Life Arising
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There has always been antagonism between science and religion. From ancient times religious authority figures such as shaman and medicine men sought to exert spiritual power over their followers alienating the people; there has frequently been a reaction against religion. In addition, today many people have difficulty understanding science. The intersection between religion and science can be contentious.
Science
After the life and teachings of Jesus, religion dominated society for centuries while science languished. This domination was so complete there was an inevitable reaction to the stifling overbearing church; this reaction period was the Reformation, which started in 1517 with Martin Luther; as a result of this change the religious monopoly of the Catholic Church decreased. Starting between the 14th and the 16th centuries the Renaissance brought science into the ascendency; both of these trends resulted in bringing science into the foreground and relegating religion to the background of social awareness. Since then science has held the upper hand to the extent that today religion holds a minor place in the everyday life of many people; our society is largely secular, ignoring God.[1]
Science is more a process than a collection of facts. Science is all about a procedure for forming a hypothesis and then testing it: validating or disproving it; this is what people need to know because science rarely proclaims truth. It instead seeks to identify the most probable explanation for a given observation. If other facts become apparent the conclusions will be changed. Science is a process. [2]
Science has progressed so much it has left the majority of our citizens behind. We daily utilize technological products we cannot fully understand. Science has improved things to the degree that virtually nobody understands these marvelous gadgets, to our detriment. Someday this mixture of ignorance and technological power will blow up in our face.[3]
Science, for all its intellectual acumen, does have limits. Science deals with provable facts: it notes the various properties of physical objects and uses this information to make deductions about the object. Science is a procedure of forming hypothesis and testing them to arrive at new information. As long as science remains within its area of exploration it functions admirably. A problem arises when it ventures outside its working area, such as when it seeks to explain the beginning of the universe, explain creation without recognizing a creator. The scientist who conducts these studies may indeed be a religious person but this should not color the scientific work. By strictly staying within the bounds of science, it can never detect the sole uncaused cause of all creation, God. Science by itself is incomplete.
Modern religion
Today religion has become splintered and dogmatized. Dependence upon dogma endangers the moral freedom and spiritual liberty of those under its spell; they become a slave to religious authority.[4] Slavery to dogma stifles originality and tends to minimize personal experiences because they may not conform to a specific dogma.
Dogmatic religions also have difficulty adapting to social changes because of their inflexible traditions, while the true religion of Jesus, the religion of living experience, has no difficulty with social changes.[5]
While the religion of the mind, which follows theological authority, requires little from its adherents other than blind following; the religion of the spirit means effort, struggle, conflict, faith, determination, love, loyalty, and progress. (Urantia Book 1729.6) The religion of the spirit yields an intimate connection between the individual and the creator of all things and beings. Traditional religion is the safe comfortable way; the religion of the spirit though difficult and strenuous, yields a profound relationship with God.
Both science and religion seek to understand our world, but they utilize different tools. Science analyzes matter, determines facts while religion looks at things from a spiritual point of view; religion seeks values. Each is entirely valid in its own realm.
Both science and religion are necessary to arrive at a full understanding of realty. Science measures the material world, determines the facts while religion evaluates this world, giving it meaning, giving us an awareness of value.[6] Philosophy coordinates them thus enabling us to become somewhat conscious of true reality.
Religion can be taken to extremes breeding fanaticism and ecstatic reactions if overindulged in. One function of science is to purify religion of these excesses.[7] We need a balanced approach to life.
Evolution
Evolution has been a contentious issue between science and religion. From the scientific viewpoint evolution fits the facts. It unifies biology by accounting for both the unity and diversity of life and for the remarkable adaptations of organisms to their environments.[8] Evolution can also be compatible with religion because it would be simpler for our creator to create a process for the appearance of the various organisms, called evolution, rather than to create each one separately. That reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw once: “In the beginning God created—Evolution.”
Both religion and science have a vital role to play and each has an important place in a well-balanced society. One goal of religion is to enhance the relationship between the individual and God. Religion is concerned with the spiritual realm while science is concerned with the material realm. Because they deal with different portions of reality there should be no conflict between them.[9]
Evolutionary religion was built up over time starting with the most primitive of humans and their many fears. This changed gradually as a result of various people of faith; this is depicted in the Bible, Old Testament. And this sacred heritage of animal ascent, evolutionary religion, must ever continue to be refined and ennobled by the continuous censorship of revealed religion and by the fiery furnace of genuine science. (Urantia Book 1006.7)
In the final analysis the outcome is certain: the true religion of Jesus will triumph over secularism.[10] Our creator who is our father and our brother will not fail. So the question becomes will you follow truth and eternal value or falsehood, innuendos and lies? The eternal future of each of us hangs in the balance.
Further Reading
“Light of Truth: Anticipating the Triumph of Righteousness”
Chapter 5 – Society
Urantia Book
There is a lot about science, for example:
Paper 41 Physical Aspects of the Local Universe
Paper 42 Energy – Mind and Matter
And certainly a lot about religion, just a few:
Paper 92 The Later Evolution of Religion
Paper 100 Religion in Human Experience
Paper 103 The Reality of Religious Experience
Paper 196 The Faith of Jesus
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All references are to The Urantia Book unless stated otherwise. The number refers to the single column version in the format page.paragraph; 2081.3 ↑
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“The Demon-Haunted World – Science as a Candle in the Dark” by Carl Sagan, Ballantine Books, New York, 1996, p 22 ↑
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Sagan p 26 ↑
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1458.1 ↑
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1088.1 ↑
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1122.1 ↑
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1088.8 ↑
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Jane Reece in “Biology” Eighth Edition by Neil A. Campbell, Jane B Reece et.al; Pearson Benjamin Cummings; San Francisco; 2008; p vii ↑
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2078.5 ↑
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2075.3 ↑