The Role of Science and Faith in the Human Mission

Adel Sharif

University of Surreya.sharif@surrey.ac.uk

The Millennium Development Goals 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2: Achieve universal primary education 3: Promote gender equality and empower

women 4: Reduce child mortality 5: Improve maternal health 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other

diseases 7: Ensure environmental sustainability 8: Develop a Global Partnership for

Development

The Ages of Human Development

Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction

Is there any human mission ?

Scientists have not attempted to answer this question, as they thought it is of a philosophical nature.

Philosophy and religion, are interested in such a subject.

Prophecy & Inspiration Knowledge of the future (usually said to

be obtained from a divine source) A prediction of the future, made under

divine inspiration. Bible prophecy, or "biblical prophecy"

refers to prophecies in the Bible, to passages in the Bible which predict future events, which are believed

Islamic Prophecy is “Inspiration”

Knowledge & Science Knowledge, information, learning,

erudition, lore, scholarship Familiarity, awareness, or understanding

gained through experience or study. “Science is organized knowledge’’

(Herbert Spencer). Knowledge acquisition involves complex

cognitive processes: perception, learning, communication, association and reasoning.

Is knowledge possessed only by humans and or God?

Do we make/create or only acquire/discover knowledge?

Scientific Knowledge Scientific method of inquiry must be

based on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning.

Science, and the nature of scientific knowledge have also become the subject of Philosophy. As science itself has developed, knowledge has developed a broader usage which has been developing within biology/psychology— as meta-epistemology, or genetic epistemology.    

Religious Meaning of Knowledge

In Christianity (Catholicism and Anglicanism) knowledge is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Hindu Scriptures present two kinds of knowledge, secondhand: knowledge obtained from books, hearsay, etc. and knowledge borne of direct experience, i.e., knowledge that one discovers for oneself.

In Islam, knowledge (Arabic: علم, I’lm) is given great significance. "The All-Knowing" (al-’Alīm). The Qur'an asserts that knowledge comes from God (2:239). Islamic scholars, theologians and jurists are often given the title alim, meaning "knowledgeable".

Science & Belief Belief is a subjective personal basis for

individual behavior, while Truth is an objective state independent of the

individual. Philosophy has traditionally defined knowledge

as justified true belief The relationship between belief and knowledge

is that a belief is knowledge if the belief is true.

A false belief is not considered to be knowledge, even if it is sincere.

‘’Science is organized knowledge’’ (Herbert Spencer). A True Belief, therefore, is Science

Science is a system where beliefs are derived from objective methodologies.

Religion is a system of beliefs based on faith.

If the beliefs are true; then science and religion are compatible.

“Religion is submission to God and service to His creation’’ Prophet Mohammed [AD 570 –632] Science is True Beliefs (submission) Technology provides tools to serve mankind.

Science & Technology is therefore compatible with religion

Science & Religion

Miracles, Discoveries & Inventions

Miracle: an event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs; an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment. an extraordinary event which follows

natural laws and principles that we have not discovered yet. (.e.g. prophecies)

Discovery: A making known; revelation; disclosure; Finding out or ascertaining something previously unknown or unrecognized. It is a new knowledge.

Invention: A new device, method, or process developed from study and experimentation. It is an incremental development of known knowledge.

The relationship between science & religion

Conflict: when either discipline threatens to take over the legitimate concerns of the other. e.g., J. W. Draper and A. D. White's conflict thesis.

Independence treating each as quite separate realms of enquiry. e.g., S. J. Gould's Non-Overlapping Magisteria.

Dialogue suggesting that each field has things to say to each other about phenomena in which their interests overlap. e.g., W. G. Pollard's studies in Physicist and Christian: A dialogue

between the communities Integration: aiming to unify both fields into a single

discourse. e.g., P. T. de Chardin's Omega point and Ian Barbour's sympathy

towards process philosophy/process theology

The Birth of Civilisation 3500 B.C. The first cities are

built in Mesopotamia. (Uruk and Ur on the banks of Euphrates, Iraq.)

Mentioned in the Bible (as Ur of the Chaldees) is the birthplace of the patriarch Abraham (2000 B.C.).   The first government. The first writing. The first religious temple center.  The first people with manners and

taste. 

Arabic – Islamic civilization

Islam is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion originated with the teachings of prophet Mohammed (AD 570 –632).

The faith in Islam led to many great

consequences in science and social life in golden age (750–1100).

BAYT AL-HIKMA-Center for Study and Research

Baghdad at that time was at cultural crossroads, and, under the patronage of the Abbasid caliphs, the so-called House of Wisdom at Baghdad, produced a Golden Age of Arabic science and mathematics. In Baghdad, scholars encountered and built upon the ideas of ancient Greek and Indian mathematicians

[in Baghdad (Gift of God) in the early ninth century]

Faith’s Inspired Discoveries & Inventions

Algebra: by Al'Khwarizmi (780-850) the Islamic mathematician

adopted Arab-Hindu numerals and zero

The word algorithm derives from his name.

The complex laws of inheritance in Islam

The constant need to find the direction of Ka’ba in Mecca, made algebra, like geometry a tool worth developing

Al-Khawarzmi Main worksMaths, Astronomy, Astrology, Geography and

History

A page from Algebra

Chemistry: by Jaber Ibn Hayyan, ( c. 721- c. 815)

a prominent polymath: a chemist and alchemist, astronomer and astrologer, engineer, geologist, philosopher, physicist, and pharmacist and physician.

He is considered by many to be the "father of chemistry” Distillation, and nitric acids, and crystallisation – that have

become the foundation of today's chemistry and chemical engineering.

In response to Imam Jafar al-Sadik’s wishes, Jaber invented a kind of paper that resisted fire, and an

ink that could be read at night. He invented an additive which, when applied to an iron

surface, inhibited rust and when applied to a textile, would make it water repellent

Optics: Ibn al Haytham (965-c. 1040) – (Alhazen) The First Scientist to test hypotheses with

verifiable experiments, developing the scientific method.

In his massive study of light and vision, Kitâb al-Manâzir (Book of Optics ), he devised the world's first camera obscura.

To discover the truth about nature, Ibn a-Haitham reasoned, one had to eliminate human opinion and allow the universe to speak for itself through physical experiments.

Christianity is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament

In the west and on 27 February 380, Emperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

From at least the 4th century, Christianity has played a prominent role in the shaping of western civilization.

Western Civilisation

Christianity inspired, philosophy, art and science in the west.

Great Scientists Albert Einstein: The Nobel Prize in Physics

1921 "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with

my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views.“

"I'm not an atheist and I don't think I can call myself a pantheist’’. "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.“"God does not play dice with the universe."

“When the answer is simple, the provider is God’’

Sir Isaac Newton FRS (1643-1727)

English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural

philosopher, alchemist, and theologian One of the most influential men in human history

Newton wrote more on religion than he did on natural science. "Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot

explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done.“

He saw evidence of design in the system of the world: "Such a wonderful uniformity in the planetary system must be

allowed the effect of choice". But Newton insisted that divine intervention would eventually be required to reform the system, due to the slow growth of instabilities”.

The Human Mission

Progress has little to do with speed, but much to do with direction

The mission Let us not forget that human knowledge

and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life. Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the discoverers of objective truth.

What humanity owes to personalities like Buddha, Moses, and Jesus ranks for me higher than all the achievements of the enquiring and constructive mind. What these blessed men have given us we must guard and try to keep alive with all our strength if humanity is not to lose its dignity, the security of its existence, and its joy in living.

(Albert Einstein)

Concluding words There is no conflict between faith and

science 'Science cannot provide all the

answers' Our current understanding of both

science and religion are not complete, i.e. we do not have the ultimate truth on both. Hence, the learning journey should go on..

It is the faith inspired science that would allow us to enhance our understanding of both to advance the human mission.

Human mission will reach its goal in achieving the Sustainable Age.

It is the inspiration of my faith and the events in my home country Iraq as well as the opportunity given to me in my host country, the UK, that influenced and allowed me to apply the knowledge I acquired, and to focus my research on water and energy for the benefit of society and the wellbeing of mankind.

Thank you