Sometimes I think I’m the only person on the planet who thinks that science and spirituality do not have to be mutually exclusive. For example, why do so many people think that if you believe in the theory of evolution, you cannot also believe in a higher power? I happen to think evolution is brilliant. Not only does it solve a whole host of natural problems, but it also occurs over millennia, thus requiring a patience that we mere mortals could never hope to duplicate.
I also think the big bang is a highly spiritual thing. I love the fact that it took something so cataclysmic to eventually lead to us and the air we breathe. And stem cell research? Phenomenal. That we evolved brains sophisticated enough to even know that stems cells exist is a source of constant fascination for me.
I honestly believe that the mistake we make is in thinking that religion is confined to books that were written back in a time when science wasn’t particularly advanced. I don’t think spirituality can be boxed in like that, and I think it undergoes an evolution of its own. I think that if we think we have it all figured out, and that we have to rigidly adhere to a set of religious rules from centuries ago, that we are according ourselves entirely too much power, and underestimating the ability of a sentient creator to change. Something that can’t change may as well be a rock.
I think spirituality exists in the unknown bits, the space between the things that are smaller than the quantum particles, the things we couldn’t possibly write about because we don’t know and probably never will.
We call the things that we can explain science. But there will always be things which we cannot explain. And I find that oddly comforting, too.
[Image credit: Wellcomecollection.org]
The View from a Drawbridge 
Nail on the head! When you really start to get this, it fits together PERFECTLY. Most people can’t see it because they think it’s an either/or thing, and some are afraid to even consider one or the other thinking it is either sinful or naive. Science is a perfect but different approach to spirituality, and spirituality is an end point for science. You MUSt read Holographic Universe. I could blog on this!!!! I would call it My God’s Bigger Than Your God. Think I would get any traffic? We are all ONE. Namaste
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You and I are definitely one at the very least, Vicky. 🙂 And yes, it would definitely get traffic.
I did a post about this. Why is evolution not a miracle? It seems to be the time frame. Religious zealots want it to all have happened in a week, but the sun didn’t exist yet, so there were no weeks until that week. But what is a billion years to a god? Why would he work on a time clock?
Good points, all. 🙂
Literalists literally drive me crazy… oh… I need to tweet that…
You do. Literally.
Ha.
I completely agree with the poster that spirituality and science do not have to be in mutually exclusive spheres. I agree specifically with their discussion stem cell research and how it is not only ground-breaking science but can also help people become more spiritual. The human evolution of the brain that has taken place is specifically due to evolution and natural selection. That being said, there is no use in dismissing a greater power that, while not dictating human evolution, is still involved in human life in some way. For some, spirituality is simply a way to deepen an earthly connection with nature, while for other spirituality helps to create a stabilization in their individual and community lives. Either way I agree with the poster that science may give us ways to explain previously unknown entities, but it should not cause people to lose faith in some greater power that has always been a consistent influence on their lives. Those who use religious texts as the only basis of their faith may have a harder time recognizing the potential for marrying science and religion, but overall there should not be as large a discrepancy between the two that there is currently.
One example of marrying spirituality with science is the Clergy Letter Project. The Clergy Letter Project is an “endeavor designed to demonstrate that religion and science can be compatible”
(http://www.theclergyletterproject.org/). Many religious leaders including priests, preachers, rabbis, and monks have signed the Clergy Letter Project and accepted a new, modern direction for their religions. These leaders understand that science is not only proven fact, but can allow for some unresolved mysteries and spirituality if not rejected. They also understand that rejecting science will push away many religious followers and gradually decrease religion and spirituality as a whole. They see spirituality and religion as important institutions in human life for more reasons than simply taking religious text verbatim. Their teachings help people better their daily lives and actions, motivating them to change the world in a positive way. Rejecting a major part of most of their lives, science, will only force them away as well, meaning they don’t receive that constant flow of positive energy and encouragement. In conclusion, I completely agree that the best way to move forward in a modern and changing world is to marry science and spirituality in as many ways as possible.
Wow, Nicolina, thank you for taking the time to write this well thought out comment. I’m going to check out the Clergy Letter Project. It sounds quite fascinating.
Have you ever considered writing a blog? I think you’d be very good at it, and that you have much to teach the world. If you ever do, let me know, because I’d love to read it. Thanks again!