The Relationship between Science and Religion - Essay Example

?Topic:  RELIGIOUS STUDIES: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON RELIGION AND SCIENCE Essay One -How did the relationship between science and religion change in the colonial and anti-colonial (and Asian imperialist) nationalist periods in Asia and what were the socio-cultural and/or political-economic conditions of this changing relationship? Give one example from (1) the pre-nationalistic colonial period (e.g., Orientalism) and one example from (2) the nationalist period. The change in the relationship between science and religion in Asia during colonial and anti – colonial period was indeed noteworthy and remarkable. If one takes the example of India, Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism were the major religion in the country. In South Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea Buddhism was a prominent religion. The people of ancient times established religious beliefs in a scientific way rather than keeping them as separate identity. For example in India, medicine, astrology, religious rituals had a great scientific foundation to it and followed the eternal law of nature. The ancient seers and sages of India knew the scientific principle of functioning of nature and understood how the daily living of human being can be conducted by synchronizing with it. The traditional medical and astrological and occult science of India was also a part of religion and thus had an immense value and elegant position in the life of people. But with the arrival of colonialism in India, the olden traditional science and religious concepts were disregarded and insulted and uprooted from its base. Even the Chinese and other Asian countries had to fight with the English and European men to re-establish their faith in religious and scientific values. The English and European invaders believed in science, and religion did not have co-relation with their scientific principles unlike Asians. For the Europeans who invaded India and other Asian countries scientific theories and principles was core universal value. The Modern science originated internally in Europe and with the colonialism they introduced this concept in to Asian communities slowly and gradually. However these introductions provoked much complex responses in the heart of the indigenous group and national’s .But with less power to raise voice they had to suppress their anger and secretly follow their religion. In Asia, modern science is a foreign concept and they despised any foreign element in their much enriched traditional culture. In colonial periods there was an injection of Christianity in to the Asian community and low class people converted to Christians to acquire recognition and rights. It is known fact that science is not depended on faith but religion is all about faith and devotion and dependence on the seen and unseen forces of nature and divine. For example in oriental nations, during colonial period and anti- colonial period the dominant religion was Buddhism. The Buddhism is oriented towards the practice of Dhamma and awareness of consciousness and they practiced it is widely .However; the Europeans were enforcing a culture of unity which demanded one religion, one culture and one race. In case of the nationalist period, the colonialism led to the separation on various states like Pakistan and India got divided, so did the power of the culture and religion weakened. The westerners emphasized more on culture and science and somehow religion got alienated from science in the whole process. Essay Two 2.Describe and analyze the two controversies situated at the nexus of science and religion, (1) the Galileo affair and (2) the Huxley/Wilberforce debate on Darwin’s The Origin of the Species. What is at stake in the controversy in terms of the socio-cultural and/or political-economic conditions and what strategies do the protagonists employ in the struggle? Galileo affair can be explained as the conflict created due to the discoveries of Galileo about the space and earth among the community of Roman religious group .Galileo with his newly invented telescope observed the space and elaborated about the Milky Way, Jupiter and earth which stirred anxiety and disorder among the Roman religious group. Galileo was a Copernican, and his discovery that earth revolves provoked controversies against the traditional beliefs and views of Roman community and pope of Vatican. During those times, religion was a core of all activities and even science focused around religion .When Galileo invented a new idea about nature and its course he brought about denouncement to the holy office of Rome. However Galileo was a strong astronomist and went on to fight the old views of religious heads and re-established to the Roman community about the motion of earth and other aspects of planets in space. The concept of Copernicans was not accepted and abandoned by the roman religious group and Galileo was banned from publicly teachings his beliefs and ideas. The ideas and discovery of Galileo was disregarded as it was against the Aristotle‘s model of universe. Many astronomer s and philosophers of his time were utterly against his discoveries, and even refused to stay aloof from the telescope. He had to fight his way out to prove that the science has a separate entity than the Christian religious concepts and had ample proof to show his community. Darwin is the great thinker and English naturalist who established that all species had a common ancestor and has evolved to different being in a slow and progressive motion. But Darwin’s finding was a threat to Christianity and he faced with lot of controversy and negativism from the religious leaders and other noted thinkers and philosophers. The Huxley and Wilberforce debate on the Darwin’s theory is one of the famous occurrences in the history of science and this led to the acceptance to the preposition made by Darwin about the evolution of living species. This debate happened on 30 the June 1860, on the meeting of British Association at Oxford University for the purpose of advancement of science. The two protagonists who participated in the debate were Huxley and Wilber as there was great opposition to Darwin’s theory from the part of clergy men of England. The reason for opposition for Darwin’s theory was that it was unparallel to the Christian belief of divine and that the entire living creature was the explicit creation of God. Huxley initiated to support Darwin by arguing against the Anglican Bishop of Oxford; Samuel Wilberforce .Huxley was supported by friend of Darwin in his debate in favor of Darwin’s theory and later was condemned by Bishop by asking whether he was related to an ape in his grandfather or grand mother’s side. Huxley humorously responded that he would love to be connected to ape than a person who employed his faculties to ridicule the scientific reasoning in a grave manner. Here we can see the relationship of science and religion getting it own identity with the support and confidence from great thinkers and other positive personalities from the community which was blinded by faith. Essay Three 4.Describe and analyze the relationship between science and religion now emerging in the contexts of (1) the New Age health and spiritual movement (also including American Buddhism) and (2) the biological/psychological/neurological study of religion and religious experience. How do these new paradigms reconstitute the concepts of “science,” “religion,” and their relationship? In America, Buddhism is growing at a fast space. The emergence Buddhism is identifiable with a number of teaching centers and Buddhist leaders helping the people in creating awareness among them to change their lifestyle. The American society and leaders are going back to establish connection with the spiritual themes of Buddhism to have law and order in their working pattern. Buddhism emerged in India long ago, but it was recognized in US in the 19th century and its popularity grew to 170 % in those times. Recently, Dalai Lama has played a significant role in re-establishing this religion with the American contemporaries and business leaders and other celebrities prefer this religion for its well -defined spiritual principles and holistic guidelines. America is largely scientifically oriented and hence the value to the soul and human relations become really endangered in their community. Buddhism is a religion which works on duty of a person towards nature and divine and the soul. People basically enquire into religious practices which needs experimental approach rather than temples and ritual offerings. So Buddhism is a perfect religion which offers wisdom and space to be ultimately scientific but can also be practiced to enrich the soul. The important practice like meditation is what people get appealed mostly in Buddhism and it also emphasize on Non – violence and love for all beings in nature. So such peaceful principles of this religion satisfy the needs and wants of all people around the western world with a doubt. The neurological study or psychological study of religion is the evaluation of religion from the basis of human brain and this happens in the left hemisphere of the brain... In this pattern of religious study, the human cognitive process can be involved in experiencing the concept of Divine and other factors related to religion and this can be used by clinical experts to improve psychiatric therapy. The religious experience occurring in the brain can be compared to the sense of pain in the brain and method can be analyzed to bring happiness and peace in the life of modern men. People in recent times are not convinced about the concept of their religion’s ideology .So if common men find facts justifiable by cognitive operation in the brain then a new dimension can be brought about in the scientific world with the help of religion. The concept of science, religion and its relationship has been positive and stronger in the olden age among the Indian seers and Chinese Buddhist and Zen practitioners. The people in India and Asia integrated the principles and values of science with religion in such a meaning full way that the both had a wholesome and perfect outlook. It is with the colonalisation that alien principles of the West got introduced to Asian countries which created least importance and regard for value of Asian people. The Asian people were forced to think logically and scientifically and reconsider the beliefs of Asian men and this created the grounds of their long practiced culture shaking. Now we can see that in Western countries the human value and peaceful relationship case to exist but and scientific have taken over their life. Read More