Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/12

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
INTRODUCTION
xiii

particular tenet, but the idea of governing society by a written Constitution, when there is no State religion, and no compulsion for the legislators to conform to any set of principles, and to put in the Constitution the principle of toleration.[1] The conduct of the states in the Union, though free to make their own laws, is perfectly in harmony with tradition. No religion is taught in the public schools and colleges and the judiciary of an important and progressive state in the middle West declared the Bible to be sectarian and forbade its use in public schools.

Religion, Constitution and Dharma.—To a society it becomes necessary that there should be some supreme rules either in the shape of laws or morality whose authority would be greater than that of the orders of the government, and to which the latter should be subjected. In a country which may be ruled by a King it is necessary not only to put a certain check to his autocratic power, but that his ordinances should be according to certain principles of conduct roughly called "justice."

In Christendom the King was expected to keep his conduct according to the Christian religion. The Mohamedan kings are supposed to make their laws in accordance with the Mohamedan religion. Under Hinduism, the King is supposed to let his conduct be according to the principles of dharma. The King could not make or unmake dharma.

The only similarity which "dharma" and a "religion" have is in this. Both of them supply the rules to which the other social laws are subordinated.

  1. ↑ The only theological tinges which the American Constitution and tradition have are: They require the President to believe in God. They again have Christian holidays like Christmas, Easter, and a national holiday of theological character, i.e., the Thanks- giving Day.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.