Core Tenet #4: Respect for Science

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Topic: Core Tenet #4: Respect for Science

Belief must be tempered with a respect for science. As thinking beings, we are obligated to do our best to understand the scientific method as well as basic scientific principles. Always be willing to learn new things about the Universe. 


Religion and science have often been at odds with one another. Some religions don’t accept certain scientific discoveries, such as evolution or even the existence of dinosaurs, as truth. Galileo was imprisoned as a heretic. Although all these discoveries: evolution, dinosaurs, and a heliocentric model of the solar system, are widely accepted within the scientific community, there are, even in this day and age, a few rather vocal people who deny them.  There are even people who insist that the Earth is flat.


However, the Path encourages us to be open to new ideas and new information. It seems like new scientific discoveries are being made every day. Some of those discoveries contradict our previously held views, and that’s okay! We can – and should - adjust what we believe based on new information. Beliefs are just ideas, after all, and it is most rational to base your beliefs on the truth, even when that truth changes. When science changes its mind, it didn’t lie to you, it learned more. 


The scientific method is the best tool at humanity’s disposal to investigate and understand the Universe, and anyone with access to the internet can keep up to date on scientific advancements and breakthroughs. You are encouraged to explore the world. Be curious. Do your research, check your sources, and form or reform your viewpoint based on what you have learned. (How you react to an idea being disproven says a lot about your character. There is nothing noble about sticking to an opinion that can be proven wrong with a ten-second Google search; it’s just vain and stubborn.)  


In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. Choose to be informed. 


Namaste, 

Reverend CJ Carlin 

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