Science and religion are partners: Dan Brown

[V.Balasubramani]

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Science and religion are partners: Dan Brown

Of course, Dan Brown’s Penguin Annual Lecture 2014 was bursting at the seams

Of course it was a full house. In the country to deliver Penguin’s Annual Lecture 2014 in New Delhi, controversial and bestselling author Dan Brown ensured the city turned up in large numbers.
Mr. Brown proved less than five minutes into the lecture that he speaks like he writes — each word gripping and intelligent.

Titled ‘Codes, Science and Religion’, Mr. Brown’s lecture began with an insight into the author’s childhood. Growing up with a deeply religious mother and a passionately scientific-minded father, Mr. Brown said, holding up the old number plates from his mother’s and his father’s cars (KYRIE and METRIC), the age old battle between science and religion was squaring off right in his garage.

Punctuating the lecture with anecdotes, Mr. Brown spoke on the differences, and ultimately similarities, between science and religion.

“Science and religion are partners. They are two different languages telling the same story... While science dwells on the answers, religion savours the questions.” The question, Mr. Brown added, was how to become modern, scientific-minded people without losing on religion.

Read more at: Science and religion are partners: Dan Brown - The Hindu

 

[renuka]

Dear Bala Sir,

The concept of Science and Religion being partners isn't fully alien to humanity.

I think this concept had always existed in Hinduism..it is Abrahamic religions that see Science and Religion as opposing each other( sadly this trend is also infecting Hindus these days)

After all the ancient Rishis themselves were pioneers in the field of mathematics,medical science,astronomy etc.

From what I have understood about Science and Religion being partners(correct me if I am wrong) is that Science and Religion are partners that are at the either end of the spectrum but not entirely divorced yet connected for specific and different purposes.

Science deals with the known..the knowable and which can be evidence based.

Science deals the happenings of the gross world and it can transmitted as documented data.

Science is also discovering..which starts off as a hypothesis and it finally proved right or wrong and is subject to change with new advancements.

Now coming to Religion..firstly when I use the word Religion I am not talking about any hard core dogmatic philosophy becos any hard core dogmatic philosophy is static information in my opinion.

Static in the sense that it is a closed topic with no scope for any understanding.

Religion in the real sense is the dance of the divine..the feeling of Being.

Religion deals with..the unknown..the unknowable yet able to be experienced.

Religion deals with beyond the subtle aspects of life and existence.

Now coming to the OP where Dan Brown says that Science dwells on Answers and Religion savours the Answers..I beg to differ.

The reason is Dan Brown could be speaking from a Christian perspective..where duality still exists.

In Hinduism religion is all about going beyond Duality and in such a state there are no Questions or Answers.

The final state of religion is an experience which is Anirvachaniyam which means "indefinable..inexplicable..beyond expression and words''..so when no words exists there are no answers either.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

Doctor Mam,

IMO since Religion and Science are defined as complimentary and compatible may be termed as partners.

In this regard I would like to share an extract wherein Swamy Vivekananda says that Religion and Science are complimentary.

New Understanding of Religion: One of the most significant contributions of Swami Vivekananda to the modern world is his interpretation of religion as a universal experience of transcendent Reality, common to all humanity. Swamiji met the challenge of modern science by showing that religion is as scientific as science itself; religion is the ‘science of consciousnesses. As such, religion and science are not contradictory to each other but are complementary.

Source: SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, LIFE AND TEACHINGS

Science and religion are complementary to each other

Many people believe that Science and Religion are contrary to each other. But this notation is wrong. As a matter of fact, both are complementary to each other. The aim of both these institutions is to explain different aspects of life, universe and human existence. There is no doubt that the method of science and religion are different. The method of science is observation, experimentation and experience. Science takes its recourse to progressive march towards perfection. The tools of religion are faith, institution and spoken word of the enlightened. In general, while science is inclined towards reason and rationality, spiritualism is the essence of religion.
&nb sp;
In earlier times when man appeared on earth he was overawed at the sight of violence of powerful aspects of nature. In certain cases, usefulness of different natural objects of nature overwhelmed man. Thus began the worship of forces of nature fire, the sun, the rivers, the rocks, the trees, the snakes, etc. The holy scriptures were written by those who had developed harmony between external nature and their inner self. Their objective was to ennoble, elevate and liberate the human spirit and mind. But the priestly class took upon itself the monopoly of scriptural knowledge and interpretation to its own advantage. Thus whole entire human race was in chains. Truth was flouted and progressive liberal and truthful ideas, ideas expressing doubt and scepticism were suppressed and their holders punished. It was in these trying circumstances that the science emerged as a saviour of mankind. But its path was not smooth and safe. The scientists and free thinkers were tortured. This was the fate of Galileo, Copernicus, Bruno and others. But, by and by Science gained ground.

Once one of my professors said me Religion is the ancient Science and the nature is full of scientific things. He told me that do you know that plant is growing and giving fruits to us due to the science of nature.

Source: science and religion are complementary to each other Blog by Swapna Acharya

 

[sangom]

The word religion comes from the Latin religare (to bind) from which comes "religio" meaning obligation, bond, reverence, etc., and from that comes 'religion' which meant, in Middle English, a life under monastic vows. Therefore, we cannot loosely speak about "religion" Vs Science, which emanates from Latin scire = know, in a general context.

Most religions including the many schisms within hinduism, are built upon the base of an anthropomorphic, creator God who is the most supreme. Of course, in hinduism we have some weird combinations suggesting human characteristics for animals also, but the basic character remains the same. Religions generally do not permit the "know" part of science; they (the religions) say that they know everything and have answers for all questions and doubts, etc., and if any inconvenient/unanswerable questions are put, religion either brands such questions and the questioner, as anathema/heresy
and escapes.

I therefore feel that religion and science are like the East and the West which will never meet.