Religious Prejudices
In order to see clearly how the Most Great Peace may be established, let us first examine the principle causes that have led to war in the past and see how Baha'u'llah proposes to deal with each. (103:1)

One of the most fertile causes of war has been religious prejudice. With regard to this the Baha'i teachings show clearly that animosity and conflict between people of different religions and sects have always been due, not to true religion, but to the want of it, and to its replacement by false prejudices, imitations and misrepresentations. (103:2)

In one of His talks in Paris, 'Abdu'l-Baha said:
Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division it would be better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure, but if the remedy only aggravates the complaint, it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion. (103:3)

Again He says: From the beginning of human history down to the present time various religions of the world have anathematized one another and accused one another of falsity.. They have shunned one another most rigidly, exercising mutual animosity and rancor. Consider the history of religious warfare.. One of the greatest religious wars, the Crusaders, extended over a period of 2 years.. Sometimes the Crusaders were successful, killing, pillaging and taking captive Muhammadan people; sometimes the Mussulmans were victorious, inflicting bloodshed and ruin in turn upon the invaders. (103:5)

So they continued for two centuries, alternately fighting with fury and relaxing with weakness until the European religionists withdrew from the East, leaving ashes of desolation behind them and finding their own nations in a condition of turbulence and upheaval.. Yet this was only one of the "Holy wars." (103:6)

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