Author – Likhitha Krishnan
I read religious scriptures for spiritual guidance in life, while I admire science for its innovativeness in providing comfort to mankind. The recent upheavals caused by the BJP government due to its claims to science being a part of Hindu Mythology provoked me to write this article intertwined with subjects that excite me.
Religion has left an indelible mark in India’s yore; yet its diversity demanded secularism. In the 20th Century, wings of science spread through the country, creating new history. But which was born first, science or religion? A disputable question isn’t it? The assertion of religion that god created man contradicts with the affirmation of science that man descended from monkey. This query illustrates the notion that science and religion are incompatible.
Consider this; when the primitive man from his cave, saw the heavy downpour, he must have wondered how this massive amount of water could go up first in air and come down in this way, sometimes accompanied with deafening thunders and dazzling lightning. Unable to comprehend the mystery and assign a reasonable cause, he invented a god, hailing him/her to be responsible for all the unfathomable wonders around him.
As professed in public, the heart of religion is tolerance and mutual understanding. Unfortunately, it is this tolerance that religious devotees seem to lack. Do various religious communities in India live in harmony? Regular outbreaks of violence in the name of God as Krishna or Allah or Jesus clearly shows intolerance. What should have brought solace and consolation for troubled people has become the major cause for despair and disaster?
Hinduism as commonly perceived is not a religion in its true sense, but a way of life. This faith declares a man is free to act, but once he acts, he cannot escape the consequences, good or bad. Therefore, his ‘karma’ is the root cause for all his pleasure or pain. If that is the case, where does the concept of god fit in? God manifests to relieve humanity from this vicious cycle of birth and death. The aim of a human life is to reach the lotus feet of Lord Krishna as revealed by the Lord himself in the 11th chapter of Srimad Bhagavad Gita.
On the contrary, scientific reasoning succeeds in explaining “what happens” for some phenomenon but not ‘why’. For instance, Newton figured out that planets attract each other to revolve in orbits, but didn’t clarify on ‘why?’
Hence, science and religion are not inimical with each other, but rather are intertwined and are essential for society’s welfare. There’s a long path ahead for us, both in the fields of science and religion. Science submits the theory it postulates to experimental verification, while religion rests on implicit faith. In India, attaching equal importance while respecting the other with tolerance and moving on with motto ‘Science with a religious vision and religion with scientific temper’ could bring both science and religion at some point in future!
Article on Science and Religion is just okay.
I am happy to note that you read my article. Thank You. kindly apprise me on what made you feel that it is just okay.
The crux of the article is artistic with proportionate blend of Scientific and Religious aspects. It has addressed the issue of harmony between these dominant pillars of India’s structured society with rational reasoning that calls for a second thought at our everyday outlook.
It elates me to see you grasping the inner meaning of the actual article. The whole article is intended to convey one thing: HARMONY between SCIENCE and RELIGION.
Nice post! I feel that incompatibility is not there-coz even if men evolved 4m monkeys ultimately God only created them isn’t it?! 🙂
Thank you Amrita for mentioning your doubt. According to science, concept of god is never propagated and it insists on providing experimental justification for all activities, including the creation of monkeys.
Insightful article! well science never meant that monkeys were created by god, proteins and biological matter lead to life on earth.
It is good you comprehended the complexities in the article that made you find it insightful. Thank You for the clarification you gave regarding science evolution.
Good attempt to compare both science and religion.Religion is just man made & depends on ‘belief’ ,but science is proof for what,how,why the things happen…
religion includes science but no religion is in science
In the article there is something about ‘karma’.
what actually it is??
‘Karma’ is the sum of a person’s previous and present actions, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. This concept is primarily propagated in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Then what about small children suffering with dreadful diseases….what’s their past life?
What about the some famous persons who did some crimes and made their life without any difficulties?
According to Bhagavad Gita any human born on this earth will be subjected to the result of his/her past actions. If those actions committed in the past are good, the result they enjoy is good; else they repay in the form of sufferings in the present. All those situations you mentioned are a manifestation of the same concept.
When it comes to science as I described, it resolves on ‘how’ and ‘what’ but not ‘why’.