Science and religion are two cultures. Let them coexist peacefully.

We should just accept that science and religion are parallel tracks that may never meet. Science is based on the belief that our intellect can figure out how the universe works. Religion is based on the belief that a god created the universe and offers salvation. The two belief systems are fundamentally at odds with one another. Why try to reconcile them?

But here's the thing. As Scott Fitzgerald said, at eighteen our convictions are hills from which we look; at forty five they are caves in which we hide. As people grow older and as their health and intellect diminish, many grow fearful and seek a saviour.

Interestingly, countries exhibit huge variations in their degrees of religiosity. In a survey aggregated in The Telegraph, a UK paper, 99% of the people surveyed in Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, Sri Lanka, and Yemen said they were religious. The least religious countries, on the other hand, are China (7%), Japan (13%), Estonia (16%), Sweden (19%), and Norway (21%).

In India, 76% of the people surveyed said they were religious. Is that why so many people here think they must show others the light?

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