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15th September 2001

Science's misguided missiles

Arjunanatha dasa

In his [Guardian] article of 15th September [New Window: Religion's misguided missiles], Professor Dawkins describes religion as a deceptive system of mind-control, devaluing human life, and inherently responsible for war and violence.

Actually, there is nothing which devalues human life more than considering it a purely physical phenomena formed by random interaction of chemicals. This 'scientific' and atheistic dogma of big-bang creation and random evolution from chemicals is every bit as irrational as the idea that mass-murder will get you into paradise. Popular presentations of these ideas constantly portray them as facts rather than speculative theories, in the hope that repetition will cause belief and conversion. The 'scientific' establishment routinely dismisses inconvenient facts, such as fossils which do not fit evolutionary theory.

There is nothing irrational about study of consciousness and the soul, nor practices designed to reunite it with the Supreme. The arrogance of materialistic 'scientists' is their assumption that 'scientific method' is the new God, and anything which falls outside it does not exist. Thus, a priori denying any understanding of that which cannot be controlled by our limited power, and measured by our limited senses.

Denying all religious teachings as a con, the ultra-rational materialist has no real cause beyond his own mental and sensual pleasure. Making the assumption that life is but a combination of atoms and chemicals, other living beings are of no real consequence, and there is no logical reason not to exploit and kill them for his own enjoyment. It is this nihilistic attitude, just as much as any perverted religious bigotry, which leads to a violent society.

The two world wars of the twentieth century had political and economic causes, very little to do with religion. There are certainly wars where religion appears to be a cause, but there are usually plenty of other causes too - including cultural and political. The Vedas are acknowledged to be some of the deepest spiritual literatures in existence. They explain the living entity as being an eternal spirit soul contained in a material body, and state two reasons for war, violence and suffering: first is the idea that 'this belongs to me' rather than 'everything belongs to God'; the second is karma from sinful acts (actually vikarma), the most prevalent and obvious examples in our society being meat-eating and abortion. How can we say that society is 'at peace' when millions of animals and unborn children are killed daily for people's convenience and sense pleasure? It is a massive and unproved assumption that we can carry on raping the planet, killing so many defenceless and silent living entities without reaping a bitter harvest.

The strands of karma are too intricate to untangle each cause with each effect, especially the collective karma of nations and cities, or individuals over several lifetimes, but an understanding of karmic law can help us make sense of ourselves and the world. To make religion the scapegoat misses the point. Perverted science is capable of even greater evil in the shape of abattoirs, abortion clinics, atomic waste, H-bombs, and other weapons of mass-destruction. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.