Write a short note on how science and spirituality/religion complement each other
Answers
Explanation:
Science AND SPIRITUALITY
Why are we here? Where did we come from?
The above are age old questions mankind asked. spirituality gave the answers based on pure faith. Science is also searching for answers, but based on evidence.
Because of the battle between faith and evidence, spirituality and science are at conflicts. Science took exception to having blind faith. Science wanted evidence. Since science went against the established beliefs prescribed by religions, the scientists had a tough time in pursuing their research to find answers. Science and religion were adversaries as both pursued different paths with a different belief.
Religions say the universe was created. Science did not accept it initially.
First science postulated the Steady State Theory which states that the universe was there in the infinite past and would be there in the infinite future. The universe does not change. In the Steady State theory, as galaxies moved apart, the idea was that new galaxies would form from matter that was supposed to be continually being created throughout space. The universe would have existed for ever and would have looked the same at all times.
When Edwin Hubble began to make observations with the hundred inch telescope on Mount Wilson, he found that stars are not uniformly distributed throughout space, but are gathered together in vast collections called galaxies. He was expecting that as many galaxies would be moving towards us as were moving away. This is what one would have in a universe that was unchanging with time. But to his surprise, Hubble found that nearly all the galaxies were moving away from us. Moreover, the further galaxies were from us, the faster they were moving away. The universe was not unchanging with time as everyone had thought previously. It was expanding. The distance between distant galaxies was increasing with time. The expansion of the universe was one of the most important intellectual discoveries of the 20th century, or of any century. It transformed the debate about whether the universe had a beginning. If galaxies are moving apart now, they must have been closer together in the past. If their speed had been constant, they would all have been on top of one another about 15 billion years ago.
Was this the beginning of the universe? Many scientists were still unhappy with the universe having a beginning because it seemed to imply that physics broke down. One would have to invoke an outside agency, which for convenience; one can call god, to determine how the universe began.
Newton’s first law states that without the influence of external force, nothing changes the status quo. What was the external force that caused the big bang? Science does not talk about it, but we call it God.
Science speculated big bang at around 15 billion years ago. But it is silent on how the big bang occurred? Who banged it?
There are many creation myths before religions came. For example according to the Boshongo people of central Africa, in the beginning, there was only darkness, water, and the great god Bumba. One day Bumba, in pain from a stomach ache, vomited up the sun. The sun dried up some of the water, leaving land. Still in pain, Bumba vomited up the moon, the stars, and then some animals; The leopard, the crocodile, the turtle, and finally, man.
According to Brahma Purana of Hindu mythology, in the beginning, there was water everywhere and the Brahman slept on this water in the form of Vishnu. Since water is called Nara and since Ayana means a bed, Vishnu is known as Narayana. In the water there emerged a golden egg. Brahma was born inside this egg. Since he created himself, he is called Svayambhu, born (bhu) by himself (svayam). For one whole year, Brahma lived inside the egg. He then split the egg into two and created heaven and the earth from the two parts of the egg. Skies, directions, time, language and senses were created in both heaven and earth. From the powers of his mind, Brahma gave birth to seven great sages. Their names were Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasistha. Brahma also created the God Rudra and
Have faith in God and everything will be revealed.