Science and Religion make strange bedfellows even in the lap of the gods.

For many, Religion is the handmaid of Science, yet a growing number are saying Religion is hurtling us back to the Dark Ages.
 

I laud your observation that the evolution of the method in inquiry and learning on this discussion board is a step in the right direction; however, the strange thing is that the world will forever remain divided into two (or more) camps, caught up as we are in the vicious web of conditioning that -- like computer software -- propels us toward our self-fulfilling prophecies of Doomsday despite our varied claims to God-given intelligence, rationality (see Farzana's response to Abrar, post #32), divine revelation, or wisdom.

 

You are a perceptive student of Nature and human behaviour (by the way, thank you for a copy of your book, Thought Provoking Essays). I agree with your thesis entirely when you say the essence of the debate boils down to the relation between rationality and religion.

 

Indeed, the essence of both is the same.

 

For Farzana's benefit, let me say this: The God we encounter in the madrasa is a god of small things. It is a poor attempt to explain the unexplainable by placing the unexplainable God of the Gaps, as you say, in the lap of the gods. 

 

However, I doubt that the evolution of human faculties is possible without downloading some open-ended upgrades to our anachronistic and outdated mainframe-computer containing centuries upon centuries of conditioning in its racial memory. 

 

Human history from Day One is littered with the art of killing and the chronicles of war. I therefore find it interesting that, just today, a new war has been waged (see Mohammed Tahir ul-Qadri launches 'intellectual war' on terrorism with sermons on peace and tolerance @ http://www.thestar.com/article/679769).

 

What is an intellectual war?

 

Words, words, words . . .  jihad is this, jihad is that, blah, blah, blah . . . all the way to Heaven?

 

Getting back to your post, I really liked the way you contrasted relativity against the absolute.

 

As to where all this rationalization will lead us, well, your guess is as good as mine!

 

Keep smiling.

 

Rashid Mughal