An approach to understand science and religion

 Purpose governs human life from start to finish. Religion provides this purpose by giving people something to hold on to in a fast-paced and changing world. The substratum of religion was science and logic. For example, reading the Quran five times a day was initiated to bring about more peace because everyone needed to forsake violence during the Salah. Fasting and penance practiced since time immemorial in several religions are now recognized by science as a way to detoxify our body.

More often than not, religion and science are thought to be contradictory when they can and have co-existed beautifully for aeons. Science believes in order and practicality related to our surroundings and daily processes while religion believes in the one who maintains that order and carries out the processes. As we can see, these two beliefs are not very distant. This provides the base for the thought that the boundaries between religion and science can sometimes become a bit blurry. Something like meditation for instance has spiritual aspects to it as well as scientific results and applications. It is regarded as one of the best ways to search deeper within oneself and reflect on the lives we lead. Same with practices like yoga, medicine, and other traditional systems that were passed down verbally from one generation to the next.

“Religion is flawed, but only because man is flawed. Science tells me God must exist. My mind tells me I will never understand God. And my heart tells me I am not meant to.”

The above quote was said by renowned author Dan Brown. A major takeaway from what he said is “Science tells me God must exist” which is in fact an absolute statement on its own. The order that science so stubbornly believes in but fails to explain is proof of this. Every minute detail about the universe has been seamlessly blended and sewn into the plane of our existence by a force or power greater than we can fathom and not only was this order brought about but is also maintained flawlessly. Truly, science as a concrete structure asserts the existence of what we call God.

Religion with understanding and faith is completely separate from religion with authority- the former being a free-flowing concept as transparent as water and the latter being a congested and compartmentalised way to achieve power and oppress the masses. When people talk of religion and science being at odds, they compare authoritative religion full of dogmas, discrimination, and blind beliefs with a system that governs all equally. For most of recorded history, authoritative religion has predominantly prevailed. It still exists today and has evolved and mutated to become more demanding and impractical whereas science had to fight and tear down the misconceptions and compartments of false beliefs rooted in evil. This may give rise to the question ‘Why not do away with either religion or science completely then?’ The answer to this was given long ago by a master of the sciences Albert Einstein in his book ‘Science and Religion’ where he said “Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind”.

Science and religion are harmonious in the same way that a single tune on two different octaves is. They are sounds on different frequencies that can vibrate and reach a single point. This point is what religion classifies as salvation. It’s a concept explained variously by various learned preachers but is ultimately something far greater than the human mind can absorb and perceive,  a concept that can simultaneously make us feel larger than life as well as grounded- a feeling similar to floating in elation and being amazed at the intricacies of the universe. Maybe religion is a gateway into science or science a portal into religion.