Human birth is a privilege and a blessing. No matter what race, religion, culture, nation gender or generation a person may belong to, a human being first and foremost, is a human being. The potential for moral and spiritual development distinguishes humans from other animals. The primary responsibility of humans, therfore, is to work for the health, happiness and harmonious progress of humankind.

Saints, sages and prophets of different religious traditions work for human welfare. There is a long succession of saints in every religion. They speak from the direct experience of Reality. Their experience is not restricted to sense data; rather, they bear witness to transcendental dimensions of experience. They are messengers of the divine.

Great sages such as Mahavira, the Buddha, Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Lao-tze, Zarathushtra, Confucius, Moses, Jesus Christ, Prophet Muhammad, and Guru Nanak speak for and belong to the whole of humanity, not to any exclusive group. They have endeavored to improve the human situation. They have no enemies. They are sources of wisdom and guidance for all. They preach and practice love, happiness, and peace for all. Their authentic ministry is the service of humanity.

In the context of the emerging world community, all the great religions are beneficial, necessary and complementary to one another. The world's religions are allies in the common cause of the moral and spiritual upliftment of humanity.

All religions possess tribal, regional and universal elements. They address eternal truths as well as contingent matters. Local, cultural, geographical and linguistic factors are useful as far as they go, but they do not go far enough. It is misleading and wrong to emphasize them against the universal elements. The universal values taught by these sages and prophets transcend the limitations of time, place and culture.

The pursuit of moral and spiritual values is an essential part of all religions. Each tradition has its own excellences. For example, the nonviolence of Jainism, the compassion of Buddhism, the spirituality of Hinduism, the humanism of Confucianism, the love and charity of Christianity, the brotherhood of Islam, and the ecumenism of Sikhism are among of the greatest moral values. Each expresses a profound dimensions of Truth.

However, some religious leaders emphasize the parochial and the local elements; they exploit their traditions for political and narrow selfish ends. Stressing sectarian loyalties, they arouse the worst of human passions. In the name of religion, wars are fought, people are killed, human and material resources are wasted in staggering proportions.

The reason for such destruction and bloodshed is not the failure of religions, but the failure of leaders who neglect the moral and spiritual teachings of their traditions. They block spiritual streams and create destructive pools that drown life and creativity. They threaten the peaceful coexistence of diverse cultures, turning religions into institutions that militate against human unity.

Extremists inflict enormous physical and mental wounds on themselves and on others. As a result relations between religious communities are strained. Hatred and suspicion poison the atmosphere.

These threats to human solidarity and world peace must be directly confronted. Two dimensions of that effort are critical: Religious dialogue and education. Dialogue is the key to building trust, understanding, reconciliation and peace. It emphasizes interdependence, not separateness; it focuses on the universal moral and spiritual values that cut across all religious traditions. Our common humanity and intrinsic spirituality are reclaimed through dialogue.

Education, of course, provides the knowledge and skills necessary to work for the common good. Every religious tradition has fostered education as a means of inculcating and preserving traditional morals. The aim of moral education is to teach conduct that benefits all in society. Simple virtues such as love, service, purity and honesty, etc., are prized in all religions. The principles of personal morality and social ethics, rooted in every religious tradition, should be a part of the education of every student. Such a course will foster appreciation of cultural diversity.

If the universal elements in religions were released from their narrow settings, they could emerge as unifying forces in the world. The world's religions can and should cooperate with one another in dealing with the problems of human relations. Human values teach that service to the poor, to the sick, and to the oppressed is service to God, and that justice and fair play are to be ensured to all. We all belong to the family of humankind.

Seshagiri Rao, Co-Editor