Pollution has increasingly become of primary concern in this nation and throughout the world with ever widening devastating consequences. In spite of innumerable local, state, national and international regulatory agencies, efforts, and laws it continues to wreak havoc on land, air and sea. Of even greater detriment, however, is the devastating cancer of mind pollution that comes in many forms and dimensions.
Religion, designed to be the primary regulator of mind pollution itself, through thousands upon thousands of years of interpretation, misinterpretation, division and practice, has added more to the problem than to the solution. If in fact “As a man thinketh in his heart (through whatever process) so is he,” this remains true whether those thoughts be pure or impure, loving or hostile, peaceful or warring. Therefore we must exert every effort to purify our thoughts that they may not contaminate us and subsequently our immediate environment and society as a whole. Through today’s constantly advancing high-tech world wide multi-media the toxic flames are instantly fanned.
The most grievous part of today’s rampant mind pollution is its indelible effect upon infants and children, “the world’s most precious gems,” as referred to in the Baha’i Holy Writings. To poison and demoralize the minds of these “precious gems” will inevitably reap a sick, demented society.
“Unless a child in his earliest years be carefully tended, whether in a material or a spiritual sense, whether as to his physical health or his education, it will prove extremely difficult to effect any changes later on,” the Writings continue. “While the children are yet in their infancy feed them from the breast of heavenly grace, foster them in the cradle of all excellence…Bring them up to work and strive and accustom them to hardship.”
Baha’u’llah, Prophet Founder of the Baha’i Revelation, considered education as one of the most fundamental factors of a true civilization. “This education, however, in order to be adequate and fruitful, should be comprehensive in nature and should take into consideration not only the physical and the intellectual side of man but also his spiritual and ethical aspects…”
This is the divinely orchestrated simultaneous program for Baha’i children and youth throughout the world that is steadily attracting and including more and more non-Baha’i children and parents through religious education as opposed to religious indoctrination.
As pollution is no respecter of persons, places, things or institutions within today’s mercenary society, we are reminded of the words of Black renowned educator Benjamin Mays who stated: “It will be a sad commentary on our life and time if future historians can write that the last bulwark of segregation, based on race and color in the United States and South Africa was God’s church.”
In Amos 8:11 of the Holy Bible we have been forewarned: “Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord…” the Source of our defense from mind pollution and its perilous effects. (Investigate! – 1-800-UNITE)
