Religion and Society 2

The question student-of-life asks below is related to the classic "Problem of Evil". My response is of the class of theodicy called "spiritual development." The Baha'i Faith emphasises the nobility of mankind, rather than the fall of man. That spiritual truth which is expressed through the Christian doctrine of Original sin is expressed in the Baha'i writings as man's "animal nature." This concept is similar to the Id of Freudian psychology, but is also expressible in terms of evolution theory as those characteristics that we have in common with other primates. Having been endowed with "the knowledge of good and evil", which I compare to our high creative function, those drives need to be kept in check by spiritual virtues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by student-of-life
If god knowing the end of things, at the time of the beginning, created me the way I am, then are not all of my faults his doing? I did not ask to be created. And even if I have free will to do as I please, did he not create me to will the things that I will? If you made a cake from scratch and the cake didn't taste the way you wanted, would you blame the cake. If you created by some means, a computer that achieved its own intelligence, and that computer didn't act the way you wanted, wouldn't it still be your doing?

"The reality of man is spiritual." This world, this life, is part of a journey that each of us is on. The journey itself is as important as the end, but the goal (unattainable though it is) is personal, spiritual perfection, or, in other words, the knowledge of God. Part of our movement toward that goal is achieved through our choosing to strengthen our spiritual (ie moral/ethical) nature in its control over our animal nature. When people act ethically toward one another, they get along better and civilization progresses. Again, for a Being (God) who is outside of the constraints of time, our "journey" or progress toward perfection is what is important, not putting us at the end of that journey by creating us in a way that you would consider "perfect". Your animal nature is constrained to follow the laws of stimulus and response (refer the school of psychology called Behaviorism). Your spiritual nature gives you free will and allows you to use your intellect to overcome Pavlovian response.

Besides preparing us for spiritual life after the death of our bodies, following the laws of God improves this life: It is by many people together having faith in God and His laws (in this case, just consider the Golden Rule: treat others as you would wish to be treated) that these laws can show their effect of improving society. If only half of the people try to obey the golden rule, and the rest of the people just take advantage of them, then there is little immediate social improvement. But if, despite these difficulties, the believers continue to be firm in their faith and to follow the golden rule, there are spiritual effects that will cause others to embrace the golden rule. These days, even many atheists state some version of the golden rule as an obvious necessity for the functioning of society. That is, obeying the golden rule (to the extent that one's spiritual nature has tamed his self-serving animal nature) is in one's ultimate self-interest because in a society ruled by that law people need not be afraid of one another, they help each other, and the resulting cooperation makes it possible for all members to have a better quality of life.

O SON OF SPIRIT! Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.

- Baha'u'llah