This is the end?

It is for this book series, but more on that later.

I thought that I would discuss the big question: can science and religion co-exist? As I said many times before: science is based on verifiable experimental results and observations while religion is based on faith, a belief in something that can't be proven. The perpetual struggle between religion and science has been going on since the beginning of mankind. But, does it have to be a struggle? That's a good question.

When you get down to the nitty gritty (not the band) the real argument is about whether God exists and whether we evolved. Some people have concluded that if we evolved it means that we don't need God. As it turns out there is no reason to throw God out just because we evolved. Evolution is God's method of creating us. Hey, it worked, didn't it?

Actually, this concept of evolution destroying God goes back to Charles Darwin's 1858 book 'The Origin of Species'. His observations convinced him that evolution was not only possible it was the only explanation that made sense, and he was right. It is conclusive now that we evolved just like every other species that exists today. We humans just happen to be at the pinnacle of evolution on this planet. Darwin never came to the conclusion that God wasn't necessary. That came out of the populous, people who don't really understand how science works. Science is much younger than religion, and that's why there's a dilemma. The book of Genesis is what the fundamentalists use to debunk evolution. The author of Genesis was not writing a science textbook. The author was relating these basic truths about creation: God created everything, including man, and that creation was meant to help man survive. The method of creation is told in allegory, a story that conveys basic truths. It's not an exact description of creation but rather a cosmic play that would be understood by the people of the time.

I think that religion went off the track when it became much more of a political entity rather than a faith based community. Religion is a method of worshiping God. It was never meant to rule over mankind. That insanity came from ambitions and greed. And, along with authority came the urge to force control over people's thoughts and beliefs. That was a big mistake that has resulted in wars, purges and inquisitions. Some of these abominations are still occurring. God never meant religion to be a detriment to society or be used as a weapon. Man twisted religion into a power to rule and dominate. Religion became a convenient weapon de jure.

When religion tried to force science to confirm to a distorted belief system based on interpretation and official proclamations, it resulted in setting back mankind's quest for knowledge decades if not centuries. That all changed with the Age of Enlightenment, but even that became contaminated by secularism and greed. Why this discourse between religion and science still exits is a mystery to me. Personally, I don't have a problem with believing in God, reading the Bible and being a scientist.

Where do we go from here?

Since this is the last possible post in this book, I have decided to continue with more extensive essays on science, religion and philosophy in a new book entitled: The Universe Revealed. I want to thank all of my readers that have read and commented on this book, especially those who have stayed with me all the way to the end. By now you must know that I have a special passion for science, especially astronomy and astrophysics. I knew as a child that I would become a scientist and never waivered from that dream, eventually becoming a chemist. I worked as a photographic scientist for nearly fifty years and helped develop novel non-silver photographic and photoresist-based products. As a child (which was long before computers, TV, and the internet) I was an avid reader in science fiction and western (cowboy) fiction. I also worked my paper route to save enough to buy a telescope, which I used to pursue an astronomical hobby. I also dabbled in model rocketry and electronics as well as photography, which I thank my father for teaching me. Yes I was a nerd.

I'm not saying this to prove that I was whiz kid. As a matter of fact, I had trouble in school because of a poor memory. I had to cram for exams. I also suffered from poor vision. I'm just relating this to show you why I like science and science fiction. Other than that I'm just a normal guy who married and fathered five wonderful children, none of which went into science. Two of my sons work in the computer technology industry. One son is a minister and the other is supervisor in a fast food business. My daughter is a medical transcriber. My wife and I are both retired and trying to endure our so-called golden years. I came from a time when most of the wonderful technological devices we take for granted didn't exist, but yet I knew that they would become reality because of the curiosity and ingenuity of humans. I hope that you'll join me in my new book about those things that I really care about.

Oh, and by the way, I have a personal blog site: jeshi99science.com on which I discuss some of the science items that I included in 'The Theory of Nothing' in more detail. It's free and you may leave comments. It's still a work in progress.

Thanks for reading.