Science and Religion

A number of religions still vie with each other to guide the human race. There are said to be 530,000,000 Christians (Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox); 500,000,000 Buddhists; 230,000,000 Moslems; 210,000,000 Hindus; 10,000,000 Jews; 100,000,000 pagans. Therein, according to Onésime Reclus, lies the strength (more apparent than real) of the various religions. Communism does not choose among them. We know that their role was and still is immense. Communism teaches neither scorn nor hate for these ancient forms of men’s thought before science. It recommends that we study their origins and history in order to understand them. It will then be found that our present is bound up with the past, that many old ideas have survived in men’s minds, and also that, despite appearances, there is a continuity of one culture to another.