New-York tribune., 1922-01-01
Immortality Optional

Although this earth life is not con-
sidered by the Bahais as the real ex-
istence Of man, yet they believe that
"all progress Of the spirit is made on
this plane Immortality, it appears
5 d matter of individual choice, though
the book gives no indication Of whether
this choice is conscious or unconscious.
If, however, immortality is chosen 2
sort Of "individualized cosmic con
sciousness" is rcincarnated and con-
tnues it's evolution.
The Bahais do not separate religion
from everyday life. They believe that
there is spiritual significance under
lying every human activity, and that
religion and science, church and state
must be united. Consequently they are
firm believers in the political and So
cial program which Abdul BAHIA laid
down. In this program the principle
of personal property is upheld, but the
present wage system is denounced as
unjust and pernicious. No one is exempt
from productive labor, every worker is
entitled to a percentage Of profit. and
there is q system of taxation outlined
which ought to arouse very lively COM
ment on the part Of economists, to say
the least.
There is q spiritual side to The gospel
OF work which the Bahais teach. It
is to the effect that an act Of service,
by utilizing spiritual energy, unbars
the door to the cosmc force Of con-
scious love by which the divine civil
ization will be achieved. The human
will, Mr.. Holey declares, has already
proved itself the destroyer OF civiliza-
tion, and we must look to this new
force to re-create it.
"Hitherto," he writes, "the economic
side of life has been developed from
mans contact with nature. 1t has dc
rived from human character as estab-
lished by struggle and competition,
To-day struggle and competl-
tion produce poverty instead Of wealth.
The principle of this new age is that
mans economic environment is not ma
ture. but his fellow man. Therefore, in
order TO emerge from under the ter
rife burden Of our own social macnln-
erv. we must learn to base all material
activity upon laws Of human assocla-
tion. The significance of these laws
must be felt as vitality as have been
felt the physical laws Of survival IN
ages past"
No Injustice
With this in mind it is q little diff
cult to reconcile an earlier statement
in the book that there is no injustice
in the ,.orld." Each of us, according
to this theory, "suffers or enjoys that
which each one requires in accordance
with his own volitonal Destiny that
ia, the destiny we choose when we
make our decision on immortality
Pain, too, appears to be, II not JUST
for our sins IN past IN
"a cosmic index, referring
eacb and every man to the full meas
ure of the possibility OF his further
progress" OF, as stated IN aholneT
place, pain is the plow that cuItlvates
the neglected earth of consciousness
the means by which man is brought TO
! realization of God.
We could wish that Mr.. Holleys
book we're written with less of the eX-
uberance Of a follower of Abdul Eaha
and more Of the conference and clarity
necessary to reach the naturally Inn
tied understanding of the layman. NeY-
ertheless, his is book that will re-
pay study on the part of any one genu-
inely interested-quite apart from any
spiritual aspirations-in the establish
ment of a civilization that Will mean
peace and prosperity for all men
Whether the Bahai movement will
bring this 20 pass is question time
alone can answer. But it is unique
among religions in that it has def
mite program toward that end