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Gap between religion and science will be fatal to the progress of human society: Zakir Husain

On 10 January 1968, Dr Zakir Husain delivered an address at the inauguration of the International Inter-Religious Symposium on Peace in New Delhi, outlining the role of religion in establishing world peace.

It is said that habit dulls the edge of sensitivity. If this were so, I should by now be going through inauguration ceremonies and seminars, all symposia, conferences and contests without even noticing them. But I am, on the contrary, becoming more and more allergic to them. Once in a while there is an inexplicable change and I feel even happy at being asked to repeat the performance. This was the case when my dear friend G. Ramachandran asked me to inaugurate the International Inter-Religious Symposium on Peace. And so here I am and inevitably must say a few words.

Let us be clear in our minds that, in spite of all advances in science and technology, religions still exercise a powerful influence on the minds of millions of human beings. The majority of the people of the world belong to one religion or another. Great issues continue to be settled, consciously or unconsciously, against the background of religious convictions. It will be unwise for anyone to ignore religious influences in finding solutions for world problems, big or small.

Let us also be clear that all religions teach the reality of God and obedience to the will of God translating itself into goodwill and peace among men. All religions have their systems of ethics. Religions and ethics have marched hand in hand throughout history. This perhaps is the reason why religions continue to be of great significance in lifting man above the animal kingdom. Religions have considerably helped to humanise human relations and to create and sustain the higher values of human conduct. If hatred, violence and evil have still persisted in the world, it is a matter for conjecture of what the situation might have been without religious influences. We are often apt to forget the might-have-beens.

Let us not,........

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