Science vs. Religion re: Awe
From Carl Sagan’s book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
In some respects, science has far surpassed religion in delivering awe. How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, “This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant. God must be even greater than we dreamed”? Instead they say, “No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.” A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths. Sooner or later, such a religion will emerge.
January 14th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Sagan was an astounding man. We need more thinkers like him.
There are many obstacles to the effective use of both our minds and our faith. One of the more problematic is that most people seem to think that one or the other is more efficient, powerful, or ‘correct’ than the other.
I have found that they work in a compellingly complimentary way, when you can put down the dogma and suspend disbelief enough to get both sides of your head around a problem.
Then again, I’m a strange man…