Abolish All That's Tangential to Reason and Logic
By
Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
24 April
2024
"He who possesses art and science has
religion; he who does not possess them, needs religion."
Miguel De Cervantes
Miguel de
Cervantes Saavedra's quote, "He who possesses art and science has
religion; he who does not possess them, needs religion," reflects the
profound significance of art and science in our lives.
Cervantes
suggests that those who possess art and science possess a deeper understanding
of the world, which in turn fulfils their spiritual needs. Art and science have
the power to elevate our consciousness, providing us with a sense of wonder,
purpose, and connection to something larger than ourselves. Conversely, for
those who lack exposure to or appreciation for art and science, religion
becomes a means to fulfil their spiritual longings. Cervantes asserts that art
and science can offer a profound spiritual experience, making religion
unnecessary for those who possess them.
Steven
Weinberg, who shared the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physics with Abdus Salam and
Sheldon Glashow, also said the same thing, albeit differently: 'Religion is for
the rustic minds.' Just departed atheist philosopher Daniel Dennett (he died on
April 19) wrote that " Even if creatively and scientifically advanced
individuals remain in the fold of religion and continue to believe in god, they
at least question the relevance and validity of religion and its weird ideas
and postulations."
The best
examples being two Renaissance men, Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Though
both never called themselves atheists and died as Christians, they disliked the
interference of religion and called it an 'unnecessary appendage' (Kentana in
medieval Italian). Da Vinci observed that artistically challenged individuals
with no scientific inclination would be drawn to faith and prayers. His
biographer Walter Isaacson wrote that Da Vinci never prayed in life, though
it's debatable. Point is: Relatively evolved brains aren't in need of religion.
Cervantes (1547-1616) himself never believed in god and religion and he even
wrote a paper (later destroyed by his mistress) doubting the authenticity of
the Gospels. He even doubted the existence of Jesus.
It must be
mentioned that Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Cervantes among others were all
Renaissance men. They were centuries ahead of their time/s. Don't we require
yet another Renaissance to abolish all that's tangential to reason, logic and
scientific temperament? Alas, there's a dire dearth of evolved and maverick (in
a positive sense) minds all over the world.
Turkish
poet Nazim Hikmat aptly said, " The world needs a 'volcanic revolution'
(Epra Noita in Turkish) to wipe out all 'divine' doubts and so-called 'truths.'
------
A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in
comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed
articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including
Persian.
URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/abolish-tangential-reason-logic/d/132189
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