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A notable case in point is the treatment of the subject of the evolution of species, which is taken up explicitly in Part 4, and which must be understood in light of several Baha'í teachings, especially the principle of the harmony of science and religion. Religious belief should not contradict science and reason. A certain reading of some of the passages found in Chapters 46-51 may lead some believers to personal conclusions that contradict modern science. Yet the Universal House of Justice has explained that Baha'ís strive to reconcile their understanding of the statements of 'Abdu'l-Baha with established scientific perspectives, and therefore it is not necessary to conclude that these passages describe conceptions rejected by science, for example, a kind of "parallel" evolution that proposes a separate line of biological evolution for the human species parallel to the animal kingdom since the beginning of life on earth
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