The Indian Nation
April 09, 1894
''He (the Swami) is beating his head against the rocks when he tries to prove that a religion which lays claim to organic unity and to spirituality may embrace theism and atheism, vedantism and low ideas of idolatry. 'Religion,' of course, may be so defined as to be applicable to atheism, agnosticism, &c. Carlyle gave such a definition. But no one religion can claim at once to affirm and to deny God, to ignore Him and worship Him, to believe in Him as a subtle essence inconceivably fine, and to have ' low ideas of idolatry.' It is useless speaking of the conflicting doctrines as different paths leading to a ' common goal/ We should very much like to know what this common centre is, for we must confess we can conceive of none which can be reached by theism and atheism alike. We are past that stage when a mere phrase would charm us into slavery, and until more light dawns upon us we must hold ( common centre' and ' convergence of diverging radii' to be mere phrases."
InstanceEndEditable
InstanceBeginEditable name="Author Credit Bottom"
- www.vivekananda.net edited by Frank Parlato Jr.
InstanceEndEditable
