Prejudice

In the Bahá’í Writings, prejudice is seen as a corrosive spiritual disease which undermines unity, results in conflict and is destructive for mankind; as such, it is a major contributor to human suffering. Prejudice is the act of forming preconceived notions of someone or something; the word is formed from the Latin roots prae (in advance) and judicium (judgement), which suggests making a judgment about someone or something before making a thorough investigation—that is, in a state of ignorance. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states:

All prejudices, whether of religion, race, politics or nation, must be renounced, for these prejudices have caused the world’s sickness. It is a grave malady which, unless arrested, is capable of causing the destruction of the whole human race. Every ruinous war, with its terrible bloodshed and misery, has been caused by one or other of these prejudices.

The deplorable wars going on in these days are caused by the fanatical religious hatred of one people for another, or the prejudices of race or color.

Until all these barriers erected by prejudice are swept away, it is not possible for humanity to be at peace. For this reason Bahá’u’lláh has said, “These Prejudices are destructive to mankind.”

See also

• Unity of humanity

References

• Paris Talks, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The Fifth Principle—The Abolition of Prejudices