You might recall that I am a member of the Sacred Space Blog and a supporter of the work done by the Vatican Observatory. After taking a Faith and Astronomy retreat at the current location of the “Specola” in 2017, I was inspired by the wonderful science being done by the Jesuit astronomers and their openness to meet the challenge of integrating scientific discoveries with the work of God. Even though I am more of a fallen away Catholic myself, I am inspired by the Jesuit astronomer’s ability to welcome new discoveries as further evidence of God’s wonderous handiwork 🙂 It is not so easy for some other faiths who may have a harder time doing so.
A recent newsletter contained an article which seemed like perfect fit for a reflection for the previous post on how Islamic theology incorporates the concept of ET . First of all, let me be clear, I have not read this book, although I will probably add it to my ever-growing library of various views on the topic. It is called “When Science Goes Wrong: The Desire and Search for Truth” by Brother Guy Consolmagno and Chris Graney. In the newsletter, I found the below observations from the summary on the publisher ‘s website. I’m not sure who wrote this, but I found it to be particularly powerful, and I would like to share it with you:
” Theology, philosophy, or even mathematics may lay claim to eternal truths, but in science our very cosmologies change. Just as the major religions have adapted in the face of cultural cosmologies, so too has science adapted in the face of challenging new observations and ideas. Religion and science are strengthened by experiencing a shift in our assumptions; that is where we find out what is essential and what is cultural baggage.
Ultimately, the point of our science is not to come up with the ” right answer”. Both as scientists and human beings, we know that sometimes we learn the most by encountering ideas that challenge us. When we say, ” I know that can’t be right so, where did it go wrong? we gain a greater insight into what we do believe and what that really means.”
Wow!! Well, there you have it. The crux and the essence of the discussion on the intersection of faith and science. The world is changing right before our eyes, and we must change and adapt with it. As science changes and adapts with new discoveries, so must the theologies of religions and faiths. That will admittedly be more difficult for some than others. But as the author of the previous quote says, both religion and science with be strengthened by a shift in our assumptions. Only then will we find out what we really believe and what that means. It is indeed daunting to face that down especially in a world that is growing increasingly more chaotic and troubled. But we must do it if we hope to find our place in this increasingly vast and surprising Universe. Only then will we be ready.
I don’t have any magic answers, but I know that the best way to do that is to start talking to each other and more importantly–listening–really listening -to each other. Collaboration, mutual respect and civil discourse seem to be on the verge of extinction in our troubled world. Let’s start the conversation here. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.
M.A.N.
