When a representative of mankind first observed planet earth from the surface of the moon he would have become conscious of the unity of man who has made his home upon spaceship earth which protects him from extreme heat and cold and harmful radiation from outer space. The gravitational force of planet earth, its distance from the sun, the composition of its atmosphere, the temperature on its land surface, the availability of minerals and water near the earth’s surface have all been so programmed as to ensure the survival of life on the planet earth.

If some external force has created the planet earth in such a way as to enable life to originate and evolve on its surface, it is that force we call by the name GOD. Some of us believe in the existence of God as the creator of man and other forms of life in the universe. Some others believe it all occurred as part of an evolutionary process starting with the big bang. To them it is man who created God and not God who created man.

Whether you believe that God created man or man created God one will have to agree that mankind requires a code of social conduct to ensure his survival and harmonious existence. All religions of the world and all religious leaders have tried to provide such a code of conduct for mankind. All religion teaches us the way to lead a good life. In other words, all religions prescribe a code of moral conduct, which is expected to lead to a peaceful co-existence of man on this planet.

The essence of religion for a liberated individual of modern times would be to adhere to a set of principles that would ensure a peaceful and harmonious existence for mankind on this planet. In what follows we try to outline some principles, which could constitute the basis religious philosophy for modern man.

The growing population of the globe is exerting tremendous pressure on the scarce resources of our planet and aggravating the multitude of problems facing mankind today. It is the duty of every citizen to contribute his might to slowing down population growth on this planet.

The resources of the planet are limited and are being rapidly depleted. The oil resources of the planet may be depleted within half a century and this has led to a global energy crisis. It is the duty of every citizen on this planet to save energy and conserve other scarce resources of our planet.

Environmental issues are today high on the list of problems facing the world. Issues like ozone layer depletion and global warming have received world-wide attention. Other environmental issues like desertification, erosion of forests, air and water pollution etc. also require the urgent attention of the citizens of our planet. Neglect of environmental issues can lead to deterioration in quality of life of mankind or may even lead to destruction of all life on the planet.

Poverty, illiteracy and disease constitute a major problem threatening the poorer countries of the world. It is the duty of citizens of the developed countries and the better-off sections of the developing countries to strive for more equitable sharing of the earth’s resources among all sections of the world population.

It is the duty of the citizens of this world to fight all sorts of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, language, sex and nationality. A great deal of the violence that occurs in this world is on account of such discrimination and ill-treatment practiced between different sections of mankind. The people of the world should forget such differences, which separate them and strive for a united and prosperous world.

It is the duty of a liberated individual to strive for peace and harmony among the nations of the world. It is their duty to create a world free from war, nuclear weapons, poverty and hunger.