Archives 2005:
Vol. 4, Numbers 1-12
Read past articles including:
Standing up for Humanity
Unity in Diversity
Thought and Imagination
Imagination and Healing
Lessons of Katrina
Intelligent Design or Evolution

March, 2002
Vol. 1, number 3

Preface to the unpublished book
Science, Religion, and the Search for God: Bridging the Gap
by Richard Sidy

As the title of this book implies, its purpose is to bridge the gap between the seemingly opposite orientations of science and religion. This gap is the cause of so much non-communication and misunderstanding in the world and is often the source of irresolvable antagonisms. As long as science and religion do not cooperate, the human search for fulfillment in this life will not be complete and the conflicts, pain, and suffering of the world will continue.

Science and religion are not opposing forces but rather two aspects of a unified consciousness and two expressions of a single human nature. As long as these two "camps" are in conflict, one will not experience inner integration and harmony nor will society. Human progress depends upon the cooperation and benefits both these aspects of the human spirit express.

The goal of this book is to emphasize the necessity for science and religion to work together in order to create balance on our planet. Balance means right relationships between all peoples in the world, and right relationship between humanity and nature. The result of balance will be universal and sustainable levels of economic prosperity, peace, environmental health, and hope for the future.

There is a need today to reassert the fact that life and all its expressions are sacred. There is a need for all conflicting elements of human experience to find a common basis for cooperation and for enriching life with their diverse yet compatible viewpoints.

Unity is the essential fact of life on our planet. All diverse elements are just different facets of the jewel which our planet could be. To go against unity is to fight the destiny of our planet. Divisive thought and the resulting hatred and antagonisms will be viewed in the future as a dark plague in the history of the human race.

The gap which exists between scientific and religious orientation is a good place to start in creating unity on our planet. Both science and religion within themselves stand for unity—the unity of intelligence and the unity of love respectively. Both science and religion are the most influential powers on our planet in the daily lives of humanity. When they are able to bridge the gap of their worlds, a new world of understanding will emerge, for they will together be able to demonstrate in a comprehensible and factual way the essential spiritual and sacred nature of our planet.

Science and religion will unify the minds and hearts of humanity and begin a new era of compassion, progress, and well-being for all inhabitants of our planet. When science and religion join forces for expressing their higher virtues, humans will live in a world ruled by beauty, order, and cooperation.

Humanity should be grateful for all seekers of truth in the fields of science, religion, and spiritual understanding. It has been their quest throughout history that has brought us to the threshold of new possibilities of understanding. The current need in all societies today is use their wisdom to oppose the forces of materialism, dogmatism, and fanaticism that threaten human freedom and human happiness.

(Continued in April selection)