Essay on Science without Religion is Lame, Religion Without Science is Blind : This quote "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" was given by Albert Einstein and it talks about the equality in value of both science and religion. It suggests that one is not more important than the other, nor more correct than the other. They just express different ideas. There is a common point between the both. The creation of the universe followed an order, it was not created accidentally. Religion and science in this way complement each other as the world seems too beautiful for it to be created by pure coincidence.
Essay on Science without Religion is Lame, Religion Without Science is Blind
This quote "Science without religion is lame, religion
without science is blind" was given by Albert Einstein and it talks about
the equality in value of both science and religion. It suggests that one is not
more important than the other, nor more correct than the other. They just
express different ideas. There is a common point between the both. The creation
of the universe followed an order, it was not created accidentally. Religion and
science in this way complement each other as the world seems too beautiful for
it to be created by pure coincidence. Both have different viewpoint of looking
at the world.
This quote is taken from an article titled "Science,
Philosophy and Religion, A Symposium" in 1941. In the published article,
Einstein is being philosophical and abstract in an era where non-religion and
pro-science were far less mainstream than today. The vast presence of religion
within his audience was known to Einstein and other scientists and so he being
an engineer of words; tried to speak truthfully and objectively about a highly
emotional and subjective topic without tripping wires in best possible way.
While science permits to see what is proven day to day,
religion is based upon the belief in something that cannot be seen, but
experienced. This belief is accepted by faith and spreads out because of having
heard from someone who claimed it to be true. Religion and science throughout
many years have been thought to be two rival forms of knowledge, but with time
people have realized that science and religion have been more united than they
have thought previously.
Science and religion are described as being different ways
of looking at the world that complement each other and do not contradict each
other. Both though have been in war during a long time and the conflict between
the two can be easily explained through two incidents that have occurred in
past. Galileo Galilee who was an Italian astronomer studied the planets and
stars and discovered that the earth orbited the sun, which swapped the already
existing notion of the people which suggested the earth to be the centre of the
universe. This was taught until then and the Catholic Church reacted to
Galileo's findings as they taught what the Bible said and put him to trial.
Later, however the Church realized that Galileo was true and so it apologized
but then what was done was done. This created a notion amongst people that
religion and science were in competition.
Charles Darwin, a British scientist put forward the theory
of evolution and stated that all life on the planet had evolved and living
beings adapted to the environment in which they lived. People then believed
that life was created in six days as quoted in the book of Genesis in the
Bible. As both of these ideas contradicted each other; Darwin was hugely
condemned. He explained that human beings were as important as other living
creatures while Church taught that human beings were more special than other
living creatures. These two incidents clearly depict the conflict between reason
/science and faith religion. These views have now changed and people have
accepted Darwin's theory.
In order to believe something, one needs to understand and rationalize
why it is correct. A claim when made has to be defended and demonstrated to
others in a proper understandable manner. The process of demonstration is
though a scientific task, religion comes helpful in making people rely upon
something greater in order to convert it into an acceptable faith.
Though their realms are clearly demarcated from each other,
yet there exists a strong reciprocal relationship and dependency between the
two. Religion might be the one determining the goal; it has learned the means
that contribute to the attainment of goals set up by it, from science. Science
can only be created by those who are thoroughly imbued with the aspiration
towards truth and understanding; which are feelings springing from the sphere
of religion.
The faith that belongs to this understanding believes in
possibility of rationality of the regulations valid for the existence of the
world. This rationality is comprehensible to reason. Any genuine scientist
cannot be conceived without that profound faith. This quote therefore presents
a clear picture where existence of religion or science in isolation is not
conceivable.
Science teaches us to keep an open mind, to be curious and
to ask questions. And in this quote, when Einstein said, "religion without
science is blind", he probably meant that we should not accept anything
blindly. We should be careful in reading the theories presented by religion; we
should analyze them critically, question them and look for contradictions. We
ought to see if those theories should be applied and then decide if we want to
believe or accept them.
As true science means knowing the truth and this feeling of
knowing the truth, the longing to know the truth is a derivation of religion.
Science cannot explain everything and it is also difficult to follow the blind
faith in religion. So, without the foundational faith in the universal order,
Science will not be able to function. And this universal order is maintained by
the energy of God, the almighty.
The blindness of religion without Science means that to
verify what is written in scriptures, Science is a requisite. Science
ascertains what is and does not what should be. Value judgments of all kinds
remain necessary outside of its domain. Religion, on the other hand, deals with
evaluations of human thought and action. Thus, speaking of facts and
relationships between facts is not justifiably spoken by religion.
This quote reflects upon the thought of personal development
going hand in hand with scientific progress. That is, people who strive to
understand the universe should also look to improving the character through
which the universe is experienced. Religion is the pursuit of the highest
qualities of an individual-it's a striving to improve one's thoughts, speech
and actions. It is about overcoming the smallness of individualistic and petty
thinking by cultivating a more expansive, enlightened state.
Where religion teaches you to use your faith instead of
using logic and knowledge; there science demands gaining knowledge to
understand the logic behind everything.
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