In the context of correlation between science and religion, Albert Einstein is often quoted as having said: Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind”. A recent article in Edmonton Journal by Gayle Simonson under the title ‘Science, religion must coexist’ quotes a remark echoed on the Ekklesia website saying: Religion needs science to keep it away from superstition and keep it close to reality...and science needs religion in order to have a conscience, to know that just because something is possible, it may not necessarily be a good thing to do. In a nutshell, the generally acceptable view is that religion and science can co-exist or must co-exist.

Which Religion are we talking of?

A few questions may arise in this context. When we are talking of this co-existence, which religion are we referring to? Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism or some other religion? Or are they all the same? When we are talking of co-existence of religion and science, we certainly do not consider religion itself to be a science, or science itself to be a religion. What is it that science has but religion does not? What is it that religion has but science does not?

When we enter into this discussion, we presume that we know ‘what science is’ and ‘what religion is’. Of course, most of us can confidently define what science is. Can we define the term ‘religion’ with the same precision? If so, again which religion?

Lack of research on Religion

Unfortunately, while lot of research has been done on science, the research on the subject of religion is confined to Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and other similar religions, and not on religion per se.

In fact, we hardly know what religion is. All that we know is what Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism or Jainism etc. are. Have we made any attempt to see as to what the essence of religion is, that is present in all these religions? Certainly, God is not the essence because a few religions do not believe in the existence of God. The essence of religion is the collection of some basic principles on which all the so-called religions agree without exception. If we take the body of these basic principles of religions so as to know what we mean by the term ‘religion’, it is very likely that we may find these principles to be as scientific as any other scientific principle in the books of Physics, Chemistry or Biology. Is it not possible that we may ultimately find that religion qualifies to be a branch of science, or science qualifies to be a branch of religion? Certainly we need to know a bit more about religion!

What is Religion? Or what qualifies to be called ‘Religion’?

Religion is neither a matter of faith nor of the validity of the so-called religious texts. It is a collection of such principles which can be validated in a scientific laboratory or through acceptable and known methods of scientific investigation. Anything which cannot be validated in this manner is not a part of ‘Religion’, whatever else it may be otherwise.

Religion has only two basic principles:

Don’t indulge in a conduct which gives you a feeling of guilt:

All the so-called religions have prescribed some code of conduct. Now if anyone, irrespective of the religion he or she follows, indulges in wrong-doing, which he or she believes to be a wrong-doing and states it to be so, he or she shall carry a feeling of guilt which affects the person concerned at the physical as well as mental level. Mere mention of such a wrong-doing upsets a person on both these levels, and this process can be scientifically verified through any polygraph test. Even otherwise, a simple survey, howsoever small, through scientific methods, would establish beyond any reasonable doubt that nobody escapes the after-effects of a wrong-doing.

Focus your mind:

All the so-called religions also preach you to focus your mind to one thing or the other. Christianity preaches you to pray with mind fully focused on Jesus. Islam preaches its followers to keep their mind fully focused on Allah while offering namaz or religious prayers. Hindu religion prescribes various techniques of focusing one’s mind. Whether it be through chanting of mantras, reading of religious texts, reciting of sacred names, or through bhakti, or gyan or karma, the mind has to remain focused during performance of any of these activities. Sikh religion prescribes focus of mind while reading Guru Granth Saheb or reciting the sacred words ‘Wahe Guru’. Buddhism prescribes focus of mind to be on breathing. Jainism prescribes focus of mind on controlling one’s senses. Judaism preaches focus of one’s mind in observance of God’s laws and Commandments as written in the Torah and expounded in the Talmud. Zoroastrianism prescribes focus of mind on active participation in life through good thoughts, good words and good deeds.

It is a matter of common knowledge, which can be established through any survey performed by purely scientific methods, that the people with their minds focused, whatever be the medium, are happier and more at peace when compared to others who are not so focused. Leave aside a survey, just look around and you would find that the secret of anyone’s happiness is only his or her focused mind – again whatever may be the object of focus. And one can test it scientifically through a check on physical parameters like blood pressure, pulse and blood sugar levels etc.

Religion is truly a branch of Science

All the so-called religions stress on observance of the above-mentioned basic principles – which can be collectively referred to as ‘Religion’ – to achieve salvation, nirvana, mukti, moksha, heaven or whatever else you have in mind.

Do we need anything more to establish that Religion is as scientific as any other branch of Science? Science being a body of verifiable knowledge and having its origin older than any known religion, it would be more appropriate to say that Religion is truly a branch of Science, and that there is no conflict between the two.

Dr D D Rishi is an officer of IRS ( Customs and Central Excise). He is presenelt posted as Commissioner in Ahmedabad.