Religious people — and by this I mean people who are deeply committed to a religion and aspire to live in accordance with its scriptures — usually fear science: they suspect that science contradicts some of their cherished beliefs, beliefs they are asked to accept on faith. And because many believe that the best defense is offense, the religious often attack science and scientists, and widen the gulf that separates these branches of contemporary culture. This is regrettable, for throughout history every enduring culture embraced the best of its dominant religion, together with the rational and empirical ideas that made up the science of its time. The current gulf is all the more regrettable as it’s based on a fundamental misconception. Indeed, on two misconceptions: of the nature of religion, as well as of science.
The average religious person identifies the religion that he or she espouses with the doctrines of that religion. These are the sacred scriptures created by the founders and prophets of that religion. For the most part they are centuries old, and contain sayings, episodes, and injunctions that are said to come from a higher, superhuman authority.
If it is its doctrines that make up a religion, then there are reasons for the faithful to fear science, or at least a dominant (mis)conception of science (and the misguided souls who embrace that misconception). It’s always possible that science will fail to recognize that the sayings, episodes, and injunctions that make up the literal content of the doctrines come from an undisputable superhuman authority. Scientists are not disposed to accept claims on faith; they are trained to ask for proof — for empirical proof. If it’s not available, then they might say that the sayings, episodes and injunctions are unproven, and could be mistaken. In that case the religious would have good reason to fear science (or at least those who believe that science would pass judgment on the literal meaning of religious scriptures); their deepest convictions would be in question.
But this fear is unfounded. It’s based on a misconception of the true nature both of religion, and of science.
Religion doesn’t simply consist of the doctrines that make up its sacred scriptures. There is far more to religion than that. And it’s not the case that science would take religious doctrines at face value and pronounce their content either true or false. There is far more to science than that.
Both religion and science are sourced in human experience. True, they are sourced in a different kind of experience, and science can tell us that they are conveyed by a different hemisphere of the brain: religion is right-hemispheric, and science, left-hemispheric. Human experience encompasses both.
Religion is based on the right-hemispheric experience of its founders, saints, and prophets. These must have been deep and vivid experiences, for they had a remarkable power to affect the heart and the mind of those around them. The founders, and even more their disciples, sought to communicate the substance of these experiences. They did so in the language, and with the concepts of their time. Their followers made the mistake of taking the record of the experiences for the essence of the experiences. They mistook the letter of religion for its spirit.
True scientists would not confound the record of a religious experience with the meaning of that experience. They would not judge a religion by the literal veracity of the sayings, episodes, and injunctions contained in its doctrines; they would ask about their roots in lived experience. And they would seek to understand that experience.
Analyzing the nature and meaning of religious experience is not a threat to the religious. On the contrary, it can prove to be a support. Because when the deep religious experience is analyzed with the methods of a science, a remarkable finding comes to light. The religious experience has aspects and elements that make it consistent with the world scientists discover on the basis of empirical experience.
Strange? Perhaps, but it is so. Psychiatrists such as Stanislav Grof find that in meditative, prayerful, or otherwise altered states of mind and consciousness people have access to the kind of mystical or transcendent realities that make up the substance of all great religions. This doesn’t mean that science can “verify” the metaphysical reality of these visions and entities. To establish their reality is not simply to see whether they correspond to the entities and processes that make up the content of valid scientific theories. It calls for careful reasoning and a further development of our understanding of the perceptual and cognitive powers of the brain, and of the consciousness associated with it. This development is already under way — among other things, recent attempts to discover the quantum-receptivity of microtubules and other subneuronal arrays in the brain point to it. It appears that we can apprehend far more of the reality in which we are embedded than we had thought. In addition to its standard information-processing circuits, the brain has quantum-receptive capacities, picking up information that’s instantaneous, multidimensional, and “nonlocal.”
Work in this area is still in progress, but we can be reasonably certain already that there are aspects and planes of human experience that far transcend the limits of everyday experience. As Shakespeare remarked, there are more things in this world than you and I had ever conceived.
Entering on a plane that is deeper or higher than that of everyday experience is what the religious experience is all about. And trying to understand how we can connect with that plane is one of the most exciting tasks facing science today.
The sincere religious has nothing to fear from the genuine scientist. On the contrary, the religious and the scientist have much to learn from each other. Together they will achieve a better understanding of the deep reality that surrounds us, and grounds our own existence. Isn’t it time to begin to explore that reality together — instead of fearing and fighting each other?
Published at Huffington Post
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
The religious do not all fear/fight science.
If there is ‘one dividing line’ in the world today it is between those absolutely certain about issues/theories, and those taking a more open view.
The next dividing line down is between those of an open persuasion who try their utmost to live some form of moral or purposeful life of one way or another, and those who do not. The existence of the latter is probably the reason why the many of the fundamentalist are so prevalent. The difficulty of living with ambiguity is an existential one – no ?
Not to advertise, but I recently wrote an article with essentially the same point which sparked a lengthy discussion about the nature of experience. It also seems to be an extremely touchy subject for the “absolutely certain,” as they have tended to read the article and get offended right off the bat, not looking at anything else on the site in order to get context for my statements.
I agree with your comment, John, but would you mind explaining this statement? It intrigues me, and I’m not sure what you mean by it.
In religious terms, there are mainly 2 types of religion – Polytheist and Monotheist. Looking for scientific proof / perfection in a Polytheist religion is baseless in the era of Quantum Physics. Through QP we can now prove the existence of a single consciousness which controlling everything visible and invisible. There should be a motive behind the randomness created with perfection. So, we can undermine divine proof in Monotheist religions. If such a single supreme power is there, there will be ‘ proper guidance or holy books available to mankind in its full form, perfect in every ways. It would certainly And we cannot call such a set of doctrines ‘a religion’ but ‘the real path to God’. Islam is one religion which follows strict Monotheist guidance. Islam means ‘submission to the will of God’ and a Muslim by definition means one who surrenders and submits to the laws of God. We know that everything in the universe follow a fixed pattern but human beings have free will or free thought. We all feel something inside us say to us ‘not to’ while we are about to do a bad deed. We all encounter situations making any materialist think of the possibility of a divine power in existence. It could be a reminder. Those who follow Islam doesn’t’ seem be to afraid of scientific proofs but just waits for a correction from the other side [ Refer to verses in Quran say about Iron, SRY gene activation in 6 weeks, Big Bang, Subatomic particles, Creation in pair that only Allah is one, Black Holes etc etc ]. For example, the first 2 of points I referred to earlier, created, speculation in the authenticity of Quran and later was proven according to the Holy Book. God says to mankind through Quran not to convert or impose Islam on anyone but to be inspirational.
You may come across so many errors in this comment and I beg you readers and the writer of the article pardon. You will not find an error in Quran. Islam is not a religion but ‘the real way of life’ being Muslim is not joining a religion but ‘awareness and surrendering and submits oneself to the laws of God. Allah says to mankind that ‘being born Muslims is the greatest of blessings’. A Muslim newborn baby will definitely hear an Azan [Islamic call to prayer] in a few minutes after seeing sunlight [either from her parents or relatives]. An Azan starts with 1. God is greater than any description, 02. I testify that there’s no deity except for God. 03. I testify that Muhammad is a messenger of God. 04. The time for prayer has come. 05. The time for worship has come. 06. God is greater than any description. 07. There’s no deity except for God. – And a Muslim’s real ambition is always to die uttering There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger [ the Shahada]. Anyone can find true knowledge about the Godly path by studying Holy Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammad [PBUH} recorded by who saw him in real. [Hadhiths].
I completely disagree, though I recognize that this is a common Islamic belief. The statement I quoted is a gross simplification of religion, one which doesn’t even touch religions like Buddhism, which has many schools which aren’t Theistic in nature.
This statement seems to come from a misunderstanding of the nature of most Polytheistic religions. Most of them attribute conscious godforms to various aspects of our world, which seems to be what you propose as a “proof” for Monotheism, albeit applied to everything in the cosmos versus applying it only to individual aspects of said cosmos.
This attitude isn’t unique to Muslims. There are groups of people in every major religion with this viewpoint (though many religions don’t feel the need to take this viewpoint since they don’t claim to state any explicit scientific information).
I grew up in fundamental Christianity, being taught many similar arguments, so, all in all, I understand your views and why you hold them. Islam is a beautiful religion and a beautiful way of life.
Thank you Luke,
The below quoted has been taken from the Wikipedia – Monotheism
Islam – The holy book of Islam, a religion considered as the most monotheistic, the Qur’an asserts the existence of a single and absolute truth that transcends the world; a unique and indivisible being who is independent of the creation.[17] The indivisibility of Allah (God) implies the indivisibility of Allah’s sovereignty which in turn leads to the conception of the universe as just, coherent and moral rather than as an existential and moral chaos (as in polytheism). Similarly the Qur’an rejects the binary modes of thinking such as the idea of a duality of God by arguing that both good and evil generate from God’s creative act and that evil forces have no power to create anything. Allah in Islam is a universal god rather than a local, tribal or parochial one; an absolute who integrates all affirmative values and brooks no evil.[18]
Tawhid constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim profession.[19] To attribute divinity to a created entity is the only unpardonable sin mentioned in the Qur’an.[18] Muslims believe that the entirety of the Islamic teaching rests on the principle of Tawhid (Oneness of God).[20]
First of all, I would like to drag your attention to this fact that, Quran says that it’s a successor to the words of God revealed in the past. It didn’t come as a new religion. I was brought up in a liberal concept and I always followed Islam as I found logic in it. You should note the Quranic claim that Allah will preserve this text till the end. It openly challenges other modified texts. Dear Luke, I request you to watch these videos on you tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvNIgHA7nzQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0KW7FxOG_0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0S_A9ERJWN0
Quran opens with the chapter Al Fatiha of 07 verses.
1:1 بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيم
Bismillāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm
Beginning is with Allah’s Personal Name Ar’Reh’maan Who is The Fountain of Infinite Mercy.
[Personal names are never translated in any language of the world-Proper names must be transcribed in the alphabet of other languages in the manner that a non native produces the same-as near sound as is in the original language]
Important to note and remember: Allah’s Personal Name Ar’Reh’maan/الرَّحْمـَنِ is unique; exclusive; unprecedented [19:65]; this has no parallel, no dual, no plural, no feminine equivalent. Personal Names, unlike attributive/adjectival names/descriptions, never have duality and plurality and neither with personal names is done feminization or masculinization].
1:2 الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين
Al ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-’ālamīn
The Infinite Glory and Praise stands specified eternally, entirely and exclusively for Allah, the Sustainer Lord of the Known/Existing Worlds-All that exists.
“Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;”
1:3 الرَّحمـنِ الرَّحِيم
Ar raḥmāni r-raḥīm
The Sustainer Lord of the Worlds is Ar’Reh’maan Who is The Fountain of Infinite Mercy.
“Most Gracious, Most Merciful;”
1:4 مَـالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّين
Māliki yawmi d-dīn
Ar’Reh’maan is the Master/the Sovereign/the Authority/Holder of “The Day of Resurrection/Judgment and Requital”.
“Master of the Day of Judgment.”
1:5 إِيَّاك نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِين
Iyyāka na’budu wa iyyāka nasta’īn
[Our Sustainer Lord Ar'Reh'maan] You are the Only Whom we solely and exclusively owe and demonstrate allegiance and servitude and You are exclusively the One we look for help to elevate ourselves.
“Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.”
1:6 اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ
Ihdinā ṣ-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm
Our Sustainer Lord Ar’Reh’maan! You guide us upon the Path that keeps heading safely and straight to the destination of peace and tranquility;
“Show us the straight way,”
1:7 صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّين
Ṣirāṭ al-laḏīna an’amta ‘alayhim ġayril maġḍūbi ‘alayhim walāḍ ḍāllīn
the Path journeyed by those upon whom You showered blessings, this Path/Course is other than of those who made themselves liable to criminal cognizance/arrest, and nor is of those ones who are the neglectful wanderers.
“The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace,”
“those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.”
I think islam shows a unique & natural way to explain the uncertainities in the modern science,only faulty thats been flourished by the islamic beleivers is that the creator allah(allah is nt an arabic word)loves the language arab only,thats n’t right because the allah is great and anythng is possible for him,by saying arab is the language of islam,we are limiting the powers of allah,allah is a power of infinite knowledge.he can understand any language.in my point of view allah only care about the purity of the mind of a person,i think its the time for islamist to rethink and do there prays(niskaram)in their own mother tongue,i thnk that wil help us to be more closer to allah.allah is great….
Interesting discussion. I love investigation, search, discussion, questioning because there is always more to know and understand. I am an imperfect being, unlike Muhammad, blessings be upon Him. He was a Messenger of God, a Prophet. His Book is authoritative. To understand, it takes more than knowledge or even a scholarly understanding of Arabic. It is in no wise dependent upon human learning. It depends solely upon purity of heart, chastity of soul, and freedom of spirit. There were many illiterate men who rose to great spiritual conditions who were followers of Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, to name a few Messengers. The Light in these Messengers was God. God had to speak to us in accordance to the spiritual evolvement we had attained as human beings. When Muhammad came to the Arabs they were idol worshippers, buried girl children alive, warred among themselves, a wayward and ignorant peoples. All the Messengers have come to similar conditions.
Even as it has been said: “Not everything that a man knoweth can be disclosed, nor can everything that he can disclose be regarded as timely, nor can every timely utterance be considered as suited to the capacity of those who hear it.”
The Messengers never revealed all that They knew. They revealed what was appropriate for the time and place. The essence of Their Teachings has always been love and bringing humanity together.
There is a traditional story in Buddhism that says Buddha was standing beside a tree with His disciples. He reached up and pulled off a handful of leaves. Then He turned to His disciples and told them that Buddha’s knowledge was as all the leaves on the tree but what they needed to know was as the leaves in His hand.
Sounds similar to when Jesus told His disciples He had many things to tell them but they could not bear it now. But He said He would come again and tell them all things.
Muslims expect a return just as Christians do. Buddha said there would be a universal Buddha, the Maitreya.
In the Qur’an Allah says He can make a new Book and a new people if He wants. Whether Christian, Islamic, Judaism, Buddhism, or whatever religion, the followers have gotten stuck in their own narrow views of interpretation, which usually makes their religion the only one, the last one, the last revelation and Book. They become partners with God and limit God. We know and others don’t. The greatest obstacle to unity is for me to think I know and you don’t. God, Allah, wants unity, love and harmony for humankind.
We need to be willing to sacrifice our agenda, our interpretations, like Abraham was willing to sacrifice Ishmael or Issac, again are we going to remain divided over whether it was Ishmael or Issac when the important thing is the spiritual truth conveyed by that story.
Muslims are divided among themselves, Christians are divided among themselves, Buddhists are divided, etc., etc., holding to their particular interpretations that are usually based on literal readings or taken in context without the most important thing Allah wants for us: peace, unity, and love.
Respectfully and in His Love and Peace,
Billy
You cannot confuse Science
With God
They are the same
One entity
Different name
-
Egal Bohen
Exactly, my friend.
“If five people meet together to seek for truth, they must begin by cutting themselves free from all their own special conditions and renouncing all preconceived ideas. In order to find truth we must give up our prejudices, our own small trivial notions; an open receptive mind is essential. If our chalice is full of self, there is no room in it for the water of life. The fact that we imagine ourselves to be right and everybody else wrong is the greatest of all obstacles in the path towards unity, and unity is necessary if we would reach truth, for truth is one.
Therefore it is imperative that we should renounce our own particular prejudices and superstitions if we earnestly desire to seek the truth. Unless we make a distinction in our minds between dogma, superstition and prejudice on the one hand, and truth on the other, we cannot succeed. When we are in earnest in our search for anything we look for it everywhere. This principle we must carry out in our search for truth.
Science must be accepted. No one truth can contradict another truth. Light is good in whatsoever lamp it is burning! A rose is beautiful in whatsoever garden it may bloom! A star has the same radiance if it shines from the East or from the West. Be free from prejudice, so will you love the Sun of Truth from whatsoever point in the horizon it may arise! You will realize that if the Divine light of truth shone in Jesus Christ it also shone in Moses and in Buddha. The earnest seeker will arrive at this truth. This is what is meant by the ‘Search after Truth’.
It means, also, that we must be willing to clear away all that we have previously learned, all that would clog our steps on the way to truth; we must not shrink if necessary from beginning our education all over again. We must not allow our love for any one religion or any one personality to so blind our eyes that we become fettered by superstition! When we are freed from all these bonds, seeking with liberated minds, then shall we be able to arrive at our goal.
‘Seek the truth, the truth shall make you free.’ So shall we see the truth in all religions, for truth is in all and truth is one!” –’Abdu’l-Bahá
“Put all your beliefs into harmony with science; there can be no opposition, for truth is one. When religion, shorn of its superstitions, traditions, and unintelligent dogmas, shows its conformity with science, then will there be a great unifying, cleansing force in the world which will sweep before it all wars, disagreements, discords and struggles—and then will mankind be united in the power of the Love of God.” –’Abdu’l-Bahá
Billy
i think your words are wise…i think system should be atheist because it’s good for economy and medicine but… some rules must exist, but religions are…hmm… just are obsolete in some kind…. i believe the god but… does we peerceive him right? im catholic but i sometimes think that religion is just one HUGE conspiracy
regards (my english isn’t good…)
I admire your calm and reason!
“To deny our instincts is to deny the very thing that makes us human”, Mouse- The Matrix
“A sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading”. C.S. Lewis
What a wonderful essay! There is only one thing we must notice. In religion and science there is no heart and that is what has lead these points of view down this lonely, separate, negative and evidently destructive route. My case in point is where the world is now and that religion, politics and science have been the basis of every war ever fought. So it looks to me like these ideas really don’t work, because they are not sustaining.
Now through the science of Heart Math it has been proven that the influence of the brain and its THOUGHTS only emit a very small electromagnetic field of influence from our brains and out side the body and not within much at all (on it’s own).
BUT… the heart emits an electromagnetic field of indeterminate influence and interaction with all know levels of our existance that can be measured by science (on it’s own). Specifically through the sensitive science of Heart Math as the only attempt of this kind I know of at this time. But imagine that! The influence of the heart is on all levels and within beyond the ability to be measured!
Now imagine if they took this a step further and explored the heart and mind working together!
Now we are talking about some amazing stuff!!!! I for once can hardly wait to see it in writing what I already know and has been proven in every way in my own life.
Family, we are all a large web of interconnected family where each choice we make affects all aspects of the universal web! And we are so blessed to be apart of LIFE in all its forms! Yipppeeee!