Argumentative Essay: Religion Vs. Science

Religion should not make people feel as if they are forced to live a certain way, but it should be used as a way of thinking/deciding between right and wrong. No one is perfect and no one knows everything. That is why with religion, we are able to understand more than what is known. How does religion, work? “Starting with magic and religion, which views the world simply as an extension of the human mind, we eventually reach the age of science, in which we view the world as being ruled by universal laws” (Grey 1). This explains how and why science can easily replace religion. Religion for many people is a great support system for the disadvantaged, especially for those who are going through a lot in life. Not only that, but when people are

suffering from cancers, turning to religion to cope could actually prolong their life. “According to a 2009 study, researchers interviewed 345 late staged cancer patients, and assessed their spirituality up through their death. The rate of resuscitation was 74% for those with a high level of religious coping, versus 1.8% with low levels” (Mazziotta 1). Only faith counts is a great way to put it, how much you believe something will really work even if it is nonsense, how you use that ability (faith) is the key. Faith is the start of it all; faith is a gracious tool when getting involved with religion. Whatever it is you believe in or worship is perfectly fine as long as you’re not taking that faith and forcing it on others. Religion is perfect if you just want something to hope in or to even relieve stress. “A 1998 study found that religiously active older adults are 40% less likely to have high blood pressure than those who are less active” (Mazziotta 1). It may not be much of a change, but it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.
What is religion and how can it be used in both negative ways and positive ways? A lot of people look at religion as just heaven or hell. When we die something happens to us, whether we ascend up into some kind of heaven, get reincarnated into something else or simply just cease to exist. Why is it, so many are concerned about the personal religious views others have? “If everyone kept their beliefs private, practiced them in the appropriate places and didn’t judge others who believed differently-can you imagine how much more peaceful the world would be” (Clifton 1). If we worked together as one single person instead of separating ourselves because of things that we see and don’t like about one or another, then we would be able to do the impossible. Alone, yes of course we can do anything that we are mentally/physically able to do, but when we come together we can’t be stopped. “It’s one group of humans telling another group that they’re wrong” (Clifton 1). “At the end of the day, no matter what it is we believe, or what we think is truer. How we are judged as humans will and should be decided by our actions, not by the opinion of some stranger who disagrees with what you believe or say” (Clifton 1) “It’s easy to take a group with like-minded beliefs, group them together and manipulate them for some type of ulterior gain” (Clifton 1). Another thing a lot of people also do is overlook religion; it’s about how we live and choose to act in any situation, not what we believe. Religion is the ultimate tool for creating peace… “Bringing the spiritual dimension into the peacemaking process to the more deep-seated, affective base of the party’s behavior, enabling them to examine critically their own attitudes and actions” (Smock 1). As stated, this is exactly how we are able to create peace with religion; although you must really take religion seriously to see the results and to notice the changes religion brings. Also stated,” Two critical elements important in peace making are empathy and compassion” (Smock 1). Your state of mind is everything. “Not all cases here describe dramatic success stories, but provide experiences and lessons that are instructive for religious peacemaking” (Smock 1). Many people jump between science and religion when trying to find answers to questions we know nothing about.
Can religion tell us more than science?

“We tend to assume that religion is a question of what we believe or don’t believe. It’s an assumption with a long history in philosophy, which has been reinforced in recent years by the dull debate of atheism” (Gray 1). Science has given us many benefits, so many that it would be hard just to name them. The only problem is science can’t save the human species from itself. Science inquiry is probably one of the best methods we have today for figuring out how the world works. “As of now, we know a lot more than we ever have and what we know will only increase as time goes by, actually if we know anything it’s that our current theories are filled with errors and that we will still continue to use those theories to until we find a better alternative” (Grey 1) Science isn’t about belief anymore then religion is. “Religion is then not fundamentally different from science; both are like attempts to frame true beliefs about the world. That way of thinking tends to see science and religion as rivals, and it then becomes tempting to conclude that there’s no longer any need for religion” (Grey 1). If science produces theories that we can use without believing them, religion is just a bunch of gathering myths. Point intended you don’t have to believe a theory is true in order to use it. Just like you don’t have to believe a story is true for it to give a special meaning to your life. In other words, to believe in religion and to have faith in the things that you can’t see is completely up to you. Precisely, religion is a powerful tool for peace and enlightenment, but a negative tool when used for manipulation. To achieve peace, we must first submit to the unknown, and eliminate all negative intentions through religion. Religion not only affects someone’s way of thinking, but it affects our decision making ability and exactly how we choose to make that decision. In addition, you can relate the way religion is used in novels and the way

the characters react to their situations; good or bad. With some of life’s struggles or as some may say life’s tests. Not only can you relate religion to certain books/novels, but you can relate religion to many other things and many different topics like science.