A world without religion or a world without science

I recently came across an interesting discussion on Goodreads: ‘Would you rather live in a world without religion…or a world without science?’

The popular view of the participants is that religion is a greater evil than science and the world would be better off without religion. In any case, no one can argue today that it is possible to live without science as our life depends so much on the scientific inventions and technological development.

The question is thus— Is it possible to live without religion?

Religion seems to be a source of conflict in the world nowadays. The brutal killings by ISIS militants in Arab world, in the name of Islam, have shaken the conscious of world. The terrorist activities in the name of religion like 9/11, has led many people to believe that the world would be better without religion. Atheists and rationalists often find the faith in God absurd and the stories of the Scriptures and Mythologies nothing but figment of imagination.

Yet the truth is that more than 90% of the people in the world believe in God and follow their religion.

Atheists deny the existence of God because there is no proof of God. They, therefore, refuse to follow any religion.  It is important to understand that religion is more than God. Every religion creates a culture which is based on a set of values (in the name of God) that helps people live with each other and cope with the problems of life.  There is a natural bonding between people who have similar belief—be it religion or integrity, love, compassion etc. There is also a bonding between evil people as an old proverb in India says—all thieves are like cousins (Chor chor mausere bhai).

Religion created many institutions like marriage which binds men and women with each other for life faithfully, thus giving stability and security to the young children. The countries which have discarded religion are finding it difficult to convince the couples to remain married and be faithful to each other. Many human values like nonviolence, faithfulness, respect to elders, equality of all human beings or justice find their roots in religion. Some religions prohibit the use of alcohol, smoking, meat-eating which helps people to live healthy and peaceful life. Religions are our legacy and societies have developed around religion. While atheists discard God and religion, they fail to provide a positive set of values for the world to follow and hence atheism can never be a substitute for religion.

While it is easy to blame religion for terrorism and senseless killing by some fundamentalists but it is factually incorrect to say that only religion is responsible for homicides. Even in Iraq, majority of the people killed are Muslims only and it is evident that religion is used as an excuse to further the objective of militant to achieve their goal of establishing rule over Iraq.  Clever people can use any excuse to kill the weak as this story of Aesop’s fable teaches us-

Once upon a time a Wolf was lapping at a spring on a hillside, when, looking up, what should he see but a Lamb just beginning to drink a little lower down. "There's my supper," thought he, "if only I can find some excuse to seize it." Then he called out to the Lamb, "How dare you muddle the water from which I am drinking?"

"Nay, master, nay," said Lambikin; "if the water be muddy up there, I cannot be the cause of it, for it runs down from you to me."

"Well, then," said the Wolf, "why did you call me bad names this time last year?"

"That cannot be," said the Lamb; "I am only six months old."

"I don't care," snarled the Wolf; "if it was not you it was your father;" and with that he rushed upon the poor little Lamb and ate her all up. But before she died she gasped out: "Any excuse will serve a tyrant."

It is unfair to blame religion for the ills of the society and the cause of all conflicts in the world.  Every year, hundreds of thousand people are murdered and mostly in the places where religion fanatics is not there. For example, the highest rate of homicide per 100,000 people took place in America and lowest is Asia as per the latest UNODC statistics.

The people who are hungry of power can use any excuse to rule over others. The two World Wars were fought not on the issue of religion as almost all participants were Christians. The issue was Imperialism, Nazism and Fascism in the world wars and not religion. The half a century cold war between America and Russia also has nothing to do with religion.  

Let us not blame religion for the problems, if it is used by the power hungry people to serve their own interest. Science, which deals only with facts, cannot replace religion, which governs the moral behaviour of men. Religion deals with heart while science deals with head—and you must have both to live your life.  Einstein said wisely: “Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind”.

Science and religion must stay together in this world like left and right side of human brain. They are not opposite to each other but they complement each other.

Reference:

1.       The Wolf and the Lamb URL: http://www.taleswithmorals.com/aesop-fable-the-wolf-and-the-lamb.htm