Same thinkers of the present-day-world have realized that there is no essential inconsistency or conflict between the spirit of religion and that of science. Both science and religion are moving towards the same objective, namely, to find out the ultimate truth; only they are operating in two different domains and following two different paths. Man seeks the truth of the outer world of senses through science, and that of the inner world of consciousness through religion.
Science meets the physical demands of man; religion meets the spiritual craving of the human soul. Science deals with the material and the known; religion deals with the spiritual and the unknown. Science is vitally connected with the head; religion is essentially linked to the heart and the soul. Religion is the pursuit of all that is high and holy; science is the pursuit of all that is mighty, material, purposeful and useful. Stress of science is on this world; and that of religion is on other worldliness. So their scopes are different, but still they react upon each other, and place each other on a sounder and saner footing.
In the history of the world religion was the first important movement that shaped the destiny of humanity. It was the first force of human civilization. Science is the latest force upon which the destinies of humanity and civilization depend. Before the advent of science, religion had complete sway over the mind and heart of man. Some religious teachers taught that man is made up of a body and soul; but they had been silent about the intellect. Only "bread for the body and virtue for the soul" were regarded as the indispensable requisites of human welfare. Nothing was said about knowledge and education. Jesus Christ spoke much of feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and converting the sinners.
He never spoke of teaching the ignorant, and increasing scientific knowledge. Gautama Buddha also laid stress on morality, meditation and monkery, but never attached great importance to art, literature or science. St. Ambrose deprecated scientific studies, and wrote: "To discuss the nature and position of earth does not help us in our hope of the life to come"
St. Basil said, "It is not a matter of interest to us whether the earth is a sphere or cylinder or a disc." Thomas Carlyle declared, "I honour only two men and no third-the manual labourer and the religious preacher. "He forget the artist, the scholar and the scientist. The cynics of Greece despised education and intellectual pursuits, and declared that Virtue was the only Good. These unsound theories of life converted the best man and women into virtuous and holy animals; forgetting altogether that "Ignorance is brutish, and knowledge is a peculiarly human prerogative"
Before the dawn of the modern era religion dominated the lives of men. In the hey-day of religion miracle-mongering was abroad. The power of performing miracles for good and for ill was the sole mark of religious excellence. It is said that Christ raised the dead, and that the walked over the waves. It is said that Guru Nanaka squeezes blood out of a loaf of bread. Lord Krishna is reported to have subsided a tide in the yamuna by touching the waves with his infant feet.
It is said that Lord Rama touched a stone, and Ahilya Bai sprang out of it. What a miracle it was that the Pandva Queen Doropadi's saree did not come to an end while pulled by vicious minded Daryodhana! While the dazzling idea of miracles charmingly tricked the minds of the people, the advance of secular knowledge was greatly impeded. People never paid any attention to the book of nature.
Thus religion exercised a baneful influence(incluence) on the minds of the people in as much as it looked down upon any attempt to advance the physical science. Religion crushed the liberty to satisfy intellectual curiosity.
[ Part 2 ]
Science meets the physical demands of man; religion meets the spiritual craving of the human soul. Science deals with the material and the known; religion deals with the spiritual and the unknown. Science is vitally connected with the head; religion is essentially linked to the heart and the soul. Religion is the pursuit of all that is high and holy; science is the pursuit of all that is mighty, material, purposeful and useful. Stress of science is on this world; and that of religion is on other worldliness. So their scopes are different, but still they react upon each other, and place each other on a sounder and saner footing.
In the history of the world religion was the first important movement that shaped the destiny of humanity. It was the first force of human civilization. Science is the latest force upon which the destinies of humanity and civilization depend. Before the advent of science, religion had complete sway over the mind and heart of man. Some religious teachers taught that man is made up of a body and soul; but they had been silent about the intellect. Only "bread for the body and virtue for the soul" were regarded as the indispensable requisites of human welfare. Nothing was said about knowledge and education. Jesus Christ spoke much of feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and converting the sinners.
He never spoke of teaching the ignorant, and increasing scientific knowledge. Gautama Buddha also laid stress on morality, meditation and monkery, but never attached great importance to art, literature or science. St. Ambrose deprecated scientific studies, and wrote: "To discuss the nature and position of earth does not help us in our hope of the life to come"
St. Basil said, "It is not a matter of interest to us whether the earth is a sphere or cylinder or a disc." Thomas Carlyle declared, "I honour only two men and no third-the manual labourer and the religious preacher. "He forget the artist, the scholar and the scientist. The cynics of Greece despised education and intellectual pursuits, and declared that Virtue was the only Good. These unsound theories of life converted the best man and women into virtuous and holy animals; forgetting altogether that "Ignorance is brutish, and knowledge is a peculiarly human prerogative"
Before the dawn of the modern era religion dominated the lives of men. In the hey-day of religion miracle-mongering was abroad. The power of performing miracles for good and for ill was the sole mark of religious excellence. It is said that Christ raised the dead, and that the walked over the waves. It is said that Guru Nanaka squeezes blood out of a loaf of bread. Lord Krishna is reported to have subsided a tide in the yamuna by touching the waves with his infant feet.
It is said that Lord Rama touched a stone, and Ahilya Bai sprang out of it. What a miracle it was that the Pandva Queen Doropadi's saree did not come to an end while pulled by vicious minded Daryodhana! While the dazzling idea of miracles charmingly tricked the minds of the people, the advance of secular knowledge was greatly impeded. People never paid any attention to the book of nature.
Thus religion exercised a baneful influence(incluence) on the minds of the people in as much as it looked down upon any attempt to advance the physical science. Religion crushed the liberty to satisfy intellectual curiosity.
[ Part 2 ]
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