The Complementarity of Scientific and Religious Modes of Understanding

Scientific and religious approaches to comprehending reality are deeply complementary. I do not use the word ‘deeply’ for emphasis alone: the qualities that science and religion hold in common are anything but obvious. Viewed on the surface, science and religion often appear to be at odds. Details and dogmas frequently conflict, and misperceptions originating on either side can lead to rejection of the unfamiliar system. At the lofty level of philosophical abstraction, a satisfying reconciliation of science and religion will likely always remain elusive. At the level of personal experience, however, incorporating scientific and religious modes of understanding is not only possible, it is profoundly enriching. The impulses, methods, and themes that define both science and religion are strikingly similar. Curiosity and an insatiable desire to make sense of the world are qualities that are innate to human life; unsurprisingly, these impulses are the driving force behind bot h scientific and religious explorations. The means that facilitate such explorations are fundamentally alike as well: both science and religion are system-driven, with an emphasis on unflagging action in the pursuit of greater understanding. Finally, both scientific and religious modes of understanding inexorably return to a common set of recurrent themes, emphasizing the creativity, dynamism, and unity of the world we perceive. Curiosity is instinctive in humans. We are born knowing nothing but impatient to know all: where did we come from? Why are we here? How are we to live? Such questions represent more than a simple probing for objective "facts": they are attempts to derive meaning and order from the observed world. Responses to these questions often take t... ...we live in. Â   Isaiah 40: 3-8 The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken." The voice said, "Cry out!" And he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, Because the breath of the Lord blows upon it, Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower faces, But the word of our God stands forever."

Individual General Profile City of Kelsey Eth/316

Individual General Profile Angel Pacheco 7/22/12 ETH/316 The City of Kelsey boasts a rich and diverse culture with residents ranging from African American, Caucasian, Asian American, and other ethnicities. The occupations that these residents are associated with range from logistics, information technologies, medical personnel, and blue collar occupations. Interaction within a community as tight knit as the City of Kelsey occurs throughout the region.Shops in the downtown area offer a place for residents to hang out and relieve stress, as well as aid in spurring the regions economy. The Kelsey Library is a great place for residents of all ages to research the internet, as well as read recreationally. Community events in the City of Kelsey include an annual 10K Marathon, various sports tournaments, an annual balloon festival, a monthly farmers market, and an annual St. Patricks Day Parade. These events offer a wide variety of events to enable community interaction.With over 71,000 stu dents in the Kelsey School system, all regional schools are used to educate students in a group setting. This group setting is paramount in interaction between students. With over 4,500 educators, the school system offers a place for staff members to interact as well. With a history embedded in agriculture, combined with an organic way of life, the community believes in being responsible for the community on an individual basis.With the use of public transportation, and alternative means such as bicycles the community is showing how they are giving back. With the community offering many opportunities for activity such as arts and crafts center, aquatic center, Lake Lora, and the city park it is the responsibility of the community to reciprocate this through careful preservation of these resources. The City of Kelsey has a foundation of preservation of natural resources, but with the rise of population in the last few years the efforts must be dramatically increased.Being socially re sponsible would be to recognize this problem and allocate funds to maintain the problem with the Sanitation Department and their digester problem. Many of the problems that arise with their greatest resource water, derived from Lake Lora or regional aquifers, may be caused by leeching from a poorly kept solid waste digester. Allocation of funds for this problem is imperative in determining the ability of reversing the degradation of the water quality available to the City of Kelsey.

The Meccan life of Holy prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon him)

Muhammad in Mecca Prophet Muhammad was born and lived in Mecca for the first 52 years of his life (570–622). Orphaned early in life, he became known as a prominent merchant, and as an impartial and trustworthy arbiter of disputes. He married his first wife, the 40-year-old widow Khadijah bint Khuwaylid at age 25. He would not take other wives during her lifetime. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad began receiving revelations at the age of 40. The key themes of his messages in Mecca were the oneness of God and the rejection of polytheism, generosity towards the poor and the needy, kind treatment and emancipation of slaves, and the equality between men and women before God. Some of his peers respected his words and became his†¦show more content†¦The development of hadiths is a vital element during the first three centuries of Islamic history. There had been a common tendency among the earlier western scholars against these narrations and reports gathered in later periods; such scholars regarding them as later fabrications. Leone Caetani considered the attribution of historical reports to Ibn Abbas and Aysha as mostly fictitious while proffering accounts reported without isnad by the early compilers of history like Ibn Ishaq. Wilferd Madelung has rejected the stance of indiscriminately dismissing everything not included in early s ources and in this approach tendentious alone is no evidence for late origin. Madelung and some later historians do not reject the narrations which have been complied in later periods and try to judge them in the context of history and on the basis of their compatibility with the events and figures. Background Approximate locations of some of the important tribes and Empire of the Arabian Peninsula at the dawn of Islam (approximately 600 CE / 50 BH). The Arabian Peninsula was largely arid and volcanic, making agriculture difficult except near oases or springs. Thus the Arabian landscape was dotted with towns and cities near those oases, two prominent of which were Mecca and Medina (then known as Yathrib). Communal life was essential for survival in desert conditions, as people needed support againstShow MoreRelatedHow the Prophet Muhammad Spread Islam755 Words   |  3 Pages How the Prophet Muhammad Spread Islam Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet of Islam, he had made the biggest impact on the religion. Prophet Muhammad spread the Islamic religion throughout most of the world. He started spreading the religion after he had received the message from Gabriel, an angel sent from God to the Prophet. At the age of forty the message of Islam started to spread upon those who were yet to join Islam (Muhammed, the messenger of God). The prophet did not force othersRead MoreIslam and Jihad Essay1185 Words   |  5 Pagesmeans holy struggle. 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