"The third principle of his highness Bahaullah is that religion must be the source of fellowship. It must cause links among humanity. It must be a blessing of the Lord and if religion is a cause of enmity and a cause of war, its absence is better, and a lack of religion is better than religion. Rather, it must be the opposite. Religion must be a cause of fellowship and a cause of relations between the masses of humanity."

Abdul Baha, Khatabat (Tehran), vol. 2, p. 146

The meaning of "Religion Must Be the Source of Unity and Fellowship" is that religion must be the cause of kindness between people and if, as a result of religion, a group comes in conflict with another and enmity arises, that religion has no value.

Abdul Baha reiterates many times that if religion causes divisions instead of unity, its non-existence is better than its existence:

Religion must be the cause of unity and fellowship. If religion causes enmity it will have no result and having no religion is better. For it becomes the cause of enmity and hatred between humanity and whatever causes enmity is hated by God and whatever causes unity and fellowship is accepted and praised. If religion causes killing and savagery it is not religion and having no religion is better than that. For religion is meant to be a cure. If a cure causes sickness then of course, no cure is better than it. Thus, if religion causes war and slaughter, then of course, it is better to have no religion.
`Abd al-Hamid Ishraq Khawari, Payam-i malakut, pp. 44-45

Religion should create unity and create links between the hearts. Jesus and the other divine prophets came to create unity and fellowship. If religion causes divisions, its non-existence is preferred.
`Abd al-Hamid Ishraq Khawari, Payam-i malakut, pp. 59

Bahais claim that Bahaullah has brought a new religion whose main purpose is to bring about world peace and unity to the world of humanity; this peace and unity must occur under the shadow of kindness and fellowship. If a religion does not bring about kindness, peace, and unity, then it is not a religion.

• Religion Must be the Source of Unity: Introduction
• Is This a New Principle
• Did the Founders of Bahaism Act Upon These Principles?
• Is This Principle Correct From a Rational and Logical Perspective?
• Contradictions in Bahai Faith?
• Conclusion

The articles have been based on the book "Avaze Dohol" - the Beating of the Drum by Masoud Basiti, Zahra Moradi.