Religion is not a simple thing to define. It's been acknowledged that religion as understood in Western culture is very much a product of said culture and something of an artifice. As such, any relationship between what we call "religion" and what we call "science" is something of an artifice as well. For some, the nature of that relationship looks like two fighters in a wring doing fisticuffs. For others, the nature of that relationship is a conjunction where any distinction between the two is blurry to nonexistent. This thread is to discuss that perception of the relationship - how science is religion - in a fashion that hopefully won't derail into a pointless spat about creationism or whatever. I'll confess I'm not holding my breath on that hope, though.
To get us started, it's worth considering some of the overarching functions of religion. Please note that this list attempts to avoid defining religion in a way that is heavily biased towards Western culture's conception of it:
If there is some alternative framework you use to understand religion, how does your framework of choice intersect with the sciences in a complementary fashion?
The reasons I created this thread should be obvious given the presence of another on the board right now - as someone whose religious path heavily draws on the sciences given the sciences are basically the study of my gods I have a hard time looking at certain threads without making some sort of counter to them. So here it is!
To get us started, it's worth considering some of the overarching functions of religion. Please note that this list attempts to avoid defining religion in a way that is heavily biased towards Western culture's conception of it:
- Mythos - first and foremost, religion is about myth making or storytelling. It is a body of narratives that informs us about ourselves, others, and relationships. In short, it's about the meaning of life and living.
- Ritual - religion also includes practices that engage those narratives on an active basis. Stories are not simply told, they are living entities and enacted through behavior. In short, it's about outlining a way of life and living.
- Values - inevitably, the myth and ritual as an articulation of personal and/or cultural values. Religion deals with our sacred things, that which we deem worthy of worship, that which we hold as a centerpiece in our lives.
- Community - humans are social animals, and shared myth and ritual among humans creates community. It is through this community that religions become organized or institutionalized, a structure that facilitates passing mythos, ritual, and values between generations.
If there is some alternative framework you use to understand religion, how does your framework of choice intersect with the sciences in a complementary fashion?
The reasons I created this thread should be obvious given the presence of another on the board right now - as someone whose religious path heavily draws on the sciences given the sciences are basically the study of my gods I have a hard time looking at certain threads without making some sort of counter to them. So here it is!