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Role of Religion in unity of Mankind and World Peace
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and virtues they possess unless they are bound with a common thread of fellowship and have equal regard for others, they cannot find their due place in human hearts and can be charged for spreading hostility and hatred in mankind."
Therefore, if we consider other religions or faiths as inferior to ours or false, real harmony will not be possible. We have to give equal regard to all the faiths and religions. Every religion or mode of worship has its origination in a particular social and cultural background and has its utility and truth-value accordingly. As the different parts of body have their own position and utility in their organic whole and work for its common good, so is the case with different religions. Their common goal is to resolve the tensions and conflicts and make life on earth peaceful. For this common goal each an every one has to proceed in his own way according to his own position. Every faith, if working for the particular common goal has equal right to exist and work and should be given equal regard.
According to Siddhasena Divākara (5th Century A.D.) the divergent faiths may be charged as false only when they negate the truth-value of others and claim themselves exclusively true. But if they accept the truth-value of others also, they attain righteousness. He further says 'Every view-point in its own sphere is right but if all of them arrogate themselves to the whole truth and disregard the views of their rivals, they do not attain right-view, for all the viewpoints are right in their own respective spheres. But if they encroach upon the province of other viewpoints and try to refute them, they are wrong.? Rightness of particular faith or viewpoints depends on the acceptance of rightness of others also. One who advocates the view of synoptic character of truth never discriminates the different faith as right or wrong and thus, pays all of them equal regard. Today when fundamentalism is posing a serious threat to communal harmony and equilibrium, unity of world religions is not only essential but also the only way out to save the human race and to establish the peace on the earth.
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