Fw: [TrueVision] Science, Philosophy, and Religion, A Symposium

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Forwarded by another Beloved Friend.

 

ana

 

 

-

earl engelhardt

mind-shifting ; truevision

Saturday, October 15, 2005 1:12 PM

[TrueVision] Science, Philosophy, and Religion, A Symposium

 

 

FYI

This showed up on another network.

 

Earl

 

 

A forwarded message for your inspiration and dialog

 

Dr Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr C.C. Jung, etc

 

(Albert Einstein, " Science, Philosophy, and Religion, A

Symposium " , published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and

Religion in Their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New

York, 1941)

 

Dr Albert Einstein, in his autobiography :

 

 

" If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific

needs, it would be Buddhism " . He also said that Buddhism has the

characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for

the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology;

it covers both the natural and the spiritual, and it is based on a

religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural

and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.

 

 

" The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion. It should

transcend personal God and avoid dogma and theology. Covering both

the natural and spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense

arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a

meaningful unity. Buddhism answers this description. ... If there's

any religion that could cope the modern scientific needs it would be

Buddhism. "

 

 

Albert Einstein, " Science, Philosophy, and Religion, A Symposium " ,

published by the Conference on Science, Philosophy and Religion in

Their Relation to the Democratic Way of Life, Inc., New York, 1941] :

 

 

" I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures,

or has a will of the kind that we experience in ourselves. Neither

can I nor would I want to conceive of an individual that survives his

physical death; let feeble souls, from fear or absurd egoism, cherish

such thoughts. I am satisfied with the mystery of the eternity of

life and with the awareness and a glimpse of the marvelous structure

of the existing world, together with the devoted striving to

comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the Reason that

manifests itself in nature. "

 

 

Albert Einstein, in " The World as I See It " :

 

" I cannot conceive of a personal God who would directly influence the

actions of individuals, or would directly sit in judgment on

creatures of his own creation. I cannot do this in spite of the fact

that mechanistic causality has, to a certain extent, been placed in

doubt by modern science. [He was speaking of Quantum Mechanics and

the breaking down of determinism.] My religiosity consists in a

humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals

itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory

understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality is of the highest

importance -- but for us, not for God. "

 

 

 

Mahatma Gandhi ( 1869-1948)

 

Indian Thinker and Apostle of Non Violence

 

I have no hesitation in declaring that I owe a great deal to the

inspiration that I have derived from the life of the Buddha, the

Enlightened One. Asia has a message for the whole world, if only it

would live up to it.

 

There is the imprint of Buddhistic influence on the whole of Asia,

which includes India, China, Japan, Burma, Ceylon, and the Malay

States. For Asia to be not for Asia but for the whole world, it has

to re-learn the message of the Buddha and deliver it to the whole

world.

 

His love, his boundless love went out as much to the lower animal, to

the lowest life as to human beings. And he insisted upon purity of

life.

 

 

 

BUDDHISM - THE PERFECT RELIGION

 

Dr C.C. Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychologist

 

Founder of the Jungian school of psychology

 

As a student of comparative religions, I believe that Buddhism is the

most perfect one the world has even seen. The philosophy of the

theory of evolution and the law of karma were far superior to any

other creed. It was neither the history of religion nor the study of

philosophy that first drew me to the world of Buddhist thought but my

professional interest as a doctor. My task was to treat psychic

suffering and it was this that impelled me to become acquainted with

the views and methods of that great teacher of humanity, whose

principal theme was the chain of suffering, old age, sickness and

death.

 

Buddhism was the first spiritual force, known to us in history, which

drew close together such a large number of races separated by most

difficult barriers of distance, by difference of language and custom,

by various degrees and divergent types of civilization. It had its

motive power, neither in international commerce, nor in empire

building, nor in a scientific curiosity, nor in a migrative impulse

to occupy fresh territory. It was a purely disinterested effort to

help mankind forward to its final goal.

 

 

H. G. Wells (1866-1946)

 

World renowned British Historian,

 

Socialist and Science fiction writer

 

 

Today scientists, historians, astronomers, biologists, botanists,

anthropologists and great thinkers have all contributed to a vast new

knowledge and discoveries regarding the origin of the world. This

latest discovery and knowledge is not at all contradictory to the

teachings of the Buddha.

 

 

The speculative explanations of the origin of the universe that are

presented by various religions are not acceptable to the modern

scientist and intellectual. The Buddha did not waste his time on this

issue. Perhaps the reason for his silence is that this question has

no religious value. The explanation of the origin of the universe is

not the concern of religion. Such theorizing is not necessary to live

a righteous way of life and to shape our future life.

 

 

However, if one insists on studying this issue, then one must

investigate the sciences of astronomy, geology, biology and

anthropology. These sciences can offer more reliable and tested

information on this subject than can be supplied by any religion.

 

 

" Infinite is the sky, infinite is the number of beings,

 

Infinite are the worlds in the vast universe,

 

Infinite in wisdom the Buddha teaches these,

 

Infinite are the virtues of him who teaches these. "

 

 

" You see clearly a man, simple, devout, lonely, battling for light,

a vivid human personality, not a myth. He gave a message to mankind

universal in character. Many of our best modern ideas are in closest

harmony with it " .

 

 

 

Some Quotes on Buddhism

 

Morality with and without a creator God.

 

Many world religions claim that their holy books state that God

created the universe and man. The interesting point is that each of

these holy books claims that it is their God and only their God that

created the universe and each holy book then describes an interesting

story as to how this was accomplished.

 

 

Looking at the different holy books impartially, it is only fair to

say that they all have an equal chance of being accurate. Each of

these holy books have been read and researched by many of its

followers who are convinced of the Truth found in their book. As

acceptance is based on a book written many years after the death of

its founder as opposed to direct experience, they all have equal

right to their claim. As such if we had four religions that claim

that their holy book is correct they each have 25% chances of being

accurate just as if we had five religions that made such claim they

each have 20% chances of being accurate.

 

 

In order to be fair by all the holy books, one could also presume

that all of these Gods had a hand in the creation of the world. After

all the universe is very complex. Unfortunately none of the holy

books talk of such cooperation and harmony. And as such, it is

doubtful if any of the theist religions are willing to accept such a

possibility.

 

 

The possibility also exists that it is the same God that each holy

book refers to with different names. The problem with this is that

each holy book has a different account of how creation took place and

a different description of the characteristics of their God. Some

portray God as being compassionate while others portray God as being

jealous and cruel. Different books may have different names for God

but which of the books has the authentic version? It would be

arrogant for any one to claim that his and only his holy book is

correct, just because he happened to be born into a particular

religious tradition.

 

 

I personally have no issue with any religion that wants to take the

responsibility for creation so long as the said God takes full

responsibility for His creation. If a scientist creates an advanced

robot with super intelligence that benefits mankind he gets credit

and accolade for his creation. But if his robot malfunctions and

starts maiming and killing indiscriminately, the scientist is held

responsible for its actions. Similarly a manufacturer of any item is

fully responsible for its defects and the result and suffering that

may be caused by its defects just as he enjoys the profits and

accolades of his success.

 

 

As such it is logical that which ever God created the universe should

be held fully responsible for His creation. The tsunamis, earth

quakes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, violent winds, floods and

famine, diseases and other natural extremes that take countless lives

and cause untold suffering are the results of the flaws in the

creation of the world. And just as we can credit the creator God for

the gentle rain and sun that resulted in a good harvest we can credit

the creator God for the untold misery. Similarly the blind and the

handicapped, the sick and the lame can credit God for their suffering

and misery just as they credit God for their talents and good health.

We could even go as far as to place all evil and good on Gods

shoulders. After all God created man. Even if He decided to give free-

will to man it was His sole decision and as such He should take

responsibility for any lack of wisdom in such a decision. As an all-

knowing God, I am sure he was aware that some of his creations would

cause more suffering and misery than joy and happiness. (Beyond

Belief - A.L. De Silva; BuddhaSasana web site).

 

 

The question then arises is God compassionate or is he omnipotent?

All the misery and suffering in the world leads me to believe that He

can not be both? Most people would like to assume that God is better

than us and that our goal is to be as God like as possible and as

such use Him as a role model. And yet, if we were omnipotent would we

cause such misery? We now live in a society where we are taught to

help our children grow with love and understanding as opposed to

spanking and hitting. How does one relate to a God who kills and

maims to teach us to grow? As I have previously indicated, despite my

non-belief in creation, I have no issue with religions claiming that

their God created the world. They have to, however, in my opinion

take full responsibility for His creation.

 

 

I would like to draw the reader's attention to Buddhism, one such

religion that has boundless compassion and wisdom that does not

believe in an omnipotent creator God. And this is what the great

scientist Albert Einstein says of Buddhism (What intellectuals say

about Buddhism - Dr. K. Sri. Dhammananda):

 

 

 

 

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