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Monday, July 09, 2012

The Twins: Science and Religion

Science and Religion were born together as intelligent beings viewed with awe the universe of creation.

Science attempts to understand the universe in certain ways, and employs theories to order its findings. When theories are no longer adequate to explain the universe, there is a paradigm shift, and theories are changed to reflect the new understanding.

The Religion of Our Age, by which I mean Organized Religion of the most recent times, also is an effort  by intelligent beings to understand the universe in certain ways, and employs theories, doctrines, and teachings to order its findings.
However, when theories and doctrines are no longer adequate to explain the universe, paradigm shift is forbidden; the old understandings are reinforced and people are coerced to belief: there is a shift to Fundamentalism, with the underlying doctrine that the present lack of efficacy of religion is due to deviation from some perfect standard and scenario of what religion "really" was in the past.

Coming off the 20th Century and the early 21st Century, I believe it to be obvious that the Religion of Our Age, while remaining efficient for individuals, has lost any efficacy for any but the smallest groups. (One reason being groups required a "smoothing down" of rough edges of belief in order that the group be unanimous in its doctrinal purity - something an individual may live with without ever changing.)

Like it or not, Religion is a process: God evolves in our understanding.
Paradigms will shift.
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(Intense studies and writings - Mishnah, for example -are the closest thing to Science in Religion, but the students of these are akin to Galileo in their acceptance within Organized Religion...  or remember Father Hans Kung of the RC Catholic Church.)






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