Critical Religious Issues - Assignment Example

ISSUES IN RELIGION Student`s Name Professor Institution Date of Submission Part 6.1 Problems for the coexistence of religion and science Religion, according to sociologists refers to the belief in spiritual supreme deity who unifies a single moral community and those who adhere to him. Religious practices believe in sacred beliefs which are normally set apart and are forbidden. It is the sacred and divine nature of religion which makes it impossible for science to disturb its adherents. Hinnells, (2005) argued that the development of religion over the years has taken different cultures with some religions putting importance on belief while others put more emphasis on teachings and practices. There are a number of religious practices commonly practiced in the world according to their beliefs (Barbour, 1997). The major groupings include Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and the Chinese folk religion. As Hinnells explained, Islam is based on the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and use the Quran as their holy book which they believe it’s a revelation from God. Hinduism is a religious practice that developed in India that is based on the concepts of caste, karma, mantras and yantras. Christianity is based on the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. They believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and their Savior. Judaism originated from the people of Israel and Judea and uses the Torah, Hebrew Bible and the Talmud for their teachings (Hinnells, 2005). Science primarily is the systematic use of knowledge which has been articulated to explain important aspects that include biology, economics, chemistry and mathematics. Hinnells, (2010) discussed that scientists have over the years tried to explain the nature of man and the earth which they believe can into being as a result of evolution which took place about four billion years ago. The correlation between religion and science can be explained using the different aspects of science which include economics, violence, health law and social constructionists. The art of science, Hinnells found out, has proved that there is a negative correlation between religion and economic prosperity of a nation whereby wealthy nations tend to be less religious (Hinnells, 2010). How did the species that inhabit planet Earth come about: creation (as described in one or other scriptures) or evolution? The origin of the species that live on the earth can either be through creation or evolution. This depends on whether you take the scientific view or the religious beliefs about the origin of the earth and all that live in it (Harris, 2010). This creates two different perspectives between science and religion. There is a problem on the coexistence of religion and science on the origin of the species that inhabit the earth. This is because religious practices believe that all animals and plants in the earth were created by a supreme being. They further believe that God created the universe first and all that live on it later. They therefore, believe that God created the universe and the earth and that life only exist on earth while there is life after death in heaven. As Harris explains, this conflicts with scientific explanation that all species on the earth came into existence through evolution. Scientists believe in the existence of other planets apart from the earth which can also support life (Hinnells, 2010). How old is the planet Earth? Thousands of years (as per the Bible or perhaps other religious documents) or millions of years? The Bible does not give the age of the earth apart from the chronological account of the days of creation in which it says that God created the earth and the Universe on the first day which ended with the creation of man on the sixth day. Hinnells further states that Biblical genealogies explain that man and earth has been in existence for tens of thousands of years since their creation. However, science believes that the earth and man are billions of years old. This is because of evolution which is believed to have taken place billion years ago resulting into the evolution of the modern day man. This creates some problems between the existence of science and religion in the society (Barbour, 1997). Can the Bible’s stories be proved by history, science and archaeology? While most scientific practices have tried to explain the cause of nature, there has been insufficient knowledge to show that there is a problem between the coexistence of religion and science. According to Barbour (1997), there are similarities and contrasts between religious and scientific beliefs. The similarities exist in the cases where there are points on which the two aspects seem to agree on few topics and issues. The existence of religion and science cannot be totally separated because most scientific practices try to explain why certain religious practices are being observed by certain group of people. An important fact about religion and science is that most religious teachers in the past helped in the development of science in their attempts to understand and explain the divine and sacred nature of religion. Early scholars described science as dealing with facts and religion with faith. They accepted important truths in religion and tried to give them their own understanding (Hinnells, 2010). Barbour (1997) further argues that science and religion shared important mutual interests which serve to show that there is no problem in the coexistence of the two. This is contrary to the traditional belief that scientists have always tried to disprove religion. Religion provides the framework on which science flourishes. This is because science is not natural to mankind but based on certain assumptions which cannot be scientifically proved. Some of these assumptions are part of the religious world such as the basic law of logic and the nature of the world. This shows that religion provided the frame work in which modern science was developed (Barbour, 1997). Can religious faith cause miracles (in nature or human healings) to happen? Miracles can happen in nature or for human healings as a result of religious faith. According to (Hinnells, 2005) different religions have different believes about miracle claims resulting from their faith explaining how certain things happened or natural causes. For examples Christians believe that Jesus Christ through faith performed miracles by healing the sick, raising the death and feeding the hungry. His fasting and temptations in the wilderness is also another miracle which was only possible through faith. His death and resurrection was also another miracle that Christians believe happened because of faith. The apostles and disciples also performed miracles and healings in the name of Jesus. The sick have been healed, the deaf hear while the blind have been made to see through prayers. Hinduism have different gods who they pray to in times of needs for example the goddess of blessing, the god of peace and the god of harvest among other gods. Hinnells further explained that they turn to these gods when they are in need and their prayers are answered. These forms part of miracles which happen as a result of religious beliefs and faith. Religious practices explain that there is life after death and that people need to repent in order to meet their loved ones and enjoy life everlasting. This implies that there is sort of communication between the dead and those who are still alive and their relation with God. People have different physical visions which they use while communicating with the Supreme Being. There are many sacred sites that have been built specifically for making prayers and offering sacrifices. The Catholic Church which is the major Christian denomination has beaded Rosaries which they use while reciting prayers. Apart from that they also perform the sign of the cross whenever they are praying in the belief that their prayers will be heard (Hinnells, 2010). Can humans contact ‘God’ and learn about the future? Religious teachings explain that believers can communicate with God and by believing in Him can determine their afterlife. Different religions have different teachings on how to be in contact with God and learn about the future. Christians, for instance believe that you can talk to God through prayer. Christians and Muslims believe in life after death and it’s only through repentance and prayers that they can be able to inherit the life after in the new world which they believe is where God is. The books of religion notably the Bible and the Quran are believed to have been written with the inspiration of God. This brings out the fact that God wanted to have some contact with His believers so as they can be able to learn about the future. Do people have physical visions (e.g. of God, of the Virgin Mary, of Jesus) communicating with the ‘other side’? Religious faiths have adapted physical visions which they believe that they act as intermediaries when communicating with the Supreme Being. The use of prayer items and ornaments has always become important tools prayers in different religions as they are believed to help believers communicate with God. Most religions encourage their followers to take time in silence in order to perform their prayers. All these show that people believe that they can communicate with God (Hughes, 2007). Christians for instance, belief in the images of Jesus and other Biblical figures such the Virgin Mary while the Muslims use structures in food and objects which are believed to be religious text written in the Arabic script. However, other religious practices do not believe in the use of such physical visions. ESSAY QUESTION Contentious religious issues in Australian society Religion is a contentious issue in the Australian society that has for many years become multi-faith. This is caused by the fact that about one quarter of the Australian population was born outside the country and hence are immigrants who came along with their religious believes. According to Hughes (2007), Christianity is the largest group while Hinduism, Islam and Buddhism form the minority groups. This multi faith society has led to emergence of conflict, misunderstanding and ignorance among the different religious groups in Australia. There has been prejudice and abuse of position by leaders who should have encouraged their followers to embrace tolerance and respect other faiths (Hinnells, 2005). An important issue that has affected the Australian religious society is discrimination against other faiths. Some leaders of major religions have exercised political power and influence and discourage other minor religious practices. An example is the case in 2010 where a Christian reverend introduced a Bill in the Australian parliament seeking to ban the burqa. Early in 2013the Uniting Church Group prevented expansion of Monash Mosque in order to check the growing influence of Islam at Monash University. Hughes also explains that Christian leaders have publicly been advocating for strict measures to curb large influx of Muslim immigrants in what they term war on terror. Consequently there has been tension among Christians and Muslims in the country that threatens to destabilize the security situation of the country (Hughes, 2007). There has also been political alignment towards religious bases whereby politicians and even government officials make policies which favor their religious affiliations. Catholics and the different Protestant groups compete for recognition and dominance in the country. This issue has been so contentious that it is now out of control by the government. Over time religion has also been marginalized and suburbanized at the remote parts of the country resulting in change of the social location of religion. Hughes further states that unlike in the past when religion was a major denominational structure in engagement with government and other organizations, it has now been reduced into small congregations. This has resulted in religious groups participating in social justice demonstrations in order to be heard in the society (Hughes, 2007). There has also been emergence of a secularist bias whereby those who are not members of any religious grouping are looked down upon by the religious members of the society. Learning institutions like universities are the centre of interest between religious groups and those who think that religious organizations should no longer control social institutions. This has impacted negatively on the institutions and those who are associated with them because they are treated well by the public. It is necessary for citizens to practice tolerance and respect the views and ways of life of other people in order to bring harmony in the country (Hinnells, 2005). Another issue in the Australian society is about attendance of congregations in Churches and Mosques. Many churches are populated with older people while the younger generation is moving away from religious groupings. This affects the existence and survival of churches in future now that the society is becoming more liberal and multi faith. As Hughes (2007) explained, the risk it poses to the Australian society is the loss of morals and ethics which the children were traditionally taught from their childhood. The remedy to this problem is that it is necessary for parents to stress to their children the need of attending religious meetings and services. This will not only help them grow spiritually but also learn to be tolerant and coexist well with their neighbors (Hinnells, 2005). In conclusion, it is apparent that science and religion coexist well in the society because there are mutual interests between the two. There are aspects of religion in the various fields of science such as medicine, economics and mathematics whereby most religious leaders in the past spent most of their time teaching and trying to explain nature. As Hinnells (2005), most scientific scholars also attribute some facts to the existence of the Supreme Being who created the universe and all that inhabit it. Some Biblical stories have also been proven scientifically further underlining the fact that science and religion coexist. The multi-faith religious society in Australia faces a number of issues which threaten to cause conflict between different religious groups in the country. These contentious issues should be quickly addressed in order to have peaceful coexistence among the various religious beliefs in Australia (Hinnells, 2005). REFERENCES: Barbour, I 1997. (rev.ed.), Religion and Science, HarperCollins: San Francisco Hinnells, J (Ed) (2005), The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion, ch. 26, pp.456-472 Hinnells, J (Ed) (2010), The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion, 2nd edition, ch. 30 'Religion and science', pp.509-525. Hughes, P2007. What do the 2007 Census Figures About Religion Mean? Pointers, Vol.17, No. 3, pp. 1-6 Harris, S2010. ‘Science must destroy religion’, Huffington Post, www.huffingtonpost.com/sam harris/science-must-destroy-religion_b_13153.html Read More

As Harris explains, this conflicts with scientific explanation that all species on the earth came into existence through evolution. Scientists believe in the existence of other planets apart from the earth which can also support life (Hinnells, 2010). How old is the planet Earth? Thousands of years (as per the Bible or perhaps other religious documents) or millions of years? The Bible does not give the age of the earth apart from the chronological account of the days of creation in which it says that God created the earth and the Universe on the first day which ended with the creation of man on the sixth day.

Hinnells further states that Biblical genealogies explain that man and earth has been in existence for tens of thousands of years since their creation. However, science believes that the earth and man are billions of years old. This is because of evolution which is believed to have taken place billion years ago resulting into the evolution of the modern day man. This creates some problems between the existence of science and religion in the society (Barbour, 1997). Can the Bible’s stories be proved by history, science and archaeology?

While most scientific practices have tried to explain the cause of nature, there has been insufficient knowledge to show that there is a problem between the coexistence of religion and science. According to Barbour (1997), there are similarities and contrasts between religious and scientific beliefs. The similarities exist in the cases where there are points on which the two aspects seem to agree on few topics and issues. The existence of religion and science cannot be totally separated because most scientific practices try to explain why certain religious practices are being observed by certain group of people.

An important fact about religion and science is that most religious teachers in the past helped in the development of science in their attempts to understand and explain the divine and sacred nature of religion. Early scholars described science as dealing with facts and religion with faith. They accepted important truths in religion and tried to give them their own understanding (Hinnells, 2010). Barbour (1997) further argues that science and religion shared important mutual interests which serve to show that there is no problem in the coexistence of the two.

This is contrary to the traditional belief that scientists have always tried to disprove religion. Religion provides the framework on which science flourishes. This is because science is not natural to mankind but based on certain assumptions which cannot be scientifically proved. Some of these assumptions are part of the religious world such as the basic law of logic and the nature of the world. This shows that religion provided the frame work in which modern science was developed (Barbour, 1997).

Can religious faith cause miracles (in nature or human healings) to happen? Miracles can happen in nature or for human healings as a result of religious faith. According to (Hinnells, 2005) different religions have different believes about miracle claims resulting from their faith explaining how certain things happened or natural causes. For examples Christians believe that Jesus Christ through faith performed miracles by healing the sick, raising the death and feeding the hungry. His fasting and temptations in the wilderness is also another miracle which was only possible through faith.

His death and resurrection was also another miracle that Christians believe happened because of faith. The apostles and disciples also performed miracles and healings in the name of Jesus. The sick have been healed, the deaf hear while the blind have been made to see through prayers. Hinduism have different gods who they pray to in times of needs for example the goddess of blessing, the god of peace and the god of harvest among other gods. Hinnells further explained that they turn to these gods when they are in need and their prayers are answered.

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