<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Are there attempts in India to bridge the science and religion divide? To me this looks like a future battle ground.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->This is a non-issue in Dharmic religions (and heathen religions in general). We do not claim full knowledge, nor say that our scriptures are the be-all and end-all explanation of everything.
Communists might want to make it a battleground - everyone knows they're well capable of pretending they are 'psecular, rational' and trying to paint others as not being so; but then, everyone knows communists are arch-liars too.
Ancient Hindus and the average present-day Hindu found/find no frictions between science and their Indian philosophy (they are two different, non-overlapping areas for the most part, and where they overlap, the science was considered philosophy. For example Pythagoras' maths was his religion, similarly in India, philosophers were the scientists and mathematicians).
For instance, the 'first cause' argument of christianity does not work in logic (if everything is created by some creator, doesn't the creator need a creator?).
But this is irrelevant in Dharmic situations: Universes are all infinite, have always been. They are also infinitely generative. No need to look for first cause. The universes' cycle is also infinitely repeating and has always existed.
Christoislamism does have a huge problem with science. Just the topic of evolution is the death-knell for these two religions, if they were to accept it. That is why they oppose it tooth-and-nail.
Throughout history, christianity has had a bone to pick with every aspect of science: letters, reading and writing was regarded as being from the devil, later on they insisted that it was dangerous for common people and serfs to learn to read and write.
Education, when non-religious, was considered paganism and demonic. Medicine was witchcraft, only the bleeding performed by monks was okay ( http://freetruth.50webs.org/B3c.htm ). Even today, 'Christian Science' movement as well as other christo sects argue that the only medicine allowed for their children is 'healing by prayer'. (See http://www.childrenshealthcare.org/victims.htm 'Victims of religion-based medical neglect'.) Yes, these are the same guys that operate the source-of-lies called Christian Science Monitor.
Christoislamism has always severely disagreed with science: 'maths is evil' said the early Church fathers, 'it is pagan' (and right they were). Islam couldn't stand its scientists either.
Even today, some christos want education to be banned. Many Islamists want their children to study only in madarsa, where the kids only learn islamofanatical religious 'education'.
It doesn't look like other people exhibited such behaviour. Dharmic Indians of the past certainly didn't. Though I can allow that there may have been ignorant individuals (don't know if there ever were, but I'm allowing for it), but no large-scale Dharmic anti-science movements or arguments that were supported and upheld by all Dharmic leaders. So unless the communist start their blitzkrieg of lies on this front, unconverted India should be fine.
Communists might want to make it a battleground - everyone knows they're well capable of pretending they are 'psecular, rational' and trying to paint others as not being so; but then, everyone knows communists are arch-liars too.
Ancient Hindus and the average present-day Hindu found/find no frictions between science and their Indian philosophy (they are two different, non-overlapping areas for the most part, and where they overlap, the science was considered philosophy. For example Pythagoras' maths was his religion, similarly in India, philosophers were the scientists and mathematicians).
For instance, the 'first cause' argument of christianity does not work in logic (if everything is created by some creator, doesn't the creator need a creator?).
But this is irrelevant in Dharmic situations: Universes are all infinite, have always been. They are also infinitely generative. No need to look for first cause. The universes' cycle is also infinitely repeating and has always existed.
Christoislamism does have a huge problem with science. Just the topic of evolution is the death-knell for these two religions, if they were to accept it. That is why they oppose it tooth-and-nail.
Throughout history, christianity has had a bone to pick with every aspect of science: letters, reading and writing was regarded as being from the devil, later on they insisted that it was dangerous for common people and serfs to learn to read and write.
Education, when non-religious, was considered paganism and demonic. Medicine was witchcraft, only the bleeding performed by monks was okay ( http://freetruth.50webs.org/B3c.htm ). Even today, 'Christian Science' movement as well as other christo sects argue that the only medicine allowed for their children is 'healing by prayer'. (See http://www.childrenshealthcare.org/victims.htm 'Victims of religion-based medical neglect'.) Yes, these are the same guys that operate the source-of-lies called Christian Science Monitor.
Christoislamism has always severely disagreed with science: 'maths is evil' said the early Church fathers, 'it is pagan' (and right they were). Islam couldn't stand its scientists either.
Even today, some christos want education to be banned. Many Islamists want their children to study only in madarsa, where the kids only learn islamofanatical religious 'education'.
It doesn't look like other people exhibited such behaviour. Dharmic Indians of the past certainly didn't. Though I can allow that there may have been ignorant individuals (don't know if there ever were, but I'm allowing for it), but no large-scale Dharmic anti-science movements or arguments that were supported and upheld by all Dharmic leaders. So unless the communist start their blitzkrieg of lies on this front, unconverted India should be fine.