There exists a belied that scientific knowledge is an obstacle to mystical knowledge and spirituality . Even today, experts of some of our contemporary religious sects regard universities and colleges as seats of iniquity . They argue that having faith in God is enough, for He will provide for human needs. They are of the view that science invades the sanctity of the divine sphere and these higher education faculties are therefore sinful. This view arises from the conflict between rationalism, the extension of knowledge and the dogmatism of church. Initially, many centuries ago, a view such as this was exclusively that of the Roman Catholic Church.Now many non-liberal protestant sects have adopted it too .
According to these sects, education is iconoclastic, attacking religious beliefs. Undoubtedly,education,strengthened by factual evidence, has torn apart superstitious image and concepts that these sects regards as "the word of God ". A representative example of these many case is the arbitrary date set by theologians to the creation of the world. Geology and related disciplines, can only elaborate theories as to the exact time that the earth began to exist . However, experts can prove that the earth came into existence billions of years before the date fixed by the theologians .
Although scientists have substituted biblical fantasies with facts, they do not really affect the heart of religion and its immanent purpose.Yet non liberal devotees consider it sacrilegious when someone has the audacity to alter even one detail in the bible. The purpose of true science in neither to disprove what religion teaches, nor to oppose it . Science seeks truth through experience, observation and reason. On the other hand, religion puts its trust in implied realities, and this is what is called faith .
Unfortunately however, some scientists are narrow-minded too. They do not recognize religion as an important factor in society, and delight in exposing the errors of religious beliefs. They exploit these errors in such a manner and when such evident satisfaction that they make it seem as though science it the sworn enemy of religion .
A Divine Order
True scientists know the value of religion. They know that the emotional and psychic elements of the human being cannot be fully satisfied by reason. For thousands of years, people have experienced feelings and condition before developing the faculty of reasoning at a higher level. Scientists who realize this strive to integrate their findings within the fundamental beliefs of religion . They try to explain that even if the Earth is the consequence of a production of matter from a star passing too near the sun, this does not contradict the existence of a divine order behind such a phenomenon. It indicates that the mechanism of the Earth and its development do not diminish the importance of the first religious premise which put God as the primary Cause .
On the other hand, progressive religion, fully aware of the tremendous influence of science over the public mind because of its "miracle ," seeks to link science and religion . The attitude of progressive religion is that even the biological sciences are only demonstrations of the laws of God; they are neither exceptions, nor negations. And this is not the first time that religion has faced the need to change its dogmatic views in order to remain compatible with materialism .
Intellectualism
The revival of Aristotelianism in the medieval period forced Thomas Aquinas to categorize all knowledge in an hierarchical order. He included science in this order as explaining the physical aspect of life , but he abandoned to the church the kingdom of God. The realm of revelation, he said, transcend mortal reasoning .
With respect , religion the , could accept the existence of chemistry , physics, geology, astronomy and other physical science. Indeed, what religion assumed was that God is the Supreme Being which transcends all physical laws, as well as any phenomena that human beings can discover and develop. The more humanity extended its temporal knowledge, the more revered God became . Physical knowledge resembled the block of a pyramid . No matter how many blocks there were, or how massive and high the pyramid became, the apex always remained the same......God.
Today, the true mystic does not quarrel with intellectualism. We must broaden our minds and assert our faculties . Mind is like a blade that remains blunt if is not sharpened by reflection. Mysticism urges thinkers in their exploration of reality, not to go as far as lose sight of the individual "me". If they do, this knowledge can make them bitter. They can become so cynical that life itself can seem futile. Some of the greatest scientists have also been mystics, or have had strong religious feelings. I refer to famous scientists such as Kepler, Burroughs , Morse, Harvey and Faraday .
Because we cannot measure the capacity or the weight of an emotion, we should not attempt to apply quantitative methods and physical, scientific processes to the psychic nature of the human being. When this attempted, intellectualism is applied in a manner that is false. Such practices produce flawed intellectual human machines, demons with cold-thinking spirits that are insensitive and that could even destroy their own species. When the only spark burning is an individual is intellectual, we have a human robot with limited usefulness .
False Idealism
Some people argue that to manage business today, one must resort to practices and acts that are often incompatible with personal idealism and the moral sense. Naturally it is necessary that we are not biased in our idealism. For example , we should not consider it a bad thing to achieve material success, to accumulate wealth, to be in charge , to find pleasure in the challenges of business. In itself, there is nothing wrong in any of these things.
Idealism is false if it is not compatible with the requirements of daily life. Being led by the cosmic principle of disinterestedness does not mean that we should cease striving to achieve earnings for material ends. However, it prohibits trespassing on the natural rights of others, or to use our earning ti harm others or to prevent them from seeking the happiness to which they are cosmically entitled .
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