Mining The Gems: Individual Development
Resources from Science and Bahá’í Writings

Last Revised: December 2005
Return to: | Weekly Assignments | Wilmette Institute |

Topic	Secular Links	Secular Articles	Bahá’í Scripture	Bahá’í Articles
I.  Introduction
II. Spiritual Development
III. Moral Character Development
IV. Personal Style
V. Cognitive Development
VI. Affective/Emotional Development
VII. Conative/Volitional Development
VIII. Social Development
IX. Awareness and Consciousness

Two fundamental teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, Prophet Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, are that 1) we are personally responsible for investigating truth, and 2) we are to use science and religion as the standards for making judgments. These materials have been assembled to assist in that task.

         The first principle of Baha'u'llah is independent investigation of truth, that is, all the nations of the world have to investigate after truth independently and turn their eyes from the moribund blind imitations of the past ages entirely. Truth is one when it is independently investigated, it does not accept division. Therefore the independent investigation of truth will lead to the oneness of the world of humanity.
                    ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Japan Will Turn Ablaze, p. 35

        There is no contradiction between true religion and science. When a religion is opposed to science it becomes mere superstition: that which is contrary to knowledge is ignorance.
       How can a man believe to be a fact that which science has proved to be impossible? If he believes in spite of his reason, it is rather ignorant superstition than faith. The true principles of all religions are in conformity with the teachings of science.
       The Unity of God is logical, and this idea is not antagonistic to the conclusions arrived at by scientific study.
                     ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 141

---