In Pursuit of Harmony Between Science and Religion 25 Were Necessarily Touched Upon Indi- the Fundamental Purpose Animat- Rectly and Very Generally at That Time
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23 approfondir ce principe et contribuer à sa In Pursuit of réalisation par des actions et une prise de Harmony between parole dans le discours contemporain. Science and Resumen La desintegración del viejo orden mun- Religion dial se está acelerando, fomentado por el fanatismo religioso, la irreligión, y una incapacidad de lograr suficiente consenso PAUL LAMPLE de pensamiento y acción para sistemáti- camente atender los males afligiendo a la Abstract humanidad. La capacidad de unirse en la The disintegration of the old world or- investigación de la verdad para el avance der is accelerating, driven by religious de la civilización requiere de la armonía fanaticism, irreligion, and an inability to entre la ciencia y la religión, en la cual, achieve sufficient consensus of thought como ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explica, la ciencia es and action to systematically address the liberada del materialismo y la religión de ills afflicting humanity. The capacity to la superstición. Este ensayo reflexiona so- unite in the investigation of truth for the bre cómo los bahá’ís pueden entender y advancement of civilization requires the contribuir cada vez más a la efectuación de harmony of science and religion, in which, este principio a través de la acción y la par- as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains, science is freed ticipación en el discurso contemporáneo. from ma terialism and religion from super- stition. This paper looks at how Bahá’ís might understand and increasingly con- When we look at the world around us, tribute to the effectuation of this principle especially as reflected in news reports through action and involvement in con- and social media, we increasingly see temporary discourse. evidence everywhere that the under- standings and structures of human Resumé society are frayed and unable to ade- La désintégration de l’ancien ordre mon- quately address the pressing problems dial s’accélère, sous l’impulsion du fa- of humanity. Terrorism and fanati- natisme religieux, de l’irréligion et d’une cism, oppression and war, prejudice incapacité à établir un consensus de pensée and demagoguery, the aggregation et d’action suffisant pour enrayer de façon of the vindication of extreme wealth systématique les maux dont souffre l’hu- and superficial response to poverty, manité. Pour pouvoir s’unir dans une quête de vérité qui favorisera le progrès de the glorification of opinion over fact, la civilisation, il faut que la science et la re- the conflation of morality with per- ligion soient en harmonie, ce qui – comme sonal preference, the advancement of l’explique ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – signifie que la a materialistic worldview, and the re- science doit être exempte de matérialisme duction of what it means to be human, et la religion, de superstitions. L’auteur assault our consciousness and our per- examine comment les bahá’ís pourraient ception of reality every day. The evil 24 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 26.4 2016 tendencies of corruption, moral laxity, control and extraction of wealth for a and ingrained prejudice mentioned by few at the expense of the masses; the Shoghi Effendi so long ago have vastly prostitution of science in service to expanded their reach and impact. The food engineering, which makes harm- hope for a world of peace and progress ful products addictive and ushers in a that shone briefly but brightly as the self-inflicted health crisis; the perpet- previous century drew to a close has uation of hunger among more than been overtaken by a fog of disorienta- ten percent of the world’s population, tion and despair, rendering humanity including some one hundred million unable or unwilling to agree on the children; and systems of production nature of its problems and how to re- and distribution at war with the envi- solve them. As the Universal House of ronment (Hanley). Justice explained, “in different nations Thus, human beings live in a social in different ways, the social consensus reality of their own creation, derived around ideals that have traditionally from a limited consciousness of real- united and bound together a people is ity, and the world we see around us increasingly worn and spent,” recall- is the result. If we want a different ing “the unequivocal verdict from the world, we must think and act differ- Supreme Pen: ‘They hasten forward ently. Distracted and nearsighted, to Hell Fire, and mistake it for light’” humanity has unwittingly loosed the (Ridván Message 2015). reins of reason and right conduct, The world we inhabit is the social allowing the steed of social order to reality that reflects our understanding deviate increasingly from the path of and action; as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains, civilization. The consequence is an ac- “[t]he reality of man is his thought” celeration of the disintegration of the (Paris Talks 17). A sound social real- social order; facilitating the rolling out ity requires a sound grasp of reality, of a new order in its stead requires a an outlook that should be facilitated tightening of the grip on these reins by the knowledge systems of science based on Bahá’u’lláh’s conception of and religion (Lample). Consider the the harmony of science and religion. nature of food systems as one exam- The relationship between science, ple of the extreme irrationality that or reason, and religion is widely and permeates the structure of global often hotly debated, and the elusive society. One might imagine a reason- harmony on which civilization de- able aim for such systems would be to pends will not be suddenly manifested provide all the world’s people with a (Arbab). The purpose of this article is sufficient and healthy diet produced to explore how the harmony of sci- by sustainable methods and efficient ence and religion might be realized. delivery systems in harmony with the It is derived from aspects of a talk ecosystem. What we witness, instead, given in May 2016 in Wilmette, Illi- is a bizarre arrangement centered on nois, and elaborates upon points that In Pursuit of Harmony between Science and Religion 25 were necessarily touched upon indi- The fundamental purpose animat- rectly and very generally at that time. ing the Faith of God and His Re- The thoughts presented here are, of ligion is to safeguard the interests course, the personal perspectives of and promote the unity of the hu- one individual. man race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a DIAGNOSIS OF THE FORCES source of dissension and discord, AFFLICTING HUMANITY of hate and enmity. This is the straight Path, the fixed and im- In His Writings, Bahá’u’lláh offers an movable foundation. Whatsoever analysis of the forces afflicting so- is raised on this foundation, the ciety as it struggles to deal with the changes and chances of the world transition toward a stable global or- can never impair its strength, nor der. At the heart of this turmoil, He will the revolution of countless explains, is the decline of religion. centuries undermine its struc- Religion, He writes, “is a radiant ture. Our hope is that the world’s light and an impregnable stronghold religious leaders and the rulers for the protection and welfare of the thereof will unitedly arise for peoples of the world,” and He warns the reformation of this age and that “[s]hould the lamp of religion the rehabilitation of its fortunes. be obscured, chaos and confusion will (Gleanings 215–16) ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquility and peace cease In His analysis these concepts, to shine” (Tablets 125). As the light of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá states: “The greatest true religion dims—that is, religious cause of human alienation has been thought and practice consistent with religion because each party has the original teachings set forth by the considered the belief of the other as Manifestation of God—two virulent anathema and deprived of the mercy forces intensify. One is religious fanat- of God.” The purpose of religion icism, which Bahá’u’lláh likens to “a is to contribute to the advancement world-devouring fire, whose violence of civilization and the wellbeing none can quench” (Gleanings 288). The of humanity. Over the centuries, second is the “corrosion of ungodli- however, the practice of religion ness” that is “eating into the vitals of departs from the essential truths human society” (200). In both instanc- of its sacred scriptures. Eventually, es, Bahá’u’lláh explains that the anti- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explains, “each system of dote to these destructive forces is true religious belief has boasted of its own religion, and He calls upon the leaders superiority and excellence, abasing and of the world to safeguard religion and scorning the validity of all others.” rehabilitate society: Leaders of religion, He adds, come 26 The Journal of Bahá’í Studies 26.4 2016 to consider “the world of humanity its degradation. Therefore, the as two trees: one divine and merciful, realm of the religionist has grad- the other satanic; they themselves the ually narrowed and darkened, and branches, leaves and fruit of the divine the sphere of the materialist has tree and all others who differ from widened and advanced; for the them in belief the product of the tree religionist has held to imitation which is satanic. Therefore, sedition and counterfeit, neglecting and and warfare, bloodshed and strife discarding holiness and the sacred have been continuous among them” reality of religion. (Promulgation (Promulgation 230). 179) When the teachings of religion are distorted in this way, religions depart In the clash between religious fana- from what is true, what is good, and ticism and a materialistic worldview what is right, to become the imposi- that rejects religion, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tion of ideology and the exercise of unhesitatingly sides with materialists.