faith and reason...necessary and Urgent

Since renaissance, and especially today, with the enormous growth in science and scientific technology and discoveries, many ask if faith is still relevant…and some, who see the relevance of faith wonder whether faith can be reconciled with reason. But indeed, as it has been witnessed before and as it is being witnessed now, cross fertilization between faith and reason is not only necessary, but it is also urgent. Faith without reason is ‘blind’, and such ‘blindness’ was witnessed in crusades, have been seen in the unreflected forms of ‘Jihad’ by some Muslim fanatics, the execution of famous thinkers like Galileo by the church, and many other forms of unfortunate actions committed in the name of faith. Infact, faith without reason has turned out to be some form of fanaticism, and sometimes exposing religion not just as an oppressor, but indeed as a cruel leviathan to its people. Reason without faith on the other hand is ‘ignorant’. The growth in science and technology today has left many asking themselves questions of if at all humanity would have been better-of without such ability as to think. The growing specter of global warming, largely contributed by human activities resulting from human discoveries; the many unending wars a result of the growth in human greed and military artillery and sophisticated chemical weapons; the exponential growth in classes among the inhabitants of the world; and the overwhelming extinction of various forms of life, clearly shows how reason left on her own can be misleading. Some people have now started to re-examine the benefits of science and other forms of human activities caused by the dominance of human reason. But, can reason and faith be reconciled?

The above question can only find one affirmative answer; that the reconciliation of the two is necessary and urgent. The discoveries in science and growth in various forms of human knowledge is not opposed to faith. A critical look at the evolution theory, the Copernicus discovery and Galileo’s assertions shows that reason is not opposed to science but that it tries to specify in exact terms what faith hold to be the creation of God. Reason enlightens faith in various areas as it has been witnessed in the growth of molecular biology and in the interpretation of the religious writings like the Bible or Quran, to fit the demands of today. Infact, what makes the religious writing relevant even today is that through the eye of reason, they can be interpreted to fit and serve the demands of today. While faith aims at safeguarding the creation of God, reason gives the possibility of how this can happen as it has been seen in modern medicine, in various methods of population control and in growth in transport and communication systems. Faith aims at safeguarding the dignity of humanity; reason supplies the missing-link on how this can be done. Faith states that every natural things has been created by God, reason shows how this creation is ordered through disciplines as astronomy and biology. Faith and reason are indeed, as Pope John Paul ll echoed, ‘two wings of the same bird’.

Solving world’s social-economical problems also shows that the interdependence between faith and reason is necessary. The conflict between various religions for example, can only be solved through dialogue. Thus, the unity of various faiths can only be achieved through the application of reason. As the article by Muslim scholars, ‘a Common word between us’ asserts, “The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.” This unity can only come through logical reason and a common understanding between the various faiths. This is Faith and reason ‘flying’ the same bird. Curbing poverty and economic imbalance requires that reason and faith ‘sit’ on the same table of dialogue. Faith says that the created world has a harmony and this harmony should be maintained, as it has been seen in the efforts to conserve the environment; reason comes in to show how such a harmony may be maintained through various strategies. The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Benedict the xvi, echoed this in his speech entitled ‘if you want to Have peace, protect the environment’, in January 2010. He said, “Our present crises ... are ultimately also moral crises, and all of them are interrelated. They require us to rethink the path which we are traveling together. Specifically, they call for a lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity, with new rules and forms of engagement, one which focuses confidently and courageously on strategies that actually work, while decisively rejecting those that have failed.” In effect, the pope was insisting on the need to apply reason in faith and vice versa. Faith preaches equality, justices and peace; reason devises ways of reaching such a reality through dialogue and through forming various judicial structures that promote justice and peace.

Therefore, faith and reason are like two aspects of the same, self-regulatory system, and undermining one leads to subsequent undermining of the other. Indeed, faith and reason are not only like ‘two wings of the same bird’, but faith without reason is ‘blind’ and reason without faith is ‘ignorant’. The reconciliation of the two is not only necessary, but in the light of the current world situation, urgent.