Page 173 - English Reader - 7

‘VEDAS’ or the ‘GITA’ or the BIBLE or the QURAN is true, for it is the word
of GOD himself. The existence of god cannot be proved but it can be felt

by those who have faith. It is all a matter of faith and not of experiment
or observation.

Scientific truths are tentative. Science believes that nothing is absolutely
true. What is regarded as true today may be proved to be false the very

next day by further experiments and observations. Thus, there was a
time when the earth was supposed to be motionless and the sun was

supposed to go round it. Gradually science proved that this was wrong
and showed that it is the earth which goes round the sun. Similarly,

Newton’s law of GRAVITATION held the day till Einstein came out with
his superior theory of relativity. In this way, science advances towards

truth as absolute. Whatever is written in religious books is regarded
as absolutely true. Anyone who criticizes the teaching of religion is

considered to be heretic and is violently condemned. In the past, those
who dared to question a religious truth were mercilessly persecuted

and punished. The example of GALILEO readily comes to mind in this
connection. In short, science is progressive and dynamic while religions

are static and orthodox.

Science advances from the particular to the general laws and principles.

Thus, NEWTON saw an apple falling, observed a number of other similar
phenomena, and finally developed, on the basis of his observations his

famous laws of gravitation. Religion, on the other hand, works from
the general to particular. Its methods are entirely different from those

of science. Scientific laws and theories are based on a much sounder
foundation than the principles of religion.

With the advancement of science, religion has gradually lost ground. Its
truths have been subjected to searching analysis by science, one after

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