Narrative in systems of religion

Contemporary Review, Feb, 2004 by Keith Suter

RELIGION deals with the big questions of life. Among these questions are: Why was I created? Why am I here? What happens to me after I die?

Each person at various times in life (unless one dies as a very young baby) will ask these questions. They may, of course, ask themselves variations of these questions, such as: what is the purpose of life? But they will certainly ask themselves questions about the reason why they should exist on Earth. Indeed, in so far as we can tell, the capacity to reflect on these matters constitutes a major difference between humans and all other forms of life on Earth.

Human life is, then, a search for meaning.

In a more institutional sense, the world's religions are humankind's attempts in groups to try to answer these big questions. The religions have evolved at different times and in different places. But they all wrestle with these core issues. Each religion is a cumulative learning experience: a later generation can build upon what is contained in the sacred texts (oral or written) that have evolved over time, rather than having to start from the beginning. Alternatively, a person may choose to start a new religion and seek followers for it.

All religions encourage people to live 'better' lives. Each religion defines what it means by 'better'. Almost all aim at transformation of their followers of some sort. Religions want their followers to create a 'better' world. This is the best way to glorify the god or gods of their faith.

This definition of 'religion' therefore also includes systems of belief and ideologies. 'Religion' is not a matter solely of having a god or gods. A system of belief can exist without a recognition of the supernatural. A committed Marxist, for example, would also be able to provide 'answers' to these questions.

The major exception to this broad definition of 'religion' is nihilism. However, a nihilist would still be able to provide a set of 'answers'--even if they were based on arguing that life is doomed to despair and nothingness and so transformation is pointless because life is pointless.

Religion and Science

Science is the search for 'laws'. A 'law' means that an event can be 'explained' because it can be reproduced, such as the splitting of the atom or that two plus two equals four irrespective of the land or language in which the calculation is done. Scientists tend to have a self-image of objective seekers after truth, who work across religious, language, political, national or ethnic lines in a collective fellowship--albeit with a high degree of competition--to find out how certain events occur.

Religion is different from science. In the European tradition since the Renaissance there have been tensions because science was seen as challenging many of the basic ideas in religions (especially Judaism, Christianity and Islam), such as Earth not being the centre of the universe.

There is now a truce, with practitioners less hostile to each because there is a recognition that they are seeking different answers. Science is more concerned with 'how' and religion with 'why'. For example, even if scientists could explain how the universe was created, they would not automatically from that 'law' be able to explain why it was created.

Meanwhile, the application of science may support events in Judeo/Christian/Islamic religious history. For example, there is the story of David the shepherd boy who kills Goliath with a stone with a slingshot. Goliath was the tallest Philistine in the army and wore thick armour. But David killed him with a stone to forehead (1 Samuel 17: 49). How did a stone pierce a metal helmet? Science provided the answer only recently: a problem for very tall people is that they have peripheral vision problems: Goliath could hear David but not see him. Therefore, he may have lifted his visor to get a clearer vision and that provided the window of opportunity for David to strike at a part of his body that would normally have been well protected. Medical science has explained a biblical mystery.

Why was I created?

All religions contain some 'answers' on why the universe, the Earth, the human race and the individual were created. Most religions have narratives that have a god or set of gods being responsible for creation.

Interestingly, scientists now express more caution as to their ability ever to be able to explain the creation of the universe. They can certainly research events close to the moment of creation. But they cannot get back to that point itself. There is also a feeling that the more they discover, the more complicated life seems. A few decades ago, it was assumed that all matter in the universe was composed of atoms. Later it was found that the atoms are composed of particles (neutrons, electrons etc). Now scientists are examining a sub-particle world, so that apparently 'solid' matters (such as a human being or an iron bar) now seem to be composed more of space than of substance. The more they learn, the more scientists discover that there is yet more to learn.