Religion and Science

Another eternal debate. Some would think that the schism that separates these two is unbridgeable. I believe, however, as does Rollo May, that they are more alike than different. "philosophy may be a flight from reality into a harmonious 'system' as a protection from the anxiety and disharmonies of day-to-day life or it may be a courageous endeavor to understand reality better. Science may be used as a rigid, dogmatic faith by which one escapes emotional insecurity and doubt, or it may be an open-minded search for new truth." (from Man's Search for Himself, a truly excellent book).

The question should not be which is right or wrong, but what they can both bring us to enrich our lives. Each has their place in society, and believing in one does not negate belief in the other. We should not fall prey to the "God of the Gaps," either. This is the belief that God is responsible for all that science cannot explain. As science explains more and more, God is responsible for less and less until he finally disappears. Perhaps this is why Nietzsche stated that God is dead.

I agree that each of these things has their own place "and never the twain shall meet." If we try to explain mysticism scientifically, not only are we taking away from the mysticism itself (in that it is not a valid system unless it can be backed up empirically) but we are bastardizing the scientific process. However, merely exploring the realm of the objective world without our own personal subjectivity (which is the goal of science, and a worthy endeavor) is not enough. To be whole, integrated beings we must be students of ourselves. We must study the self in a way that is not sterile as is done by scientists.

What do we stand to gain from self-consciousness (and I am not speaking of it in the negative)? "The greater a person's awareness of himself, the more he can acquire the wisdom of his fathers to make it his own." (Rollo May, Man's Search for Himself)

ps. For those concerned by the lack of posts, I am still continuing with my "studies." My feeling is that if I have nothing worthwhile to say, I shouldn't talk about things that are not worthwhile. But I will still try to post at least once a week.

"How vain it is to sit down to write when one has not stood up to live." -Thoreau