Saturday, November 19, 2011

Lake Eyre, Watercolour, Roslyn Ross, 2012

Friday, November 11, 2011

Science and spirituality, therein lies the question.

The scientific method is based on an empirical process which is used to ‘prove’ what is true and yet it is also based on a belief that the universe and life can be explained as random events.

Random means lacking any plan, order or purpose  and surely plan, order and purpose are the basis of the scientific system?  How could anything be empirical and proveable if it were random?

If science were as objective as it says, surely it would admit that it cannot explain the universe or life (and many other things) and can only posit possible theories – of which intelligent design should be one. After all, anything which is ordered, meaningful, purposeful and demonstrable suggests ‘intelligent design.’

It just seems to me that the scientific system is at odds with itself and takes a position to differentiate itself from religion instead of taking a position based on its system and demonstrable common sense. Perhaps it is because religion was in essence the ‘mother’ of science and it is not surprising that science (the child) has a need to break away – but that is an adolescent response and at some point the child has to grow up.

In the early days in fact religion saw science as an ally in its fight against spirituality, the old Goddess religion and that which it called magic and it was science which rejected religion, not the other way around. Spirituality on the other hand happily embraces both science and religion because it embraces everything – a more sensible approach to life in my view.