Dr. Robert Henderson
Presentations by Dr. Robert Henderson
Dr. Henderson begins by pointing out that unity is the principle around which the Baha'i Faith is organized. He takes us back to 1827, when slavery was abolished in New York and through the mid-nineteenth century to the Emancipation Proclamation and America’s Civil War. Baha'u'llah, Prophet Founder of The Baha'i Faith, states that the purpose of religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race.
Papers were presented by Dr. Rapoport (''The Redemption of Science'') and Dr. Thomas ("Poverty and Racism in Urban America") Dr. Livezey then presented a paper on "The Role of Human Rights Organizations.'' This recording is the Response to those presentations from Dr. Robert C. Henderson, secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, and Dr. Will C. van den Hoonaard, a professor of sociology at the University of New Brunswick, Canada.
This recording opens with the reading of a letter of greeting from the Mayor of Irvine, California addressed to the attendees of the ABS Conference. The official title of this year’s conference is “Full Partnership an International Conference on the Equality of Women and Men.” Judge Dorothy Nelson, Chair of the NSA of the USA is then introduced. Judge Nelson praises the conference planners for bringing together “unmatched” talents. She recalls the Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 in which thousands were killed in India.
Dr. Henderson describes his presentation as a “Family Talk” He begins by sharing observations he has made of the American Bahá’í Community that are “affecting all of our lives.” Looking back to the 1978-79 Iranian Revolution he describes how those events shaped the international Bahá’í Community. This was a “blessing in disguise” and an “agent to fulfill age-old prophecies”. Social and economic development projects were reviewed. “The (1985) Peace Statement has given rise to a level of activity that we have never” seen before.” The 4th Epoch and the Six Year Plan are discussed.