OOS 44-8
Religious, but not necessarily theological
Science tells us what is going on in the world. But what to do about it, is not a science question. What we do depends on values and ethics. Values derive in large part from religions and religious thinking. Yet scientific and religiously derived values in large measure converge. Charles Darwin’s great insight was his realization that all the world is kin which 150 years of research continues to show and refine. Religion’s view that we derive from the same Creator makes us siblings in metaphor and fact. Aldo Leopold widened the perimeter of our family with “The Land Ethic.” He wrote, “The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals…. A land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and citizen of it.” Steward of the garden, one might say.
Results/Conclusions
We can answer the ancient question, “How ought we live?” by melding modern scientific knowledge of how the world works with values derived from religious thinking. A person can seek ways, whether big or small, to heal the world. The moral must guide the technical—but whose morals? Luckily for us, we have the benefit of some hard work by others. “Love your enemies,” said Jesus. We have been formed into nations, the Koran says, that we may come to know each other. Our responsibility to heal the world is central to Judaism. Compassion is what brings Jews, Christians, and Muslims to what they call God; it’s what the Buddha says will bring you to Nirvana. Confucius propounded the golden rule five centuries before Christ. The ability to feel along with another is the minimum standard of religiosity, “because in compassion,” says the former nun and author Karen Armstrong, “we de-throne ourselves from the center of our world.” In science, much the same. Remember, we’ve got Copernicus’ astoundingly counter-intuitive deduction that the sun and the universe do not revolve around us; Darwin’s perception of the totality of our relatedness; and Aldo Leopold’s insight that our true community is the community of Life and all that supports it. This yields a secular sense of connection to that which is holy and sacred about the world, and an imperative for stewardship that feels devotional.