Science and Religion: Two Fateful Entities

How are Science and religion different? What makes then so much a part of our lives and still exist as two different schools of thought? Let me try objectively put forth my opinion on this matter of great import.

Science is an inquiry into truth while Religion is a belief in a superior power and both have different births, functions and fates. Science is based on objectivity and Religion on a subjective belief in a supernatural entity. The basic difference tends to be the element of faith, which while forms the basis of Religion, unfortunately, tends to weigh down on Science. In the realms of Science, faith might threaten to be a vice by its characteristic ability to have a blinding influence over the followers. Blinding in any such fashion can bring upon an undesired change, like it is being currently witnessed among the extremists sectors. Ironically though, it is the science being exploited in the form of weapons but the whole defiant act is actually driven by faith. Science is the scapegoat in these situations, an inert object for the condemned act.

For ages, souls have been condemned for being loyal to Science. Be it Copernicus or Galileo, men have been tortured and burnt alive for possessing an opinion contrary to the popular belief. Belief in the supernatural loomed large and exercised its atrocities. But never was Science involved in bringing upon widespread injustices over the innocent. Though Science too has been misappropriated, like the proverbial double-edged sword but such acts have been condemned by its scholars themselves. Science has been the dagger but never has science fueled those evil intentions.

Science is based on an unscrupulous adherence to the efforts of bringing evidence, and without any such conscientious bond the very pillars of Science stand weakened. This strict adherence refers to a cohesion with the systemic methods of investigation into the truth and must be differentiated from Fundamentalism which underlies many religious sentiments wherein a strict appraisal of a previously written text is advocated. The written views are considered infallible in many beliefs and there in comes the orthodoxy, which is inflexible. Science,arguably, has come to have a higher acceptance by its ability to demonstrate the evidence and bring about a positive change like saving lives and connecting hearts.

As I enumerate the differences brought to my mind based on experiences, the essay here, paradoxically is colored by my "faith" in the methods of Science. But still its insisted here, that this faith is fed on an accepted and reproducible proof and is mutable under a spatial and temporal evolution of the methodology. Fear of a new harm seen with an accepted norm is thoughtfully put to test and, if confirmed, to rest.

Religion, on the other hand, longs for the formidable and more intangible goal of reaching the unreachable through a rigid pursuit of prescribed work. Such blind faith,gone awry, can potentially plague multitude in millions.

Nevertheless, being conceptually heterogeneous and intricately weaved into the matrix of life, both Science and Religion, commonly, proclaim the existence of an unique intellectual entity - the human being.