Sunday, August 08, 2010

Science & Religion via spiritual ecology

I have recently couple of posts about some positive environmental movements in the Muslim world (see here, here and here). This narrative of environmental protection resonates well within the Islamic contact and Green Islam can not only really take-off, but with a billion Muslims worldwide, it can have a significant impact on the planet. On the thoughtful 13.7: Cosmos & Culture blog, Marcelo Gleiser suggests that spiritual ecology may be one way of moving beyond the tried old debates regarding science & religion. He considers preservation of life as a moral universal, and from their to the preservation of the planet:
Life here is not restricted to humans. Once we realize how deeply our existence depends on the planet that we inhabit, we understand that we must act to preserve all life forms. The moral universal of life necessarily leads to a spiritual ecology whereby we, as the dominant species in this world, act as guardians of life. So, the spiritual dimension that is so important to us humans finds expression in our devotion to our planet and its life forms.
This sense of spiritual connection with Nature is celebrated both in science and religion. From Einstein to Saint Teresa of Ávila, there is universal agreement that the world is sacred in a very fundamental way. Perhaps the success of the movie Avatar is an expression of the growing need to find common ground for humanity based on the preservation of the planet and, of course, ourselves.
People may have other ideas in mind for what a possible moral universal is. But whatever they are, it’s hard to see any more basic than the respect for life and the planet that so spectacularly harbors it.
Okay - but I hope he doesn't put too much stock in the hokey/noble-savage environmentalism depicted in Avatar (I think a world where people sit next to a tree singing that awful song may not be worth saving after all :) ). Nevertheless, this is a case where Islam and science can have a mutually beneficial interaction.

Read the full post by Marcelo Gleiser here.

See related posts:
Eco-Islam and a "Green Imam" in Tanzania
Green Muslims
Masdar - Abu Dhabi: The Silicon Valley of Renewable Energy?

4 comments:

Anirudh Kumar Satsangi said...

An article on Logic of Reincarnation by Steven J Rosen has been published in The Speaking Tree of 11the July 2010. In this article the author enquires what is it that reincarnates from one body to another? Is it the soul? the mind? the intellect? To understand this we should suggest answer to these questions. We all know that there are four fundamental forces in the universe viz., gravitation force, electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force. I have written a paper entitled ‘Gravitation Force is the Ultimate Creator’ and presented it at the 1st International Conference on Revival of Traditional Yoga held in Lonavla Yoga Institute, Lonavla in January 2006. In this paper I have defined soul (individual consciousness), mind and body. According to this every point of action of Gravitational Force Field is individual consciousness or soul, electromagnetic force as the force of mind and weak and strong nuclear force as the gross material force which constitute physical frame of body.
Consciousness is All Intelligent and pervades everywhere. Although all other remaining three forces are also intelligent but they are subordinate to Gravitational Force. THIS DESCRIPTION WILL HELP TO UNDERSTAND ‘WHAT IS IT THAT REINCARNATES FROM ONE BODY TO ANOTHER.
According to Buddhism this is not the supreme atman or soul that ties one life to another, instead it talks about past lives as evolvement of consciousness, emergence of a new personality from the same stream of consciousness.
Unaccomplished activities of past lives are also one of the causes for reincarnation. Some of us reincarnate to complete the unfinished tasks of previous birth. The is evident from my own story of reincarnation:
“My most Revered Guru of my previous life His Holiness Maharaj Sahab, 3rd Spiritual Head of Radhasoami Faith had revealed this secret to me during trance like state of mine. This was sort of REVELATION.
HE told me, “Tum Sarkar Sahab Ho” (You are Sarkar Sahab). Sarkar Sahab was one of the most beloved disciple of His Holiness Maharj Sahab. Sarkar Sahab later on became Fourth of Spiritual Head Radhasoami Faith.
Since I don’t have any direct realization of it so I can not claim the extent of its correctness. But it seems to be correct. During my previous birth I wanted to sing the song of ‘Infinite’ (Agam Geet yeh gawan chahoon tumhri mauj nihara, mauj hoi to satguru soami karoon supanth vichara) but I could not do so then since I had to leave the mortal frame at a very early age. But through the unbounded Grace and Mercy of my most Revered Guru that desire of my past birth is being fulfilled now.”
”.

Anirudh Kumar Satsangi said...

I am one the chief expounder and supporter of Gravitation Force Theory of God. This is most scientific and secular theory of God. This is the Theory of Universal Religion. I have given Higher Theory of Everything. Sometimes back I posted this as comments to a blog on:
‘Fighting of the Cause of Allah by Governing a Smart Mathematics Based on Islamic Teology’
By Rohedi of Rohedi Laboratories, Indonesia. Rohedi termed my higher theory of everything more wonderful than which has been developed by Stephen Hawking. Some details are quoted below:
rohedi
@anirudh kumar satsangi
Congratulation you have develop the higher theory of everything more wonderful than which has been developed by Stephen Hawking. Hopefully your some views for being considered for Unified Field Theory are recognized by International Science Community, hence I soon read the fundamental aspect proposed by you.
I have posted my comments to the Blog of Syed K. Mirza on Evolutionary Science vs. Creation Theory, and Intellectual Hypocrisy. Syed Mirza seems to be a very liberal muslim. He responded to my comments as mentioned below.
“Many thanks for your very high thought explanations of God.
You said:
“Hence it can be assumed that the Current of Chaitanya (Consciousness) and Gravitational Wave are the two names of the same Supreme Essence (Seed) which has brought forth the entire creation. Hence it can be assumed that the source of current of consciousness and gravitational wave is the same i.e. God or ultimate creator.
(i) Gravitation Force is the Ultimate Creator, Source of Gravitational Wave is God”
Whatever you call it, God is no living God of any religion. Yes, when I call it “Mother Nature” is the God generated from all Natural forces and Gravitational force is the nucleus of all forces or we can presume that Gravitation is the ultimate guiding principle of this Mother Nature we call it non-living God unlike living personal God of religions. I can not believe any personal God would do so much misery created for its creation. Hence, only non-living natural God can explain everything in the Universe. When we think of any living personal God, things do not ad up!”
I have also discovered the mathematical expression for emotional quotient (E.Q.) and for spiritual quotient (S.Q.).
Austrian Scientist Rudolf Steiner says,
“Just as an age was once ready to receive the Copernican theory of the universe, so is our age ready for the idea of reincarnation to be brought into the general consciousness of humanity”.

Anonymous said...

I would suggest that the Avatar film is a parable for our time.

At a very basic level it is about the "culture" of death versus the culture of life.

It was very interesting to observe the predictable right-wing group-think response to the film--especially by right-wing religionists.

They all came out very loudly in support of the "culture" of death as manifested by the techno-barbarian invaders who had already "created" a dying planet.

Kate said...

Hi, Salman -

Just randomly came across this article from NewScientist, and thought you'd find it interesting if you hadn't come across it already. I was astonished...but then, not really...but then, again...(sorry, I don't know how to post it as a link.)

Kate

"E=mc2? Not on Conservapedia"
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19303-emc2-not-on-conservapedia.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

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