KS 'ABDU'L-BAHA DELIVERED IN OAKLAND, PALO ALTO, SAN FRANCISCO, AND
SACRAMENTO

7 October 1912
Talk to Japanese Young Men's Christian Association
Japanese Independent Church, Oakland, California

Notes by Bijou Straun

It is a great happiness to be here this evening, especially for the reason
that the members of this Association have come from the region of the
Orient. For a long time I have entertained a desire to meet some of the
Japanese friends. That nation has achieved extraordinary progress in a
short space of time--a progress and development which have astonished the
world. Inasmuch as they have advanced in material civilization, they must
assuredly possess the capacity for spiritual development. For this reason,
I have an excessive longing to meet them. Praise be to God! This pleasure
is now afforded me, for here in this city I am face to face with a revered
group of the Japanese. According to report the people of the Japanese
nation are not prejudiced. They investigate reality. Wherever they find
truth, they prove to be its lovers. They are not attached tenaciously to
blind imitations of ancient beliefs and dogmas. Therefore, it is my great
desire to discourse with them upon a subject in order that the unity and
blending together of the nations of the East and the nations of the West
may be furthered and accomplished. In this way religious, racial and
political prejudice, partisan bias and sectarianism will be dispelled
amongst men. Any kind of prejudice is destructive to the body politic.

When we review history from the beginning of human existence to the
present age in which we live, it is evident all war and conflict,
bloodshed and battle, every form of sedition has been due to some form of
prejudice--whether religious, racial or national--to partisan bias and
selfish prejudice of some sort. Even today we witness an upheaval in the
Balkans, a war of religious prejudice. Some years ago when I was living in
Rumelia, war broke out among the religious peoples. There was no attitude
of justice or equity whatever amongst them. They pillaged the properties
of each other, burning each others' homes and houses, slaughtering men,
women and children, imagining that such warfare and bloodshed was the
means of drawing near to God. This clearly proved that prejudice is a
destroyer of the foundations of the world of humanity, whereas religion
was meant to be the cause of fellowship and agreement.

Religion mu