Good moment, fellow humans.

Did you, like I did, wake up this morning only to realize that you live
in a world that's freakin' nuts! How did this happen? When did we start going down this slippery
slope? Every person that I've talked to has a different answer. So, how do we make sense of this? Well
let's go back a few hundred years and take a look, shall we?

The 1400's AD were the end of a thousand-year-long period of the European Dark Ages, also called the
Middle Ages, when European civilization stagnated. The 1400's were also near the end of the Islamic
Golden age which lasted about 600 years where the sciences, art, literature, and commerce—and
peace I might add—in the islamic world flourished beyond anything that had been seen before. The
1400's also began the European Renaissance where the many scientific, industrial, and philosophical
advances of the Muslim world were discovered and utilized by the Europeans. By the 1800's, the Age
of Enlightenment was in full swing. It proffered science and philosophy over religion for they
explained the material world. Thus began the shift from the dominance of the church to the material
worshipping civilization we know and loathe today. Yes, leaving the corruption of the church behind
was appealing, but in the process we threw out the baby with the bathwater—the baby being the
eternal religious truths iterated in all major holy books.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian/philosopher Will Durant said that “civilizations begin with religion
and stoicism: they end with scepticism and unbelief, and the undisciplined pursuit of individual
pleasure.” We see a lot of that today, don't you thnk? But what has religion done for us lately? It's
become big business, engaged in spiritual competition—there's an oxymoron—and promoted
fanatical activities to put it mildly. But that's generally what the media presents to us, and remember,
when it comes to the media, bad news is good news. The good that religion has done and is doing is
largely ignored. In contrast, the bad that corporations and governments have done is whisked under
the proverbial rug. Only recently is everything gradually coming to light.

Let's now take a look at religion through the macroscope. When a new religion is born, followers of
the previous religion are taken aback having had their orientation in life threatened. The backlash is
severe often resulting in torture and death to the prophet who introduced his new progressive
spiritual teachings. A few hundred years afterwards, the new religion begins it's ascendancy and
eventually is accepted by the masses and in doing so, creates a larger form of unity: the Jewish Faith
united households into large tribes; the Christian Faith created the first city-states; the Islamic Faith
created the first nation. Spiritual unity begets social and economic unity which helps to further the
progress of all. Although the spiritual teachings of all these religions are the same, it's the social
teachings that are different. Eventually they become outdated and don't address the modern concerns
of its believers. Then, man futzes with the holy teachings in an attempt to modernize their religion
but, instead, corrupt it. Just like a tree, religion grows, flourishes, and decays.

But in the wisdom of the All-Knowing, a new prophet appears revealing new social teachings and
reiterating the eternal spiritual truths in greater depth while mentioning the prophets of the past by
name with reverence and respect. Thus does the cycle of religion and civilization continue with its
indominable plan to further the progress of mankind.

So what's happening now? We see progress in many areas but amid massive and life-threatening
destruction of the envronment and all man-made areas of endeavor. There's a saying that goes, “The
history of civilization is the history of religion.” Interestingly, we are inbetween two religious epochs;
a period where the Islamic dispensation has ended and a new one has begun. These transitions are
the most tumultuous in history and can last hundreds of years. We're right in the middle of it, hence
confusion and chaos.

But what is this new religion? It is one that proclaimed unequivocally the equality of men and women
in the mid 1800's; one that, in the United States, demonstrated the equality of blacks and whites a
decade before Martin Luthur King was born; one that explained the harmony of science and religion
before the first periodic table was presented to the public; one that has become the most widespread,
udivided religion in the world existing in over 230 countries and territories demonstrating its
universality; one that brought a blueprint for world civilization protecting its diversity yet
establishing its unity; one appealing to all classes of society, renting assunder all artificial barriers,
and forging alliances where there was enmity; one that is respected by all democratic nations and
appears on a dozen countries' postage stamps; one whose teachings, laws, and proclamations put all
our choas into perspective; one who's prophesies of peace are inevitable; and one whose credibility is
unasailable. That religion is none other than the Baha'i Faith, its prophet, Baha'u'llah.

As for the conditions we live in today, its stewards, the members of the Universal House of Justice
have written: “Consumer culture, today’s inheritor by default of materialism’s gospel of human betterment, is
unembarrassed by the ephemeral nature of the goals that inspire it. For the small minority of people who can
afford them, the benefits it offers are immediate, and the rationale unapologetic. Emboldened by the breakdown of
traditional morality, the advance of the new creed is essentially no more than the triumph of animal impulse, as
instinctive and blind as appetite, released at long last from the restraints of supernatural sanctions. Its most
obvious casualty has been language. Tendencies once universally castigated as moral failings mutate into
necessities of social progress. Selfishness becomes a prized commercial resource; falsehood reinvents itself as public
information; ...Under appropriate euphemisms, greed, lust, indolence, pride—even violence—acquire not merely
broad acceptance but social and economic value. Ironically, as words have been drained of meaning, so have the
very material comforts and acquisitions for which truth has been casually sacrificed.

As far as the value of all the great religions, the Universal House of Justice writes: T2o2
2p2r2e2s2u2m2e2 2t2o2 2j2u2d2g2e2 2a2m2o2n2g2 2t2h2e2 2M2e2s2s2e2n2g2e2r2s2 2o2f2 2G2o2d2,2
2e2x2a2l2t2i2n2g2 2o2n2e2 2a2b2o2v2e2 2t2h2e2 2o2t2h2e2r2,2 2w2o2u2l2d2 2b2e2 2t2o2 2g2i2v2e2 2i2n2
2t2o2 2t2h2e2 2d2e2l2u2s2i2o2n2 2t2h2a2t2 2t2h2e2 2E2t2e2r2n2a2l2 2a2n2d2 2A2l2l2-
2E2m2b2r2a2c2i2n2g2 2i2s2 2s2u2b2j2e2c2t2 2t2o2 2t2h2e2 2v2a2g2a2r2i2e2s2 2o2f2 2h2u2m2a2n2
2p2r2e2f2e2r2e2n2c2e2.2 2“I2t2 2i2s2 2c2l2e2a2r2 2a2n2d2 2e2v2i2d2e2n2t2 2t2o2 2t2h2e2e2”,2 2a2r2e2
2B2a2h2á’u2’l2l2áh2’s2 2p2r2e2c2i2s2e2 2w2o2r2d2s2,2 2“t2h2a2t2 2a2l2l2 2t2h2e2 2P2r2o2p2h2e2t2s2
2a2r2e2 2t2h2e2 2T2e2m2p2l2e2s2 2o2f2 2t2h2e2 2C2a2u2s2e2 2o2f2 2G2o2d2,2 2W2h2o2 2h2a2v2e2
3a3p3p3e3a3r3e3d3 3c3l3o3t3h3e3d3 3i3n3 3d3i3v3e3r3s3 3a3t3t3i3r3e3.3 3I3f3 3t3h3o3u3 3w3i3l3t3 3o3b3s3e3r3v3e3
3w3i3t3h3 3d3i3s3c3r3i3m3i3n3a3t3i3n3g3 3e3y3e3s3,3 3t3h3o3u3 3w3i3l3t3 3b3e3h3o3l3d3 3T3h3e3m3 3a3l3l3
3a3b3i3d3i3n3g3 3i3n3 3t3h3e3 3s3a3m3e3 3t3a3b3e3r3n3a3c3l3e3,3 3s3o3a3r3i3n3g3 3in the same heaven, seated
upon the same throne, uttering the same speech, and proclaiming the same Faith.”

Again, regarding our present condition, the Universal House of Justice states: “T3h3e3 3m3o3r3a3l3
3v3a3c3u3u3m3 3t3h3a3t3 3p3r3o3d3u3c3e3d3 3t3h3e3 3h3o3r3r3o3r3s3 3o3f3 3t3h3e3 3t3w3e3n3t3i3e3t3h3
3c3e3n3t3u3r3y3 3e3x3p3o3s3e3d3 3t3h3e3 3o3u3t3e3r3m3o3s3t3 3l3i3m3i3t3s3 3o3f3 3t3h3e3 3m3i3n3d3’s3
3u3n3a3i3d3e3d3 3c3a3p3a3c3i3t3y3 3t3o3 3d3e3v3i3s3e3 3a3n3d3 3c3o3n3s3t3r3u3c3t3 3a3n3 3i3d3e3a3l3
3s3o3c3i3e3t3y3,3 3h3o3w3e3v3e3r3 3g3r3e3a3t3 3t3h3e3 3m3a3t3e3r3i3a3l3 3r3e3s3o3u3r3c3e3s3
3h3a3r3n3e3s3s3e3d3 3t3o3 3t3h3e3 3e3f3f3o3r3t3.3 3T3h3e3 3s3u3f3f3e3r3i3n3g3 3e3n3t3a3i3l3e3d3 3h3a3s3
3e3n3g3r3a3v3e3d3 3t3h3e3 3l3e3s3s3o3n3 3i3n3d3e3l3i3b3l3y3 3o3n3 3t3h3e3 3c3o3n3s3c3i3o3u3s3n3e3s3s3 3o3f3
3t3h3e3 3e3a3r3t3h3’s3 3p3e3o3p3l3e3s3...3B3a3h3á’u3’l3l3áh3 3i3s3 3n3o3w3 3s3u3m3m3o3n3i3n3g3
3h3u3m3a3n3i3t3y3 3t3o3 3e3n3t3e3r3 3o3n3 3i3t3s3 3i3n3h3e3r3i3t3a3n3c3e3:3 3“T3h3a3t3 3w3h3i3c3h3 3t3h3e3
3L3o3r3d3 3h3a3t3h3 3o3r3d3a3i3n3e3d3 3a3s3 3t3h3e3 3s3o3v3e3r3e3i3g3n3 3r3e3m3e3d3y3 3a3n3d3
3m3i3g3h3t3i3e3s3t3 3i3n3s3t3r3u3m3e3n3t3 3f3o3r3 3t3h3e3 3h3e3a3l3i3n3g3 3o3f3 3a3l3l3 3t3h3e3 3w3o3r3l3d3
3i3s3 3t3h3e3 3u3n3i3o3n3 3o3f3 3a3l3l3 3i3t3s3 3p3e3o3p3l3e3s3 3i3n3 3o3n3e3 3u3n3i3v3e3r3s3a3l3 3C3a3u3s3e3,3
3o3n3e3 3c3o3m3m3o3n3 3F3a3i3t3h3.3”

So now, if you have listened to my presentation this far, this friend, this servant, this believer in the
greatness of humanity enjoins you to research and discover the Baha'i Faith that we may be
rejuvenated and live together in brotherhood and peace.
i4n4 4t4h4e4 4s4a4m4e4 4h4e4a4v4e4n4,4 4s4e4a4t4e4d4 4u4p4o4n4 4t4h4e4 4s4a4m4e4 4t4h4r4o4n4e4,4
4u4t4t4e4r4i4n4g4 4t4h4e4 4s4a4m4e4 4s4p4e4e4c4h4,4 4a4n4d4 4p4r4o4c4l4a4i4m4i4n4g4 4t4h4e4 4s4a4m4e4
4F4a4i4t4h4.4”