Faith and science in harmony

What is needed is dialogue between science and religion as each can provide rich insights into reality which is integrated in nature.

WE need to view reality holistically. Many problems today require solutions that are multidisciplinary in nature, and these solutions require looking at ethics and values which often lie outside of the scope of the field being looked at.

The demise of the once "dependable" stands of positivism and materialism is making us ask the very raison d'etre of just about everything that we do and what we stand for.

Such a statement may be dismissed as mere rhetoric in the past, but with the conditions prevailing today where complete annihilation is not only possible but is a constant real threat, perhaps the meaning of the statement can be taken quite literally.

One way towards achieving this coherence is by harmonising religious and scientific knowledge so that we might understand the ultimate source and meaning of life itself. The role of such a worldview would then be the basis for solving current problems, as in social, economic and environmental issues.

An active ingredient in such a worldview is the dialogue between two of the greatest cultural forces of mankind i.e. science and religion. Alfred North Whitehead, a renowned English philosopher and mathematician (1861-1947), said that the future of mankind depends on what we make of the relationship between these two disciplines.

In Islamic history such a statement was not verbalised because it was already the norm to harmonise the two. As soon as the Quran commanded man to "Read" [Read in the Name of your Lord, who has created all that exists, He has created man from a clot … who has taught man by the pen … (Quran: al-Alq)], science became a systematic search for truth to understand nature which contains signs from God and as a means by which to prosper in this life.

Balance and homeostasis was part and parcel of that science as the Quran sets out the limits and guidance in the acquisition and use of this scientific knowledge as manifested socially, economically and other fields of knowledge and life.

However in the modern era, due to a separatist outlook between science and religion since the Enlightenment period, modern society is under the impression that it is basically faced with two types of belief systems or cultures which are seen to be in conflict with one another. Religious culture is said to be based on revelation which is at best inspirational while the scientific is reasonable and empirical.

It can be argued that it is the confrontation or troubled relations between adherents of the two cultures that underlie many of the crises that we face today.

What is needed is dialogue between science and religion as each can provide rich insights into reality which is integrated in nature.

This dialogue can operate via reason and logic and its end is to enable us to reevaluate our established conventional interpretations of our beliefs and ideologies, which translates into our policies and actions.

As Malaysia gears up its efforts to enhance its science and technology capacities, it is imperative that science receives support from the social and human sciences and the religious dimension is especially of relevance.

Dialogue is critical because the prevailing view is that science and religion have nothing to do with each other. There is however overwhelming evidence today which shows that this misperception is due to a misunderstanding on the part of theologians of what science is and misapplications of scientific ideas by well-meaning scientists in religious discourse.

A classic example was when Galileo was attacked by the religious community for putting forth his theory of the solar system which contravened the theological view of the geocentric universe.

Some theologians also argue that religious questions arise in the realm of selfhood and not in the impersonal objectivity of scientific studies. Religious issues are of ultimate concern and value and require a type of personal involvement very different from the detached objective attitude of the scientist.

Separation has also been argued on the grounds that science provides technical knowledge of a specialised kind, whereas religion gives a total philosophy of life.

Based on such a separatist attitude we are then supposed to be content with a plurality of unrelated cultures/languages of science and religion.

For Muslims who have seen the decline of science in the past 800 years, the reliving the unity of science and religion, of facts and values of knowledge and technology with ethics is part of the quest for the tajdid (renewal) of the ummah today.

Several decades ago the goal of Muslim scholars was to emulate the Golden Age especially in Andalusia when science in Islamic civilisation was at the forefront of human knowledge in all areas of science. Today, however, this task is even more critical in a global context in the light of the moral crises faced in critical facets of modern life.

Much as technology is giving us more and more potential to improve our lives, it too bears the potential of aiding moral distruction and that harmonising science and religion in the Islamic context can be of benefit to everyone, not just Muslims.

Bringing science and religion together is a first requirement because we need to overcome a major intellectual problem of our age i.e. the problem of the compartmentalisation of knowledge which is mirrored in our weakness in practising team-building or enacting the team spirit when problems require the efforts of more than one ministry/agency/department, for example.

In the Surah al-'Araf the Prophet Musa A.S. desired to "see" God but was "shown" why and how he could not do so after the mountain of Thursina broke to pieces when God revealed His Glory to it.

For the believer/mukmin, to know what he is, where he is from, where or what his destination is, and how is he to live in this world are questions that certainly require him to know science and religion.

Could it be that such a person will then be prepared to be, by conventional standards at least, a "good citizen" of the nation or the planet whilst in the context of his belief system he would be covering the needs of this and the next world at the same time?

Read More @ Source

More » Bonology.com | Pakatan Rakyat (PR) | Sociopolitics Plus | 大马社会政治