Rants, Raves, and Rhetoric v4

Shoghi Effendi Internet Quote

Many Baha’is hold this quote predicts the creation of the Internet.

A mechanism of world inter-communication will be devised, embracing the whole planet, freed from national hindrances and restrictions, and functioning with marvelous swiftness and perfect regularity.
— Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha’u’llah, p. 203

Perhaps what we know as the Internet is a pre-cursor? After all, the Internet does not yet embrace the whole planet, is very much restricted by nations, and has many issues to work out to reach perfect reliability.

Probably it will in time.

Ezra S F

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4 responses to “Shoghi Effendi Internet Quote”

  1. jim Avatar
    jim

    thanks for posting this quote, i’ve been searching for it. i read it many years ago when i was a young baha’i. my how things have changed in these past 40 years!

    Reply
  2. david Avatar
    david

    Prediction, no; except in hindsight to Baha’is unaware of the historical development of technology. The telegraph and telephone were invented before the end of the nineteenth century.

    Reply
  3. K9 Avatar
    K9

    David, the quote is believed to predict the Internet – NOT the telegraph and/or telephone. Baha’i’s are not mindless about their own history or history in general. In fact, you’ll find Baha’i’s to be quite educated relative to the general population, as well as engaging of historical details in study of their religion.

    Further, since you mentioned the telegraph – it is also well appreciated by Baha’i’s that the Birth of the Baha’i Faith (May 23, 1844 in Shiraz when The Bab revealed his claim to Mullah Hussein) as well as the Birth of one of the 3 most significant figures in the Baha’i Faith – Abdu’l Baha – (also May 23, 1844), occurred exactly ONE DAY before the first telegram was sent by Samuel Morse (May 24, 1844), and that the message he sent was “What Hath God Wrought” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1844 (check the dates)

    Reply
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