Religion and Science

The basic premise I will attempt to express in this post is that science's positives are obvious, while its negatives are shrouded and that religions positives are shrouded, while its negatives are obvious. To begin it is necessary to give some sort of definition of what science and religion do. Science is the study of what happens in the material universe by dissecting it and probing it. Religion seeks answers to truths hidden by the obscurity of existence. In their very nature they display the qualities of what they seek and do. This is not to discuss scientists like Einstein and Darwin, but typical scientists, those whose names don't line history books or only do so for people who study a particular field. The former are more of mathematical and logical philosophers than scientists from this author's point of view. Scientists are the ones who send a rocket to the moon, who trace the path of the Higgs boson, who invent complicated MRI machines. They discover what the universe consists of and how we can harness its energy and structure to our advantage (or perceived advantage). These advantages of science are right in front of us, we drive cars, run A/Cs, and store food in refrigerators. But, what about the use of resources on Earth, what about the standard of living that knows no bounds, what about the unimaginable carnage of war. There is something that drives human beings, science can attempt to address such a complex issue, but inevitably fails because of the mindset behind science. The mindset is we can create enough tools to eventually conquer nature herself (think about the desire for immortality through medicine--to fight disease until it is eradicated, predators until they are gone, illnesses until they can be cured, old age until we live longer and longer). The problem with religion is obvious, it can blind people to not see other's points of view, to separate humanity from the animals and other humans, and fool people into false (and potentially harmful) beliefs. But it also has the potential to answer the question of what drives humanity. It can lead us to appreciate what we have and not want more, to believe in other people, and to live in harmony. Science is a powerful tool and religion a powerful drug--if we make the drug so that we increase our happiness and use the tool to enhance that happiness, science and religion can work together to create a more unified and holistic world. That we have power over the world comes not just from our minds and bodies, but from our hearts and souls. Thus, religion is just as important, if not more than science, for we can take all of the coal from this Earth, but eventually it will run out. Only the unseen energy of our life force, where our being comes from, is destined to last.