Miracles or Massacres

There is a vast misconception in mixing religion with science; like mixing water with oil, for religion is based on faith and science is based on (as Penn Jillette mentioned on his showtime show Penn and Teller’s Bullshit) evaluation, survey, hypothesis, observation, testing and debate. Notice that the final stage is “debate” which means other questions and more reseach. And as we can see the two approaches for a belief are incompatible ; one is complete, the other is not. To understand this statement more let’s define each:

• Faith in religion: a belief and trust in and loyalty to God, belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion, firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust.

• Science: a knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths or the operation of general laws especially as obtained and tested through scientific methods, such knowledge or such a system of knowledge concerned with the physical world and its phenomena.

In other words; faith is based on a belief of the complete unknown, while science is a path to discover the unknown. Knowledge through faith is a complete doctrine, while knowledge in science keeps wavering according to the available evidences. And to mix the two; theologians and scientists are making a big mistake.

If you believe in complete dogmas of your religion, then you just take it as it is without testing its authenticity. But once you start your research on finding proofs, then your belief is not solid, and the mere fact of checking the evidences would prove your doubt.

Moreover; your search would be so agonizing. You will try every trick on the book to prove what you were supposed to believe in without questioning. And at the end; you will only make a fool of yourself and strike a big blow to your belief when you prove that it’s so shallow.

Take a look at the program of The Eighth Islamic Conference of the Miracles of Quran * that is held in Kuwait this week. And let’s check some weird titles:

تميز بول الغلام من دلائل النبوة الخاتمة
Translation: the urine of male children is the characteristic proof that the prophet Mohammad was the last messenger of God.

Now just reading that title one gets nauseated; The title itself is insulting. Does the prophet need little boy’s urine to prove that he was the last messenger? Or do the faithful need any proof, let alone such degrading and shallow proof?
The so-called doctor (as the capital D in front of his name indicates) spent time and effort to research and present his paper. Wouldn’t it be more productive if this doctor researched scientifically in the areas of his field, and discovered a cure that is acknowledged internationally? But with his paper, he not only defied himself, he also destroyed the reputation of the school that gave him such a degree, and more dangerously he ruined his own faith by degrading the prophet’s tradition and insulting all Moslems.

Let’s take a look at another title:

تأثير العسل على عوامل التجلط في الفئران
Translation: the effect of honey on elements of blood clotting in Guinea pigs.

Now what does that have to do with miracles of Quran? This fact was known since the ancient Greeks. Ancient Egyptians described it as an effective treatment for wounds. Why should Quran get the copyright of this supposedly so great a discovery? Or more logically; does Quran need any miracle to defend itself, if God Himself declared that the only miracle of Quran is its infallibility? Surely God does not need others to question that.

I will not go over the rest of the titles, most of which are old researches done by others and can easily be found on the Net.Then why eight conferences? mako shigul?

But the fight between science and religion is not only correlated to Moslems. The Christian West also had and still has much trouble in coexisting with science. Any new theory or discovery raised rages throughout history, and at times it escalated to violence through religious believer’s circles.

Take evolution as an example; since publishing Charles Darwin’s book “The Origin of Species” a fierce fight broke between religious groups and scientists. In one incident a young Tennessee science teacher was convicted of teaching evolution when a religious verdict act prohibited it. And thence the famous Monkey Trial took place and occupied headlines in the media of the early twenties (click here for more on that ).

And lately religious groups came up with the new trend of teaching “creationism” as a science subject in opposition to “revolution”, although creation as a theory will still be based on faith and not science. And to the faithful it should not be treated as a theory but as an unquestionable fact.

In conclusion;

So much time an effort spent
On science and decedents
One of which is still evolving
The other is beyond doubt

May be someday paths cross
Or may be not
At the end each one is free
On the face of the revolving
To submit
Or to not

Now let’s watch evolution taught by Mrs Garrison and then Richard Dawkins

* Thanks DA for providing the link
An update
I don’t know why the youtube video clip disappeared, anyway this is the link: