Communication between men and cultures is taking place in the world today at a rate only less rapid than progress in physical communication. Time has caught up with Kipling's famous couplet, "East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." Now, East and West are not only meeting but beginning to understand each other.
The new interest in Oriental religion and philosophy, manifest particularly on college campuses, is one phase of this new traffic in cultures. What is the reason for this increased interest? It seems clear that a reaction has taken place on our campuses against the mores the students see all around them and that they are seeking a more spiritual approach to life, or at least a more satisfactory explanation of man and the universe than they have known. The concept of an anthropomorphic God has been shattered by advances in the physical sciences, and students are looking for answers they do not find either in orthodox Christianity or their textbooks. This is a good thing, not a bad thing.
It is vitally important, however, for a Christian Scientist to understand clearly what these Asian religions are and what they are not. He needs this awareness not only to keep his own thought clear but also in order to communicate intelligently with Asians whom he may meet in college, in business, or in his travels. And he will meet them more and more. Nearly two thirds of the people of the world are Asians—almost two billion. And by the year 2000, Asia will probably contain almost twice that many.
