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Why The Baháʼí Faith teaches science and religion belong in harmony
Science and religion need not conflict. Baháʼí teachings show how together they help humanity understand both the physical world and its deeper meaning through reason, observation and faith.
By Sarah Haug | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
“Religion and science are the two wings upon which man’s intelligence [and] the human soul can progress … Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism.” — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, “The Unity of Religion and Science”
In the modern world, very often religion and science are seen as residing at opposite ends of a spectrum of knowledge, forever irreconcilable. It hasn’t always been that way, however, and doesn’t have to be. Throughout history, with the coming of each new Manifestation of God, humanity has flourished intellectually even as it has grown spiritually.
Reason, logic and observation are in no way new capabilities. Each revelation from God increased human knowledge and further advanced our understanding of the way the world works — both materially and spiritually.
At its base, science is a tool that allows us to systematically observe physical processes, represent them abstractly and then test those abstract representations to see if they are accurate and coincide with the observable universe in a manner that can be duplicated by other people in other parts of the planet.
Observing physical processes vs. finding meaning
In other words, science is an ongoing process that helps us understand the physical world. Religion, on the other hand, is the means for understanding the spiritual world. Religion is about meaning, something about which science has nothing to say and can never have anything to say.
“Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore, it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive …,” said ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from “The Promulgation of Universal Peace,” adding in a separate section, “Science is the first emanation from God toward man. All created things embody the potentiality of material perfection, but the power of intellectual investigation and scientific acquisition is a higher virtue specialized to man alone.”
Man can understand both science and religion
God gave us the ability to use our intellect and insight to learn about both these aspects of reality. That is the reason for one of the fundamental principles of the Baha’i Faith, the “Independent Investigation of Truth.”
If there is contradiction between our religious and scientific beliefs, then it is our job to figure out why that is and find a way to reconcile the two without compromising either.
As the above quote states, science and religion must be in harmony or one is in error. The assertion that one or the other has all of the answers leads only to fundamentalism and is a sure pathway to division and disunity.
“Religion and science are intertwined with each other and cannot be separated. These are the two wings with which humanity must fly. One wing is not enough.” — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
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