Roadmap for a Moral Society – SAQ #173 Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit

Session 173: Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit, Pacifism, and “Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen” (Baha’i Roadmap for a Moral Society)

Session 173 of “Roadmap for a Moral Society” continues a discussion of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, drawing on Some Answered Questions and explaining that souls receive grace from the outpourings of the Holy Spirit as manifested in the Word of God, not the individual personality of the Manifestation; opposing the Manifestation can be reversed through recognition, but enmity toward the light itself brings eternal deprivation. The group connects spiritual civilization to harnessing material advances and contrasts divine revelation with manmade laws and misinterpretations of religion. The session then surveys types of pacifism, reviews religious and historical peace movements, discusses jihad and misuses of the Qur’an, and presents the Baha’i view as rejecting absolute pacifism while supporting collective security and non-combatant service. It closes with reflections on the UN and a study of “many are called, few are chosen,” emphasizing diversity and differing capacities in creation and humanity.

00:00 Session Welcome
01:20 Opening Prayer
02:44 Holy Spirit Defined
03:49 Grace and Civilization
11:39 Candle Holder Metaphor
23:04 Eternal Deprivation
26:23 Pacifism Overview
33:11 Religious Pacifism Traditions
36:15 Islam Jihad Context
46:44 Baha’i Middle Path
48:26 Baha’i View on Pacifism
51:16 Collective Security and Peace
53:15 UN Sovereignty and Law
55:23 Media Bias and Iran
01:03:12 Debating UN Effectiveness
01:09:46 Many Called Few Chosen
01:11:55 Human Capacity and Revelation
01:19:27 Tree Metaphor for Diversity
01:23:17 Society Needs Many Roles
01:24:45 Closing Prayer and Farewell