Science and Religion

Science has given us many exciting moments, constantly discovering and defining things in our world.  And with these discoveries, we have been taught many universal truths.  Who can ignore the laws of gravity, magnetism, and electricity or for that matter, human DNA.  Who can forget how, when fueled on by human determination, the will to dare and reaching for the stars, science put men on the moon.  But what happens when science stagnates and does not change or move forward?  Like religion, it develops doctrine and dogma

Religion began when men desired to understand the world around them.  Somethings greater than men were responsible for the rain, thunder, crops, life and death; mankind determined that gods were the responsible parties for those things.  Through evolution, mankind's world view expanded and science began to take hold but not without its  conflicts with its forerunner, religion.

Religion had developed its doctrine and dogma before the advent of scientific discovery; anything in conflict with that doctrine and dogma was heresy.  While religion clung to the dogma that the earth was flat, science had proven that the earth was indeed round.  Science also had proven that the earth revolved around the sun while religion doggedly preached that god made everything revolve around the earth.  When it came to human health, religion insisted that the only way a man could be cured of many illnesses was to balance the "Four Humours."  A discussion on this is worthy of its own blog post.  But, for the sake of this blog, the Four Humours were balanced by a physician draining his patients' blood - in quantity.  If the patient was not dying before the blood letting, he did after the loss of blood.  And the death always was "god's will."  The doctrine and dogma of religion, in matters concerning science, were followed.  It is easier to blame a deity than admit doctrine and dogma are wrong and work to change or eliminate it.  Thankfully, science has trumped religious dogma but science, especially medical science, is not innocent from evoking its own dogma and creed.

Within the last two hundred years, humanity has been blessed with huge strides made by medical science.  From the discovery of leaching morphine from the poppy, the invention of the intravenous needle and syringe, aspirin, antibiotics, and modern surgical marvels, humanity was and still is the benefactor.  People are living longer and healthier lives, free from many things that would have killed them just a short time ago.  However, medical science, for unknown reasons, decided to create a dogma, a creed, that some might believe as being opposed to the Hippocratic Oath.  

Surgical procedures and pills have become the solution for many human conditions.  Instead of trying to find and heal the cause, modern medicine prefers to treat the effect.  High blood pressure, depression, weight problems, anxiety, and more are treated with pills.  There is even a few surgical procedures for weight loss.  But why not look for and treat the cause?  Good question.  Ask your doctor the next time you are handed a bunch of pills.

                                                    Copyright 2011 Terry Unger

The End Of Innocence

When we reached the age of reason, some of the fairy tales of life had disappeared.  We discovered by ourselves that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy were not real.  Our reasoning and worldly objectivity had matured to the point where we knew that a fat man with flying reindeer could not slide down the chimney.  An oversized rabbit that delivered chocolates in a basket was a farce, and the money left under our pillow in exchange for a tooth was really left by our parents, as were the gifts under the Christmas tree and the chocolates in the basket.  But let´s be honest.  Those fantasies were hard to let go.

Think about your childhood and those wonderful fantasies.  When you had discovered that your parents were the ones responsible, your world and how you looked at life changed; it was a defining moment in your life.  Reason and maturity stripped off that thin veneer of the innocence of the sweet life, the sweet fantasy of childhood, and what appeared, although gradually, were some of life´s cold truths. 

When we were kids, we believed that everyone liked us.  As adults, we found that was not true and suffered the cold fact that some people really disliked us.  But we adjusted and life went on because somewhere deep inside of us we knew and most of us understand that we cannot please everyone; the smart ones among us do not bother to try.

We discovered that working for a living is hard.  The idea of a ´free lunch,´ a free pass in life was something out of reach for us; that silver spoon was not in our mouth.  But, we found satisfaction and personal pride in providing for ourselves and our famlies.  We tasted the fruits of our labor and found them good.  Like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy we believed that hard work, honesty, and loyalty would serve us well and secure a good life.  That sadly, no longer holds true. 

The reasons are many and for those willing to use their eyes and ears, they will find that the last fifty years are full of double-dealing, back stabbing, and slieght-of-hand, coming from the highest levels, that has destroyed the dream for many people.  Money is power and power is money and for those that have both, their appetite seems never ending.

Now, people in the work place are referred to as ´human resources´; the new interchangeable parts of modern business and industry - break one, replace it with a new and younger model that will work for less.  The new rules of the workplace, and other places where men strive to live, have changed.  Want that promotion or a raise?  Screw your peers.  Period.

Humanity, the art of being human, has left the workplace and the nieghborhood.  Religion, or the lack of it, now is used as a measuring stick in politics and business.  Forget education, skill, and experience; the person who shouts amen the loudest and the longest wins.  It was easier to believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy.


                                                        Copyright 2011  Terry Unger