Religion, Science and Spiritual World.
Good and bad of current religions. Pure faith does not interfere with scientific knowledge. Hypothetical spiritual world and conception of God.
Vsevolod Smirnoff.
Note.- The text of this paper is far from being apology of atheism or of some new religion. But it includes criticism of the conservative character and certain dogmas of traditional religions.
1.- Introduction.
The contemporaneous western culture is dualistic. There is a conflict between two apparently incompatible influences: religious and scientific. Religion is supposed to be a store of divine wisdom, have answer to all kinds of questions, not only of spiritual and ethical character, but of scientific and philosophic too. Origin of western religions was pre-scientific. The source of knowledge was myths and legends, and the proof was the authority of ecclesiastics and of scriptures. The consequent systems of dogmas and beliefs that were plausible in the past are no more so now. Nevertheless, traditional religions insist in sustaining them in spite of their incompatibility with the actual scientific knowledge. Science is ignored or disqualified, where it contradicts scriptures. On the other hand, science studies successfully the material world. At present the prevalent philosophy in science, which directs its development, is the reductionism, i.e. the belief that laws of physics can explain whatever is occurring in the universe, and what cannot be explained does not exist. In other words, material world is held to be the only reality of the universe. Unfortunately, many people do not discriminate the metaphysical conceptions of scientists from the scientific knowledge. For them religion has no sense.2.- Religion and the Way.
Religion is a term of European origin. It means some kind of relationship of the human self with the superhuman entity, God. The name Orientals give to more or less similar relation is “the Way”. Whatever the name, from the objective point of view religion is a social phenomenon. It is the belonging to a population professing certain doctrines concerning the spiritual world, existence after death and appropriate conduct. It is also an organization composed of priests, monks, gurus and worshippers or followers, and possessing temples. An important ingredient of theistic religions is faith: the conviction that one may communicate directly or indirectly (through priests) with God, pray and be heard.3.- Origins and Early Development.
It cannot be denied that religion is a general characteristic of human mentality since the prehistoric times. Its origin may be attributed to the feeling of awe of the primitive human beings in face of the overwhelming powers of nature and of its wonders. It may have been similar to that experienced by a present time worshipper in face of the divinity of his religion. On the other hand, the primitive man became conscious of the menace of death and presumably feared it like we do. May be dreams gave him the idea of existence in his nature of an incorporeal entity, a spirit or soul, which might outlive the perishable body and so prolong one’s existence. Apparently he did not perceive yet the essential difference between himself and at least some of the other entities of nature, and attributed to them too possession of spirit. On the other hand, for him certain natural phenomena were acts of spirits. So the nature around him became populated with benevolent and malevolent spirits, including those of dead ancestors, who needed propitiation to keep away misfortune and obtain their help. This may have been the origin of religions, the beginning of evolution from animism and ancestor worship to the present state. [i]Later some of these spirits of nature were deified and appeared divinities dealing with human nature and affairs. They were worshipped and propitiated. Belief in subsistence after death and cult of ancestors subsisted. Then there appeared myths. They used to describe divine origin of nature and of its phenomena, that of the respective tribe or people and the antropomorphic nature and (not always praiseworthy) conduct of divinities. Multiplication and growing intricacy o the beliefs and rituals induced the emergence of mediators between spirits or divinities and common people (shamans, priests). From many kinds of rituals, the most conspicuous and universal were those of initiation and of propitiatory sacrifices, mostly of animals but of persons too.
4.-Some Contemporary Religions and Beliefs.
Hinduism.- [ii] Is product of the development conditioned by a variety of influences, from the prehistoric times through several characteristic periods, vestiges of which still persist. Therefore, Hinduism is multifarious. There is worship of village deities with propitiation of malevolent spirits, and the worship of minor and major gods the most important of which is the trinity Brahmä-Vishnu-Shiva interpreted metaphysically as principles of creation-maintenance-destruction. Hindus believe that after death a soul reincarnates in some other body at its conception. Its selection and quality of future life are determined by the law of karma (retribution in the following life of good and evil deeds in the precedent). The soul is liberated from the chain of reincarnations when it becomes purified, and at death becomes united with Brahma (the Absolute). In the Vedic thinking, this union is the highest goal of human existence. On the way to this goal Hindus hope to obtain peace of mind and deeper insight into the nature of the reality. Detachment from worldly things, asceticism and several systems of Yoga are aids to that purpose. Among the latter are Karma Yoga (attainment of that purpose principally by right doing) and Bhakti Yoga (by devotion to some particular god). Brahmin priests of Hindu temples are guardians of traditional Hindu ritual, but spiritual advisers and teachers are different gurus.
Buddhism.- [iii] Derived from Hinduism in predications (about 500 BC.) of Gautama Buddha. This Way has in common with Hinduism beliefs in the reincarnations and in the law of karma. A noteworthy moral precept is that of nonviolence (but beneficence is not characteristic of Buddhism because of the law of karma). The aim of a Buddhist is to be liberated from the chain of births, deaths and rebirths and attain Nirvana (loss of individuality without loss of consciousness in the beatific rejoining with the metaphysical world-ground). On the other hand, suffering is considered consequence of attachment to the perishable values of existence, which is to be vanquished to obtain happiness. Religious organization is monastic. There are several branches of Buddhism, two of which will be mentioned. For the believers of Hinayana Gautama was a human being that attained Nirvana. Common people pray to local gods and spirits for favors in their everyday life. For those of Mahayana Buddha is the cosmic principle embodied in Gautama to the purpose of helping humans to attain liberation. For devotes of this branch the world is product of the mind, like a dream from which one is to be awaked. Buddhism awakes growing attention in the west.
Taoism.- [iv] Foundation of Taoism is attributed traditionally to Lao Tzü (about 500 BC.). Tao is “the Way; principle; cosmic order; nature”. Taoism assimilated the Yin Yang philosophy of contrasting but complementary passive and active principles of the universe, of negative female and positive male forces, expressed in all conceivable objects, qualities, situations and relationships. The right attitude is passivity towards the world, tranquil spontaneity in one’s life in harmony with the nature (to the contrary of Confucianism, which prescribes active attitude towards the world). The Chinese acknowledge a Self-Existing Being as the background of life, but their chief concern is this life itself, may be because they are practical people.
Judaism .- [v] The Hebrew religion has its roots in the ancient Middle-East but is strictly monotheistic. The fundamental belief is that according to the covenant of God with people of Israel He cares of them while they obey laws and precepts imposed on them (the decalogue of Moses and Torah), and punishes disobedience. (it was censured by prophets in the name of God and predict consequent disasters). Related to this belief are Jewish exclusiveness and expectation of the advent of Messiah and of establishment of a worldwide kingdom of justice and welfare. According to Judaism, the soul is immortal. The righteous go to heaven, the wicked to Gehenna (hell). Orthodox Jews adhere strictly to traditional beliefs and practices, while position of the Reform Judaism is that historically and culturally conditioned adaptations and interpretations of the Law may be discarded.
Christianity .- [vi] Proceeds from Judaism, religion of Jesus. But his conception of God is already different. God is no more a severe judge but a loving Father of his creatures. However, the most important difference arose when followers of Jesus came to believe that he was incarnation of God, distinct from Father who sacrificed his Son as a ransom for the salvation of the humanity. At the end of fifth century, in an effort to bridge the gap between the monotheism and the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, crystallized definitively the conception of three persons in one Godhead. It may be mentioned also the cult (in Catholic and Orthodox churches) of Virgin Mary and of saints. Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. That He will return to judge the living people and the resurrected dead, and to establish his kingdom, that would last forever. They believe that the soul is immortal and after death waits for resurrection: that the righteous will go to heaven and the wicked to hell. Priests in Catholic and Orthodox churches are held for intermediaries between the worshippers and God, entitled to absolve the penitents of their sins. Christianity is exclusive like Judaism: only faith in Jesus Christ can save one from eternal doom. On the other hand object of the institution of missionaries is to propagate Christianity to the whole world. Another characteristic of Christianity is practice of the beneficence.
Islamism .- [vii] Religion founded by Muhammad in the seventh century AD. Islam is rigorously monotheistic. Qur’an constitutes its only scripture. Votaries of Islam believe that it is the word of God. Law, based on the Qur’an, is a fundamental religious concept. It embraces the total mode of life. Articles of faith are the following: the belief in one God, in angels, in the revealed book, in the prophets (Muhammad being the last and the greatest of them), in the Day of Judgment and in God’s predetermination of good and evil. Practice of Islam requires recital of the profession of faith, five daily prayers (canonical and collective), a tax for the support of poor, fasting during the whole month of Ramadan and a pilgrimage to Mecca. For the adherents of a branch of Islam belongs to the practice of it also the holy war (jihad), at the beginning allowed against polytheists only.
5.- Comments.
Established religion is a social organization managed by the ecclesiastic authorities, sometimes supported by the government of the respective country; in some cases the government is headed by the clergy. Pretension of some religions is each to be the only right one, the only way to secure bliss after death. Some religions impose submissive acceptance of its dogmas, beliefs and prescripts, of the absolute veracity of scriptures, of the certainty of mediation by ecclesiastics between God and worshipers. Disobedience is punished by excommunication, even anathema, and in any case is considered to be a cause of the eternal doom.Religions did much in the past for the moral progress of humanity, but on the other hand, exclusivity of certain religions, coupled with religious fanaticism and human propensity to violence, has caused and is causing now lots of suffering. Religion for believers is a source of solace and hope. There are persons predisposed to become fervent worshippers, mystics or saints. However, at present there are also many indifferent (by temperament or because of the circumstances of their lives) members of religious communities. They belong to one or other of them nominally, because they were born in a family belonging to it. And there are many persons who are potentially pious, but cannot accept the requirements mentioned above. Some of the reasons for this attitude are implied in the following comments.
Religious scriptures are held usually for divine revelation and in consequence, their contents are considered strictly true and valid forever. However, this is a human conviction possessing no objective proof. Scriptures were written by humans, and human works are conditioned by circumstances and are not exempt of errors (indeed, in scriptures can be found not a few internal and external inconsistencies). Much of the scriptures are the written down oral tradition and recollections of witnesses, i.e. depended on memory and beliefs. Myths and legends occupy in scriptures the place, of the absent at the time of their creation, rational knowledge. Allegorical interpretation of scriptures is an effort to reduce their incongruity with the actual conceptions. In some cases the set of canonical scriptures was product of selection by ecclesiastic authorities. Differences between their dogmatic interpretations contributed to the ramifications within some religions. In general, there are so many religions (and their ramifications)!
God of certain theistic religions is personal, human-like. God has knowledge, emotions, will. Some of his characteristics are magnified to a superlative degree. For one religion God is a severe (but a biased one) judge, for another a loving father (again a biased one), for the next a respected despot imposing oppressive discipline on his believers. For some mystics God was object of love. Cause of that antropomorphic conception of God is evident. The main subjective component of theistic religions is faith: conviction that God exists, may be approached, rewards the faithful with help, solace and eternal bliss, and punishes the disobedience. This kind of relation between the believers and their God is possible only between persons that can understand each other, and is very similar to that between an ancient sovereign and common people. Moreover, it implies that the principal occupation of God is to deal with human affairs. At the same time, God is held to be the creator and ruler of the universe. Incongruity of these ideas may have been not so evident in ancient times, among people for whom the universe was immutable, neither much extended nor very densely populated portion of land and sea, covered by the dome of heaven, but not at present. For some oriental religious philosophies, the nature of the supreme spiritual entity is not cognizable. However, there are minor gods to which one can recur for help.
There are two fundamental religious conceptions of existence after death. Both of them are based on the ideas of immortality of the immaterial component of a human being (of the mental self), and of the influence of the balance of good and evil deeds in course of the terrestrial life on the life after death. There are variations, of course. Anyway, the idea that censurable terrestrial life is sufficient condition in itself for the punishment after death is contrary to the feeling of justice. It uses to be justified by the argument that conscience indicates the right way and the will is free to choose the right or the wrong behavior, so that one is fully responsible of his acts. The reality is different. There exist ethical dilemmas, and decisions depend on subject’s mental development, character, convictions and beliefs, i.e. on innate and acquired factors product of heredity and of circumstances of one’s life.
So then, one of objections to the mentioned above conception of the responsibility is its inconsistency with the reality of life. The other concerns the belief that virtuous people go for all eternity to the paradise, and the vicious to hell. I.e. for the above conception, people are ether good or bad, but most people are neither too good nor too bad. Then not too bad people will get the same punishment as the worst, and not too good the same reward as the best. In that case where is and how can be defined the limit between being "good" and "bad"? Moreover, the idea of disembodied selves suffering corporeal torments in the hell or enjoying corporeal pleasures in the paradise objectively is absurd.
The other conception of the life after death is that of reincarnation and karma. Sins committed in a terrestrial life are paid for by suffering in the next, and merits are rewarded accordingly too. The sequence of reincarnations gives an opportunity to the soul to go perfecting itself and the goal is bliss at the end of the sequence. This conception is free of defects mentioned above and fits well in the conception of dynamic universe. However, it presupposes existence of a kind of celestial bookkeeping, accomplishment at conception of the compatibility of heredity with the program of retributions and the foreknowledge of opportunities for its fulfillment.
The problem of good and evil is treated in a paper apart. [viii] Here will be considered some religious conceptions concerning it. In case of the religious dualism, the world is seen as arena for the strife of two opposed principles or deities: of good and of evil, of creation and of destruction. In case of monotheism arises a difficulty. How can it be explained that the universe, created and ruled by omniscient and omnipotent God, is imperfect, spoiled by the presence of evil? Moreover, what is the absolute evil? One of the proposed explanations is that the source of evil is bad use of free will granted by God to man (what is meant is infringement of rules mentioned in the first paragraph of this section). According to other the fault is of the Satan, the principle or spirit of evil, what is too a dualistic conception. Satan is described as a fallen angel who in pride has tried to usurp the position of God. He tempts people to abandon the way of life and redemption. For these religions, again the good is the obedience and eternal bliss, and the evil the disobedience and eternal suffering.
6.- A Model of Spiritual World.
In the Introduction were considered two mutually exclusive conceptions of the cosmos. One of them is of the religious fundamentalism (prevalence of scriptures over science). The other is of the reductionism of scientists (assertion of inexistence of the immaterial world), reinforced by the absence (to my knowledge) of a convincing solution for the problem of mind-matter interaction. It is evident that the above two conceptions of cosmos are incompatible. However, scientific knowledge of the material world liberated of reductionism would become compatible with a religion freed of whatever serious inconsistency with it, because they would become what they are in principle: independent different fields of human attention. As far as I know such religion does not exist, at least not in the west. Nevertheless, in the base of all of them is faith: faith in the existence of some supreme, accessible and benevolent spiritual entity, and in some kind of conscious existence after death. That faith, pure i.e. devoid of dogmas and other impositions of religions based on the ecclesiastical authority, faith of independent worshippers, is not incompatible with the pure scientific knowledge, cleared of reductionism.Incompatibility between science and religions is between distinct models of the same reality. The reality itself is not cognizable and in consequence, the veracity of a model of it cannot be checked. However, a good model must be rational and consistent. The question is whether there exists, or if not can be imagined, an acceptable hypothetical model for the spiritual world included in the immaterial, free of inconsistencies with science and containing solution of the problem of mind-matter interaction. In my paper "Integrated Cosmos.",[ix] science is accepted as the model of material world, and is attempted to create that of the immaterial, providing also a hypothetical solution for the problem of mind-matter interaction. The following exposition concerning the spiritual world is preceded by a selective summary of that paper.
According to the mentioned paper, entities of the cosmos are of three kinds: inert matter, immaterial entities and living beings. Common proto-substance of them is energy (an immaterial entity). Energy is also the common medium of all interactions between them. Immaterial entities have no mass and therefore are occult for sense organs and scientific devices. Living beings are organisms coupled each with a biological complex. Besides, brains of animals are coupled each with a psychological complex. These complexes are immaterial analogues of material computers. A person is a union of two selves: the somatic and the mental. A somatic self is the union of an organism with the corresponding biological (ontogenetic) complex. A mental self is the union of psychological complex with the ego, the conscious and intelligent “I”. A supreme immaterial entity that can be called Cosmic Intelligence or Cosmic Spirit [x] is the prime cause of all being, order, evolution and of the human conscious intelligence (ego).Ego is a particle of the Spirit of Humanity, which is a particle of the Spirit of Cosmos. Organization of the humanity is similar to that of a person. Mental self of the humanity is the union of the Spirit (“ego” of the humanity) with the psychological complex, common gist of all human psychological complexes. Human Spirit is connected with the human organisms through the biological complex in the similar way as with their minds through the psychological.
About the conception of God.- Gods of theistic religions up to the present-day may be sole or in some way accompanied, but always are more or less human-like. They have knowledge, emotions, will. Some of their characteristics are magnified to a superlative degree. They are omniscient and omnipotent. For one religion God is a severe (but a biased one) judge, for another a loving father (again a biased one), for the next a respected despot imposing oppressive discipline on his believers, for some mystics is object of love. Cause of that anthropomorphism is evident. The main subjective characteristic of theism is faith: conviction that God exists, may be approached, rewards the faithful with help, solace and eternal bliss, and punishes the disobedience. This kind of intercourse between the worshippers and the worshipped is the same as between dominated and dominating individuals within the humankind, which have to and can understand each other. It explains also deification of certain persons after their death. For some oriental religious philosophies, the nature of the supreme spiritual entity is not cognizable. However, there are minor gods to which have recourse distressed believers.
The hypothesis concerning the relation of the human mind with some superior spiritual entity, proposed in what follows, avoids the megalomaniac belief characteristic of some religions that God, omniscient and omnipotent architect of the universe, is a kind of nurse of the every one of his worshippers. The idea of the hypothesis is that there exists a branch of the Cosmic Spirit, or a spiritual entity derivative of it: Spirit or God of Humanity. Then, human ego is a branch of Spirit of Humanity; or else may be that an ego is emitted by the latter for every new individual, and is reabsorbed some time after that individual’s death. In any case, when one approaches whatever deity, one is approaching in reality the own ego, connected to Spirit of Humanity particle of it.. Ego may induce through the psychological complex the petitioned effect by autosuggestion or suggestion, according to whether the affected person is oneself or somebody else. A condition is strong faith of the petitioning person, i.e. conviction of success. [xi] However, no God can be expected to realize miracles that require modification of the past of causative sequences in order to produce the desired events.
One may ask how it can be that the nature of ego is divine and conduct of people often is worse than that of beasts. Indeed, God is used to be considered as the source of good, contrasting with evil attributed to devil. However, good and evil are neither abstract entities nor qualities of objects, be they material, immaterial, synthesis of both (living beings) or relations between them. Whatever manifestations of divinity are neither good nor bad by themselves. Good and bad are properties attributed to objects by persons. In most cases, including phenomena attributed to a divinity, what is good for some people is bad for some others . [xii] Therefore, ego is not there to impose a code of virtuous conduct. On the other hand, according to the essay on cosmos considered above “Ego operates exclusively with what is available in the psychological complex, i.e. with the product of inheritance, and of all influences and experiences to which was exposed the individual in course of his life. That product is multifarious and often contradictory. So is then the behavior of people too.” However, ego elects alternatives. One of the criteria for election may be the sustaining of life, though again it is relative
Belief in life after death is not incompatible with reason. States of an organism and of its ontogenetic complex are correlated. Therefore, after the death they disintegrate together. The mental self interacts with the brain, but otherwise is independent from it. In consequence, death of the body does not destroy it, though it deprives the self of the sensory input and with it of the accustomed means of communication. According to the paper mentioned above, life of a surviving self is conscious dream. In life on earth occurs dreaming being awake (hallucinations). The difference is that hallucination is a dream inserted into the sensory perception, caused by a transitory malfunction of the brain, while the conscious dreaming after death is a continuous normal state of the mind, presumably controlled by ego. It is probable that freedom from limitations due to past connection with the brain favors telepathic communication between surviving selves, and even with the living persons. In the latter case, it may be presumed that the surviving self can receive “on line” the sensory input of the agent, ignorant of his part. However, it is doubtful that telepathic communication could be distinguished by surviving selves from their dreams.
Above were commented beliefs in the hell and in the paradise, in reincarnations and in the ulterior union with some supreme spiritual entity. In the present model is proposed a different hypothesis. If life after death is not a retarded extinction of the mental self, is it neither the eternal bliss or doom, or an interlude between two incarnations. The model adopts the modified Buddhist idea of the end in Nirvana, but with loss of personality, though not of the consciousness. Indeed, personality of the surviving mental self is determined by the characteristics of the psychical mind-memory complex. If ego becomes separated from it, it turns to be impersonal (the sense of individuality probably disappears too) without being deprived of consciousness (the outstanding characteristic of it), and returns to its source.
The proposed idea of existence after death differs from Buddhism by rejection of the belief in reincarnations and a different conception of the law of karma. The idea is that evolution from death to Nirvana occurs entirely in the immaterial world, instead on earth in a series of reincarnations separated by periods of “relax” between them. Retribution for the good and evil acts is presumed to be entirely subjective, depending on the memory and growing influence of the ego. Sorrow, caused by the remembrance of bad conduct, and satisfaction with the right doing are the retribution for the past acts. In consequence become discarded the premises of the existence of a kind of celestial bookkeeping of those acts, and of the possibility of precognition or predetermination of future events of an incipient life. Suffered and enjoyed conditions of the terrestrial life are memories that will become gradually insignificant or forgotten.
In Comments was mentioned the absurdness of traditional conceptions of hell and paradise. Nevertheless, it may be presumed that phenomena in question do occur, as real subjective experience of surviving selves. Indeed, dreams are the reality itself for a sleeping subject. They cease to be considered real when he awakes, i.e. comes back to the world of sensory experiences. However, disembodied selves are deprived of the sensory experiences and do not loose consciousness. There is no awakening, for them dreams of hell or paradise would be and remain the reality itself. Such dreams may be consequence of the belief in the heaven and hell and in the retribution of past good and evil deeds. Something similar may occur with the belief in the process of reincarnations. Incredible premises of it, mentioned in Comments, make doubtful its truth. Why the above described evolution of the surviving self cannot be experienced by it as if it were occurring through a chain of real reincarnations?.
So then, experiences in the way from death to Nirvana may depend on the kind of life on the earth, but at the same time it is progressive emptying of the memory of surviving self from whatever personal contents. At the end of the process psychological complex probably ceases to exist. Of the mental self remains the impersonal ego, one with its source.
7.- End Remarks.
All religions have in common the belief in the existence of some supreme spiritual entity, in the life after death and in some kind of relation with that entity. Religion appeals to emotions, not to reason, and emotions are awaked and intensified by rituals, music and singing, icons etc., all of which depends on the traditions and idiosyncrasies of peoples. I do not believe that traditional religions could be substituted by some kind of a new, rational religion, based exclusively on a synthesis of science and humanism. It might become a philosophy, a guide for the right conduct, but not a religion.It is true that some religions are in need of purification from fanaticism and intolerance. Activity of religious communities should be limited to spirituality, morals and beneficence. Antiquated credos should be reformulated, or else strict adherence to them should cease to be obligatory. Acceptance of scriptures as of religious folklore should be tolerated. Theologies should be left to theologians and their disciples, as a branch of abstract philosophy. Such religions, derived from traditional, would be more promissory than a new one mentioned above. This does not mean that the criticized traditional religions do not satisfy many people. People that are not aware of the inconsistency of their religious beliefs with the actual knowledge and attitude (today authority is not sufficient to ascertain the veracity of an assertion), do not care about it or are unconditional believers distrustful of science. To become universal indeed a religion should be like yoga, the way to enlightenment, which is different for different mentalities.
Notes.
[i] In the Encyclopeadia Britannica, CD 99, Multimedia Edition, are mentioned authors who attribute origin of religion to animism or ancestor worship. Origin of these is not mentioned.
[ii] Cf. Dagobert D.Runes, dictionary of Philosophy, Littlefield, Adams & Co., 1966 and A.C.Bouquet, Comparative Religion, Penguin Books, 1954.
[iii] Cf. the dictionary mentioned in the note 2 and The Guinness Encyclopedia, Guinness Publishing Ltd.
[iv] Cf. op.cit. in note 2.
[v] Cf. op.cit. in note 1.
vi] Cf. encyclopedia mentioned in note 1.
[vii] Cf. encyclopedia mentioned in note 1.
[viii] Good, Evil and Morals, published in the same site.
[ix] Published in the same site of Internet.
[x] According to a definition from the dictionary of the note 2 the word "spirit" means an immaterial being capable of consciousness and possessing will and intelligence.
[xi] According to gospels, Jesus Christ used to require faith from persons to be cured.
[xii] See essay of the note 8.
2001 - Jan. 2009.