A few questions from Science and the answers given by Religion to those questions are given below:
Q1: Science: "Religion talks only about things that are not visible at all."
A1: Religion: "Electricity and magnetism are not also visible."
Q2: Science: "The benefits of electricity and magnetic forces are experienced and understood by people."
A2: Religion: "The divine forces explained by religion are also experienced by people."
Q3: Science: "Why all could not experience the forces of religion?".
A3: Religion: "One end of a metal rod kept on fire becomes hot on the other end. But wood does not become hot like metal. Similary a few among the human beings could sense the divine forces; while others could not."
Q4: Science: "If some people feel God, why not everybody could see God".
A4: Religion: "Science has discovered that every human being's thumb impression is unique; similarly all are not having same visual abilities; human beings have a variety of differences in their abilities of senses. Hence using scientific discoveries, one can easily accept that everybody cannot have the ability to see god".
Q5: Science: "One stone becomes a statue and worshipped by all while another stone from the same rock gets the fate of footstep; how can the stone be worshipped?".
A5: Religion: "One iron piece from the same iron rod becomes a magnet and attracts the remaining iron pieces from that rod. How does this happen?"
Q6: Science: "We developed abilities to give medical advice from this earth to man sent to moon."
A6: Religion: "There are skills in religion to confuse a man or disable a man's limbs or even kill a man from a distant unknown place just by getting the name of that person."
Q7: Science: "Can you do this to all human beings?"
A7: Religion: "Did science succeed in all space voyages planned and initiated by men?"
Q8: Science: "Science achieved greater yields by enriching the soil in a variety of ways."
A8: Religion: "Can science grow Plantains in a soil where coriander could be grown? Can you grow sugar-cane in sandy fields where Coconut trees are grown? Can you grow chilly in hilly soil where coffee and tea are grown? Can you grow paddy in the soil where Maize and corn are grown?"
Q9: Science: "We have achieved many innovative gadgets like Radio, Telephone, Television, ... to improve the knowledge levels of men."
A9: Religion: "Have you invented a method to change a dull-headed or a lazy person by birth?"
Teacher-Student
Religion is like a Teacher. Science is like a Student.
Religion does not come down from its status. Science is trying to grow up every moment like a student. Students learn from teacher and expand on them through their efforts, capabilities, earnestness, ... etc. Like this, Science takes the ideas given by Religion to start doing researches to grow further up.
Student can become Teacher in the course of time. Like that Science becomes Religion as time progresses. The conclusions achieved through research by Science become acceptable standard procedures like religious procedures.
For example: The persons who discovered electricity researched and analyzed in many directions as to how electricity should be generated, in which metals could it be transmitted, how all could it be utilized, what precautions should be taken by human beings when handling electricity, ... etc.
After that people acquire electrical gadgets and with great faith start using them in a very religious manner. This is similar to the way people go to temples and perform different procedures mindlessly but with great faith. Even though electricity has found a vital place in human life today, very rarely we find a person who give thought to how electricity is generated or how it should be used or why a particular metal should be used to transmit electricity, etc. But everyone just believe in the usefulness of electrical gadgets and use them.
Like this only the great facts and useful philosophies found by Siddhars have taken shape as statues, temples, prayer procedures and religious methods. As time progressed, people started following all religious methods and procedures without questioning them.
To sum up: Religious facts are completely finalized while the fundamental facts of science have not yet been finalized. Religious facts won't change and cannot be changed. Scientific facts may change at any time through another research.
Religion is like a completed and functioning Light House showing the path to everyone. Science is like a light house still to be constructed but planning is underway.
Translation of a portion of the Lecture-Essay: "Samayamum Ariviyalum" written by His Holiness the 12th Pathinensiddhar Peedam.
[to be continued in the next part...]
