Yesterday I read on a newspaper people commented on opposing between science and religion. Should the religion and science be opposed? Why?
Among many definitions of religion, I quote several of them here according to various sources :
A system of ideas and rules for behavior based on supernatural explanations (McGraw-Hill)
Religion—sometimes used interchangeably with faith or belief system—is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices and institutions associated with such belief. In its broadest sense some have defined it as the sum total of answers given to explain humankind's relationship with the universe. In the course of the development of religion, it has taken a huge number of forms in various cultures and individuals (Wikipedia)
System of beliefs and practices concerned with sacred things and or symbols uniting individuals into a single moral community (Elmer Social Science Dictionary)
Though I don't really agree with those definitions, but they have things in common in defining religion simply as codes of human behaviour. Based on this point, we shall see that the goal of religion is to construct a better human life. What religion can do for constructing better human life? It uses science.
And what is science? I prefer using term science as all knowledge used as tools to facilitate human life. I quote the closest science term to my definition which defined as "the observation and classification of the ways in which nature works, as these ways affect human awareness" here and "the use of mind to discover generalized laws" here.
Let's find some small things in our daily life which we can consider as using science during practising our manners. In Judaism and Islam we can find "Kosher" and "Halal". It means (in general) those that are allowed to consume or do. It previously known as only a God's rule without knowing what behind the rule. After years, we realized that many advantages in following the rule. The simple case is consuming pork. Researchers found that pork contained tapeworm much more than beef and any other meat. Also in Judaism and Islam we can find circumcision. Later researchers also discovered that those who circumcised have lower risk infected by HIV/AIDS. In other illness term, circumcision is also much help reducing germs which usually left on the foreskin.
Other example is fasting for muslims. Experts finally discover that fasting is good for health. It gives human digest system time to reduce its digesting activities and flush all toxic in human body. And when it's the time to break the fasting, muslims told to consume sweet meals, and it's proven to accelerate generating energy.
Religion is not merely worship God by ritual ceremonies and all. It guides human in living their better quality lives. It guides human in how to treat others, in treating criminals, or even doing business. It also gives clues for human to explore the universe (which defined as science).
I found this below statement of Keith L. Moore, Professor Emeritus, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Toronto. Distinguished embryologist and the author of several medical textbooks, including Clinically Oriented Anatomy (3rd Edition) and The Developing Human (5th Edition, with T.V.N. Persaud) here :
"For the past three years, I have worked with the Embryology Committee of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, helping them to interpret the many statements in the Qur'an and Sunnah referring to human reproduction and prenatal development. At first I was astonished by the accuracy of the statements that were recorded in the 7th century AD, before the science of embryology was established. Although I was aware of the glorious history of Muslim scientists in the 10th century AD, and some of their contributions to Medicine, I knew nothing about the religious facts and beliefs contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah."
And also statement of E. Marshall Johnson, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, and Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA :
"...in summary, the Qur'an describes not only the development of external form, but emphasises also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasising major events recognised by contemporary science."
And also this statement of Alfred Kroner, Professor of the Department of Geosciences, University of Mainz, Germany :
"Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics 1400 years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his own mind for instance that the earth and the heavens had the same origin, or many others of the questions that we have discussed here...
If you combine all these and you combine all these statements that are being made in the Qur'an in terms that relate to the earth and the formation of the earth and science in general, you can basically say that statements made there in many ways are true, they can now be confirmed by scientific methods, and in a way, you can say that the Qur'an is a simple science text book for the simple man. And that many of the statements made in there at that time could not be proven, but that modern scientific methods are now in a position to prove what Muhammad said 1400 years ago."
Those statements above are some of confessions that religion is the science itself. It guides human in all aspects of life and is not supposed to be opposed each other.
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