Tuesday, January 14, 2014

THx: Lecture Science and Religion

Comment on this:

"Whether or not God made Man in his image. It is certain that man makes gods in his" - Xenophanes

To observe Western Science during the crumbling of the Roman Empire to the Rennaissance is like similar to the Veneral Bede's study of the tides - it is diurnal: it goes back and forth. What makes it interesting is to see how Religion - State, Collective and Personal plays a big part in it.

To better understand this we need to look at beginnings of Christianity in Rome. Christianity was one of many sects in the Empire. Probably what differentiated it from the other sects was its promise of redemption in the afterlife and the coming day of Judgment. Most importantly its emphasis on One God. Monotheism, although not solely the belief of Christians, led to its conflict with the Roman State, especially near the end of its division and dissolution. Early Christians refusal to offer sacrifices to the survival of the Roman Empire made them convenient scapegoats for massacre, executions and ridicule. Some were willing to become maetyrs to their Faith. Of course this was not constantly the situation: The treatment changed from Emperor to Emperor and from situation to situation.  Of course as the Empire crumbled one saw an increase in persecution.

This all changed when the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. A military victory enabled by the blessing of the Christian God made Constantin Emperor of both the Eastern and Western Roman Empire. This changed everything. Christians were no longer the scapegoats.

One has to understand though at this time that Christianity was not Christianity as we know. It was in itself composed of many groups. And the Early Christian Fathers were often talking and debating on what Christianity was. It was time when the Bishop of Rome was the Bishop of Rome and not the Pope.

It was at this period that Christians tackled the question of Christianity and Ancient Knowledge - among them Science and it varied. Origen (185-254) proclaimed the initial conformity of ancient learning, especially Alexandrian Science with Christian Faith (Dampler,1959). Saint Augustine (354- 430) mixed Platonian Philosophy with the teachings from the Epistle of Saint Paul. What complicated the state between science and religion and faith was predominantly the importance of Christian faith in individual redemption as Saint Ambrose said," To discuss the position and nature of the earth does not help us in our hope of life to come".

The adversarial attitude of Early Christians to science thus leads to an ambivalence or ironically persecution. Bishop Theophilus has a branch of the Alexandrian Library burned in 390 and in 415 the last Alexandrian. Mathematician was murdered cruelly by a Christian mob - skinned alived - allegedly instigated by the Patriarch Cyril.

When the Roman Empire crumbled. It fragmented into different parts. Power devolved to the local chiefs or lords and to the Religious Groups. It was the time of Feudalism and the Monastery and Abbeys. 

Knowledge and science survived. In Salerno, Naples - Benedictine Monks were reading the books of Hypocrates and Galen. Salerno was a secular hub of learning becoming a link to the Ancient world and the then contemporary world. Of course knowledge and learning thrived elsewhere in Constantinople, Baghdad and the Islamic kingdoms in Spain were busy translating,preserving and improving knowledge. And in time this knowledge began to filter back into Europe

Science and knowledge in Europe was fragmented but slowly there were signs of learning. Emperor and Kings like Charlemagne ans Alfred began secular schools. These became the seeds of Universities. In Bologna schools for legal studies, medicines and philosophy were established. Student Guilds or Universitas were established for mutual protection and hiring of teachers. In Paris a community of Teachers or Universitas was formed. The academic study focused on the basic trivium - grammar, rhetoric and dialectic and specialized on advance quadrivium - arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. This of course led to theology.

Again we see here an attempt to reconcile religious belief and science - in this Plato s science. The books of Aristotle were not yet fully translated into Latin for Europe.And when the full works of Aristotle was regained it opened a flood gate of problem and change in the relationship of Chrisrian religion and science.

It took sometime but people like the Bishop of Lincoln and Chancellor of Oxford Robert Grosseteste and his pupel Roger Bacon unlocked the works of Aristotle. Making it available for study. In 1209 the works were condemned by a Church Council in Paris and in 1223 the University of Paris included the works as a subject of study.

Two of the most important Aristotelian scholars were Albertus Magus (1206-1280) and Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). Both rationalized Aristotelian works with contemporary sciences. Aquinos, who would become Saint Thomas Aquinas, believed that there were two sources of knowledge:

First, the Christian Faith.  Gained through the scriptures,the Church Fathers and Church Tradition.

Second, the truths reached by human reason as set forth by Plato and Aristotle.

While Augustine the kingdom of heaven could be reached by faith alone, Aquinas believed the Kingdom of Heaven could be reached also by logic and reason. He, Aquinas, also believed in the Ptolemy's earth-centered view of astronomy - as a working hypothesis.

Something not followed by his disciples. The geocentric view of the universe became an Orthodox view of the Church and would plagued it later on.

There were also other scientists. Roger Bacon studied and wrote about mathemathics, astronomy and conceptualized several inventions. Bacon believed and insisted the only way to verify the works of Aristotle and company was to test and observe. Pope Clement Iv urged Bacon to write his work, but when Pope Clement IV died Bacon lost his protector and was imprisoned. 

Others, like Bacon were William of Occam and Duns Scrotus who revolted against scholasticism and claimed freedom for both.

In 1879 - in the Encyclical of Pope Leo XIII established the doctrine of Aquinas as the official Roman Catholic Philosophy.

Meanwhile back in the Renaissance

Nicholas Koppernigk (1473-1543) or Copernicus was a pupil of Novare of Bologna who found the Ptolemeic astronomy to cumbersome.

"Copernicus search what books were available, and found that, according to Cicero, Hicetas thought that the Earth revolved around its axis, and, according to Plutarch, others had the same opinion, or even thought with Aristarchus that the Earth moved around the Sun... For Copernicus to Pythagoras and to Plato the object was to find the most simplest and harmonious picture of Heaven"

Copernicus published an abstract of his work in 1530 and in 1543 the complete work - De Revolutionibus Orbium Celestium. Osiander wrote a preface to the book describing was an aid to mathematical simplicity. The theory was criticized by the science of its time - debunking it by saying if the Earth moved eould not objects fly up and about, and wont time lag? 

Potentially what Copernicus, and later Kepler did was by research and mathematic disproved the Ptolemic view of the universe. And since it was criticized by other scientists it did not make the rounds as fast as it should. But when Galileo Galleli and his new telescope proved Copernicus theory by discovering Jupiter s satellites - a miniature universe things became interesting. In 1616 the Pope reproved Galileo and the theory was condemned as false and altogether opposed to Holy Scripture.

It seems the great effort to rationalize philosophy and science and to rationalize religion ans science despite best effort by Thomas Aquinas and the Christian Scholars unraveled when it hit a snag from Copernicus and Galileo. 

Perhaps Bacon and Occam were correct in separating the two. Aa has been often misquoted in the story of Galileo, A Cardinal said that your task is to describe the heavens, while ours is to go Heaven.

What do you think?

-
References:

Dampler, William Cecil. A Shorter History of Science. Meridian Books. New York. 1959.

Lacey, Robert. Great Tales from English History : Cheddar Man to the Peasant Revolt, C7150 - AD 1381. 2003.

56 comments:

  1. Jeffrey Ordoyo
    2013-19392

    I believe that science cannot explain everything in the world and that religion has a lot of flaws. The best thing for people to do is to keep asking answers and searching for the truth. Science and Religion do complement each other. Without religion, our lives would pretty much be of no great purpose except to just live for the sake of living (which some may argue is okay but I would definitely not want to live a bland meaningless life). Without science, everyone would just be blind followers to a spirit that tells people what to do and not do (No one would question anything and it would be like we were not living at all)

    In short, we should keep asking questions and discover truth for ourselves but at the same time, understand that we are limited and that there are still more possibilities that we can not comprehend yet like the existence of God.

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  2. Back then, the Church was seemingly hindering the growth of knowledge. They do not accept new ideas that contradict those of what was written in the scriptures. Although there were efforts to "unify" science and religion, still their views as are not widely accepted. I am glad that nowadays, the Church do not inhibit the growth of science for they are now only concerned about the issues of morality in the misuse or overdoing of science (playing god) It's really hard to combine such things (science and religion) for there are lots of contradiction between the two. But i shall end my view with what my science teacher in high school has quoted us students "When Science ends, Faith begins".

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  3. Science and Religion always have their own way to explain things, though most of the times contradict each other (and that maybe the cardinal is right in saying that "science's task is to describe the heavens, while religion is to go to heaven"), i still believe that these two will find their way in reconciling, having their unique ways in understanding things to solve the biggest problems in the world.

    Jessa Ann F. Belderol
    2013-26908

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  4. For me, personally, I think there may have been many times when religion was wrongly used as the enemy of science. For example, there are many Fundamentalist Christians who are fighting against the teaching of Evolution, a scientific fact, in public schools simply because they take the Genesis story literally; humans were born humans instantly and did not evolve from apes. However, I also believe that religion can actually help others appreciate science. Others want to find the beauty of God's creations so they expand their knowledge about the world through scientific discoveries and it is not hard to find many priests who are also scientists at the same time (Jesuits for example). It is really a matter of how you use religion where you can see whether religion contradicts science or not.

    Alfonso Roces
    2013-59404

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  5. Danica Sy
    2013-50915
    Group 5 (STS5ever)

    I guess that even if one tries to separate science and religion like how the idea in the government of the separation of the church and the state goes about, it is still inevitable to completely detach one from the other. Both science and religion is important in the lives of people not only because we believe in these things but because of the knowledge that we imbibe through the process of learning either science or religion or both together. This dispute will go on and on for there isn't a completely right or wrong take on this and the perspective on how to deal with this will be based on a person's beliefs, knowledge and openness.

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  6. I don't think that there should be a dispute between God and Science since God is not anti-Science nor is Science anti-God. Never was it mentioned in the Bible (the Christians' basis of God) that it is wrong to question things in nature; it was even God who gave us the power to reason in the first place and we should use it (in a responsible way). Science actually complements God; through Science, the whole creation can be appreciated at a deeper level and more of its wonders are being continually revealed through time. Actually, I am a scientist-in-the-making yet I believe in God, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

    David Bryan Lao
    2013-52731

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  7. Monica Tricia Rivera
    2013-14349
    Group 5 (STS5ever)

    I think it's unfortunate and ridiculous how the Church can be so closed-minded and absolutist when it comes to certain matters, such as Science. I'm a devout Catholic, but I acknowledge that the Church isn't always right, especially when it comes to physical matters such as whether the planets revolve around the Sun or the Earth. It's always important to keep in mind that the Church only mainly deals with spiritual matters, while Science deals with physical matters.

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  8. Marquez, Vanessa T.
    2013-44126

    I believe science and religion should be viewed separately. The religion part of matters tend to be very conservative that it sometimes blocks the progress for science. It is better to understand things first before condemning it and we must understand the proposals in the field of science first before we say bad things about it. Although I am a devout Catholic, I believe there's nothing wrong with opting to do the scientific approach of things or maybe even free thinking as long as it does not do harm to others and it benefits all.

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  9. Maria Almira V. Abril
    2013-00593

    Dark Ages was the time when there were no intellectual freedom among men, and the only thing important were the scriptures of the Catholic Church. If I am to be asked about this kind of set-up, I guess I have to be one of those people to question the scriptures and be bold enough to search for the truth about things. Yes, Not everything may be proven by Science, the same that not all should not be based on divine intervention. It is good to have faith, but faith is not faith if we do not doubt and if we just believe. Science however is not also all encompassing, though it tries to. Both has their own limitation, and it is up to us until when we will believe and when should we start to question things imposed to us.

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  10. Almira Abril
    2013-00593

    Dark ages was when men had no intellectual freedom, it was when only the teachings of the Catholic church were right and anyone who went against it were excommunicated. What old Roman people (those who lived during the Dark Ages) failed to realize was that everything has its limitations, one thing is not the answer to everything. But I think in a society one thing should be clear, the division of Church and Science. These two things both have their own way of interpreting the world, not everything can be explained by Science the same way that not everything can be explained through divine intervention. If we dare to question things the more we get the answers we want, we should not be afraid to clarify this universe may it be through one's religion or through scientific discoveries.

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  11. It's hard for science and religion to mix because some concepts presented and verified by science may not be accepted by religion. This is because religion is tied to certain beliefs that hinder the existence or even the possibility of certain scientific ideas. I think that it is possible for science and religion to somehow meet in the middle but the concepts presented in the area between will always be limited.

    Lianne Palmenco
    2013- 60702

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  12. Personally, I still believe that faith and science can go together and that science provides evidence that God exists and that the Bible is true. Moreover, from what I perceive, the people in those times tried to disprove one another because they wanted to take hold of power and prestige. But now, I think people, more or less, are able to decide within themselves what to believe to be the truth.

    Jeremiah S. Evangelista
    2013-05867

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  13. Science then and now, always deals with explanation regarding the changes in environment and natural world. It is a never-ending study, discovery and inventory. Once science failed to explain a natural phenomenon, this is when an approach of a religious explanation will be needed. Both are viewed to be contradicting with each other but they are actually similar in some ways-- never-ending search for a greater knowledge, wisdom and understanding of the universe.

    2013-03630

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  14. Lorenzo Arturo C. Defensor
    2013-59820
    Group 2

    I strongly believe that christianity or religion in general greatly hindered the technological and scientific progress of the human race. The revolutionists who had been executed in the name of God could have drastically improved our society. Though I believe that the church does promote good moral behavior, its close-mindedness to the unknown or uncertain makes it an ineffective governing body. Science and faith should not mix, but ethics should always be taken into consideration.

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  15. Religion is about faith and faith is simply believing things that you cannot see. Science, on the other hand, is about facts and facts are always supported by evidences.I believe that these two are really hard to combine because of their certain principles that are contradicting with each other. However, I think one person can still be religious and at the same time scientific. He/She just have to understand the very essence and weigh the importance of these two matters. Other people are just making issues out of it.

    201379474

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  16. Marco Ragaza
    2013-59623
    Group 1

    I believe that Religion and Science are two different fields. However, they are not really disconnected with each other. For me, our universe has two dimensions, the dimension that we can see, and the dimension that only faith can see. The role of Science is to explain to us how the physical universe works. It teaches us how to take care of ourselves and the environment. Science gives us answers to the "what" and "how" questions of life. On the other hand, Religion shows us the deeper meaning of things. It answers the question, WHY. Both of science and religion should work hand in hand in order to help people understand the universe, as a whole.

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  17. I notice that the same situation that happened before is still happening now. There will be a huge advancement in science and technology, but it is deemed controversial. For example, before, there was Copernicus' heliocentric theory, which was criticized. Then in the modern times, there is stem cell research, which is deemed immoral. Some studies of the past were not accepted because they challenged conventional norms, but it is clear on how much of an impact these studies have on today. This should therefore make society and religion look into the potential of the new developments and instead of criticizing them right from the beginning for being too controversial, they should keep an open mind and use them as guides in advancement.

    Josef Bautista
    2013-59374

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  18. Although science and religion are considered two totally different concepts, one cannot deny that both concepts have different and conflicting interpretations of some phenomena. One good example is that sickness, in science perspective, is because of some external factors such as virus or bacteria. Before, sickness in Religion's point of view can be caused because of lack of faith. Right now, we believe in the teachings in our religion, but we are open in the new ideas proposed by science. Lastly, my opinion regarding this topic is that we should know that science is food for the body while religion is food for the soul. And, we need both of them to achieve a balanced diet.

    Al Francis Masallo
    2013-10197

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  19. In my opinion, no matter how much we try to align religious matters with scientific matters, it will always be a useless effort. Religion is in a completely different level from science, and trying to understand one concept in the view of another will simply just result in chaos. I understand that mankind is trying to use science to completely understand the matters of religion, but it is more important to understand that science does not have answers to everything, especially that of religious matters. However, I agree that both religion and science cannot be completely separated from one another. In some ways, one will still need the other and vice versa. There's a certain way for them to complement one another, to be able to find the right harmony. It's imperative to find that harmony, so that once found, chaos and disaster may be averted. Questions will be answered as well as developing the ability to be open to new ideas, knowledge and beliefs while still retaining what we truly believe in our hearts to be right.

    Joanne Marie M. Mabanta
    2013-37529

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  20. In my opinion, although the interaction between religion and science is often fraught with problems and disagreements, I think it is important to recognize that both these fields are trying to answer similar questions about the world around us-- albeit in different ways. I suppose you could say that if science is concerned with how things work, religion is concerned with the why; their historical progress is interconnected. Thus, while one can and does get in the way of the other, they are still both important in human society-- it's only a matter of understanding how to keep them from impeding each other's progress.

    Luisa Narciso
    2011-02507

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  21. I agree with Bacon and Occam in their position, that is, the separation of Science and Religion because these two disciplines are independent of each other. Almost everyone believes that Science contradicts the Church and vice versa, e.g, in the issue of Creation and the existence of man through evolution, however it just a coincidence that science and religion focuses on the same field - life - and that they have different stands on the issue. Moreover, I still believe that both Science and Religion is moving in the same direction, i.e., towards the search for the existence of the Creator since I also believe what Descarte's idea that something cannot come from nothing (a Creator must be present to create something).

    Roi Solomon B. Labay
    2013-32160

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  22. As a devoted Christian and an engineering student, I strongly believe that Science and Faith could go together. The bible should not be read and interpreted shallowly and literally; it should be noted that is is very figurative. By considering this, we could see that what the bible says is actually science-based and what science teaches also agrees with the bible.

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  23. Science and religion are two different fields embracing concepts and ideas that seemingly contradict each other, making the believers of each think negatively of the other. Yet, as a part of a society with varying perspectives and views of the different matters in the world, this should not be new and that it should be known to us that each one of us will embrace different ideas, based on what we think is right and acceptable. Rather than treating these two fields as enemies of each other, I believe it would be better to accept that we will not have the same opinion of things, after all everyone is entitled to their opinions.

    Erika Joyce de Luna
    2010 - 06190

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  24. Science and religion would probably go against each other for a long while as long as at least one side is close minded about the beliefs of each other. Usually science focus on progress and religion in tradition, science sometimes fail to see the power of traditions and religion fails to see the importance of progress. Sometimes religion see science as someone who wants to dethrone them and science see religion as someone to stop them. But the thing is both science and religion are dictated by men. And honestly humans have always something to differentiate each other and hate each, so science and religion would probably never be completely in peace with each other when they can probably work together if they broaden their minds a bit.

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  25. "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind"
    -Albert Einstein

    I believe that science teaches us the processes of life while Religion explains to us the purpose of life.
    Scienific explanations are based on evidences which may support or disprove what we know is true.
    Religion is based solely on faith and belief and never seeking proof. Science can explain the complexities of our existence but it can never give us a full understanding of how and why we exist. Religion guides our way of life but it doesn't really explain how things work.

    As a Catholic, I find any new scientific discovery fascinating and very enlightening and it makes me appreciate God's work even more. Through science, We can always find out how and why things work but we can never really know why things are the way they are.

    Religion and Science both cannot explain everything on their own. Isn't it that when we run of scientific explanations, we always think of it as a work of a greater being? We also tend to look for scientific explanations to prove or disprove the "miracles" we hear of.

    I think we should stop clashing these two concepts together for they do not really contrast and instead look at where the lines overlap. They work really well together in explaining some theories.

    2013-05411

    ReplyDelete
  26. "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind"
    -Albert Einstein

    I believe that science teaches us the processes of life while Religion explains to us the purpose of life.
    Scienific explanations are based on evidences which may support or disprove what we know is true.
    Religion is based solely on faith and belief and never seeking proof. Science can explain the complexities of our existence but it can never give us a full understanding of how and why we exist. Religion guides our way of life but it doesn't really explain how things work.

    As a Catholic, I find any new scientific discovery fascinating and very enlightening and it makes me appreciate God's work even more. Through science, We can always find out how and why things work but we can never really know why things are the way they are.

    Religion and Science both cannot explain everything on their own. Isn't it that when we run of scientific explanations, we always think of it as a work of a greater being? We also tend to look for scientific explanations to prove or disprove the "miracles" we hear of.

    I think we should stop clashing these two concepts together for they do not really contrast and instead look at where the lines overlap. They work really well together in explaining some theories.

    2013-05411

    ReplyDelete
  27. I believe that science and religion are similar in a way that they are both sources of knowledge and enlightenment. But i think it is just right that these be treated as two entirely different aspects of society. Science is based on evidence, experiments, and research while religion is based on faith, and trust in a higher power. As you can see, the two have contradicting foundations. I think it is best that we respect their existence and differences. Neither is right or wrong. It is solely the freedom of the individual to choose his or her belief, and this decision should be accepted and respected by society.

    Thea Selina G. Morales
    2013-59204
    Grp. 8

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  28. For me, Science and Religion are two different things. Each has its own uniqueness. But what's good with its difference is that somehow the some principles of Science jives to that of the bible. Like for example, the case of being prone of having AIDS after having sex with the same sex. It somehow reflects that we should not have sex with the same sex like what the bible is saying. But in the end of the day, Science and Religion will still be two different things but working together despite of its difference. :)

    John Erick Penetrante
    2013-00647

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  29. Ghie-ghie Calderon
    2011-78635

    I think that Science cannot explain everything, so as religion. They have their own ways (that sometimes contradict each other) to explain things such as creation and the like. For me, it is better if they try to acknowledge the purpose and worth of each other and use it to support their endeavors.

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  30. Since the ancient times, science and religion have been a rhetorical question to people. A lot of things can be explained in terms of science but there are also things that are simply answered by religion. That is why it is best to put them in a separate paradigm. If there's something else they have in common, then that would be ethics.

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  31. I think that there really needs to be no conflict between science and religion because it all depends on how you would use and view them. If one wishes to find way to reconcile them, one would find them. If one wishes to create conflict between the two, he shall find ways.

    And to the quote at the beginning, it agree because although God is beyond what us humans can understand, we have this tendency to shrink Him into what could fit into our limited perspectives, when in fact, we should try to expand our minds, rather than limit them.

    Czarina Ysabel O. Bernardo
    2013-46191

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  32. Science and faith are similar in that both require a personal desire to know and to understand things within our reach, which is exclusive to us humans since we have been gifted with intellect that makes us capable of knowing and reaching the truth. It should not be the case that these two are taken separately for faith, like science, is logical. This can be illustrated in Aristotelian Causality, which allows us to explain the origin of things, thereby directing everything to God, who only has the ability to create something out of nothing (an act which nobody can do other than Him).

    Maria Micaela B. Malijan
    2013 - 02368
    Group 9

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  33. Religion is about faith and faith is simply believing the things that you cannot see. Science, on the other hand is about facts and facts is about evidences. These two (Religion and Science) are really hard to combine because they re both conflicting principles. However, I believe that a man can be religious and at the same time scientific if he/she will just weigh the very essence of these matters and will come up to a decision that will not harm each fields. Sometimes, people tend to be overacting in regards to this matter.

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  34. Richard Mendoza
    2012-59111
    Group 7

    As for the quote, in my opinion, man most certainly made gods' images in his. As we have seen in almost every alien movie, we always expect intelligent extraterrestrial creatures to look like or resemble us (bipedal, arms, hands, facial structure, etc.). The most probable reason for this is that the only intelligent creatures we have seen capable of doing things in the same level as ours is ourselves alone.

    And as for Religion and Science. These two should be studied and developed along side each other for without one the other would definitely lead us to a blind future. Religion guides Science where to go, what us, as humans, must do, and when to stop. While Science helps us understand the complexities of this universe and reminds us that we should not just believe but understand.

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  35. Richard Mendoza
    2012-59111
    Group 7

    As for the quote, in my opinion, man most certainly made gods' images in his. As we have seen in almost every alien movie, we always expect intelligent extraterrestrial creatures to look like or resemble us (bipedal, arms, hands, facial structure, etc.). The most probable reason for this is that the only intelligent creatures we have seen capable of doing things in the same level as ours is ourselves alone.

    And as for Religion and Science. These two should be studied and developed along side each other for without one the other would definitely lead us to a blind future. Religion guides Science where to go, what us, as humans, must do, and when to stop. While Science helps us understand the complexities of this universe and reminds us that we should not just believe but understand.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Reyes, Paollo Deo R.
    2013-66992

    Science is a powerful thing.

    The search for answers leads to more questions; there is a possibility that science might result to destruction and chaos. There should be limitations - boundaries by which science should be used for. This is where ethics comes in.

    I didn't use the term 'religion' because it is only a belief of a certain group of people. Ethics, on the other hand, is probably a more appropriate term. However, they are interconnected: religion serves as some kind of guideline for the declaration of ethics.

    My opinion is, religion and science should not hinder the advancement of knowledge and truth. Religion may suggest, but not dictate, what science should and should not do - creating a suggestive wall of ethics or morality - and science on the other hand has the right to overpower the suggestion or consider it.

    Maybe science and religion may work harmoniously someday, and I sure hope I'll live the day that happens.

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  37. I believe that the rough spots in the complex relationship between Western organized religion (particularly Christianity) and science are not due to any inherent incompatibilities or inconsistencies of dogma; they are more likely rooted in the nature of the Church as a highly ordered institution which gains its power from its adherents' belief. The Church's treatment of science has historically depended on the level of threat science posed to its authority. When counter-dogmatic scientific development (e.g. Copernicus, Galileo) was still in its infancy, it made more sense for the Church as an institution to crush this threat by portraying certain scientists as heretics. Later on, however, scientific development and rationality became too powerful to destroy, and the Church, whether of its on accord or not, had to make concessions to maintain the belief of its people while still retaining the core message of its dogma. The works of St. Thomas Aquinas, for example, are a great illustration of how the Church could accept Classical philosophical thought without compromising its own authority. This strategic weighing of trade-offs and concessions has defined how the Church deals with science and technology up until the present day; we can even observe the same principles with more socially based problems (such as Pope Francis' more liberal concessions on issues such as homosexuality and AIDS). As much as the Church is a spiritual institution, at the end of the day it is also a player in a much more political game, and its relationship with science is, to a large extent, just a series of strategic chess moves.

    Marco Del Valle
    2013-20474
    Group 8

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  38. I think that the irreconcilable differences between scientific inquiry and Christian doctrine reveal two important sides of humanity. First, faith is can be so deeply ingrained into people's souls that it often transcends boundaries of other aspects in life. Second, despite the hindrances to quench curiosity, humans still persevere to know the answers. Without the determination of the scientists in the past, our whole world would have stopped evolving a long time ago.

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  39. Fruhlein Econar (Group 3)

    I think both science and religion are trying to tackle the same thing through different ways. As such, because (more often then not) they are at other sides of the spectrum, there are merits to both approaches. There are things about the world that one can understand through science alone, and the same goes for religion/spirituality. That's why I think there is no need to delineate the attempt, and I do agree to some extent with the other philosophers and scientists in the past who have attempted to reconcile the two. I don't agree however that religion has to follow the logical form of science or that science has to be validated by religion, as many have attempted. What's important is that we see through the differences and recognize the motivation behind why these two areas have flourished over the centuries. The whole effort of science and religion is only really to understand one fundamental thing anyway- that is, our existence in this world.

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  40. Although there are countless instances of conflict between science and religion, I think that in the end, we should look beyond their differences. We should remember that they both try to help us make sense of the things around us---their existence, nature, behavior and many more. We should not focus on figuring out which is right between science and religion. The truth and reality is not black and white, there may actually be blurry gray areas. So, our idea of what is right can actually come from compromises between science and religion, not necessarily from only one of the two realms.

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  41. 2008-78482

    I believe that science and religion complement each other. Science tells us HOW a certain thing works, while religion tells us WHY a certain thing works.

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  42. God uses every evidence around us to draw us closer to Him for His glory. This includes nature, religion, philosophy, logic among others. Boxing God in the form of only religion is illogical because We as humans can never grasp the fullness of God

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  43. When it comes down to it, science and religion were both born out of the desire of man to understand the workings of the universe and the laws that governed them. You can say that science focuses on the "how" of the explanation, while religion aims to answer why. The fact that both views have their flaws is inevitable, as well as the idea that most of the time, a contradiction is present between the two of them. You can never really mend this rift, and it's just as well, since each field offers a different perspectives of the world that cater to different mindsets.

    Rillo, 2013-14388

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  44. People never run out of questions, given that they always search for truth. This is where science and religion come in, and I believe that they must be valued in their own rights. They both are man-made systems that, in return, cater to the needs of people and they fill in the gaps of each other. Sometimes, they coincide, and other times, they do not, but their existence and all their preachings clearly prove the existence of God.

    Joan Zuniga, 2013-05862

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  45. Science and religion should be able to coexist. Both attempt to find some truth in human experience- religion tries to answer WHY we exist (in the spiritual/ philosophical sense), while science tries to answer HOW we come to exist and the physical nature of our world.

    Moreover, when an institution's beliefs (e.g. Church)are suddenly contradicted by another institution (e.g. Scientific community), it is natural for the "attacked" institution to defend itself from a threat and reiterate its power; however, it is sad that early Christians closed their minds to contradicting discoveries made by reason, and it is wrong that they defended themselves through murder and censorship. Still, I'm glad that now the Church recognizes the value of science, especially because it has improved the human condition, saved lives, and deepened our knowledge. Still, I support the Church' concern on morality of science because humans make mistakes, and they can't just constantly conduct experiments without seeing how it will affect others. Sometimes, people may become so obsessed with their work that they fail to see that more people will be put in harm in the long run.

    The bottom line is, both institutions seek to discover and speak the truth. They have conflicting ideas, and their responses entail setbacks (e.g. Murdering great minds has hindered science, Scientific discoveries may have cost the Church its believers). But we can't deny that their contrasting beliefs have encouraged discourse and improvement for both institutions by serving as learning points, opening minds of Christians and encouraging prudent zeal for scientists.

    Darla Bautista
    2013-14467
    Group 6

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  46. Even though science and religion will clash and contradict each other at some point, I think that at the end of the day, both could be utilized at the same time. They could complement each other and support each other. There are things that science could explain, and when it could not be further explained by science and reasoning anymore, faith and religion come in. For me, this is a perfect set-up, since where's the thrill if everything could be explained by science? It is quite okay not to be able to explain everything through science, to be able to believe in something because of religion and faith.

    Bea Lejano
    2013-14235

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  47. Science and religion should be able to coexist. Both attempt to find some truth in human experience- religion tries to answer WHY we exist (in the spiritual/ philosophical sense), while science tries to answer HOW we come to exist and the physical nature of our world.

    Moreover, when an institution's beliefs (e.g. Church)are suddenly contradicted by another institution (e.g. Scientific community), it is natural for the "attacked" institution to defend itself from a threat and reiterate its power; however, it is sad that early Christians closed their minds to contradicting discoveries made by reason, and it is wrong that they defended themselves through murder and censorship. Still, I'm glad that now the Church recognizes the value of science, especially because it has improved the human condition, saved lives, and deepened our knowledge. Still, I support the Church' concern on morality of scientific pursuit because humans make mistakes, and they can't just constantly conduct experiments without seeing how it will affect others. Sometimes, people may become so obsessed with creating inventions that they fail to see that more people will be unhappy in the long run.

    The bottom line is, both institutions- the Church and the scientific community- seek to discover and speak the truth. They have differing and conflicting ideas, and their actions towards each other entail setbacks (e.g. Murdering great minds has hindered science, Scientific discoveries may have cost the Church its believers). But we can't deny that their contrasting beliefs have encouraged discourse and improvement for both institutions by serving as learning points, opening minds of Christians and encouraging prudent zeal for scientists.

    Darla Bautista
    2013-14467

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  48. Science and Religion should be viewed separately because they have their own way on interpreting things. Science is based on the actual things and backed up by concrete evidences and studies. While Religion is more on faith and what you believe in. But in my opinion, they can still go together that can result to a better understanding about things.

    2013-10177

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  49. Labrador, Ana Micaela B.
    2011-02178

    It's interesting to see how beliefs involving religion and science interact, especially through the passage of time as certain beliefs and ruling principles evolve.

    Although both religion and science have conflicting ideas, they both do great service to society: religion often helps others find meaning and purpose in their lives, while science helps them to accomplish these purposes.

    While it is important to respect others' beliefs, whether they believe in science OR religion exclusively, or if they choose to believe in both at the same time, respect for different viewpoints is a chance to open the mind and increase one's knowledge in such things. They may seem very different from each other, but in reality they both seek knowledge and truth about the world we live in and possibilities of what the future may bring. It is always good to find a balance of the two for a more worldly stand on things.

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  50. John Jason Santillan
    2013-03535

    I think that the creation and/or the evolution of religious dogma is heavily pegged on the limited knowledge humanity has about the world. Religions develop belief systems and nurture a 'god culture' to make itself sustainable as an institution and attract more devotees. However, they, particularly Christianity, can become too competitive to the point that they're willing to compromise accuracy for the sake of convenience and marketability e.g. using a human form as an image of God. This is problematic because it contradicts the real essence of religion i.e. search for the truth.

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  51. Faith does not have to be blind. As a Roman Catholic, continuing to search for answers about the universe and its existence makes myself understand the value of my very being that more solidifies my own personal faith. To quest for the truth but limiting how far will you go is a very preposterous place to start. People then should not have any reason to limit their perspectives.

    Some ask, can science and religion coexist? Though both executes divergent methods and ways of explaining a certain phenomena, still they share the same deep yearning of uncovering the truth about the universe. They both reckon up ideas and new learning for us to understand the world better, and that's what makes them correlative.

    - Dhalal Maaño (2008-53519)

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  52. Science and Religion are two different things. One explains things through experimental evidences while the other, basically, expounds through faith. There are certain instances in which they overlap, but at most times, these two need to be treated as separate endeavors.

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  53. Faith does not have to be blind. As a Roman Catholic, continuing to search for answers about the universe and its existence makes myself understand the value of my very being that more solidifies my own personal faith. To quest for the truth but limiting how far will you go is a very preposterous place to start. People then should not have any reason to limit their perspectives.

    Some ask, can science and religion coexist? Though both executes divergent methods and ways of explaining a certain phenomena, still they share the same deep yearning of uncovering the truth about the universe. They both reckon up ideas and new learning for us to understand the world better, and that's what makes them correlative.

    - Dhalal Maaño (2008-53519)

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  54. Science vs. religion has always been one of the favorite topic for debates but I believe that it should not be the case because the two complement each other in more ways than one. Some of the instances in the Bible can be explained by science and some science-related topics can be explained through the Bible. I think having religion is a limitation as to what science should bring us (like allowing the killing, torturing, skinning alive of anyone for the sake of science) while science helps us fully understand what we believe in and if it was really plausible.

    2013-19732

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  55. Aleczandra De La Paz
    2013-70869
    Group 5

    No matter how much we would like to place Religion and Science into different entities and categories, it almost always intersects or be related to each one. In my opinion, religion serves as an anchor to people to hold onto, it serves as a moral compass to people, it sometimes gives the answers the people want when they want it. meanwhile, Science is the medium that people use to answer their questions on how things emerged and such, delve deeper into some technicalities of life and nature.

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  56. I think that Science and Religion need not be separated. There will always be things that cannot be understood no matter how much science is used. There will always be things that can be explained by science by experimenting with nature. The clash between the two usually comes from the differences in values. There are ethics in the work in the field of science that also complies with the morals taught by religion. There are also beliefs in religion that is explainable with science. The bottomline for this would come from respect of both science and religion.

    Denz Joseph R. Borrero
    2009-37801

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