Haunting Experiences

The module I found most interesting in terms of class concepts was the science and religion module. One of the main reasons I found this to be the most interesting is that this class looks at religions and believers from a scientific stand point. When analyzing the textbook it becomes very apparent how to approach the study of religion scientifically. From the concepts I have learned throughout the class I have been able to step back from my own bias and see the study of religion for what it is.

Religion is manmade and as it is manmade it should be studied scientifically. If we study groups of people then we should study religion as well. Study the religions themselves the theology, and of course the people. If we can study religion scientifically

then we should be able see science religiously. They may seem to be opposites but it is my belief that both can co-exist with each other. Studying religion scientifically though really allows us to look at people as a whole.
I read something that has stuck with me that I read in the text book Sociology of Religion. One of the main things that I have learned from the text book was that when talking to people about religious experiences is that we must believe them. Scientifically we may not be able to prove or disprove their experience. The fact is, that one person’s religious experience is their experience and they believed it truly happened to them.
If we can look at it from a sociology stand point when collecting data then can’t the two exist together? Can science be viewed more a less as religion but without deities? I believe in science but I personally have never experienced evolution or seen the God particle in the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Am I not putting my faith into someone else’s work that could have been wrong or misinterpreted? Science and religion are tools for humans, they both can provide explanation for things or comfort or something to invest faith into. Either way they are both manmade and are tools or guides for humans.
The secondary model I looked I read was the Paranormal Experiences.

I think that the science and religion module and the paranormal module relate fairly well together. If we can look at personal religious experiences as true scientifically then we should look at paranormal experiences as true too. Even though parapsychological phenomena is considered a pseudoscience it should be studied more scientifically. Science and religion may clash but science considers parapsychological phenomena to be not true but there have been no real studies on it. If we can look at religion scientifically we should look at parapsychological phenomena scientifically too. In the Haunting Experiences there is a quote from Gillian Bennett about a folklore around a supernatural event, he said “of all types of folklore this is the one that seems least respectable and least believable in the so-called scientific age”. Bennett goes on to explain how big of a project it would be to tackle scientifically but aren’t they worth looking into. If supernatural stories are in a religion are they not worth investigating scientifically? This would give us further insight into the study of religion. It may also be the way religion and science reconcile their past by working with each other into investigating or at least science could use one or the other to prove or

disprove.
Both these modules relate to current sociology issues by the way people use them. As all three are relevant topics among people today. You have believers in science, religion and paranormal and a cross mix of those groups. I think all three are relevant in sociology of religion as someone almost has to believe in one of the three, whether they consciously admit it or not. I think as our society evolves and grows people are becoming quite curious of all three groups. Take me for example I find all three subjects to be quite intriguing. I think they share similarities in human curiosity but also the fact how they can cross into one another.
When studying them I believe that all three subjects fit in together this may not always be the case but is possible. Like for example the ancient scriptures of Hinduism, the Vedas, it takes about a flaming flying chariot in the sky. We could take that apply it a paranormal experience or story such as UFOs and compare the two stories. We already have a group called SETI looking for UFOs and other forms of intelligent life. We can see how easily all three subjects can be used together.
The modules I choose are significant to the past, the present and the future of religion because of the way we view society.

I believe one of the main clashes we see between science and religion is that science can almost be seen as moving forward and religion being the past. Religion has evolved with the times but it doesn’t keep up with science in its evolving. I think most religions choose the old way of life and science almost threatens that. Science is also almost “God like” in the ways that it creates life and destroys it. I think that is what we are seeing now between some religions and the scientific community is how far science is going. One of the biggest debates in the present day world is abortion. Science says that a fetus is not a person until it reaches this point and some religions believe it is a person from conception. I think that these types of clashes we likely continue into the future and as the scientific community grows and pushes religious boundaries. I also believe that outside of those issues that science, religion and paranormal could be useful to each other in the future as we look to advance in space and to find out more about ourselves as a species. Meaning that looking into religion and parapsychological phenomena scientifically could benefit religion but it could also hurt

it.