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When science and religion coexist
Jun. 7th, 2007 10:30 pmInstead of complaining about how my DSL is now going off and on like the hot water in the shower in a bad hotel room, I shall recall for you an interesting conversation I had this weekend.
It strikes me that, most often in this country, when people of faith talk about science they speak in a derogatory fashion. Hot-button issues like evolution, stem cell-research and even the science of vaccines make scientists more often than not the enemy. The feeling is often echoed by scientists on the opposing side, who ridicule faith-based beliefs.
It delights me, therefore, when I perceive an overlap.
In reading the Bhagavad Gita the other day, I ran across a passage that describe the soul in a way that seemed quite familiar. Thinking about it a bit more, I finally realized that Krishna had just said that the soul adheres to the First Law of Thermodynamics. Actually, If you read on, the soul does a darn good job of adhering to all of them (it's probably too long and involved a discussion for now).
I brought this up, though at satsang on Sunday and we were discussing it. Shortly thereafter, we found a passage in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that spoke of determinism. Alas, there was no cat, but it was intriguing. My friend pointed out that none other than J. Robert Oppenheimer, of atomic bomb fame, was a fan of the Gita. One of his more famous quotes:
We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.
He is quoting Vishnu in the form of Krishna from the Gita, while visiting Japan in 1960.
It strikes me that, most often in this country, when people of faith talk about science they speak in a derogatory fashion. Hot-button issues like evolution, stem cell-research and even the science of vaccines make scientists more often than not the enemy. The feeling is often echoed by scientists on the opposing side, who ridicule faith-based beliefs.
It delights me, therefore, when I perceive an overlap.
In reading the Bhagavad Gita the other day, I ran across a passage that describe the soul in a way that seemed quite familiar. Thinking about it a bit more, I finally realized that Krishna had just said that the soul adheres to the First Law of Thermodynamics. Actually, If you read on, the soul does a darn good job of adhering to all of them (it's probably too long and involved a discussion for now).
I brought this up, though at satsang on Sunday and we were discussing it. Shortly thereafter, we found a passage in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali that spoke of determinism. Alas, there was no cat, but it was intriguing. My friend pointed out that none other than J. Robert Oppenheimer, of atomic bomb fame, was a fan of the Gita. One of his more famous quotes:
We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and to impress him takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.
He is quoting Vishnu in the form of Krishna from the Gita, while visiting Japan in 1960.
