THE RETURN TO RELIGION

THE RETURN TO RELIGION Role of Science T HE nineteenth century was the century of atheism. But with the arrival of the twentieth century, the whole course of history changed and religion again became a major force in human life. The obvious causes of this fact were discontentment with science and the continuing existence of religion as an inherent part of human nature. A hundred years ago even thinking against science was considered a sign of ignorance. At the end of the 19th century a well-known scientist said that he was not able to understand anything unless he could make a scientific model of it. But now, at least at the academic level, man’s conviction of the usefulness of science has been shaken. The spate of books on this subject, published after the second world war, was an indication of the extent of the human dilemma. The article on the History of Science in the Encyclopaedia Britannica (1984) begins with these words: Until recently, the history of science was a story of success. The triumphs of science represented a cumulative process of increasing knowledge and a sequence of victories over ignorance and superstition; and from science flowed a stream of inventions for the improvement of human life. The recent realization of deep moral problems within science of external forces and constraints on its development, and of dangers in uncontrolled technological change has challenged historians to a critical reassessment of this earlier simple faith. Modern science has offered man innumerable facilities, but along with this it has brought in its wake, such problems as have rendered many of its gifts meaningless. The greatest menace is that of a third world war. In the event of this happening, it will be a nuclear war, which will reduce most of the big cities to ruins in a matter of hours. Moreover, the whole atmosphere will be engulfed in a thick nuclear smog prevent -ing sunlight from reaching the earth. This will in turn produce a terrible nuclear winter, which will bring all human, animal and vegetable existence to the verge of the most tragic annihilation. The progress of science has not only produced material problems, but has also created intellectual and spiritual problems of a very grave nature. Science and scientific resources have vastly expanded human knowledge. It has not only given man microscopes and telescopes