Hindus praise Pope's environmental stand

Nevada (US), Jan 9 (ANI): Hindus have commended His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for connecting environmental protection with poverty eradication for human development.

"Environmental protection and the connection between fighting poverty and fighting climate change are important areas for the promotion of integral human development", Pope Benedict said in his recent annual "State of the World" address.

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended the Pope for his powerful stand on environmental issues, said that to effectively curb environmental degradation and save the planet, religions of the world had to come together to form a joint global strategy. Zed urged the Pope (his being the religious leader with largest following) to organize an international level environmental summit involving all world religions.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that religion was the most powerful and far-reaching force in our society and could prove very influential in handling concerns like ecological responsibility. Faiths coming out together in support of the environment would be a remarkable signal; he said and urged all world religious leaders, religions and denominations to openly bless the environmental causes. Ancient Hindu scriptures, especially Atharva-Veda, were highly respectful of Mother Nature, Zed added.

We may believe in different religions, yet we share the same home - our Earth. We must learn to happily progress or miserably perish together. For man can live individually but can only survive collectively, Rajan Zed says quoting scriptures.

Pope Benedict heads the Roman Catholic Church, which is the largest of the Christian denominations. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. (ANI)