What does science have to do with spirituality?

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The Sciences  

Human beings are naturally curious. Since ancient times, we have gazed at the night sky and wondered, "What is out there?" We have scanned the horizons of land and ocean, asking, "What lies beyond?" We have studied our planet and sought to understand, "When and how was it formed?" This inherent curiosity drives us to be explorers. In Western societies, this external exploration is the domain of the sciences.

 Spirituality  

Beyond our quest for knowledge about the world, we have an intrinsic longing to belong in it. Belonging comes from understanding who we are, why we are here, and how we should live. We derive our identity, purpose, and values from a unified belief system crafted into a sacred narrative, providing meaning and purpose to our existence and mortality. We generate this narrative through inner exploration involving self-discovery, self-realisation, and self-transcendence. The process engages timeless questions such as "Where did we come from?" "Why are we here?" "What happens to us when we die?" "Are there gods?" "Why is there good and evil in the world?" and "What is the source and nature of love?" In contemporary Western societies, we also explore the questions, "What does it mean to be human in an evolving universe?" and "What does it mean to be human in the age of artificial intelligence?" Our responses to these spiritual questions build a shelter of belonging, weaving together personal integrity with authentic community connection.

The Intersection  

What is the intersection between science and spirituality? We do not seek responses to our spiritual questions in a vacuum; we consider them within the context of our current scientific understanding and beliefs about ourselves and our environment. The responses we discover shape the sacred narrative from which we derive meaning and belonging. However, scientific knowledge is always evolving—it may change gradually, but it can also shift dramatically, redefining the scope for spiritual exploration. During these major shifts, we are required to revisit our timeless and contemporary spiritual questions, striving to find responses that resonate with both our minds—our modern, science-based understanding of the world—and our hearts, which encompass our life experiences, including the joys, sorrows, fears, traumas, and mystical encounters we face.

 In short, the sciences set the framework for our spiritual formation—our sense of belonging.