W.B.C.S. Main 2018 Question Answer – Sociology – Debate Between Religion And Science.

1)Is there any debate between religion and science ?

“Science and Religion are the two most powerful forces in the world. Having them at odds,is not productive.”Continue Reading W.B.C.S. Main 2018 Question Answer – Sociology – Debate Between Religion And Science.

Very many people would surely prefer that, alongside whatever dissimilarities and differences may be held exist between them, Science and Religion could be seen as being compatible and possibly even complementary. As having an “openness as to what ‘The Truth’ is” in common rather than being perpetually in conflict over what The Truth is.

The following consideration of the Science versus Religion Debate may give grounds for an acceptance that Science and Religion can co-exist in the same “Order of Things”. Dissimilarities and differences are acknowledged but some indications are given that a simultaneous acceptance of the validity of both may actually be a compatible outlook to adopt.
Where The Truth must be recognised as being profoundly complex both Scientific Truth and Spiritual Truth can both be fully allowed acceptance of their respective validities in common. It can only be hoped that in the fullness of time Science and Religion will be seen as complementary rather than as being everlastingly in conflict.
A thousand years ago Religion was central to many aspects of the lives of the peoples of Western Europe and what we would today refer to as Science was very largely absent, unknown and unapplied.

As century followed century significant proportions of the populations of several European states lived overtly religious lives associated of religious communities.
It would seem that such faith-related patterns of society, in some cases, could have featured as many as one in four or one in five of the adult population living their lives as “religious” persons.
Those who were not priests or otherwise “overtly” religious usually viewed religion with very substantial respect.
Cathedrals, Monasteries and Churches were raised, often on a truly impressive scale, with the vast expense involved being met from the revenues derived from the immense landholdings of the Church or through the gifts of benefactors.with priestly office or through being engaged in the routines associated.

As yet more centuries rolled by Science presented challenges to Religion through discoveries that led to the assertion of theories which were both highly intellectually persuasive and which proved to be intensely corrosive of the acceptability of world views that had long been endorsed by religious tradition.

One the more inimical of these challenges from Science to the views traditionally accepted by Religion being that deriving from the theorising of Copernicus and Galileo about the Revolution “of the Earth around the Sun” rather than “of the Sun around the Earth”.

A probably yet more corrosive challenge arose from the meditations of Charles Darwin and of Alfred Russel Wallace that culminated in a Theory of Evolution of Species.

Each of these theories emerged against backgrounds of understanding where faith-related explanations of things had been generally accepted. At the times of their emergences these theories were thus “deeply unsettling” to many persons and intense Science versus Religion Debates ensued. Whereas a “Theistic-Geocentric” world view, where the Earth and the people who inhabited it were held to lie at the centre of God’s Creation, had long been accepted this came to be called into question by Science.
Nicolaus Copernicus, who held a Doctorate in “theologically related” Canon Law but was deeply immersed in mathematical and astronomical studies, came to accept a “Heliocentric” world view where the Sun rather than the Earth was held to occupy a central and immovable position.I took upon myself the task of re-reading the books of all the philosophers which I could obtain, to seek out whether any one had ever conjectured that the motions of the spheres of the universe were other than they supposed who taught mathematics in the schools. And I found first, that, according to Cicero, Nicetas had thought the earth was moved. Then later I discovered, according to Plutarch, that certain others had held the same opinion. … When from this, therefore, I had conceived its possibility, I myself also began to meditate upon the mobility of the earth. And although the opinion seemed absurd, yet because I knew the liberty had been accorded to others before me of imagining whatsoever circles they pleased to explain the phenomena of the stars, I thought I also might readily be allowed to experiment whether, by supposing the earth to have some motion, stronger demonstrations than those of the others could be found as to the revolution of the celestial sphere. Thus, supposing these motions which I attribute to the earth later on in this book, I found at length by much and long observation, that if the motions of the other planets were added to the rotation of the earth and calculated as for the revolution of that planet, not only the phenomena of the others followed from this, but also it so bound together both the order and magnitude of all the planets and the spheres and the heaven itself, that in no single part could one thing be altered without confusion among the other parts and in all the universe. Hence for this reason in the course of this work I have followed this system.

Copernicus

Copernicus’ treatise “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres” published just before his death in 1543 presented the Earth as actually moving around the Sun.
This rather technical work was not all that widely read, nor were its astronomical theorisings the subject of a prompt general acceptance. Copernicus’ work seems to have had some flaws and a failure to sufficiently address certain key problems limited its credibility.
Copernicus’ Heliocentric theory only very gradually gained in acceptance whilst other persons who were then seen as being authoritative continued to propose that the Earth was the fixed center of a celestial system.

From some time in the early sixteen hundreds the Catholic Church began to become more actively critical of Copernicus’ work deeming it to present views “contrary to Holy Scripture”.

One Galileo Galilei had become involved in the development of some of the earliest telescopes. He had heard of such devices being demonstrated by a person of Flemish or Dutch origin. Given this inspiration he was able to devise a design for telescopes that were a considerable improvement on those that were then being constructed elsewhere. As part of this process he himself learnt to grind glass lenses that facilitated the achievement of high levels of magnification.

Galileo turned his telescopes to the skies and, having a considerable background in science, came to consider that that he found sufficient cause to accept a Heliocentric world view.

In 1632, a work by Galileo entiled, “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic & Copernican” appeared. The book was set out as a consideration of the views of three persons: one who supported Copernicus’ Heliocentric theory of the universe, another who argued against it and a third person was presented as being objective and open to persuasion.
The person who spoke against Copernicus’ theory was given the name Simplicio. Simplicio is supposedly named after Simplicius of Cilicia, a sixth-century commentator on Aristotle, but it was suspected the name was a double entendre, as the Italian for “simple” (as in “simple minded”) is “semplice”.

In 1633 Galileo Galilei was placed under house arrest for the rest of his life having been convicted, through the intervention of Church officials, of a grave suspicion of heresy for “following the position of Copernicus, which is contrary to the true sense and authority of Holy Scripture”.

It was in such circumstances that Galileo Galilei was induced, by an office known as the Inquisition which was active in attempts to suppress heresy, to formally recant his ‘Copernican’ views.
Some sentences which feature towards the end of this recantation, which was offered by Galileo whilst kneeling, read:-

whereas — after an injunction had been judicially intimated to me by this Holy Office, to the effect that I must altogether abandon the false opinion that the sun is the center of the world and immovable, and that the earth is not the center of the world, and moves, and that I must not hold, defend, or teach in any way whatsoever, verbally or in writing, the said false doctrine, and after it had been notified to me that the said doctrine was contrary to Holy Scripture — I wrote and printed a book in which I discuss this new doctrine already condemned, and adduce arguments of great cogency in its favor, without presenting any solution of these, and for this reason I have been pronounced by the Holy Office to be vehemently suspected of heresy, that is to say, of having held and believed that the Sun is the center of the world and immovable, and that the earth is not the center and moves,

Therefore, desiring to remove from the minds of your Eminences, and of all faithful Christians, this vehement suspicion, justly conceived against me, with sincere heart and unfeigned faith I abjure, curse, and detest the aforesaid errors and heresies, and generally every other error, heresy, and sect whatsoever contrary to the said Holy Church, and I swear that in the future I will never again say or assert, verbally or in writing, anything that might furnish occasion for a similar suspicion regarding me; but that should I know any heretic, or person suspected of heresy, I will denounce him to this Holy Office, or to the Inquisitor or Ordinary of the place where I may be. Further, I swear and promise to fulfill and observe in their integrity all penances that have been, or that shall be, imposed upon me by this Holy Office. And, in the event of my contravening, (which God forbid) any of these my promises and oaths, I submit myself to all the pains and penalties imposed and promulgated in the sacred canons and other constitutions, general and particular, against such delinquents. So help me God, and these His Holy Gospels, which I touch with my hands.

The church authorities made it widely known that Galileo had made this recantation but this did not bring matters to a conclusion!

Those who were interested in such matters, and those who came to hear of them, were persistently aware of an unresolved Science versus Religion Debate the implications of which were absolutely central as to how beliefs about Existence, and about “Godly Creation”, could be upheld or how they were open to challenge.

Copernicus’ theories, as given increased credibility by Galileo, set off a so-called Copernican Revolution. The increasingly wide acceptance of Copernicus’ Theory had profound “credibility” related potential of inducing people to hold reservations about faith-related beliefs about the physical world and to become more open to giving consideration to what were proposed of as being “Scientific” explanations of the physical world. People became more prepared to adopt views that were proposed by Scientific Theories rather than continuing to accept views long upheld by Religion.
Some authorities suggest that contemporary usages of the terms Revolution and Revolutionary are inherently reflective of the momentous transformations which followed on from the increasingly widespread acceptance of Heliocentric views “On the Revolution of the Heavenly Orbs”.

Galileo Galilei made many other significant discoveries but is perhaps best remembered for his advocacy of Heliocentrism.
In later times a Pope who then led the Catholic Church made some conciliatory statements about how Galileo should actually be viewed positively for taking the stance he had taken in supporting the Copernican world system.

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