ut investigation of reality. If the Holy Books were
rightly understood, none of this discord and distress would have existed,
but love and fellowship would have prevailed instead. This is true with
all the other religions as well. The conditions I have named will apply
equally to all. The essential purpose of the religion of God is to
establish unity among mankind. The divine Manifestations were Founders of
the means of fellowship and love. They did not come to create discord,
strife and hatred in the world. The religion of God is the cause of love,
but if it is made to be the source of enmity and bloodshed, surely its
absence is preferable to its existence; for then it becomes satanic,
detrimental and an obstacle to the human world.

In the Orient the various peoples and nations were in a state of
antagonism and strife, manifesting the utmost enmity and hatred toward
each other. Darkness encompassed the world of mankind. At such a time as
this Baha'u'llah appeared. He removed all the imitations and prejudices
which had caused separation and misunderstanding and laid the foundation
of the one religion of God. When this was accomplished, Muslims,
Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, Buddhists all were united in actual
fellowship and love. The souls who followed Baha'u'llah from every nation
have become as one family living in agreement and accord, willing to
sacrifice life for each other. The Muslim will give his life for the
Christian, the Christian for the Jew and all of them for the Zoroastrian.
They live together in love, fellowship and unity. They have attained to
the condition of rebirth in the Spirit of God. They have become revivified
and regenerated through the breaths of the Holy Spirit. Praise be to God!
This light has come forth from the East, and eventually there shall be no
discord or enmity in the Orient. Through the power of Baha'u'llah all will
be united. He upraised this standard of the oneness of humanity in prison.
When subjected to banishment by two kings, while a refugee from enemies of
all nations and during the days of His long imprisonment He wrote to the
kings and rulers of the world in words of wonderful eloquence, arraigning
them severely and summoning them to the divine standard of unity and
justice. He exhorted them to peace and international agreement, making it
incumbent upon them to establish a board of international arbitration--that
from all nations and governments of the world there should be