World Religions Conference November 1957

Author(s): Sushil Muni
Publisher: Achal Singh Seth

Page 14

Background
to inflame passions against one another. There was nothing left in religion that could instil among the people feelings of love, sympathy and brotherhood, with the natural result that Man lost all respect for religion itself and came to regard it as a useless appendage. Religion when divorced from individual life also lost its importance both in Society and in State. When everyone became engaged in his own, regardless of others, Statesmen also thought it safe to divorce religion from politics.
At the partition of the country, we had to pass through calamitous times and the fair name of religion was dragged down to its lowest depths for inhuman atrocities. For the sake of religion we had to witness great blood-baths, the burning down of houses, hamlets and towns, the plundering depredations on business houses and self-immolation of ladies to save their honour. Women and children were mercilessly butchered and people were subjected to untold miseries and millions were driven out of their ancestral hearths and homes to seek shelter in unknown and untrodden places amongst total strangers. How could those who witnessed all these terrible happenings in the blessed name of religion can have any faith, hope and belief in the glory of religion? The natural result of all this was that riligion and righteousness suffered a great set-back in our own country as well.
But with all this, it cannot be said that religion has failed and has no place with us and can be cast off just as a figment of an idle brain. To admit defeat in the struggles of life does not give credit to Man-much less in the struggle for Truth and Righteousness. To cry anathema on religion and to push it out and aside for the sake of human frailties, is not commendable. If Man with a view to establish Universal Brotherhood, is prepared to undertake the righteous task of recasting world's history, there is no reason why he should get despaired in the field of religion, which in fact is an abiding factor, in cementing the bonds of true Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God.
Purification is the need
Instead of boycotting religion because of our weaknesses, it is better that we make an attempt to weed out the defects and restore religion to its own pristine and unalloyed glory. To err is human and short-comings are inherent in Man, but no one on this account, has ever thought of annihilating mankind. On the contrary, efforts have always been made, for self-improvement and advancement of society as a whole.
Religion too can be improved upon, developed and advanced and this in fact, ought to occupy a first place in human endeavours and we should continue to work in this direction with indefatigable zeal. Just as every child,