Culture and Religion

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Religion and Science

the post:

For centuries, antagonism remained between science and religion. Science and spirituality require to be fused.
Someone's comment:

 agree. Science needs to meet religion in order for mankind to progress. Niels Bohr said once "I go to Upanishads to ask questions". Sadly, in the western world people most likely never heard of the Vedic texts or the Upanishads nor are they aware of the fact that many famous scientists read these sacred ancient texts. Also, in west, "god" is of religion domain as is "spirit" which is another name for the Holy Ghost. Religion is for fools who believe without research. Not what is taught in the Upanishads. But you wont know it, unless you read it. Since these people never took time to read these texts they cannot understand the allegories in the western religion which could be deducted from the Upanishads. No worries, when the student is ready the teacher will come. Before that, the reactions you can expect from these people is one of the following: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Thanks for posting.

my reply to that comment:

Religion and science always meet - as a person's attempt to understand the universe. These are just opposing paths. When a catastrophe occurs, a person can accept the chaos of nature or instead propose there is a hidden hand at work. The implication is the chaos is actually under hidden control.
The ancients saw planets affecting the Earth. A mythology was created around these images. The religion with its 'accepted' teachings  followed to comfort those needing an explanation for the universe; when others shared a religion that was the social confirmation of its validity. They agreed 'this' is how the universe works.

Science is the endeavor by people to learn how the universe works. Though no one understood gravity, those that looked saw the Sun, Moon, planets all moved in cycles. Soon solar eclipses could be predicted, something that had been traumatic.
Perhaps nature moved by its own without everything moving individually by a hidden hand.
Science seeks to learn how the universe works.
Religion has a similar goal but in practice it fails to achieve it because it just defers to invisible actors (however many gods the particular religion describes) with no real understanding.

The irony is science can become like a religion.

when many share a belief in a scientific explanation they have  the social confirmation of its validity. Sometimes that explanation is wrong. The belief persists like a religion. The endeavor to truly understand the universe is aborted until further research overturns that mistake.

One example is leeches for blood letting, and with many other examples in cosmology.
This can be controversial but: CO2 and anthropogenic global warming is another example of a supposed consensus derailing the path to a correct explanation.

Humanity will progress when those managing their 'consensus' are held accountable for its validity.

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