Cracking the Code of Religion

The religious icons; Christ, the Buddha, etc., went deep within themselves and found something quite remarkable, then advised their followers to do the same.

"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old, seek what they sought (Matsuo Basho)

But something happened along the way; and these icons became articles of worship instead of teachers. Then their followers became idolaters instead of enlightened beings. This explains a lot about the tragedies that followed - the religious wars and sectarian strife that justifies the condemnation that religion is the cause of human strife, rather than the solution.

To discover the truth about contemporary society, and whether it would rather idolize a savior than transform itself as its saviors have done, we must approach the problem with an open mind. When we approach problems with ideology or hardened opinions, we only utilize a fraction of the facts that are available.

Can Religion Survive Quantum Physics?

Our world is on the verge of dramatic change. Quantum discoveries will inevitably restructure our world view. Since this is a shift none of us can escape, we must ask ourselves if our current belief systems will be able to endure the change.

Most religious beliefs arose from our need to explain the natural world. When food was plentiful and conditions stable, our ancestors gave credit to a good power they called God. When disease, drought or natural disasters occurred, they blamed an evil power. Religions were formed when people decided these powers must be appeased. Bible teachings are based on the belief that good and evil powers are locked in a cosmic struggle. Is this world view supported by quantum discoveries?

The quantum universe is one continuous, interconnected whole. If there was a cosmic struggle going on between good and evil, it would be apparent at the quantum level of the universe. That's not what quantum physicists are seeing. At the quantum level, our universe is completely interdependent and linked by shared consciousness. Even if good and evil powers existed outside the universe, they aren't having any effect on it.

Europe Shrinks from Health-Religion Research

Europe's greatest continental divide -- the chasm between scientific research and theology -- has begun to close, as scores of university institutes and medical associations from Arkhangelsk to Zurich are gathering to see how the two fields might help each other. The movement, though, is at a glacial pace, as an increasingly secular Western Europe and a post-communist Eastern Europe continue to resist any efforts that smack of church and state collaboration.

Croatia's University of Zagreb Medical School is typical. Candid discussions concerning religion and medical science take place but never in a formal research environment, said Lucija Fabijanic, a medical student who recently graduated from the school. "Some medical doctors do speak about this topic, but it is mainly not acknowledged by the university and hospital staff," said Fabijanic. "From the medical point of view, I understand that after a long era of communism a lot of people still think that religion is something personal and that it has nothing to do with science and medicine."

Similarly, in Sweden's Karolinska Institutet, where 40 percent of the country's medical academic research is conducted, religion and science are only rarely mentioned in the same breath. Of the 2,814 dissertations published since 1995, only half a dozen mention the words together, and only two -- a 2005 study on Islam's perpetuation of female genital mutilation in Sudan, and a 2000 paper on mortality and injury rates in Northern and Western Europe -- look at religion with more than a passing glance.