Science, God and their Polarity

by Kanaka Pednekar

The world isn’t always black and white, it’s a million shades of grey, each hue defined relative to another. The human race in itself is a good example of it. We are all different and have our own opinions, thoughts and views of the world. This large spectrum of ideas cannot be judged as purely right or wrong. In order to avoid conflicts based on the difference of ideas and opinions and to coexist in peace with our own kind, understanding and accepting the intentions behind the ideas which spark these beliefs and opinions of others is needed. 

Yet, we struggle with it. We chain ourselves down to our differences.  

It’s no wonder then that things will move towards chaos than peace if effort is not taken to change it. One such example which has been creating conflicts between two groups of people for centuries and has persisted till the modern day is between facts and beliefs, that is, science and religion. Though we have progressed enough to not witness riots in our daily life and be able to practice both and coexist, there still lies a hint of hostility which needs to be eradicated.

 Some scientists don’t believe in the existence of God and yet they believe in our understanding of the structure of an atom, when it too is completely out of our visible sight. Our belief of its existence stems only from the conclusions made on the basis of inferences of experiments, with multiple loopholes. We even live on the chance or the probability of knowing the position of its electrons. It’s like saying we don’t exactly know where but we do know that it exists. Isn’t that the same as believing in God? Albert Einstein once proclaimed, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Even the gift of life itself is thought of as the manifestation of God. Yet, even this isn’t enough to convince people of God’s presence.

 When the question of the beginning of the universe is raised, the theist leaves it in the hands of God, while scientists are determined to explain it. That’s all well and good, but why is it that when everything is created from or of another, the universe itself came into being completely by itself, that is, it had no constituent actions which lead to its creation, or genesis, as it's called. How different is it from the belief that the common being holds of the universe being created by God? 

Nature, thought to be a creation of God, has been proved time and again to not be confined to the boxes that we try to categorize it into. We have tried to classify things which wouldn’t be factionalized. An example of this would be how after painstakingly crafting the five-kingdom classification, the Platypus confused biologists with its reptilian and bird-like features. Or, how even light keeps baffling scientists by being a wave and a particle… both at the same time! 

 Some say that it is energy that drives the living, others say it is the soul. But what is this energy, or even soul for that matter? If energy is known to exist all around us then why is it that organisms die without it? Why can’t a simple energy transfer be enough to revive them? And after seeking the right medical assistance, why, when even that fails, do the doctors themselves tell us that it now lies in the hands of the Almighty?  

Religion is nothing but dharma, and dharma means the right way of living. It’s devised for the benefit of people to live a life without conflicts, that is, to allow everyone to coexist in harmony. On the other hand, science bridges the gap between what we understand and what we don’t. It attempts to explain the unknown through the known with the futile hope of understanding the truth. It tries to solve the puzzle of our existence without having all the pieces. And isn’t that the beauty of it? 

It is these very contradictions amongst and between the ideas of science and of God which highlights their flaws but also brings new strengths to light. It portrays how polar opposite they are. 

And yet, maybe because of their differences, they seem to attract each other. In order to be able to explain our daily observations, we need science. Belief in God provides people hope and a source of faith. It gives them the solace of knowing that they are not alone and encourages them to live a loving and peaceful life. It is this polarity which makes people compete, judge, reprimand and therefore, flourish. It is the reason for the progression of these ideas.  

Religion was the invention of man and science is a constant discovery (then again, who’s to say that God too won’t be a discovery?) And yet, the path that appeals to us is ours to choose. The conflict arises due to a lack of acceptance. What we fail to understand is that both of them, science and the belief in God have arisen due to the natural inclination of human beings towards them. To question and ask for proof and to look for solace and a source to hinge our faith on is our human nature. 

Science requires an innate sense of curiosity. Curiosity is the thirst for knowledge and is the rightful reason we ask for an explanation. Lack of trust or ignorance is the other major reason which makes us challenge the explanation provided. While the former is beneficial, the latter is a toxic habit that may lead to our harm. Science should not be restricted to our beliefs, for there can be science in everything, if only one is curious enough to find it. The pursuit of science in the name of peace, progress and knowledge can be called the right way of going about it. In other words, the dharma of science is curiosity (and so should it be for humanity).  

As far as progress is concerned, science refuses to trust without tests of verification. While the concept of 'God' demands absolute faith which is then verified through tests (that are in the form of challenges in our life). Similarly religion dictates a code of conduct to be followed to become the ideal human being, that is, dharma . Though today, the interpretation of it is at a risk of being changed since its essence was long forgotten. Its ancient knowledge has been exploited and the morale of it, long left behind. At this point in time, a careful understanding of the ancient texts must be undertaken to ensure the recovery of its sacred soul. 

 Keeping all of this in mind, we can conclude that earlier, the conflict was between science and religion. Today, the times have changed and so have people’s mindsets. Now, the conflict lies not so much in the hostility among these two groups but more so in the individuals themselves. While earlier, one only had the binary choice of choosing one over the other, we are raised today with an equal influence of both, science and spirituality. This has made the surface seem calm while deep inside our minds, a tempest rages on. From a third perspective, it is a sign of evolution of humankind and although the times are turbulent, we can be sure that, this time too, we shall rise out of it, stronger than ever.

🔆

(Kanaka Pednekar is a grade 10 student in Nalanda Public School, Mumbai. Her core interest lies in science, viz. Physics and Chemistry. She enjoys writing poetry, prose and parodies of songs, apart from listening to music and painting.)