"The word 'cord' so often mentioned in the Teachings means both the Faith itself and also the power of the Faith which sustains those who cling to it."

102: ILLNESS

"Such hindrances (i.e., illness and other difficulties) no matter how severe and insuperable they may at first seem, can and should be effectively overcome through the combined and sustained power of prayer and of determined and continued effort."

103: ILLNESS (CANCER)

"Cancer is such a terrible scourge in the world today! But when the believers are called upon to go through such bitter ordeals they have the Faith to sustain them, the love of their Baha'i friends to comfort them, and the glorious words of Baha'u'llah regarding immortality to give them confidence and courage. Blessed are we, indeed, even in the midst of our greatest trials."

104: INHERITANCE (DIVISION OF)

"To divide the inheritance as it is prescribed by Baha'u'llah we have to divide it into 2,520 shares. But we can also divide it into 42 shares.

Then every one of the beneficiaries will take so many of these shares.

These numbers form like a highest denominator for the different fractions which represent the shares of the different individuals that will benefit in case of intestacy. In case of the non-existence of one cla.s.s of inheritors the Aqdas mentions how it should be divided. As a general rule a part goes to the House of Justice, a part to the children."

105: INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE (WHOLE QUESTION OF)

"Regarding the whole question of an International Language and its relation to the Faith: We, as Baha'is, are very anxious to see a universal auxiliary tongue adopted as soon as possible; we are not the protagonists of any one language to fill this post. If the governments of the world agree on an existing language, or a constructed, new tongue, to be used internationally, we would heartily support it because we desire to see this step in the unification of the human race take place as soon as possible.

"Esperanto has been in wide use, more so than any similar language, all over the world, and the Baha'is have been encouraged by both the Master and the Guardian to learn it and to translate Baha'i literature into it.

We cannot be sure it will be the chosen language of the future; but as it is the one which has spread most, both East and West, we should certainly continue to cooperate with its members learn to speak it, and translate Baha'i literature into it."

106: ISLaM

"Islam attained a very high spiritual state, but Western scholars are p.r.o.ne to judging it by Christian standards. One cannot call one World Faith superior to another, as they all come from G.o.d; they are progressive, each suited to certain needs of the time."

107: JESUS (VIRGIN BIRTH OF)

"With regard to your question concerning the Virgin Birth of Jesus; on this point, as on several others, the Baha'i teachings are in full agreement with the doctrines of the Catholic Church. In the Kitab-i-iqan (Book of Cert.i.tude) page 56, and in a few other Tablets still unpublished, Baha'u'llah confirms, however indirectly, the Catholic conception of the Virgin Birth. Also 'Abdu'l-Baha in 'Some Answered Questions', Chap. 12, page 73, explicitly states that Christ found existence through the spirit of G.o.d which statement necessarily implies, when reviewed in the light of the text, that Jesus was not the son of Joseph."

"We believe that Christ only was conceived immaculately. His brothers and sisters would have been born in the natural way and conceived naturally."

108: LIFE AFTER DEATH

"Those who have never had any opportunity of hearing of the Faith but who lived good lives will no doubt be treated with the greatest love and mercy in the next world and reap their full reward."

109: LOVE (TURN TO BAHa'i BROTHERS AND SISTERS)

"Turn to your Baha'i brothers and sisters, who are living with you in the kingdom. Indeed, the believers have not yet fully learned to draw on each other's love for strength and consolation in time of need. The Cause of G.o.d is endowed with tremendous powers, and the reason the believers do not gain more from it is because they have not learned to duly draw these mighty forces of love and strength and harmony generated by the Faith."

110: LOVE, CUSTODIANS OF (WORLD EXCEEDINGLY DARK)

"The friends must, at all times, bear in mind that they are, in a way, like soldiers under attack. The world is at present in an exceedingly dark condition spiritually; hatred and prejudice of every sort are literally tearing it to pieces. We, on the other hand, are the custodians of the opposite forces, the forces of love, of unity, of peace and integration, and we must continually be on our guard, whether as individuals or as an a.s.sembly or Community, lest through us these destructive, negative forces enter into our midst. In other words, we must beware lest the darkness of society become reflected in our acts and att.i.tudes, perhaps all unconsciously. Love for each other, the deep sense that we are a new organism, the dawn-breakers of a new World Order, must constantly animate our Baha'i lives, and we must pray to be protected from the contamination of society which is so diseased with prejudice."

111: LOVE--UNITY (THE GREATEST NEED)

"The greatest need it seems everywhere inside the Cause is to impress upon the friends the need for love among them. There is a tendency to mix up the functions of the Administration and try to apply it in individual relationships, which is abortive, because the a.s.sembly is a nascent House of Justice and is supposed to administer, according to the Teachings, the affairs of the Community. But individuals towards each other are governed by love, unity, forgiveness and a sin-covering eye. Once the friends grasp this they will get along much better, but they keep playing Spiritual a.s.sembly to each other and expect the a.s.sembly to behave like an individual."