It seems to me that Science and Religion are both human attempts to
understand the universe and are very closely related inside the human mind.
My father was often accused of being a "mystic". He frequently saw
connections between scientific history and religious history, and often
talked about the effect religion has had on the history of science. He was
raised an orthadox Jew, but was very anti-orthadox by the time he was an
adult. He came to believe that religious ferver is one of the banes of our
species. I have inherited that belief.
However, it is true that, in fundamental terms, some concepts in religion
are "analogous" to similar foundational issues in science. How was the
universe created? What forces are at work in the universe? What causes life?
How did so many different life forms evolve? Why are we the way were
are?...... If science finds answers to these questions that are not "God",
what will that do to religions? A lot of very devout people from all
different religions recognize this potential and it worries them because
they see it as "trying to kill God". (I would tell those folks that they
need to have more faith in their God. Besides, science could just as easily
be used to "prove" God... or to prove that God has an "outie" bellybutton...
or whatever you want to use it to prove...but they tend not to listen!)
Anyway, the foundational issues have all kinds of fascinating cross-over
back and forth between disciplines and even within scientists. Wasn't it
Einstein who rejected Quantum Theory with the statement "God doesn't play
craps with the universe!"
Dad has myriad books on various religious aspects and religions in his
reference library, including Kaballah, as I mentioned before. He found the
use of numbers and mathematics intriguing in the theory behind Kaballah's
notion of creation. Many pure mathematicians (as opposed to "applied"
mathematicians) would no doubt love the expression "Mathematics is God's
true language".
Judith
----- Original Message -----
From: "John M" <***>
To: <***>
Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 3:04 PM
Subject: Re: [ROSEN] Vipassana et al.
> Judith,
> this is out of list-concept, but you (Jack) brought it up.
> I tried many such things (meditation, religions, science, yoga, communism,
> capitalism, war, revolution, stupidity, love, above all: humor etc.) and
> found them different, yet comparable in specific aspects.
> I participated in a catholic meditation-course - 7 days solitary, and
> succeeded in the yoga death-position of cutting out thoughts. I am also a
> practicing musician.
> As a reincarnationist I participated in a Ouijja-board ensemble of only
good
> honest friends (no cheating) for years of fantastic outcome. I even
> 'learned' materialism in commi seminars. All that in 75+ active years.
>
> I find the Vipassana another religious line, no matter if no godlike ideas
> are involved. So is our RR-complexity, what we believe in and the
'science'
> what
> the 'others believe in. May I recommend to glance at:
> http://pages.prodigy.net/jamikes/SciRelMay00.html - a scribbling of mine
> from 2000 (ancient writing for me as I change positions like an
underware -
> meaning: the next one looks similar, but supposedly cleaned up a bit).
>
> Having said this, I really want to look it up <G>. Thanks for the URL.
>
> John M
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Judith Rosen" <***>
> To: <***>
> Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 8:02 AM
> Subject: Re: A possibly valuable quotation
>
>
> > Hi Jack,
> >
> > It's interesting that you chose an analogy that comes from a meditation
> > oriented perspective. I'm investigating Vipassana mediatation which is
> based
> > on learning to "see things as they really are", also called "insight
> > meditation" and is not connected to the religious side of Buddha's
> teaching.
> Truncated