Forums
I had a question for clarification about the readings. Specifically, I am referring to the following excerpts:
"Science and religion are tools to investigate reality from two different angles. Each discipline asks a fundamentally different question. Science asks: “How does the universe work?” Religion asks: “Why is there a universe and what is its purpose, and what is our purpose of existence as human beings?”... The role of science is the assessment of facts and their potential physical and social consequences. After scientists provide citizens, politicians, and other stakeholders with the facts and consequences of concern, all stakeholders must use ethical values to make policy decisions about any actions to be taken that may affect society. Values and ethics are the domain of religion."
The readings seem to present science and religion as two systems of knowledge that address separate domains but which are complementary. Somehow this perspective doesn't sit well with me. It feels a bit too fragmented.
Doesn't religion also provide us with facts and explanations of reality - certainly spiritual reality, social reality and in some cases physical reality? For example, can we not better understand how unity and trust among people is affected by backbiting? Or the effect of a kindly tongue on the hearts of men? From religion, we learn about the power of consultation, when characterized by humility, detachment and love, to discover truth. Even in the physical realm, religion teaches us about the negative effects of alcohol, drugs and smoking, of which science also provides ample explanation and evidence. Religion also tells us about the nature of the human being as a creation distinct from other animals. The human form may have evolved from primates as the theory of evolution explains, but the soul of man always existed and did not come out of evolution. These are a few examples I am thinking of that seem to push religion beyond the role of simply telling us how to use the knowledge generated by science or what the purpose of existence is.
I think this could be important because then we can start to think about how religion and the spiritual concepts it imparts might explain some of the challenges that humanity faces. Perhaps part of the explanation for the deepening environmental crisis is our inability to see ourselves as more than material beings who seek to fulfil our material desires through consumption. Perhaps it is our lack of ability to see our interconnectedness with our environment and our fellow humans that drives us to compete against one another for resources and to hoard them for fear that others' gains are one's losses. Perhaps this lack of consciousness of our oneness causes us to lose compassion for those (people and nature) who suffer from the consequences of our carelessness towards the planet.
Yes, religion is not going to explain the dynamics of the greenhouse effect, or the relative global warming potentials of different gases, or the likely warming impacts of specific levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. But maybe religion also provides us with some crucial insights about the causes of climate change.
I could be wrong in how I am thinking about this. Or perhaps I am unknowingly suggesting what the text is already saying. But thought I would share this in case others have thoughts on this.