On Science and Religion, part 4
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Stephen Kaufman, M.D., Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

On Science and Religion, part 4

Is there a place for God in a materialist, scientific world view? I think so, in part because science offers little insight into the great existential questions: Where did I come from? What am I supposed to do with my life? What happens to my sense of individual identity when I die? These are metaphysical questions and, science, which deals with material (physical) questions, is ill-equipped to address them.
 
We are one small planet near one star in a vast universe of millions of trillions of stars. How did life start here? How did conscious experience arise? As we contemplate such questions, it is natural to have a sense of awe and wonder. This is true whether one has a materialist outlook or a metaphysical outlook or, as with most people today, a combination of both.
 
I think contemplating our place on earth and in the universe encourages humility, and this can be a good thing. Human arrogance seems to facilitate the abuse of “inferior” nonhumans. Perhaps, however, human arrogance is a psychological defense against feelings of unimportance and fears related to vulnerability and mortality. Perhaps what we really need is a sense of importance and value that does not require our being superior to anyone else. Perhaps what we need is a faith that provides this sense of importance. I’ll consider this next essay.

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Go on to: Faith and Human Psychological Needs
Return to: Reflection on the Lectionary, Table of Contents

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