Course:Meetings for teaching/Need for religion

Need for religion

This section is particularly for "apatheists"—those who might accept the possibility of a Creator but who don't see the benefit of or need for religion. It may also be relevant for those "spiritual but not religious" mystics who believe in spirituality but not through need of a Divine Educator.

Rational proofs of the need for religion

Proof for man being in need of a supernatural, comprehensive, all-encompassing Educator

'Abdu'l-Bahá offers rational proofs on the need for a religious Educator.

The Need for an Educator

1 When we consider existence, we observe that the mineral, the vegetable, the animal, and the human realms, each and all, are in need of an educator.

2 If the land is deprived of a cultivator, it becomes a thicket of thriving weeds, but if a farmer is found to cultivate it, the resulting harvest provides sustenance for living things. It is therefore evident that the land is in need of the farmer’s cultivation. Consider the trees: If they remain uncultivated, they bear no fruit, and without fruit they are of no use. But when committed to a gardener’s care, the barren tree becomes fruitful, and, through cultivation, crossing, and grafting, the tree with bitter fruit yields sweet fruit. These are rational arguments, which are what the people of the world require in this day.

3 Consider likewise the animals: If an animal is trained, it becomes domesticated, whereas man, if he is left without education, becomes like an animal. Indeed, if man is abandoned to the rule of nature, he sinks even lower than the animal, whereas if he is educated he becomes even as an angel. For most animals do not devour their own kind, but men in the Sudan, in the middle of Africa, rend and eat each other.

4 Now observe that it is education that brings East and West under man’s dominion, produces all these marvellous crafts, promotes these mighty arts and sciences, and gives rise to these new discoveries and undertakings. Were it not for an educator, the means of comfort, civilization, and human virtues could in no wise have been acquired. If a man is left alone in a wilderness where he sees none of his own kind, he will undoubtedly become a mere animal. It is therefore clear that an educator is needed.

5 But education is of three kinds: material, human, and spiritual. Material education aims at the growth and development of the body, and consists in securing its sustenance and obtaining the means of its ease and comfort. This education is common to both man and animal.

6 Human education, however, consists in civilization and progress, that is, sound governance, social order, human welfare, commerce and industry, arts and sciences, momentous discoveries, and great undertakings, which are the central features distinguishing man from the animal.

7 As to divine education, it is the education of the Kingdom and consists in acquiring divine perfections. This is indeed true education, for by its virtue man becomes the focal centre of divine blessings and the embodiment of the verse “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.”1 This is the ultimate goal of the world of humanity.

8 Now, we need an educator who can be at the same time a material, a human, and a spiritual educator, that his authority may have effect at every degree of existence. And should anyone say, “I am endowed with perfect reason and comprehension, and have no need for such an educator”, he would be denying the obvious. It is as though a child were to say, “I have no need of education, but will act and seek the perfections of existence according to my own thinking and intelligence”, or as though a blind man were to claim, “I have no need of sight, for there are many blind people who get by.”

9 It is therefore clear and evident that man stands in need of an educator. This educator must undeniably be perfect in every way and distinguished above all men. For if he were like others he could never be their educator, particularly since he must at once be their material, human, and spiritual educator. That is, he must organize and administer their material affairs and establish a social order, that they may aid and assist each other in securing the means of livelihood and that their material affairs may be ordered and arranged in every respect.

10 He must likewise lay the foundations of human education—that is, he must so educate human minds and thoughts that they may become capable of substantive progress; that science and knowledge may expand; that the realities of things, the mysteries of the universe, and the properties of all that exists may be revealed; that learning, discoveries, and major undertakings may day by day increase; and that matters of the intellect may be deduced from and conveyed through the sensible.

11 He must also impart spiritual education, so that minds may apprehend the metaphysical world, breathe the sanctified breaths of the Holy Spirit, and enter into relationship with the Concourse on high, and that human realities may become the manifestations of divine blessings, that perchance all the names and attributes of God may be reflected in the mirror of the human reality and the meaning of the blessed verse “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness” may be realized.

12 It is clear, however, that mere human power is incapable of fulfilling this great office, and that the results of human thought alone cannot secure such bounties. How can a single person, with no aid or assistance, lay the foundations of such a lofty edifice? A divine and spiritual power is therefore needed to enable him to carry out this mission. Behold! One sanctified Soul revives the world of humanity, transforms the face of the globe, develops the minds, quickens the souls, inaugurates a new life, establishes new foundations, orders the world, gathers the nations and religions under the shadow of one banner, delivers man from the realm of baseness and deficiency, and exhorts and encourages him to develop his innate and acquired perfections. Certainly nothing short of a divine power could accomplish this feat! One must examine this matter fairly, as this indeed is an occasion for fairness.

13 A Cause which all the governments and peoples of the earth, notwithstanding all their powers and their armies, are unable to promote and promulgate, one holy Soul promulgates without aid or assistance! Can this be accomplished through the agency of mere human power? No, by God! For example, Christ, alone and single-handed, raised the banner of peace and amity—a feat that the combined forces of all the mighty governments of the world are unable to accomplish. Consider how numerous are the divers governments and peoples—such as Italy, France, Germany, Russia, England, and the like—who have been gathered together under the same canopy! The point is that the advent of Christ brought about fellowship among these differing peoples. Indeed, some among the peoples who believed in Christ were so closely united as to offer up their life and substance for one another. Such was the case until the days of Constantine, through whom the Cause of Christ was exalted. After a time, however, and as a result of differing motives, divisions broke out again among them. Our meaning is that Christ united these nations, but after a long while the governments caused the resurgence of discord.

14 The main point is that Christ accomplished what all the kings of the earth were powerless to achieve. He united differing nations and changed ancient customs. Consider what great differences existed between Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Israelites, as well as other peoples of Europe. Christ abolished these differences and became the cause of concord among these peoples. Although after a long while the governments disrupted this unity, Christ had indeed accomplished His task.

15 Our meaning is that the universal Educator must be at once a material, a human, and a spiritual educator, and, soaring above the world of nature, must be possessed of another power, so that He may assume the station of a divine teacher. Were He not to wield such a celestial power, He would not be able to educate, for He would be imperfect Himself. How then could He foster perfection? If He were ignorant, how could He make others wise? If He were unjust, how could He make others just? If He were earthly, how could He make others heavenly?

16 Now, we must consider fairly whether these divine Manifestations that have appeared had all these attributes or not. If they were devoid of these attributes and perfections, then they were not true educators.

17 Therefore it is through rational arguments that we must prove to rational minds the prophethood of Moses, of Christ, and of the other divine Manifestations. And the proofs and arguments which we provide here are based on rational and not on traditional arguments.

18 It has thus been established by rational arguments that the world of existence stands in utmost need of an educator, and that its education must be achieved through a celestial power. There is no doubt that this celestial power is divine revelation, and that the world must be educated through this power which transcends human power.

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, Chapter 3)

Examine the following outline to better analyze and absorb the contents of the previous talk.

I. The Realms of Existence Require an Educator to Realize Their Potential (Paras. 1–4)

• Universal Principle (Para. 1): Every degree of existence—mineral, vegetable, animal, and human—stands in need of an educator or cultivator to attain its proper perfection.
• The Mineral and Vegetable Worlds (Para. 2):
  • Without a farmer, the soil remains an untamed thicket of thriving weeds; through cultivation, it produces a sustaining harvest.
  • Left uncultivated, trees remain barren or yield bitter fruit; under a gardener's care, through grafting and cultivation, they become fruitful and sweet.
• The Animal Realm (Para. 3):
  • Animals require training to become domesticated.
  • When humans are abandoned to the uncultivated rule of nature, they sink lower than beasts (e.g., cannibalism, devouring their own kind), whereas through education they can attain an angelic state.
• Humanity: Civilization and the Arts (Para. 4):
  • Dominion over nature, great inventions, discoveries, crafts, sciences, and comfort are entirely the fruits of education; an individual left alone in a wilderness regresses to a wild animal.

II. Humanity Stands in Need of Three Kinds of Education (Paras. 5–7)

• 1. Material Education (Para. 5):
  • Aims at bodily growth, physical preservation, health, sustenance, and the means of ease and comfort.
  • Shared in common between humanity and the animal world.
• 2. Human Education (Para. 6):
  • Encompasses civilization, social order, sound governance, commerce, industry, arts, sciences, and great undertakings.
  • Serves as the primary standard that distinguishes human life from the animal state.
• 3. Divine and Spiritual Education (Para. 7):
  • Consists in the acquisition of divine perfections and heavenly bounties through the education of the Kingdom.
  • Realizes the supreme purpose of human creation: becoming the focal center of divine blessings ("Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness").

III. The Necessity of a Comprehensive, Perfect, Transcendent Educator (Paras. 8–18)

• The Need for Comprehensive Authority (Paras. 8–9):
  • Humanity requires an Educator capable of acting simultaneously across all three degrees: material, human, and spiritual.
  • Claiming self-sufficiency through unaided reason is as irrational as a child refusing schooling or a blind person rejecting sight.
  • The Educator must be perfect and distinguished above all people to direct material welfare and establish enduring social order.
• Intellectual and Spiritual Elevation (Paras. 10–11):
  • Must foster the intellect to uncover the mysteries of the universe, deducing unseen realities from sensible facts.
  • Must impart spiritual life, connecting human souls to the Holy Spirit and the Concourse on high, so that divine attributes reflect within human reality.
• Inadequacy of Mere Human Power (Para. 12):
  • Human thought and unaided individual power cannot lay the foundations of such an all-encompassing transformation.
  • Only a celestial, divine power can single-handedly revive humanity, gather diverse peoples under one banner, and transform the globe.
• Historical Demonstration: The Example of Jesus Christ (Paras. 13–14):
  • Alone and unsupported, Christ established fellowship and concord among historically antagonistic peoples (Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, Israelites, and Europeans)—a feat impossible for earthly monarchs, mighty empires, or armies.
  • Subsequent historical discords resulted from the resurgence of worldly politics and human governments, not a failure of Christ's divine work.
• Conclusion: Rational Proof of the Manifestations of God (Paras. 15–18):
  • An educator cannot bestow what He does not possess: an imperfect, earthly, or ignorant person cannot guide humanity to perfection, heavenly life, or divine wisdom.
  • The universal Educator must transcend nature and wield a supernatural power.
  • Through rational deduction—rather than blind dogma or traditionalism—the necessity of an Educator possessing the celestial power of divine revelation proves the station of Moses, Christ, and the other divine Manifestations.

For the extended course, see also Some Answered Questions, chapter 84

Religious appeals to lower motivations

True worship of God is without fear of fire (or hope of paradise)

"WORSHIP thou God in such wise that if thy worship lead thee to the fire, no alteration in thine adoration would be produced, and so likewise if thy recompense should be paradise. Thus and thus alone should be the worship which befitteth the one True God. Shouldst thou worship Him because of fear, this would be unseemly in the sanctified Court of His presence, and could not be regarded as an act by thee dedicated to the Oneness of His Being. Or if thy gaze should be on paradise, and thou shouldst worship Him while cherishing such a hope, thou wouldst make God's creation a partner with Him, notwithstanding the fact that paradise is desired by men."

(The Báb, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, pp. 77-78)

Does this mean there is no place for those seeking rewards and avoiding punishments?

Show compassion toward those looking for incentives

"People are not all on the same level: Some there are who perform their works solely for the sake of God, desiring for their endeavours no other recompense than to draw nigh unto the Threshold of Grandeur—and this is right and proper; yet others there are who belong to that party which is represented as entreating, “Render unto us on earth a favour, and in the world to come a favour likewise.”[1 Cf. Qur’án 2:201] One must deal with people compassionately, for otherwise matters will become fraught with difficulty."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks, at https://bahai.org/r/947139132 )

The role of reward and punishment in true religious belief for overcoming corruption

"In the conduct of life, man is actuated by two main motives: `The Hope for Reward' and `The Fear of Punishment'.

"This hope and this fear must consequently be greatly taken into account by those in authority who have important posts under Government. Their business in life is to consult together for the framing of laws, and to provide for their just administration.

"The tent of the order of the world is raised and established on the two pillars of `Reward and Retribution'.

"In despotic Governments carried on by men without Divine faith, where no fear of spiritual retribution exists, the execution of the laws is tyrannical and unjust.

"There is no greater prevention of oppression than these two sentiments, hope and fear. They have both political and spiritual consequences.

"If administrators of the law would take into consideration the spiritual consequences of their decisions, and follow the guidance of religion, `They would be Divine agents in the world of action, the representatives of God for those who are on earth, and they would defend, for the love of God, the interests of His servants as they would defend their own'. If a governor realizes his responsibility, and fears to defy the Divine Law, his judgments will be just. Above all, if he believes that the consequences of his actions will follow him beyond his earthly life, and that `as he sows so must he reap', such a man will surely avoid injustice and tyranny.

"Should an official, on the contrary, think that all responsibility for his actions must end with his earthly life, knowing and believing nothing of Divine favours and a spiritual kingdom of joy, he will lack the incentive to just dealing, and the inspiration to destroy oppression and unrighteousness.

"When a ruler knows that his judgments will be weighed in a balance by the Divine Judge, and that if he be not found wanting he will come into the Celestial Kingdom and that the light of the Heavenly Bounty will shine upon him, then will he surely act with justice and equity. Behold how important it is that Ministers of State should be enlightened by religion!

"With political questions the clergy, however, have nothing to do! Religious matters should not be confused with politics in the present state of the world (for their interests are not identical).

"Religion concerns matters of the heart, of the spirit, and of morals."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp. 157-158)

But couldn't this "fear" be about reverence only?

Meaning of the Term "Fear of God"

"You have asked the exact meaning of the term 'Fear of God' mentioned in Bahá'í Sacred Writings: It often means awe, but has also other connotations such as reverence, terror and fear."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 13, 1940, in Lights of Guidance, no. 789)

Fear of God--Human Beings Need Element of Fear

"You ask him about the fear of God: perhaps the friends do not realize that the majority of human beings need the element of fear in order to discipline their conduct? Only a relatively very highly evolved soul would always be disciplined by love alone. Fear of punishment, fear of the anger of God if we do evil, are needed to keep people's feet on the right path. Of course we should love God--but we must fear Him in the sense of a child fearing the righteous anger and chastisement of a parent; not cringe before Him as before a tyrant, but know His mercy exceeds His Justice!"

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 26, 1946: Bahá'í Education, A Compilation, compiled by the Universal House of Justice, in Lights of Guidance, no. 794)

Revealed religion brings both a firm foundation and driving power to ethics

"The other statement reported to have been made by Dr. Einstein to the effect that the ethical behavior of man 'requires no support from religion' is incompatible with the Bahá’í viewpoint which emphatically stresses the fact that no sound ethics can exist and become effective unless based on revealed religion. To dissociate ethics from religion is to render the former not only void of any firm foundation but without the necessary driving power."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, December 6, 1939, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1703)

Any innate sense of dignity to prevent evil, besides having been originally taught by religion, is, even if admitted, quite rare and could be reinforced by religion

"There are some who imagine that an innate sense of human dignity will prevent man from committing evil actions and insure his spiritual and material perfection. That is, that an individual who is characterized with natural intelligence, high resolve, and a driving zeal, will, without any consideration for the severe punishments consequent on evil acts, or for the great rewards of righteousness, instinctively refrain from inflicting harm on his fellow men and will hunger and thirst to do good. And yet, if we ponder the lessons of history it will become evident that this very sense of honor and dignity is itself one of the bounties deriving from the instructions of the Prophets of God. We also observe in infants the signs of aggression and lawlessness, and that if a child is deprived of a teacher's instructions his undesirable qualities increase from one moment to the next. It is therefore clear that the emergence of this natural sense of human dignity and honor is the result of education. Secondly, even if we grant for the sake of the argument that instinctive intelligence and an innate moral quality would prevent wrongdoing, it is obvious that individuals so characterized are as rare as the philosopher's stone..."

"Aside from this, if that rare individual who does exemplify such a faculty should also become an embodiment of the fear of God, it is certain that his strivings toward righteousness would be strongly reinforced."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Secret of Divine Civilization, pp. 97-98)

Read the following dialogue discussing the earlier talk of 'Abdu'l-Bahá and covering some of the points above.

Mark: I read through that talk by ’Abdu’l-Bahá about humanity needing a divine Educator, and a few things jumped out at me. Take his point about the wilderness: he compares an untended orchard or wild animals to uneducated humans. But an untended orchard or wild animals are completely fine in their own ecological niche. In fact, an orchard is only "dependent" on a farmer because humans bred and engineered it to be that way!

Elena: That’s a fair observation. ’Abdu’l-Bahá is definitely looking at things through the lens of cultivated human purpose. The core point isn't about botany; it's simply that leaving things in an uncultivated, "raw natural" state isn't always ideal from a rational point of view. We readily recognize the value of cultivating land or training animals, so the question is: wouldn't humanity benefit from deliberate cultivation too? Think of Lord of the Flies. With our modern world living under the shadow of things like nuclear weapons, you have to wonder if humanity as a whole doesn't need some serious moral guidance—almost like those stranded kids humbled when a responsible adult finally steps onto the beach.

Mark: Okay, but what about his mention of traditional African tribes? It sounds a bit like he's saying non-industrial societies are just raw nature and need fixing.

Elena: He isn't claiming those cultures lack their own merits, and he certainly never says human character in any culture is fixed or unchangeable—he emphasizes elsewhere that human potential is universal. The basic point is that every society has practices that need to evolve. Whether we're talking about historical tribal violence or our own modern issues like greed, exploitation, and waste, human behavior left entirely to its own devices often causes harm without an intentional moral compass.

Mark: Fair point. But I still take issue with the idea that all great moral or social progress comes from religion. Look at history: plenty of breakthroughs in science, law, and ethics were made by people who weren’t religious at all.

Elena: ’Abdu’l-Bahá actually agrees with that. He acknowledges that people with strictly materialist views have sometimes done immense good and rendered great services to humanity. In the view of progressive revelation, a fundamental principle of Bahá’í belief, any thinker or leader has to work within real historical conditions. But he does point out that finding people who consistently act out of pure altruism—without any personal or social incentives—is remarkably rare. Often, the ethical values they hold, like human dignity or justice, were originally planted in the cultural soil by earlier religious teachings that normalized those ideals over generations.

Mark: But isn't religion just as often the cause of conflict? Even the early Christians were fighting over doctrine almost immediately.

Elena: They were, and ’Abdu’l-Bahá makes a clear distinction between true spiritual teachings and the way people distort them. He compares a fanatic or a hypocrite to a small child carrying a lit lamp: if the child accidentally starts a fire, you don't blame the lamp. On top of that, history is full of opportunists who weren't actually believers themselves; they just used religious authority to control others.

Mark: Doesn't that make religion seem like something that just attracts gullible people?

Elena: Religion is for humans, and human beings can be either gullible or deeply wise. Our public conversations usually focus on the loud scandals and historical abuses because conflict makes headlines. But that overlooks the quieter reality: for millions of people, genuine faith inspires a deep personal humility, leading to quiet acts of charity and kindness that never seek public recognition.

Mark: Even so, big historical shifts happen because of economics, new technologies, and social pressure—not just because one great religious figure showed up.

Elena: Absolutely, and the Bahá’í writings stress that we have to transform both the individual's inner life and our outer social environment. When ’Abdu’l-Bahá talks about a Prophet transforming society "alone," it shouldn't be taken completely literally, as if social and economic factors don't exist. The Prophets plant a spiritual seed. Cultivating that seed into a new social reality takes generations of effort by everyday believers, as well as thinkers and reformers of various beliefs who catch the broader spirit of the age.

Mark: What about the argument that unaided human power is never enough? In school, we learn from ordinary, fallible teachers, and students frequently grow up to know more than the people who taught them. We build legal systems and human rights charters step-by-step through basic trial and error. Why do we need a supernatural Educator for that?

Elena: We definitely make iterative improvements on everyday knowledge. But when you look closely at major shifts in human rights, they rarely come from pure legal iteration alone; they usually require a spark of moral inspiration that calls people to a higher standard. Think of the modern Civil Rights Movement—it drew its courage and vision from deep, religiously grounded convictions about universal human equality. Elevating the ethical horizon of all humanity requires a profound kind of moral inspiration that unaided social custom doesn't easily generate on its own.

Mark: I can accept that faith helps people who want it. But what if someone is already content with their life without religion? Even if it could technically make me a better person, what real incentive do I have to bother with it?

Elena: Bahá’ís don't believe in forcing faith on anyone, but the Bahá’í writings do point out that there are real stakes and incentives involved in how we live our lives, with consequences in both this life and in the next. You might be familiar with "Pascal’s Wager," where the philosopher Blaise Pascal argued that choosing to live in alignment with faith is a rational decision because of the profound upside. While Bahá’ís don't view heaven and hell as literal fire or clouds, but rather as states of closeness to or distance from spiritual reality, the teachings make clear that our choices have enduring consequences for our souls.

Of course, nobody should just accept wild claims of punishment at face value—any charlatan can try to scare people with threats. Just as Pascal suggested looking at the real fruit of a philosophy, we have to rationally investigate what true, life-affirming religion actually looks like, and then decide if it rings true.

Mark: That’s a coherent perspective. I’m still somewhat skeptical and unsure about which religions may have the answers—if any—but you’ve definitely given me something to think about.

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