Science vs Religion

I read Dan Brown's Angels and Demons recently and I found that I liked it more than the Da Vinci Code. Perhaps it's because there's too much reference to the Bible and God in the latter. I guess I also could relate better to Angels and Demons since it talks about the conflicts between science and religion. Personally I am a science person and people who really knew me would understand my take on religion. The book also addresses the issues of how we use science to explain the creation of life and remove God from the picture. I'll admit that my point of view is very biased as well. I tend to agree with science and would say that I don't believe in a higher power or being. I'm neither religious not spiritual. I might change my mind in the future; who knows? But at this moment, I don't understand how religion can take over a person's life and how people rely so heavily on their belief in God. Maybe like the book said, some people just need something to believe in so as to survive in this harsh world. Maybe they just need something to look forward to and hope that God will perform a miracle. For me, I find my miracles in science. Sometimes, I am on the bus and I look out the window and I am faced with numerous miracles. I see cars, buses, motorcycles and I marvel at how Man came to invent such machines to allow us to travel. I look at the houses, streets, shops, skyscrapers and marvel at how Man used architecture and engineering to build them. I marvel at how people are rushing to and fro and how we rely so heavily on technology such as handphones, television and computers to get by our daily lives. And then I think, was all this created by the power of God or by the intellect of Man? Like I said, I'm biased and lean towards science. My vision is shaded by my own beliefs. To me, the miracles performed by Jesus in the Bible are just fairy tales. To me, the real miracles are the small things we do everyday like sending a text message or using a webcam.

In Angels and Demons, there is a physicist who wanted to prove that science and religion are one. He and his daughter found a way to produce the opposite of matter - antimatter which falls into the wrong hands. The person who stole this wants to use it to destroy the Vatican City. The story is exciting and addictive. I couldn't put the book down so I read until 6.30 am. Even so, it's just a book and it's just fiction. I wouldn't change my point of view even though it did bring many questions to my mind.

For now, I'll stick with science. How could I doubt the field I'm currently pursuing?