A Frank Conversation on Science, Religion, and Spectrums

One of my favorite Ted Talks is by Kwame Anthony Appiah (https://www.ted.com/talks/devdutt_pattanaik) because religion is not just one idea or one set of beliefs, but a series of ideas that are transmitted through morals and storytelling. This talk dialogues on how religion impacts belief systems and ways to look at the world. I find religion one of the most fascinating and valuable concepts to understand. Ironically, religion is one of the topics that often seems to make people uncomfortable. This in part is due to the idea that religion being seen as a dichotomy. Religion seen as something good or bad. Something that can be seen as a spiritual connection or as an oppressive force.  I wonder if instead of looking at a dichotomy, we could look at religion as a spectrum. Furthermore that religion can be seen as a key identity to an individual encouraging peace and compassion, but religion also can been used to exploit, manipulate, and destroy culture, life, and identity.

One of the paramount issues of my generation is acknowledging how religion has been a central role in both oppression and social justice. Part of this is this falsity that religion is refusing to acknowledge facts. There is a false dichotomy between science and religion often enacted. Why do individuals feel facts seem to so often to threaten religion or vice versa? Perhaps because the differences are emphasized so much more than the similarities. There are several similarities between religion and science. Both strive to give answers to life’s questions. One goal in Science is to continue to learn and explore, and in religion there is also an exploration of both yourself and its relation to others. Both have been manipulated and caused harm, such as through eugenic practices in an attempt to make an ideal “Aryan Race”, or the mass murder of and by both Hindus and Muslims (also Sikh individuals) after the Partition of India in 1947. These are just two examples of horrific carnage. Religion and science have also been used as a tool for change. Religion and social justice tend to be shown as contrasting, but in fact many religious leaders have advocated for social justice and working in community. The Dalai Lama shared “it is not enough to be compassionate. You must act.” Muhammad spoke “the best among you is the one who doesn’t harm others with his tongue and his hands”. Pope Francis commented “human rights are not only violated by terrorism, repression, or assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that creates huge inequalities”. However those aren't the stories often told in the media.

Now is where the biggest problem of spectrum arises. Diversity within religious traditions is often ignored. When religion is spoken of with scorn or anger, typically there is use of an overgeneralized description. Part of this has to do with an emphasis on religious fundamentalism. I.E. a focus on sister wives, the Westboro Baptist Church, and other extermist sects. Religious fundamentalists do not represent everyone within a religious tradition, and in fact are on one end of a spectrum filled with identities and beliefs. Whenever phrases begin with “all Christians, all Muslims, all Jews, all Hindus”… I tend to bristle because this often ends with a statement that involves xenophobia and bigotry. Refusing to acknowledge that there are many identities within religious communities is like looking at a picture but only focusing on the frame without looking in. One of the most prevalent examples of this blatant discrimination is equating Muslims to terrorists. Many Muslim individuals will note that Islam is a peaceful religion not one of terrorism. Within Islam there are many different communities, and in fact note that only a very narrow fundamentalist sect endorses terrorist actions, while claiming it is in the name of Islam. A recent example of the lack of understanding and similarity between various Muslim communities involves the Jordanian Muslim air pilot Lt. Muath al-Kasabeh being burned alive in a cage. This action was not celebrated throughout the Muslim communities, but in fact is seen as deplorable and treacherous. This is not only seen within the Muslim community, but many religious communities. The reality is humans have the capacity to create and decide what their religious identity looks like. There seems to be a myth that Christianity, or Judaism, or o many other religions are completely united within and have the same ideologies. In fact there is great complexity involving a variety of intersecting identities such as race, class, gender, and sexuality.  

I challenge all of us to reflect on some of the major binaries that exist today including science vs. religion, terrorists=Muslims, and religion as one entity. Instead I encourage us to dive deeper and recognize that there is far more to the picture of religious diversity than what at first meets the eye, and to not judge any religious or science book by the cover, but to continue to learn, explore, and break down false dichotomies. 

By Lauren Mendez