KARACHI:
Historically, science and religion have always been thought of as conflicting disciplines. To what extent are religion and science compatible? Are religious beliefs sometimes conducive to science, or do they pose obstacles to scientific inquiry? Regardless of these debates, both are considered as important disciplines — the former has been dominant since the inception of man, while the latter came into prominence during of the period of Enlightenment. The developments that science brought about in people’s economic and social life shifted the paradigm. The Church lost its hold on the people and the power shifted. Soon businessmen and industrialists had complete control. Today, science is far more important because of its rational outlook on things.
Scientists believe in experiments and observations — in theories that can be proved through quantifiable data. Nothing is to be believed until it has been proven through rigorous experimentation. Religion on the other hand is a matter of faith. One must surrender oneself to Almighty God and take a leap of faith. That the existence of God cannot be proved through mere scientific is the main point of conflict between the two. However, it is also important to understand that scientific truths are uncertain because scientists do not believe in an ultimate reality. What is truth today may become false tomorrow through further experiments and observations. There was a time when people thought that the sun revolved around the earth. Gradually, mathematicians falsified this theory, claiming that it was actually the other way around. Similarly, it was thought that Newton’s law of gravity could be applied across the universe till the day Einstein came out with his much more superior theory of relativity.
This uncertainty does not occur in religion since the word of God is considered as the absolute truth. Anyone who criticises the teachings of religion is considered heretic and is violently condemned. Even today, those who dare question the religious truth are not seen appropriately.
Ghazanfar Soomro
Shikarpur
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2021.
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