Religion and scientific progress

There are many within us, especially those following rather rigid religious doctrines, who question the general good that mankind has achieved during the past 500 years and comment on various negative aspects which emerged as a by-product of the scientific progress made by the human race. This they do whilst arguing the case of adherence to inflexible interpretation of religious teachings which inadvertently opposes enlightenment of the human mind and seeks to impose curbs on imagination and discovery.

Every discovery or invention by mankind provides us with an equal opportunity to either use it for the benefit or the destruction of others. The discovery of allopathic medicines has resulted in the development of a new industry focusing solely on reaping profits for large multinational pharmaceutical firms, but on the other hand it has also resulted in saving millions of lives. Nuclear technology has resulted in the annihilation of millions when atomic bombs were unleashed on Japan, but the very same technology has also been harnessed to produce electricity and other useful utilities.

It is a known fact that adhering to hard-line religious values suppresses entrepreneurship, innovative ideas and lateral thinking. Had the western nations remained under the influence of the Church, the planet Earth would still be considered flat and the centre of the universe. Even today the leaders of the Catholic Church and many Islamic organisations oppose the concept of cloning and genetic engineering, which will undoubtedly provide vital and much needed options for the sufferers such as transplantation during the treatment of some life-threatening illnesses.

Countries and nations that have managed to achieve a reasonable separation between religion and the affairs of the state have progressed both in terms of scientific discoveries as well as gaining political, economic and social awareness within the masses. Their scientific minds are not bound by centuries old values and stagnant traditions and therefore free to explore and utilise the vast untapped potential of the human mind. The head of the state in the UK also happens to be the head of the Church of England and Italy is the home of the Catholic Church. However both nations have managed to progress significantly in the fields of science and technology. India and China are fine examples of emerging economic powers that have declared their states secular and communist, respectively, in spite of significant influence of religion and ideology on their social and political structures.

The quest for knowledge is embedded in Islamic values and teachings. But even to this day schools are regularly blown up in areas such as Afghanistan and semi-autonomous tribal regions of Pakistan and vacciations against deadly diseases rejected, where there is excessive influence of orthodox religious values and hard-line clergy claiming to be the followers of Islam in its purest form. The slow or near-stagnant progress of any kind within these parts of the world is evidence enough how religion has unjustifiably been used to keep the common folk from achieving economic progress and political awareness.

Every religion encourages human beings to delve into the mysteries of the universe and to seek out further knowledge from everything that is around us. It is also a fact that a vast majority of religious leaders try to desperately hold back their followers from such attainments, fearing the loss of power over them as a result of such enlightenment.

Complete separation of religion and state might never be achievable. However it is the shared responsibility of the state, the clergy and individuals to determine how they should work together in achieving a fine balance where scientific progress can be made within the confines of certain moral and ethical boundaries, resulting in the overall benefit of society and the human race as a whole.