Prejudice in all its forms - religious, racial, gender, ethnic, and economic destroys the edifice of humanity and is opposed to the commands of God. For thousands of years, humanity has suffered from war and bloodshed spurred on by one another of these prejudices. As long as they persist, humanity will not have rest.

God has sent forth His Prophet for the sole purpose of creating love and unity. All the heavenly Books are the written word of love. If they prove to be the cause of estrangement, they have become fruitiness. Therefore, religious prejudice is especially opposed to the will and command of God.

National prejudice is entirely unjustifiable. Earth is one land, one country. The lines and boundaries that separate nations are imaginary, they were created by God. People declared a river to be a boundary line between two countries, giving each side a name, whereas the river was created for both and is a natural artery for all. Is it not imagination and ignorance that simple people make the bounties of life the cause of war and destruction.

Racial prejudice is not but superstition. The color of the skin of a person is merely the result of the adaptation of his or her ancestor's overtime to climate and environment. Character is the true criteria of humanity. Excellence does not depend upon race and color. Faith, Purity of heart, good deeds, and praiseworthy speech are what is acceptable at the threshold of God.

For the longest time, women have been made subordinate to men and wronged. The distinction between men and women is a requirement of the physical world, in the world of the Spirit they are equal. In the estimation of God, there are no distinctions as to male and female. All humankind has been endowed by Him with intelligence and perception. All can acquire virtues. There is no circumstance today in which a person's sex provides grounds for the exercise of discrimination.

According to the words of the Old Testament, God has said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. This applies to women as well. The human being has been created in the image of God. That is to say, divine virtues are reflected and revealed in human reality. This is true of all humanity. How utterly unattainable it is to claim that only those of one color, ethnicity, or nationality were created in the likeness of God. How absurd to imply that only the wealthy were made in His image or think a criterion for nearness to God is a high position in society. Humanity cannot attain illumination except through the abandonment of prejudices and the acquisition of the morals of the kingdom.

The following quotations of Baha'u'llah shed more light on the subject of the elimination of all forms of prejudices.

The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.

All the saplings of the world have appeared from one Tree, and all the drops from one Ocean and all beings own their existence to one Being.

That one indeed a man who, today, dedicated himself to the service of the entire human race.

The light of a good character surpassed the light of the sun and the radiance thereof.

Man's distinction lieth not in ornaments or wealth, but rather in virtuous behavior and true understanding.

God grant you may be graciously aided under all conditions to shatter the idols of superstition and to tear away the veils of the imaginations of men.

Of all men, the most negligent is he that disputeth idly and seeketh to advance himself over his brother.