The Marriage Of Science And Religion

"Scientists seek the lawfulness of events.
It is the task of Religion to fit man into this lawfulness."

Frank Herbert

I came across this excellent quote while re-reading Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece,'Dune'.I have written about the conflict between science and religion before.I have decided to revisit the topic,here,with another post.

First off,I consider myself a Christian.Secondly,I love science.I see no conflict.I,however,am not naive enough to assume that everyone else believes the same as I do.From agnostics that shout that there is no place in human evolution for religion,to the religious ignoring science based facts,I know that there are groups on both sides of these issues that see no common ground.

My guess is that for most people the conflict between the earthly and the divine/the proven and the hoped for,is an on going issue.I know it is for me.While I feel blessed to have been born and raised Christian,the conflict between what is science and what is religion rages on inside me.

As a daily reader of The Bible,I know that studying this living,breathing 'Word Of God' is just the tip of the iceberg of knowledge.Debates on it authenticity-alone-fill volumes of books and discussions.To me,the real truth of these canticles is the debate that they inspire.What is truth?Justice?Right?Wrong?

The Bible opens my mind to further debate and opinions.The truth can be found in music,love,poetry:any place I care to look.But,like everyone else,the answers I find,must suit my nature;must{if I am truthful} answer to my soul;to exactly who I am.

Thus,in searching for the essence of my being,The Bible-far from being my only source of knowledge-ends up being more correctly-like an appendix and/or index that I can always cross reference.It becomes-as science would say-my 'control group'.

Because in essence,I am a scientist.I love facts and figures.I am inspired to try and figure things out.That is why I like the book of 'Romans' so much.It is a step by step analyst of why Jesus matters(that it took me until my sixth time reading of it,to get this point is a lesson in itself).'Romans' did not hook me by faith,hope or love,but,rather,by cold-hard explanation.

It appealed to the scientist in me.Because I like science.

In my opinion,when man officially became man,it was not distinguished by either the touch of God or the leap from monkey unto man,but by the effect this moment caused on man>the ability to wonder>the ability to reason.

To me,what makes man man is not his ability to create tools so much as his need to wonder.How did I get here?Who made the stars?Why?Why?Why?

A question after man created the club that probably was almost as pertinent as,'what do I kill?' was probably,'What don't I kill?'(Unless this moral issue was already decided before hand-then,the club might have been invented simply as a means to defend).

Either way,right and wrong quickly became a quintessentially human issue.Those whom did wrong-probably because survival depended on these perceptions-were ostracized:good and evil were born.

Science and religion(as they still are today)became intertwined:build me a weapon and give me a reason to use it.

That neither science nor faith were exact was not the point.Cause and effect had to be addressed.'We did everything right,yet our crops failed.We were gentle,peaceful farmers,yet enemies came and raped our women.

Also,unexplained positive forces had to be addressed.Lighting that started fire.Rain that came unexpectedly during drought...how could this have happened?

Lacking both the knowledge and the understanding,mankind took on some assumptions.One must had been that,'There are powers beyond us at work here.'

Addressing the,'Why?'both science and religion were born.

In contemplating this post I asked myself where would man be if he never developed religion?While there were many 'near' universal truths,the only firm truth that I could come up with is that mankind has always and in almost all forms always believed that fire burns.

[Some nears misses are:there is always night and day;with water you get wet;everyone dies.]

Mankind,being the social animals that we are,had to adjust our thinking to social laws that would develop a survival rate acceptable to the tribe...ie form laws of social conduct.Laws were easier to enforce via power,or threat of punishment.

The individual was subject to the will of the whole.I.E.The whole became greater than the individual.Whether real or imagined,[Man]Gods were created.Real or imagined suddenly,there was a glue to hold a people together.

So,to dismiss religion into man's development is simply ludicrous.

But to discount science is to be equally so.

The power over people's lives without moral clarity can lead to corruption of ideals.Proven facts are needed to extinguish the flame of prejudice,ignorance and arrogance.

Thus,the marriage of Science and religion.

As an example,let's take on the issue of abortion.The moral high-ground on the issue was equally divided for and against it.On one side was the moral obligation to the mother.On the other side of the coin were the proponents of the value of life of the fetus/child.

It was science that ultimately turned the tide of public opinion against the procedure.Science grayed the issue by finding the technology to save younger and younger premature babies outside of the womb.It was science that exposed the fetus as a nearly fully formed child inside the womb sucking it's thumb.

Only science oriented people that refused to believe their own scientific data remained 100% pro-abortion.Abortion became an issue cleverly debated:Mother's rights vs. life itself.

Science gave the evidence,but it could not be the moral arbitrator.

Now,I am not saying that it will be religion that will resolve this issue.Debate should be waged on both sides of the issue.What I am stating is the moral equivalent to religion-the legal arbitrators of the law-will prevail...in fact..already have.

The obligation to social justice is inbreed into human beings.Perhaps,religion with God as the supreme being,will someday evolve out of the human experience,but as a Christian,I don't believe that this world will soon lose any of it's major religions.In fact,I believe just the opposite will be true.

But as a scientist,I hope that there continue to be those outside the faith that push us inside of it to reach for the greater good,the better value of human existence,the higher truth.The holier love.

After all...isn't that the goal of all great marriages?