Fanaticism

Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench.

Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 13

A new religious principle is that prejudice and fanaticism -- whether sectarian, denominational, patriotic or political -- are destructive to the foundation of human solidarity; therefore, man should release himself from such bonds in order that the oneness of the world of humanity may become manifest.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 455

A new religious principle is that prejudice and fanaticism whether sectarian, denominational, patriotic or political are destructive to the foundation of human solidarity; therefore man should release himself from such bonds in order that the oneness of the world of humanity may become manifest.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, p. 247

Abomination and misery are all you will harvest from fanaticism, from believing the foolish and the mindless.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 104-105

Despair, both here and hereafter, is all you will gain from self-indulgence; abomination and misery are all you will harvest from fanaticism, from believing the foolish and the mindless.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 103

In brief, it was because they forgot the meaning of the Law of God that they became involved in ignorant fanaticism and blameworthy practices such as insurgence and sedition.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 77

One of the forms of prejudice which afflict the world of mankind is religious bigotry and fanaticism. When this hatred burns in human hearts, it becomes the cause of revolution, destruction, abasement of humankind and deprivation of the mercy of God.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 337-338

One of the principal reasons why people of other religions have shunned and failed to become converted to the Faith of God is fanaticism and unreasoning religious zeal.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 52

Rather, the purpose of His consummate wisdom was to free the people from the chains of fanaticism which had bound them hand and foot, and to forestall those very objections which today confuse the mind and trouble the conscience of the simple and helpless.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 28

Shall we remain steeped in our fanaticisms and cling to our prejudices?

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Bahá’í World Faith, p. 279

The source of all these catastrophes is racial fanaticism, patriotic fanaticism, religious fanaticism and political fanaticism. The source of these fanaticisms is ancient imitations, religious imitations, racial imitations, patriotic imitations, and political imitations. As long as following such imitations persists, the very foundation of humanity is wrecked and the world of man is in great jeopardy.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Letter to Martha Root

The sundering of science and religion is but one example of the tendency of the human mind (which is necessarily limited in its capacity) to concentrate on one virtue, one aspect of truth, one goal, to the exclusion of others. This leads, in extreme cases, to fanaticism and the utter distortion of truth, and in all cases to some degree of imbalance and inaccuracy.

The Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986, p. 390