Woodrow Wilson
Dr. Wilson is serving the Kingdom of God in striving to preserve the rights of all men including small nations[edit]
"The President of the Republic, Dr. Wilson, is indeed serving the Kingdom of God for he is restless and strives day and night that the rights of all men may be preserved safe and secure, that even small nations, like greater ones, may dwell in peace and comfort, under the protection of Righteousness and Justice. This purpose is indeed a lofty one. I trust that the incomparable Providence will assist and confirm such souls under all conditions."
Fourteen points are mostly found in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh[edit]
"As to President Wilson, the fourteen principles which he hath enunciated are mostly found in the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and I therefore hope that he will be confirmed and assisted. Now is the dawn of universal peace; my hope is that its morn will fully break, converting the gloom of war, of strife and of wrangling among men into the light of union, of harmony and of affection."
"Verily, His Honor President Wilson is self-sacrificing in this path and is striving with heart and soul, with perfect good-will, in the world of humanity. Similarly the equitable government of Great Britain is expending a great deal of effort. Undoubtedly the general condition of the people and the state of small oppressed nationalities will not remain as before. Justice and Right shall be fortified but the establishment of Universal Peace will be realized fully through the power of the Word of God."
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Star of the West, vol. 10, issue 3, p. 42)
Wilson's Fourteen Points associated the republic with the fortunes of the Old World for the first time (though set back)[edit]
"One of these processes [destined to culminate, in the fullness of time, in a single glorious consummation] is associated with the mission of the American Bahá'í Community, the other with the destiny of the American nation...The other process dates back to the outbreak of the first World War that threw the great republic of the West into the vortex of the first stage of a world upheaval. It received its initial impetus through the formulation of President Wilson's Fourteen Points, closely associating for the first time that republic with the fortunes of the Old World. It suffered its first setback through the dissociation of that republic from the newly born League of Nations which that president had labored to create."
- (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, pp. 32-33)
Unique honor of having voiced sentiments so akin to the principles of the Faith and contributing to League of Nations, signalizing dawn of the Most Great Peace[edit]
"To her President, the immortal Woodrow Wilson, must be ascribed the unique honor, among the statesmen of any nation, whether of the East or of the West, of having voiced sentiments so akin to the principles animating the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, and of having more than any other world leader, contributed to the creation of the League of Nations--achievements which the pen of the Center of God's Covenant acclaimed as signalizing the dawn of the Most Great Peace, whose sun, according to that same pen, must needs arise as the direct consequence of the enforcement of the laws of the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh."
- (Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 36)
Wilson's ideals, despite being nullifed by a visionless generation, signalized the dawn of the Most Great Peace[edit]
"The ideals that fired the imagination of America's tragically unappreciated President, whose high endeavors, however much nullified by a visionless generation, `Abdu'l-Bahá, through His own pen, acclaimed as signalizing the dawn of the Most Great Peace, though now lying in the dust, bitterly reproach a heedless generation for having so cruelly abandoned them."
America has traveled an encouraging distance since the time when it rejected the Wilsonian ideal[edit]
"The distance that the American nation has traveled since its formal and categoric repudiation of the Wilsonian ideal, the changes that have unexpectedly overtaken it in recent years, the direction in which world events are moving, with their inevitable impact on the policies and the economy of that nation, are to every Bahá'í observer, viewing the developments in the international situation, in the light of the prophecies of both Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá, most significant, and highly instructive and encouraging."
Seems fairly clear that Wilson was considerably influenced by the Bahá'í Teachings but we should avoid making dogmatic statements that he got all his principles from Bahá'u'lláh or such, as we cannot prove such statements[edit]
"With regard to Ex-President Wilson and Dr. Jordan, it seems fairly clear that both of these men were considerably influenced by the Bahá'í Teachings; but at the same time it is well to avoid making dogmatic statements that they 'got all their principles from Bahá'u'lláh', or the like, as we are not in a position to prove such statements, and to make claims which we cannot prove weakens instead of strengthening our position."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 16, 1925; in Lights of Guidance, no. 1471)
See also[edit]
Todos for this page[edit]
- Incorporate quotes from https://bahai-library.com/uhj_century_light&chapter=all#pg32 (pp. 32-34)
