Science and religion

Absolute truths

This is a truth that is a fact and cannot be altered. It is a universal truth. However, it is dependent on those who believe it as there are multiple beliefs that are adopted by certain groups but are not scientifically proven.

A changing, evolving truth

Is one that is continuously being altered as a result of new discoveries and ideas that may be the result of science. A recent example involves the idea that the earth was flat. It is capable of changing as facts, beliefs and proof arise.

Genesis

Scientific discovery requires the boldness of provisional commitment to a point of view as long as one is aware that this may require subsequent modification in the light of further experience. - John Polkinghorne. Scientist who believes they are compatible.

Various religions emphasise that science supports and proves the truths of the religion such as Islam. It encourages scientific research as it supports the work of Allah.

Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism all comply with science as long as it does not alter religious beliefs.

Symbolic interpretations of genesis allow room for disagreement. This may make it more compatible with science and comply with its discoveries such as evolution.

to all the creatures on the ground 'i give every green plant for food' - some are carnivores

Edward hubble- everything originated from big bang.

'let their be light'
night and day
plants
sun and stars
birds and animals
food
as night and day were created rtowards the beginning = rested on 7th day.

order of creation in genesis vaguely resembles that in evolution.
some wrong orders - stars - sun
animals green plant - carnivores

Cosmological argument

This argument is used to prove the existence of God. It references to the start of the universe.

The universe could not have just begun. It must have been started by a being. That being is God.

David Hume:

1. Any particle of matter may be annihilated and any form may be conceived to be altered.

He means that God may have been the origin of the universe but he might not exist now.

Bertram Russell:

1. The universe might have always existed.

Thomas Aquinas:

1. God is the 'origin of the chain of causation'. The cause of the universe whether it was the big bang or not, must have had a cause in itself. That cause was God. The universe cannot have infinitely regressed hence God must be the origin. There is no other logical explanation.

Religious approaches to wine and alcohol

Christianity

1. 'Thou shalt not kill'. Taking drugs and smoking will effect those around you negatively, perhaps putting them in danger. Certain drugs are hallucinogenic and may place those around you in danger.

2. 'Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit'. Taking drugs and alcohol would damage your body.

3. Drugs 'render judgement'. Tranquillisers and LSD are hallucinogenic and  mentally damaging.

4. Christians are taught in the Bible to 'obey' the governing authorities. Therefore one should follow the government's laws on drugs and alcohol.

5. Jesus healed many throughout the Bible therefore he would not be against using drugs for healing purposes.

6. Jesus offered wine to his followers. Alcohol is not prohibited in Christianity but caution must be taken when drinking it. It should not be taken in excess.

7. One should 'love thy neighbour'. Handing out drugs is not a loving thing to do, and one may be indirectly the cause of another death.

8. 'Do not ruin yourself with wine'.

Islam

1. 'Do not make your own hands contribute to your destruction'. Here the Qu'ran is saying one should poison their own body.

2. Allah provided one with a life and only he can take it away. This message is strongly reinforced throughout the Qu'ran. Drug users should not contribute to their own destruction.

3. Drugs and Alcohol are 'harem'. They are forbidden.

4. Do not approach religious matters with a 'mind befogged'.

Judaism

1. 'Wine is a mocker, beer a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.' Do not get carried away with drinking. It is not banned in Judaism yet it should not completely intoxicate.

2. Wine is drunk at the Passover Seder and at the ritual circumcision of a boy. It is utilised in various ceremonies but excessive drinking is not allowed.

Buddhism

1. The first precept of Buddhism is 'do not harm life'. By smoking and taking drugs, you are passively harming others.

2. The fifth precept: 'Avoid intoxicants'. These cloud the mind and render judgement.

Statistics:

1. Alcohol causes 30,000 deaths a year.
2. This ^ causes the NHS 2.6billion.
3. Smoking kills 300 people a day.

Religions such as Christianity and Judaism do not ban the drinking of alcohol yet they emphasise the importance of not being led astray by it. ‘Wine is a mocker, beer a brawler: whoever is led astray by them is not wise’. This epithet reiterates the significance of not conceding into temptation when it comes to alcohol. Other religions such as Buddhism reinforce this as they underline drugs and alcohol as ‘rendering judgement’. Islam conveys a ‘mind befogged’ as a direct result of taking drugs therefore they are ‘Harem’ - forbidden. In Christianity, Jesus conveyed wine as his blood in the last supper whereas in Judaism, wine is vital in the preparation for the ‘Passover Seder’. These religions correlate in the sense that they do not expect their believers to never drink alcohol but they trust them with it. Islam, Buddhism and many other religions do not support this idea and revoke the intake of alcohol completely. It is not only the negative physical consequences that religions associate with drugs and alcohol but the mental effects also. A vast number of drugs including Cocaine, LSD and tranquilisers alter the state of the mind and dull the senses. As a result it is not only the user’s health damaged but the lives of those around them are also endangered. The Bible teaches ‘Do not kill’ yet by smoking and taking hallucogenic drugs, one is passively harming others and may even kill. One is to ‘love thy neighbour’ and supplying drugs and passively harming others are not kind actions. Jesus healed the sick so he would be open to the idea of certain drugs aiding the improvement of health. Taking excess drugs and abusing prescriptions is frowned upon; Jesus preached that everyone should listen to the ultimate authority therefore today that would be translated as everyone should abide by the government’s laws on drugs and precautions and the effects of them. 

Cannabis may be classed as a B drug as it is the ‘gateway’ into taking more, harsher drugs with worse consequences. However, its effects are not as negative as those of other B drugs such as amphetamines therefore it could be considered as a Class C drug.

Religion and Morality

Morality is the extent to which an action is deemed right or wrong.

Some people may utilise this idea to prove the existence of God. However, there are various issues and problems associated with this.

There are two principal moral arguments:

1. Kant's moral argument
2. Thomas Aquinas' fourth way

1. Immanuel Kant was a prominent 18th century philosopher who contemplated about the existence of God. He considered morality to be proof of his existence through this logic:

1. People may do good and bad in their lifetime but not be rewarded nor punished for it in the same lifetime.
2. As a result, there prospect of a reward in the after life must be enough to motivate people to act good in their lifetime.
3. However, the prospect of a reward is too far away and people may ignore it.
4. Kant argues that people feel some sort of obligation to act morally. These obligations are called categorical imperatives.
5. However, if as a consequence to their actions, God exists in the after life to serve justice. In order for justice to be served, we have to believe that God exists in the after life. Therefore God exists.

Categorical imperatives are such that they are adopted as universal laws.
A universal law states: one should act according to a maxim that may be adopted by everyone and have good results.

2. Thomas Aquinas was another prominent philosopher whose argument for morality conveys the existence of God. This argument is called the 'fourth way'.

1. God is portrayed as the 'ultimate good' and everyone strives to be like him.
2. When something is good, noble and true, it must have experienced that from something more good, noble and true.
3. However, there cannot be a infinite regression of good.
4. God is the ultimate good and everything else is the created order striving towards that ultimate reality.

When someone is warm, we know they have been in a warm place such as close to a fire. The same can be said about a good and moral person. The more good and moral, the closer they have been to God.

Evil and Suffering

It is quick to reprimand God's ideal traits such as omnibenevolence, omnipotence and omniscience when examining evil and suffering. However, there are multiple philosophers with various theories that do not contradict God's presented character. Instead they focus on evil itself rather than it as a constitute of God.

Christians, Jews and Muslims all portray God as these supreme being. Hindus and Buddhists elicit evil and suffering as an illusion and although they may be burdened by it, they choose to ignore it.

David Hume, a prominent philosopher constructed a theory called the 'inconsistent triad'. This model is wholly consistent about this idea that when presented with evil and suffering, God simply cannot be omnibenevolent, omniscient and omnipotent. These are incompatible hence we have to alter our image of God and perhaps question his motives with the world.

There are two types of evil:

1. Natural evil
2. Moral evil

They are exactly as they sound, natural evil revolves around natural disasters [2004 tsunami] whilst moral evil conveys man-made disasters and loss of life [9/11].

The Augustinian theory:

This is a powerful theory that completely contradicts Hume's inconsistent triad. God is depicted as good, all-knowing and all powerful in this theory. Evil on the other hand is presented as something that fills the absence of good. In the way that darkness fills a room when there is no light, evil consumes a place where there is no good. He supports this theory with a story of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve were made in a world full of good and no natural or moral evil. However, as God made humans with the capacity for free will, they exercised this free will and chose to turn away from goodness. They created an absence of good in themselves and in the world.

The Irenaen theory:

Another prominent philosopher, Irenaeas contemplated the existence of evil and suffering in the world. However he exercised this idea of being born in the image of God and developing a likeness to God as one grows older. He is emphasising the idea of not being born perfect, but born with intelligence, freedom and a moral nature. These traits are then developed so that one may become like God.

God hasn't created evil, he has simply provided free will and freedom to humans who then choose to deter from this path of morality.

For humans to exercise their freedom and their choices when it comes to morality, there must be pain and suffering in the world. Without it, one could not possible make a choice.