So I once was a huge science-lover and I still am, but like most people I used to think that science and spirituality don't really mix. For awhile I had a thing against people who went to church. I clumped them all together. I was one of those people that thought that if you wanted to be scientific and an intellect, that religion was something that was meant for the uneducated, etc. But now I know that I was wrong to think in that way, that you can be an intellect and still believe in the spiritual nature of life and humanity; and I am excited for the changes that will follow in my life from this realization.
Let me pull from a passage that has been taken from a facebook profile of a person who prides themselves in being an atheist (which might I add, I am fine with atheists in the same vein as I am with people in general, as long as they are open minded, compassionate, and good natured, they are my friend).
Here it is:
"The priests of the different religious sects . . . dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight, and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subdivision of the duperies on which they live."
- Thomas Jefferson
(No I am not friends with Thomas Jefferson on Facebook, although, I wish I was...this is just a quote found in a profile).
This quote is quite ignorant, outdated and aggressive when you think about it with a more expanded perspective. Now, I don't know what was included in the "..." of the quote, but I do know, that very soon and already in some churches today, transformations are happening. On a whole, churches and religious sects are realizing we live in a changing world and if they want to continue to grow their congregation, they must cooperate with the many different realities out there, science being one of them. This also means that the arrogant side of science must admit that they have left a lot out of the picture by ignoring what spirituality does for a person, a commuinty, and a world. And rather than continue to draw lines of division, they must find ways too to integrate other ways of thinking into their scientific approaches. Aren't both science and religion just in search of truth? Why not work together?
As I pursue my degree in Holistic Health Studies, this topic comes back to health for me. While I agree with Thomas Jefferson that separation between church and state and all of that business was necessary to purge America from corruption, I must admit that there have been some negative effects of this purging too. As I am coming to a better understanding of it all, this separation of church and state seems to have gone so far as to separate the mind and body. It in a way has alienated the human spirit from itself. We have classified all of science to be something separate from the spirit, and as noted in the quote, we liken spirit-minded people to witchery and to churches. But times are changing. Churches are just one center for spiritual growth. The human spirit lives with the humans, and people have forgotten that.
What I see in my readings and in my daily life more and more, is that in order for humankind to continue to evolve in the sciences and in life, we must bring the spiritual back into the picture, doesn't have to mean RELIGION, although it could, but it does mean opening oneself to spirituality and inner knowing. Its just the bottom line thing that is going to have to happen if we want to continue to thrive. Here is the passage from my reading for this Thursday that puts these thoughts into words with a bit more grace. Okay, more like a lot more!
"We have denied and devalued all inner ways of knowing, leaving ourselves no way to grasp or understand the groundless and mechanical world we have so brilliantly envisioned with our science. The result is the epidemic anxiety of our age--a lostness, an emptiness, an alienation from ourselves and our world that is reflected in our mind, body, spirit, and social institutions. It has become increasingly apparent that an understanding of life acquired solely through a sensory-based outer knowledge cannot in itself provide us with a progressive and endless improvement in the quality of our health and our lives. For this we need something else. We need to expand our consciousness and regain a rich inner life. This leap in consciousness will provide us with the knowledge and capacities that are required for larger healing and health. To understand this is to comprehend that the changes we must now envision are fundamental rather than cosmetic and as much historically compelled as chosen. We either grow larger in our consciousness or our science and medicine will remain much the same, irrespective of our sincere efforts to change it through the addition of more therapies and remedies" (Consciousness and Healing, 10).
With all that said, I'd like to conclude by sharing something about myself right now. I am trying to be more open-minded myself. I generally consider myself to be extremely open-minded. However, I also see myself get hot-headed and think differently of others if they do not share my view points. I have learned that getting angry and putting people's belief systems down is not going to get us anywhere, so with that I am trying to stay positive and not jump to apocalyptic mode or defense mode or anger mode or accusatory mode. I am just being open to the journey and sharing my thoughts about my journey so far.
I hope that this passage maybe made you think a little bit about spirituality and where you are at with your own personal life journey and how you feel about the way the world is today. Are you where you want to be? Are you going in the right direction?
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