PDF - Swami Vivekananda

Religion op The Twentieth Centurygiven a death-blow to the dogma of hell-fireand of eternal punishment. This is not asmall gain achieved by the Western people ofthe present century. The system of religionwhich is needed for the Twentieth Century,must notbe limited by sacerdotal institution,must not acknowledge the divine right of thepriesthood, and must not be governed by theauthority of Scripture, of any book or personality,nor should it insist upon practising theceremonies and rituals which form merely thenon-essential parts of religion and which arenot absolutely necessary for the salvation of thesouls from eternal damnation.The Twentieth Century needs a religionwhich will not support any doctrine or dogmawhich cannot be sustained by scientific reasoning.The Twentieth Century needs a religionwhich will be free from all superstitiousideas,doctrines and dogmas that give countenanceto the creation of the human being out ofnothing.22