The First Group: Bertrand Russell

RELIGION AND SCIENCE certainty impossible. Ultimately, human inquiry only produces probability, not certainty. In other words, we cannot directly access reality. We can only say, based on probability, that a certain truth might exist—even if we cannot experience it directly. The point Russell reached after a lifetime of study brought him very close to true religion. In Islamic terms, it could be said he achieved the stage of La ilaha (There is no god), but he never reached the stage of illallah (except God). And then he died. Russell’s statement—that human knowledge only leads to probability—is more than just his personal opinion. It is the widely accepted view of all modern scientists. This principle is now so well established in modern understanding that no informed person disputes it. The fact that intellectual research shows we can only determine probability (in a purely academic sense) is very important. It means that, based on current knowledge, the distinction between science and religion—once assumed in earlier times—no longer exists. Now, reason holds the same position that belief once did. Since ancient times, religion has taught that truth naturally belongs to the unseen world. We cannot observe it directly. Instead, we infer from outward signs that a certain truth exists—even if we cannot see it. Today, science holds the same view. Modern science states that we cannot see the