From: aull@ll.mit.edu (Brian Aull)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.bahai
Subject: Science and Religion article - Part 1
Date: 10 Sep 92 17:20:30 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems of Canada, Inc.



The Faith of Science and the Method of Religion
The View of an Experimentalist

by Brian Aull

Reproduced from the Journal of Baha'i Studies, Vol 1 Number 2

Abstract

A fundamental teaching of the Baha'i Faith is that science and religion are
harmonious and complementary.  Two themes are presented.  First, religious
faith, in its best form, is shaped by a process of critical inquiry instead of 
being
defended against such a process.  By comparison, science does not operate by
logical deduction alone but also by a process of generalization.  That is, the
validation of a scientific theory involves a process of gaining confidence in 
its
predictive power based on its consistency with a limited set of experimental
observations.  This confidence is the scientific analogue of religious faith.  
Second, the limitations of science should be acknowledged and questions beyond
its scope must be addressed in order to build a just, peaceful, and humanitarian
society.  Science must be used to aid the quest for and the implementation of
appropriate human values.

Introduction

The past 150 years have seen triumphs in many fields of science: the rise of
modem physics, the discovery of the periodic table of the elements and the
subsequent clarification of the physical basis of chemistry, the theory of 
evolution, the deciphering of the genetic code, the explanation of the chemistry 
of
living cells, and the development of electronics, communication, and computers.  
This dramatic progress suggests that the present time is a turning point
in history at which humanity is attaining a new level of civilization, provided
that its cultural maturation can keep pace with its technological maturation.  
To
some, the arms race and the other serious problems that plague the planet cast
doubt that our species can rise to the occasion.

Adherents of the Baha'i Faith believe that a fundamental renewal of society
is taking place.  The writings of Baha'u'llah   (1817-1892), Prophet-Founder of
this religion, state that a new world order is being built, one characterized by
the unification of the planet into one commonwealth.  He writes:

The world's equilibrium hath been upset through the vibrating influence of
this most great, this new World Order.  Mankind's ordered life hath been
revolutionized through the agency of this unique, this wondrous System-
the like of which mortal eyes have never witnessed. (Baha'i World
Faith 35)

Baha'is believe that the building of such an order coincides with the collapse
of the old order under the weight of its own inadequacy, and they see the 
upheavals of the present day as symptoms of such a decay process.  The 
inadequacy
of the old order lies in its failure to uphold spiritual values, and a spiritual
renewal is a prerequisite to global unity.  The purposes of the Baha'i Faith are
to bring about that renewal and also to build up the institutions of the future
world commonwealth.

These insights motivate a study of the relationship between religion and 
science: the technological progress of the past century is exactly what has made
a global commonwealth logistically possible.  In particular, the ties of 
communication and transportation have shrunk the earth into a global village.  
But
in order for a global culture to evolve, there must be an inner transformation 
of
the individual, a change of heart, in order to change prejudice and greed into
a spirit of universal love and dedication to service.  It is religion, defined 
as the
connection between humanity and God, which produces this inner change.
The Baha'i Faith teaches that science and religion are harmonious and 
complementary-"the two wings upon ...which the human soul can progress"
('Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks 143).  To reject reason and suppress critical inquiry
in the name of religion is superstition and is harmful to human progress.  To 
deny the necessity of spiritual values in the name of science is materialism and
leads to corruption.

The following discussion focuses on several aspects of the harmony of 
religion and science that are illuminated in the Baha'i writings, and 
illustrated and
confirmed by an understanding of science.  This paper is primarily intended for
readers who are Baha'is or others who wish to explore what the Baha'i Faith
teaches about this subject.  Therefore, I do not specifically cite the growing
body of literature on science and religion by non-Baha'i scholars.