HINDU SCIENCE

"The sacred books of the Hindus profess to teach science as well as religion; and the science they teach is, according to them, as decidedly revealed as the form of faith embodied in them. Consequently, Hinduism stands or falls with the science with which it is inseparably connected. Now no science can be more obviously, more egregiously false than that embodied in its sacred books. They for instance, teach that the earth is flat, somewhat like the water-lily, with its petals turned toward the centre; and, as soon as a little boy learns in an English school that the earth is round like an orange, his faith in Hinduism is shaken. They teach, moreover, that there is a mountain on the surface of the globe higher than the sun, moon, and stars, and that the succession of day and night is caused by the movements of the heavenly bodies from one of its sides to the other; and as soon as a boy is assured that this mountain is a myth, his hereditary faith totters. Again, they teach that there are seven concentric oceans on the surface of the globe, one of salt water, one of fresh water, one of sugar-cane juice, one of milk, etc.; and, as soon as a boy obtains an insight into the dreamy character of this piece of geographical information, he begins to despise the religion of his country. His lispings in science prove the glaring absurdity of Hinduism." —Ram Chandra Bose.