strife exist among them? Why should
this hatred and warfare, ferocity and bloodshed continue? Is this
allowable and justified? God forbid!

An essential principle of Baha'u'llah's teaching is that religion must be
the cause of unity and love amongst men; that it is the supreme effulgence
of Divinity, the stimulus of life, the source of honor and productive of
eternal existence. Religion is not intended to arouse enmity and hatred
nor to become the source of tyranny and injustice. Should it prove to be
the cause of hostility, discord and the alienation of mankind, assuredly
the absence of religion would be preferable. Religious teachings are like
a course of treatment having for its purpose the cure and healing of
mankind. If the only outcome of a course of treatment should be mere
diagnosis and fruitless discussion of symptoms, it would be better to
abandon and abolish it. In this sense the absence of religion would be at
least some progress toward unity.

Furthermore, religion must conform to reason and be in accord with the
conclusions of science. For religion, reason and science are realities;
therefore, these three, being realities, must conform and be reconciled. A
question or principle which is religious in its nature must be sanctioned
by science. Science must declare it to be valid, and reason must confirm
it in order that it may inspire confidence. If religious teaching,
however, be at variance with science and reason, it is unquestionably
superstition. The Lord of mankind has bestowed upon us the faculty of
reason whereby we may discern the realities of things. How then can man
rightfully accept any proposition which is not in conformity wit