Changing Times

We are embarking on a period of change, not only in the United Kingdom, but throughout the world. But what will the future be like? Is the future dark? There are plenty of people who are offering us “doom and gloom”. There is a fierce war in Eastern Europe, which, apart from the suffering of the two nations involved, has led to major economic destabilisation across the world. Gas and other fuel supplies have been scarce and costs have risen. The availability of basic items such as grain and cooking oil for millions of people have been disrupted. The threat of nuclear weapons is a very real one, with one nation openly talking about using them.

Indeed, this war, having been started whilst countries were still emerging from the COVID pandemic, has been so destabilising that it is cited as a major factor in a cost of living crisis which is seriously affecting a number of countries. Food prices are rising, fuel prices are rising, but wages are rising much more slowly. In some countries, there is a very real possibility of recession. There is no doubt whatever that if any sort of nuclear weapon was used, it would not only poison both the ground and the atmosphere, but would further destabilise the political situation. That is fairly certain to have further negative repercussions on the economic situation of the world.

The war in Europe also reminds us of the current paralysis of the United Nations. Because five countries, which happened to be on the winning side in the Second World War, granted themselves permanent seats of the United Nations Security Council, and the right to veto anything the Council might wish to decide, there is a universal acceptance that the United Nations cannot do anything to directly prevent the continued course of this war.

All this is against the backdrop of rising evidence for actual impact from climate change, caused apparently by human behaviour. This year there have been heatwaves on several different continents, accompanied by droughts, which then give way to floods as the next weather system – warmer than usual, and therefore carrying more water - crosses. The hurricanes and typhoons are getting stronger and even more dangerous for exactly this reason.

But not everything in the world portrays doom and gloom. There are areas of hope. There has been a marked shift towards the ready acceptance of people, regardless of colour or background. This can be seen in television studios, on sports pitches and in government. The new king in London, who is the Head of State of thirteen countries and the Leader of a Commonwealth of fifty-six nations, has vowed to be the Defender of Faiths – assisting the followers of all religions towards acceptance by the world.

All these Faiths promise a glorious future, although it may not always be spelled out clearly in the religion as it is practised today. In the nineteenth century, Bahá’u’lláh, in His books and letters, did spell it out. Anticipating (and advocating) a time of general literacy, universal education, and an increasing awareness of the processes of social and material development, Bahá’u’lláh wrote about the glorious future of mankind. It is clear from His writings that He foresaw that the world would go through great trials which would lead directly to the realisation of the need for unity. He was confident of the ultimate triumph of good because: “There is no force on earth that can equal in its conquering power the force of justice and wisdom....”.

Bahá’u’lláh’s son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, speaking in Paris in the early 20^th century said: “When perfect justice reigns in every country of the Eastern and Western World, then will the earth become a place of beauty. The dignity and equality of every servant of God will be acknowledged; the ideal of the solidarity of the human race, the true brotherhood of man, will be realised…”

In a talk in London he further explained:
“This is a new cycle of human power. All the horizons of the world are luminous, and the world will become indeed as a garden and a paradise. It is the hour of unity of the sons of men and of the drawing together of all races and all classes. You are loosed from ancient superstitions which have kept men ignorant, destroying the foundation of true humanity. The gift of God to this enlightened age is the knowledge of the oneness of mankind and of the fundamental oneness of religion. War shall cease between nations, and by the will of God the Most Great Peace shall come; the world will be seen as a new world, and all men will live as brothers.”

So – the times are changing, but which way will the world go now? For the Bahá’ís, the answer is clear: forwards. The governments of the world need to create a universal peace treaty. An outline of how a world peace conference can be instituted was given by Bahá’u’lláh, along with its very specific goals. In the Bahá’í view, the present state of things, though deplorable, will give way to a glorious future for humanity, based on a more spiritual approach to other people, and to the environment on the planet. We could call it heaven on earth.

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In February, I posted a blog about the universal peace treaty:
https://paddyvickers.blogspot.com/2022/02/it-doesnt-have-to-be-like-this.html

The weight of kingship

 

Recently, Queen Elizabeth II, monarch of thirteen sovereign states, passed out of this world. She was succeeded by her son, who has now become King Charles III. The question may arise in some people’s minds as to whether this is the best way of organising who should be the Head of State of a country.

Monarchy has traditionally meant that power or authority have been transferred to younger members of the same family. Throughout the world, such hereditary monarchy has mostly been replaced by republican forms of government, but in practice, although mankind has experimented with many political systems, rule by one family line frequently reappears. Within recent decades, power has been inherited within the family by communist leaders, dictators, prime ministers, and even directly-elected presidents! However, there is an argument for the head of state to be a completely non-political figure, so that they can be a focus of unity for the whole nation.

Bahá’u’lláh’s message concerns the unity of humanity, and He ordained the foundation of an elected world body known as the Universal House of Justice. Its function is to enact laws at a planetary level and its members should regard themselves as “the trustees of all who dwell on earth”. Within the Bahá’í community, similar bodies also exist at local and national levels. Because of this system, it might be thought that Bahá’ís expect monarchy to be completely replaced at this stage of social evolution, and yet the opposite is in fact the case. However, a different kind of monarchy is envisaged to that which was current in the 19^th century at the time of Bahá’u’lláh: “One of the signs of the maturity of the world is that no one will accept to bear the weight of kingship. Kingship will remain with none willing to bear alone its weight.  That day will be the day whereon wisdom will be manifested among mankind”. In other words, having sole responsibility for the welfare of an entire nation will be recognised as too much of a burden for one person and the responsibility will need to be shared.

It is clear from the quotation above that Bahá’u’lláh envisaged monarchy of a different type, rather than the historic pattern of absolute monarchy. Among the things He wrote in one of His letters to Queen Victoria was this: “We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people.  Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillised.”

He also suggested to others that Britain was a good working model of a country which had combined democracy with monarchy. “The system of government which the British people have adopted in London appeareth to be good, for it is adorned with the light of both kingship and of the consultation of the people.”

Bahá’u’lláh explained how He saw advantages to humanity in monarchy as well as in an elected government: “Although a republican form of government profiteth all the peoples of the world, yet the majesty of kingship is one of the signs of God.  We do not wish that the countries of the world should remain deprived thereof.  If the sagacious combine the two forms into one, great will be their reward in the presence of God.”

A monarch, therefore, can be seen as a symbol of the majesty and power of God. As a symbol of God in this sense, the monarch should also reflect the qualities of God by showing a concern for justice, for the poor and the disadvantaged. Bahá’u’lláh addressed one monarch with the following words: “Thou art God’s shadow on earth.  Strive, therefore, to act in such a manner as befitteth so eminent, so august a station.”

Someone who holds such a respected position could easily fall prey to feelings of superiority. It takes a noble person to remain humble and to realise that it is the office which is exalted, not the individual. This is perhaps why Bahá’u’lláh said, “A just king enjoyeth nearer access unto God than anyone.” A monarch whose duties are performed in the right spirit will be an example of selfless service and dedication and a true representative of the nation which he or she serves. Many see the late Queen Elizabeth as such an example.

It is not possible at this stage to foresee exactly how monarchy will develop and integrate with the elected representatives of the people. It may, however, be similar to the British example already mentioned. As mankind as a whole comes of age, we will need new structures and institutions to reflect our new mature status and to ensure the peace and well-being of the entire planet. Charles III, the new Head of State for several countries, seems determined that he will evolve his own combination of forward-looking ideas with traditional ceremony. A good example is that, because of historical accident, the British monarch has to swear to be the “Defender of the Faith”. This, in its historical context, clearly meant the Church of England, one of the major Christian denominations. However, Charles has repeatedly made it plain that he wishes to extend this vision and to be the “Defender of Faiths”. His pronouncements on the subject show that religious tolerance and understanding are very important to him. He does not wish to accept the role of kingship without developing it, and he has no wish to be an absolute monarch and to therefore bear the weight of kingship on his shoulders only. May God bless him in his efforts to be a unifying monarch.

Justice for our public servants

 

The injustice meted out to so many of our postmasters and postmistresses is back in the news yet again. An enquiry has been taking place into how it happened that several hundred local postmasters in the United Kingdom were convicted, over a period of years, of stealing from the Post Office - although the apparent thefts are now recognised to have been actually a significant and persistent software error. It now seems that many of these people were putting their own money in, as a means of keeping the offices open, and there has still been no restitution. The 555 people who collectively proved in the courts that the computer system was at fault were told that they would be given some real compensation. It has now emerged that the Post Office has proved incapable of organising such compensation, and most people have so far received nothing.

The whole story seems quite incredible. The Post Office, which handles a huge number of transactions on behalf of Royal Mail and also for various government departments, decided to implement a new computer system, known as “Horizon”, despite evidence that it was not working properly. Apparently, during the period of training given to the postmasters, reports of many errors in the system were being passed to higher-ranking officials, but these were just ignored, either by the Post Office or the software company or both. Therefore, when the system was implemented, these errors continued and postmasters and postmistresses were blamed for the discrepancies. They were accused of embezzlement, because money seemed to have disappeared from the accounts. To make things worse, it recently came to light that the resulting process of prosecution was conducted via a system of private prosecutions, which is legally available to the Post Office, and not through the criminal justice system with all its safeguards. The allegations were therefore not independently investigated by the police or by anyone except the Post Office. Surely, this should not be allowed to happen again.

It is reported that literally thousands of people were affected, not just those who appeared before the courts. Presumably, everybody in the relevant departments at the Post Office assumed that because a computer had done the calculations, the evidence was irrefutable. However, another disturbing fact comes in here. Apparently, every person accused of stealing money from the Post Office who suggested that it was the computer system, because they knew that they hadn’t taken the money, was told categorically that they were the only one who claimed that it was the system, and that nobody else had suggested that there was such a problem. This suggests a deliberate policy of finding people guilty, for reasons which can only be guessed at.

Bahá’u’lláh (the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith) said: “The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom... By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others…” It is totally wrong that these people were falsely accused and falsely convicted. The current enquiry has been set up to establish how it could have happened that nobody realised the unlikelihood of so many people suddenly being found to be stealing money from the Post Office; how it could have happened that faults in the system were ignored; and how it could have happened that while the postmasters have suffered greatly for years, losing their livelihoods, their reputations, their homes, their marriages, and even their lives through suicide, no blame has ever been put on any official responsible for the tragedy. Where is the justice in this?

Justice is so central to Bahá’í teachings that when Bahá’u’lláh ordained that an institution should be set up in each city, town or village where there is a Bahá’í community, He said that it should be known as the Local House of Justice. For the whole world He ordained a body entitled the Universal House of Justice. At present, however, the local bodies are termed “Local Spiritual Assemblies”, as they do not yet have the legal status to administer justice. Even with this temporary title, the members should “regard themselves as the representatives of all that dwell on earth” in their dispassionate approach to decision-taking. In the Bahá’í writings, we are urged to, “Be living examples of justice! … Justice is not limited, it is a universal quality… Justice must be sacred, and the rights of all the people must be considered.”

The Bahá’í writings also highlight other, more natural, aspects of justice: “Equality and brotherhood must be established among all members of mankind. This is according to justice. The general rights of mankind must be guarded and preserved.” And again: “There can be no doubt whatever that if the day star of justice, which the clouds of tyranny have obscured, were to shed its light upon men, the face of the earth would be completely transformed.”

In the case of the wrongly-accused postmasters, the tyranny was not political but was administrative and corporate tyranny. If justice had been to the forefront, the company which wrote the software for the Horizon computer system would have made sure it worked properly. If justice had been important to the Post Office, they would not have implemented a system with known faults. And, if justice had been the real goal of the lawyers involved in the prosecution, they would have regarded it as crucial to look with a critical eye into the facts of the case.

The complete transformation of the face of the earth, which, as mentioned above, is the natural result of justice in the Bahá’í view, should result in courts of law becoming courts which instead administer justice. Those who have suffered at the hands of apparently careless and unscrupulous software companies and careless and unscrupulous officials should now receive justice. As far as possible, those who have survived this ordeal should be both compensated and honoured for the service they were giving.

A Life of Service

 

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has been on the throne for seventy years, and is therefore celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. She is the Head of State for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of fourteen other countries. She is also Head of the Commonwealth of Nations, which has a total membership of 54 countries. The length of her reign is only exceeded by one other monarch in recorded history, King Louis XIV of France, who became king at the age of 4.
Princess Elizabeth became queen when a young mother. She took on the onerous duties of head of state at the age of 25 and has devoted herself to it ever since. As a devout Christian, she takes her coronation vows seriously. Even at the age of 96, she still performs many duties. For this life of service she has earned general respect.

So, what did the Platinum Jubilee consist of? In the United Kingdom, it was celebrated by street parties, church services, concerts, parades and a major pageant in central London, highlighting the diversity of the populations the queen represents.

Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, wrote: “Although a republican form of government profiteth all the peoples of the world, yet the majesty of kingship is one of the signs of God. We do not wish that the countries of the world should remain deprived thereof. If the sagacious combine the two forms into one, great will be their reward in the presence of God.”

During the 1860s, Bahá’u’lláh wrote to a number of emperors, kings, and leaders of republics, urging them to adopt a programme of major reform, which would have led to the abolition of warfare and a more equitable system of economic and social life. One of those to whom He wrote was Queen Victoria, and in His letter He referred to the handing of power to the representatives of the people: “We have also heard that thou hast entrusted the reins of counsel into the hands of the representatives of the people. Thou, indeed, hast done well, for thereby the foundations of the edifice of thine affairs will be strengthened, and the hearts of all that are beneath thy shadow, whether high or low, will be tranquillised.”
Queen Victoria, upon reading this letter, is reported to have said: “If this of God, it will endure. If not, it can do no harm.” She replied to Bahá’u’lláh in very courteous terms – the only monarch to reply at all! It is a notable historical fact that of all the monarchs who received letters from Bahá’u’lláh, Victoria is the only one whose dynasty is still in place!

Another consideration is the benefit of having someone who is non-political in outlook as the person who represents the nation. In a few countries, there is an elected president who represents a particular party or viewpoint. But many countries prefer to have a president who never was at the forefront of politics – a wise, somewhat neutral person who stands for the nation. In a constitutional monarchy, such as exists in the United Kingdom, such a person is bequeathed to the nation.

The reign of Queen Elizabeth is being celebrated with particular enthusiasm because she is recognised as having been a very good queen. Over seventy years, she has earned the respect of the vast majority of the population for her devotion to duty. She has been a symbol of stability through changing times. She is seen as a righteous lady, tolerant and sympathetic. Her life has been that of service: she works for the people, and tries to do things for the benefit of all. The idea of service is a very important one to Bahá’ís, and a life of service is what every Bahá’í aspires to achieve: “Think ye at all times of rendering some service to every member of the human race.” (Bahá’í Writings)
Our current sovereign has given us a powerful example of a life of service.

It just isn’t fair

 

Peninsular and Orient, known now as P&O, operates ferries from Britain to various countries in Europe. Recently, eight hundred of their experienced and loyal staff were dismissed without notice, so that the company could employ staff from other countries, and pay them at a lower rate. Many other companies have taken similar action – transferring the jobs to other countries, but paying people less. This is a complete travesty of all that seems fair and right. Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, and speaking as the mouthpiece of God, wrote: “The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me… Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee.” As Bahá’u’lláh tells us that justice is the best-beloved of all things in the sight of God, we need to consider some of the implications of the word. Surely, justice requires fair and compassionate treatment of those whose lives are affected by your actions – chiefly, in this instance, your employees.

Apart from the loss of income, the role of work in a person’s life should also be taken into consideration. Work is seen by Bahá’ís as a way of dedicating your life to the service of others, and is therefore a form of worship. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Bahá’u’lláh’s son) said: “All effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity.” The ferry company removed that avenue of service from its employees at a stroke. It was not just their livelihood that was taken from them, it was their whole sense of worth, their role in society. In the Bahá’í view, employees of a company are entitled to a share in the profits of that company. This reinforces the idea that this is an enterprise in which owners, managers and workers share. Success for one is success for all. Unfortunately, this is not always seen to be the case.

Shipping has often been the setting for questionable practices. Every ship is registered in one country or another. But some countries are thought to have lax inspection procedures (or none at all). It suits unscrupulous shipping companies to register their old, rusting vessels in one of these countries, as a “flag of convenience”. They get few (or no) inspections. It is an income for the government of such a country, and a way for the companies to get away with poor (or no) maintenance or safety practices. The situation is then compounded by the complicated way in which the companies themselves are set up, whereby the company named on the shipping register then belongs to another company, in another country, which in turn belongs to another company… Prosecuting those responsible for a shipping disaster can be very difficult.

So we have a situation in which crew members speaking eight different languages are working on a ship docked in Country A, with a flag from Country B, owned by a company registered in Country C, which belongs to another company in Country D… And we are dealing here with people’s lives, and shipments of food and goods between countries. My point is that in the case of shipping, which usually involves visiting ports in different countries and travelling over vast distances of sea which “belong” to nobody, there should be a world body in control, ensuring safety, respect for the marine environment, and fair treatment for everyone. The laws on commerce, financial transactions, safety and employment should be the same everywhere. The shipping industry clearly shows the need for some form of world administration, with the power to enforce basic procedures. 

P&O’s change of crew members has had far-reaching consequences. It has meant that their ships need fresh safety clearance, which has led to some of them being out of service. This, together with other problems, has led to long delays at the port of Dover, not just disrupting people’s Easter holidays, but causing huge backlogs for lorries and their goods. This is not a good outcome for anybody, including P&O.

Respect for the law should be underlying the actions of all the stakeholders. P&O’s Chief Executive Officer admitted to a Parliamentary Committee that he broke the law, treating the workers unfairly by sacking them without any sort of prior consultation with the unions. He knew that they would not agree to his proposals, but he seemed to think that it did not matter. According to the Bahá’í teachings, which urge obedience to the laws of a just government, it does matter. There need to be consequences. Otherwise, it just isn’t fair.

It doesn’t have to be like this…

 

Once again, the prospect of a war between nations in Europe seems possible. In recent years, there have been armed struggles in Eastern Europe and nearby, in the Middle East. But there has been no direct conflict between states in Europe.

In the Bahá’í view, war, as a concept and process, should already have been left behind – consigned to the history books. We should have progressed beyond this. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Bahá’u’lláh’s son) was saddened by the wars which were happening in the early 20^th century and foresaw and warned everyone of the First World War. He asked: “How is it possible for men to fight from morning until evening, killing each other, shedding the blood of their fellow-men: and for what object? To gain possession of a part of the earth! … The highest of created beings fighting to obtain the lowest form of matter, earth! Land belongs not to one people, but to all people. This earth is not man's home, but his tomb.”
Most individuals do not want war. They realise that it only produces suffering. Unfortunately, not all people are able to make their voices heard.

All the human beings on this planet are inter-related, inter-connected. Bahá’u’lláh offered us the vision of re-creating the human race as one family. Love for our fellow-man, love for the world, should be a greater love than for our own country. He said: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” If we really understood this, there would be no more wars.

In the 1860s, Bahá’u’lláh, writing from a Turkish prison, addressed the most powerful rulers of the time, both collectively and individually, and urged them to organise a universal peace conference. He told them that they should attend in person, or at the very least send their chief ministers. At this conference, they should fix all the boundary disputes, set up rules for behaviour between states, and agree armament levels - sufficient to keep order, but insufficient for aggression. Once these had been agreed upon, the entire world would then have a system designed to prevent any aggression in the future: “Should any king take up arms against another, all should unitedly arise and prevent him. If this be done, the nations of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining internal order within their territories.”

Unfortunately, those rulers took no notice, many wars resulted and they still continue to be fought. At the present time, the world is grappling with a disease pandemic. At the same time, problems such as climate change and loss of biodiversity seem to be getting more urgent. This is a time when we really should be working together as a species, not bringing about destruction. Although most of us are unable to directly affect the immediate political crisis, we can all play a part in improving the world through the way we treat other people - our individual actions, the things we say, our example and the things we write. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: “Peace must first be established among individuals, until it leadeth in the end to peace among nations.” There is no need for the world to stay as it is: it is up to us to help move the world forward.