Writers Forum - February 2015

The field of science has always been a very
interesting topic which has led to
controversies, condemnation, confusion and
corroboration. Of late it has become a more popular
arena when one of the
speakers of Indian
Science Congress said
that the aeroplane was a
vehicle discovered in
the Vedic age, which
could move not just
from one country to
another, but also from one planet to another.This led to
a controversy as some scientists calling it as bringing
pseudo science into scientific discussions. Not to
forget the recent address by Pope Francis to the
Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Big Bang theory
which also led to numerous discussions and debates on
church's viewon creationanditsrelationtoscience.
S c i e n t i f i c
m e t h o d s a r e
considered to be so
fundamental to
modern science that
s o m e c o n s i d e r
earlier inquiries into
nature to be pre-
scientific.
Many ancient civilizations collected
astronomical information in a systematic manner
through simple observation. Though they had no
knowledge of the real physical structure of the planets
and stars, many theoretical explanations were
proposed. Basic facts about human physiology were
known in some places, and alchemy was practiced in
several civilizations. (See Homer's Odyssey and
India too has made remarkable contributions in the field of
mathematics, ayurveda medicine, astronomy, and even
metallurgy initsancientcivilizations.
The 17th century "Age of Reason" opened the
avenues to the decisive steps
towards modern science,
which took place during the
18th century "Age of
Enlightenment". The
Scientific Revolution
established science as a
source for the growth of knowledge. During the 19th
century, the practice of science became professionalized and
institutionalized in ways that continued through the 20th
century.As the role of scientific knowledge grew in society,
it became incorporated with many aspects of the functioning
ofnation-states.(Heilbron2003)
Science and religion is another field of great interest
to many philosophers, theologians and scientists since
classical antiquity. “The notion that science and spirituality
are somehow mutually
exclusive does a disservice
toboth.”―CarlSagan
Every scientific
theory is functional within
a paradigm. Scientific
revolutions lead to change
in paradigm and new
theories emerge. Though
we fall back on empirical
evidence in science, we
must know that most
theories are assumptions.
Acomplete surrender to science and absolutizing it may not
beproper.Scienceinformsus butwemustfindsolutions.
EDITORIALEDITORIALEDITORIAL
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Sch Lumnesh Swaroop SJ
FEBruArY 2015FEBruArY 2015FEBruArY 2015
“Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion”“Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion”
Stephen HawkingStephen Hawking
“Science is not only a disciple of reason but, also, one of romance and passion”
Stephen Hawking

FEBruArY 2015FEBruArY 2015FEBruArY 2015 Pg. 03Pg. 03Pg. 03 Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumWriters’ Forum
“Science never solves a problem without creating ten more”“Science never solves a problem without creating ten more”
George Bernard ShawGeorge Bernard Shaw
“Science never solves a problem without creating ten more”
George Bernard Shaw
NATURE OUR TEACHER
Praveen Kumar SJPraveen Kumar SJPraveen Kumar SJ
Why do we call the Earth 'Mother Earth' and
not 'Father Earth'? It is probably because of
its quality of giving. The Earth, nature,
gives us its fruits, it sustains life and it teaches us.
Mother is the first teacher that a child encounters. Just
like a mother in a family, nature too is a great teacher. It
only requires our readiness to listen to her quiet
lessons. Every creature on this earth has a lesson to
teach and Neela Kurinji is one such creature which has
somethingtocommunicatetous.
Neela Kurinji (Strobilanthes kunthianus) is a
shrub predominantly found in the Shola forests of
Western Ghats
and Nilgiri Hills
of South India. It
belongs to a
g r o u p o f
g r e g a r i o u s
flowering plants
which flower
once in 12 years
a n d d i e
i m m e d i a t e l y
after producing
s e e d s . I t s
flowering is
influenced by the surroundings, temperature, time of
exposure to sunlight, humidity and favorable
circumstances for pollination, seed formation and
seed dispersal. Under these favorable conditions, the
receptors such as phytochromes present in the leaves
will send the signals to rush more nutrients,
carbohydrates, sugars, water and florigens such as
Gibberllins (plant harmones) to the meristems to
produce floral buds. These floral buds bloom on
receiving more sugars and water. But this blooming
will take place only when the inhibitors concentration
fallsbelowcertaincriticallevels.
In Kurinji plants this happens regularly after a
gap of twelve years. During this gap of 12 years these
plants gather resources and prepare themselves for
flowering. By this time the inhibitor levels in Kurinji
must have fallen below the critical levels making it
suitable for both flowering and seed formation. Hence
mass pollination takes place and seed formation
occurs.Oncetheseeds areshed theplantswilldie.
What do we learn from this plant? Jesus lived for 33
years but was activelyinvolvedin his ministryonly for three
years. Was He then inactive during the 30 long years?
Definitely not. Though we do not have any details of his
early life we do have one sentence that tells us all. “He
increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human
favour. (Lk 2: 52) Jesuits are known for their long years of
formation. One may look at it as postponing the day of
ordination. But the real purpose is not to grow only in age
but also in knowledge and wisdom. Formation is a time to
become resourceful, to gather nutrients and to get our roots
deeply embeded which will enable us to produce abundant
flowersandseeds.
The strength of the tree depends on the depth of its
roots. The word 'depth' is one of the favorite words of Fr.
GeneralAdolfo Nicolas, because he truly believes that if we
want to be fruitful in our ministry we need to have depth;
depth in our spiritual, academic, social and pastoral life. It is
this depth that will make us effective. It is not the quantity of
work that counts but the quality of work and this quality can
come from depth. We are called to acquire this depth during
our formation. The result of our formation should make us
effective flower- bearers and bearers of fruit far and wide,
fruitthatwill last.
Formation is a time to dream; dream for ourselves,
dream for the society and dream for the world. Each one of
us has a signature and this signature is unique. Let this
signature not be used to sign an attendance register or to
draw salary. Let our dream be our signature. Let us be
known by our dream. This is possible only if we gather
enough resources and nutrients during our long years of
formation.

We, human beings, have used our
intelligence in our relationship with the
physical world with all our capabilities to
arrive in history towards an era of
industrial and technological
development and thus have been
responsible for the ecological
imbalance in nature. Today, we
are walking at high speed through
a time of great danger where
t e c h n o l o g y a n d h u m a n
irresponsibility towards nature
pose a great danger for the future
of humanity and the planet. If we
turn our attention to the time and
the generations to come, there is
an immediate call to rebuild this
planet through sustainable action
for the survival of human beings
andofnature.
Modern man has arrived at a stage in history
where he feels he can control his genetic heritage
through genetic manipulation. He also feels capable of
taking in his own hands his own evolution as his
project, though the risk involved in it is enormous. But,
can human beings justify that they have the right to do
so? It is in this context that we need to think about
human responsibility towards not only nature but also
the nature of human being himself/herself. It is
imperative to think of a new ethic because the former is
inadequate for today's problems and those of the
future. An act of the reason that pushed us toward
destruction should lead us to act differently from
b e f o r e , w i t h
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
towards sustainable
construction. Thus,
we need to take
responsibility for
t h e d a n g e r o f
e c o l o g i c a l
destruction that the
modern technology
and the attitude of
modern human
being are posing to
theplanetearth.
RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN BEINGSRESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS
TOWARDS NATURETOWARDS NATURE
RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS
TOWARDS NATURE
Alwyn Ronald D'Souza SJAlwyn Ronald D'Souza SJAlwyn Ronald D'Souza SJ
In this context the position of human beings today
should be one of caretaker of nature, as we have been created
as its stewards. Thus, we need to safeguard nature, which
implies that we cannot 'dominate' over
nature in its literal sense. The call to
stewardship is a privilege given to
humankind by God. Hence, it should
be a responsible stewardship. We need
to keep in mind one of the important
principles of 'eco-justice', viz. that
there is 'interconnectedness' between
us and nature. When we keep in mind
this principle and listen to God's voice,
a bridge of mutual love is formed
between the creator and the creation.
The creation that God has entrusted to
us has to be offered back to God in a
good condition and for this we are
supposed to sustain it. It is through us
human beings that God is shaping the future condition of the
environment.
If the degradation of environment has to stop and the
sustainable development has to begin, then it should be a
continual enhancement of life for the whole planetary
community. Since God continues his work of creation He
sustains creation. It is only by the grace of God that we have
received it to be used responsibly and to be taken care of.
Without nature with a good future, we cannot think of the
existence of human beings as it is a sine qua non requirement
for their survival. Hans Jonas in his work, “The Principle of
Responsibility” says that the interest of the human being
must coincide with that of the rest of his earthly life that
he/she is part of. So, we have two obligations to fulfil with
responsibility: first, with respect to nature and the second,
withrespecttohumanbeingsthemselves.
“The science of today is the technology of tomorrow”“The science of today is the technology of tomorrow”
Edward TellerEdward Teller
“The science of today is the technology of tomorrow”
Edward Teller

Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 05Pg. 05Pg. 05
When we come to realize the negative effects
of our actions towards nature, we discover that through
our utilitarian attitude we have violated the dignity of
nature and that of other human
beings, especially that of the poor
and the marginalised. Hence, we
need to change our destructive way
of going about in nature, if we want
that future generations should live in
agreeable conditions prevailing in it.
We need to act responsibly now, to
manage our future and also that of
the generations to come. We can
save our resources, protect the
natural heritage entrusted to us,
think of future generations and
denounce the selfishness of our
generation. As human beings, if we are to respect the
limits that are imposed on us by God and use in a
responsible way the freedom given to us, we need to
tenderly handle this creation by cultivating the garden
andfillingtheearthandtakingcareofitwithintegrity.
However, we share this responsibility with all our
contemporaries engaged in many areas such as political
authorities, industry, researchers and
biologists, farmers, large distributors
a n d c o n s u m e r s . T h u s , t h e
environmental problem is not just local
but global. The environment is not just a
means to serve human ends. As we read
in the Bible, “and God saw it was good”
and in the covenant with Noah God
shows us that all the created beings were
blessed. In God's eyes no life on earth is
insignificant because there is a special
bond between God and the created
things. Thus, as human beings we need
to act responsibly as we live dependent
on nature and other human beings. Therefore, we need a
kind of new ethics which would cover those acts which
have a bad consequence in the future to both the
environmentandthehumanbeings.
Cont’d from pg. 04Cont’d from pg. 04Cont’d from pg. 04
RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN BEINGSRESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS
TOWARDS NATURETOWARDS NATURE
RESPONSIBILITY OF HUMAN BEINGS
TOWARDS NATURE Alwyn Ronald D'Souza SJAlwyn Ronald D'Souza SJAlwyn Ronald D'Souza SJ
Faith is universal. Our specific methods for
understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray
to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us
study subatomic particles. In the end we are all just
searching for truth, that which is greater than
ourselves. Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca (Angels &
Demons-ANovel)
Pope Francis makes
shocking declarations! It
comes as a shock to all of us
because we are still far behind
in our thinking. The Pope has
shown us a way for a much
creative thinking. This is all
because of his union with God.
It is through the spirit of God he
speaks, and he is relevant.
Years ago we were very poor in
our reasoning. Only great scientists were able to think
concretely. Today through modern technology we are
forced to think creatively, but we fail to think. What is
thereasonbehindthis?Itisourown negligence.
Pope has accepted the advent of the world through
the God particle. One of the greatly criticized novel
“Angels & Demons” has a beautiful dialogue: “Ally?
Science and religion are not in this together! We do not seek
the same God, you and I! Who is your God? One of
protons, masses, and particle charges? How does your God
inspire? How does your God reach into the hearts of man
and remind him he is accountable to a
greater power! Remind him that he is
accountable to his fellow man! Man
cannot put God's Creation in a test
tube and wave it around for the world
to see! This does not glorify God, it
demeans God!” This is what we have
been in the past. Now through the
leadership of Pope Francis we have
becomerelevantCatholics.
Science is nothing but a search for
God. God has done so many things for us and it is our duty
to find it. Science and religion are the two sides of the same
coin. Outwardly, it may seem Science & religion are
mutually repelling forces, but in reality, they are closely
bound together.
SCIENCE AND RELIGIONSCIENCE AND RELIGIONSCIENCE AND RELIGION
Cannon Fernandes SJCannon Fernandes SJCannon Fernandes SJ
“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge”“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge”
Carl SaganCarl Sagan
“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge”
Carl Sagan

Our beloved Pope Francis, whose pontificate
has been marked by a number of surprises
from day one of his papacy, surprised the
world once again on October 27, 2014 during his
address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. His
statement that “God is not a magician with a magic
wand” spurred up a big
debate across the world.
Even the Indian news
channels, for whom the
Church issues are not a
matter of sensation, took
up this issue for a high
level debate. It is a
known fact that the
Catholic Church has
long had a reputation for
being anti-science from
the earlier times - most
famously when Galileo
faced the inquisition and
was forced to retract his “heretic” theory that the earth
revolved round the Sun. Hence, the Pope's acceptance
of evolution and big bang theory came as a big
surprise totheworld.
Since the publication of Charles Darwin's
Big Bang theory in 1859, the Church's attitude
towards this theory has been slowly evolving, in other
words, getting refined. Initially the theory was
criticized and objected to by the Church due to her
conser
vative
s t a n d
in her
belief
a n d
doctrin
e, but
no papacy offered an authoritative pronouncement on
this theory. It was only in 1950s after almost 90 years,
that Pope Pius XII in his encyclical, Humani Generis
took a neutral stand on the theory and confirmed that
there was no conflict between the Church and the
theory of evolution. From then on his successors have
reaffirmed this and built on the foundation laid by him.
Now the present Pope has publicly accepted these
theories; hence, he has contributed his part in re-
building the long broken bridge between faith and
science.
Evolution is all around us. It has become part and
parcel of our lives. There is a huge difference between the
humans now and humans 500 years ago. Although
physically we may look almost similar we have huge
differences in our way of thinking, acting and doing things.
Our horizon of exploration has expanded beyond our reach;
we can now travel to the
moon and the other planets
–something that was a mere
dream a century ago; the
diseases which used to be
fatal then are cured with a
pill today, the corn we eat
today is different from the
corn that raised by our
ancestors then. These are a
few signs of evolution which
tell us that the universe is
never the same and is
evolvingwithtime.
Every religion from its very inception is constantly
evolving with the passing of time -sometimes forward ,
sometimes backward. When a religion turns its back on
reality, it slips down the path of destruction. Late Cardinal
Carlo Maria Martini seems to have said that “the Church is
200 years behind in her thinking”. This statement is very
true and this is why the Church came in conflict with the
secular world during the time of enlightenment. Until the
recent times the Church has failed on her part to be in touch
with the real world. This could be one reason why it is
losing its relevance among its educated faithful around the
world, especially in the West in recent years. However, now
with the arrival of Pope Francis there is a new tide of reform
in the Church. He by his unique way of approach is trying to
make our Church a relevant one. If his initiative has to be
continued, it needs our support. We can first begin by
making our formation and apostolates relevant to the
present time. Come, let us join hands with him in making
our Churcharelevantandacceptableone.
GOD, NOTA MAGICIANGOD, NOTA MAGICIANGOD, NOTA MAGICIAN
Roydon Misquith SJRoydon Misquith SJRoydon Misquith SJ
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“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life”“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life”
Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant
“Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life”
Immanuel Kant

For many years one concept has always interested me
and has been keeping me wondering……the
significance of science in our day-to-day life,
especially that part of science which integrates life and
philosophy. It was a blessing in disguise for me as I
was able to choose, during philosophical studies, the
philosophy of genetics as the topic of my memoir,
referring to famous French thinkers such as François
Jacob and Michel Morange. Hence as part of my search
in the philosophy of science
I would like to revisit this
dissertation which I had
written and try to cull out
somepersonalinsights.
The first major question
which occurred in my mind
and which I posed in my
paper is the determinism of
genetics. Are genes the
ultimate architect of life or
are they merely a tool
t o w a r d s a g r e a t e r
organization of life? Are
there any other factors
which might influence this whole process? For, in
today's way of understanding life, especially with
regard to its origin and significance, we try to give an
important place to the study of genetics and we elevate
it to a respectful status. What exactly can we
understand by this? I'm tempted to give my conclusion,
butIshalltrytodo itattheendofthisarticle.
First and foremost, genetics cannot be
understood as an entity which is self-dependent and
self-reliable to
d i r e c t l y
influence the
functioning of
a body. It is
v e r y w e l l
r e l a t e d t o
various other
aspects of life
a n d m y
important point
of explanation
lies in this, that
genes are interdependent on the proteins and the
external factors of a being which influence their
functioning.
To begin this we need to clarify all the misguided concepts
concerning genes; only then will the true understanding
reveal itself. Secondly, it is also necessary to study the
prominence of genes with respect to some important
elements of nature such as heredity and evolution, because
these two fields of study will definitely help us not only to
understand the properties of genes but also the basic essence
of life on earth. Thirdly Living Being is a “System” which is
as complex as it seems beautiful. It is a delicate networking
of the genes, the proteins and
most importantly the external
factors which influence it.
Hence, Life is not something
which could be understood with
the sole knowledge of genes but
with a further profound
philosophical and empirical
study of the various factors
whichinfluenceit.
Though the arguments and
justification of this idea and the
philosophy of genetics remain
sketchy in this article, I would
like to restrict myself to these important points, because the
topic which I've raised requires a further detailed and deeper
reflection which might take pages and hours to bring out.
With this article I would just like to touch the tip of the
iceberg wherein we could say without hesitation that Life
doesn't restrict itself to the mere study of the genes but
involves other factors correlated to it. Life is a truth which
demands an integrated knowledge of science, philosophy
andtranscendentaltruth.
UNDERSTANDING “LIFE”UNDERSTANDING “LIFE”
THE SCIENTIFIC WAYTHE SCIENTIFIC WAY
UNDERSTANDING “LIFE”
THE SCIENTIFIC WAY
Vinod AJ SJVinod AJ SJVinod AJ SJ
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“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
Albert Einstein

Ahall filled with tensed spirits looking focused
at each one trying to recall what he had
studied.
Then the bell rings, a moment of silence; some of the
earnest prayers in the class rooms are heard during the
exams. Some fold their hands, some open arms, some
hold their heads as if one concept may jump out if it's
not tight enough. One chap is looking at the picture of
thephilosopherwhose examwehavetoday.
Thenthebellrings again.
Huge sighs of tension, some look lost, others perspire,
andsomewipetheirsweatypalms.
W a i t a
sec…Why is
this exam paper
in blue colour!!
W h a t ' s t h e
idea? To make
it 'attractive' or
t o i n s t i l l
fear…?
FOCUS
After collecting
the question paper, I begin to allot time for each
question.
Hello ! What's this? Only the subject and the course
are in typedfont…!
FOCUS
When allotting time for each section I realize there isn't
muchtimeto…
TO THINK…all you've got is 260 sec to think, with a
default speed of 90sec per page. Meaning, my friend,
you have to memorize the concepts. You can't waste
your timethinking…PHILOSOPHYyousee…
After the first section is done I keep my pen down,
relaxabit,becausethesectionfinishes beforetime.
Don't you think it's a rat race? If you ask anyone in
this class to elucidate the concepts they are writing,
they will …but ask its implication on the world and
how it works ...some will get angry, others may try to
answer, and some others will look straight into your
eyesand say
“It won'tbeasked for theexam”
FOCUS
This section requires more time, hence I start with the
ones that I'm sure of. Fortunately I remember all the
sub pointseachinthesameorderas itis inthetext.
EUREKA... I get it… with this sort of education you can
be very effective, competent, in great demand but the only
tiny problem is you'll not be a pioneer, trailblazer , trend
setterbut a faithfulfollower.
Weaving other people's dream, Of how the country must
be…
Whose memorialshould behonored …?
And whyprimaryschoolsyllabus mustbechanged….
May be you have taken FORMING MEN AND WOMEN
FOR OTHERStooseriously.
FOCUS
I see the time and I realize that my allotted task can't be
executedwithinthetimebecauseIhavetorush.
RUSH….yeah. Rush because you have not logged out
your net pack. And your PC will automatically update
itself in your account and you will be left with a few MBs,
ifyouare veryluckyitwillbeKBs.
Rememberthiscode1100/6/3G/30.
It's arecharge offer
Rs1100for 6 months 3G packwith30GB download...
Last ten minutes and I have one last question to attend
to.
And I forgot to mention unlimited browsing.Anyways you
continue your work because your province can afford
5000 for 20GBs
FOCUS
The last question is of sixteen marks and the answer
shouldn't exceed2 pages.
My friend, you must do yoga you know, why because it
helps youSTRETCHinalldirections
JUST LIKETHAT….
FOCUS
I finish my papers
arranged into a
bundle, tagged it
and walked out of
thehall.
One of my friends
asked me, “How
did you finish the
paperso fast?”
And I said to him
J U S T L I K E
THAT.
FOCUS…
THE BETTER HALFTHE BETTER HALFTHE BETTER HALF
Martin Joseph SJMartin Joseph SJMartin Joseph SJ
“Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand.”“Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand.”
Dan BrownDan Brown
“Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand.”
Dan Brown

Over the last four hundred years or so there has
been tremendous growth in science. It has
focused on objectivity rather than subjectivity
of anything as long as it is observable. It has confirmed
valid theories and rejected false theories irrespective of
who proved it.That is why we see scientific progress in
theworld today.
Religion is based on belief system. It speaks
about the things that cannot be seen, touched, smelled
and heard at the level of human thinking. It can be done
so only at a spiritual level. That is why science and
religion do not look alike from any angle. But we need
a change today.
Our attitude of
p u s h i n g
science and
r e l i g i o n
against each
o t h e r m u s t
change. We
need to learn to
inter relate
both science
and religion.
Only then our
j o u r n e y
t o w a r d s
r e l i g i o -
s c i e n t i f i c
w o r l d c a n
begin.
In the world where people dominate through
scientific discoveries, religion makes sure that we
humans are not bosses in the world but there is
someone who is above us. When science gives new
discoveries and makes the life of the people a newer
one, religion can save the world from conflicting and
complicatedsituations.
When we consider ourselves great by our
scientific discoveries, religion makes us realize tat we
are still tiny beings in a large universe. Thus both
religion and science balance our life and makes us
contribute to the world within our own capacity which
is atinythinginthelargeuniverse.
Albert Einstein said, “Science without religion
is lame;religionwithoutscienceisblind”.
TOWARDS ATOWARDS A
RELIGIO-SCIENTIFIC WORLDRELIGIO-SCIENTIFIC WORLD
TOWARDS A
RELIGIO-SCIENTIFIC WORLD
Science and religion are two sides of the same coin Both
need each other to make a human being focused and secure
in life. Isaac Newton says, “Gravity explains the motion of
the planets but it cannot explain who sets the planets in
motion”. Science plays its role at a certain level. It cannot
explain the ultimate cause by which all things came into
being. Only religion has played its role here. According to
religion, there is an all powerful Being by which everything
proceeds. Thus both science and religion work hand in hand
inexplainingtheultimatetruthof reality.
There are certain elements that are common in a
religio-scientific world. Faith is the basis for both science
and religion. “Sun rises in the east” is the discovery of
Science. But how are we sure that sun is going to rise in the
east tomorrow? Since I have faith in science I agree with
what it says about the future in the natural world. Similarly
religion also speaks about the future. It gives knowledge
about the supernatural world. It is because of our faith, we
believeit.
Secondly, Truth is the ultimate aim of both Science and
religion. Science is open for the new theories as long as it
can disprove the old theory or contribute to the world
something new and thus try to give the truth of reality to
people. Religion also on the other hand, seeks the ultimate
truth from which everything evolves. It is the truth that
keepspeopleenergetic,enthusedandhappyinlife.
In this way both science and religion make this world a
happy place where everyone is satisfied about both natural
and supernatural nature of life. It is possible to accept both
science and religion only when a person is walking towards
a religio-scientific world where religion and science have
onegoalandonemission.
Pg. 09Pg. 09Pg. 09 Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumWriters’ Forum
Merwyn Fernandes SJMerwyn Fernandes SJMerwyn Fernandes SJ
“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”
Carl SaganCarl Sagan
“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”
Carl Sagan

THE 'I' OF THE UNIVERSETHE 'I' OF THE UNIVERSETHE 'I' OF THE UNIVERSE
What is the story of this universe? Who
governs this universe? What will be its
fate? These basic questions have driven
innumerable scientists to inquire into this awesome
physical reality. Philosophers too have argued with
great logic and intuition
about this universe, which
they call both physical and
transcendental. The same
search has propelled me to
delve into this topic for my
dissertation. The standard
model theory in theoretical
physics is one of the most
celebrated theories about
the story of the universe. It proposes that there are 12
particles and four forces that are fundamental to this
universe. One of the 12 particles is Higgs Particle, the
one proposed to be the cause for mass in the universe.
Mass is crucial, without which it is impossible for this
universetoexistthewayitis existingtoday.
In the early
A u g u s t o f
2 0 1 2 , t h e
scientists at
C E R N
a n n o u n c e d
that they had
f o u n d a
p a r t i c l e -
s o m e t h i n g
similar to the
Higgs particle.
If the particle is the God particle, then does it become a
contender with God to govern this universe? So, will
our understanding of this reality change? Is there
Compatibility of God with the God particle, under the
complementarity principle? The complementarity
principlestates,
“Certain physical concepts are complementary. If two
concepts are complementary, an experiment that
clearly illustrates one concept will obscure the other
complementary one, For example, an experiment that
illustrates the particle properties of light will not show
any of the wave properties of light. This principle also
implies that only certain kinds of information can be
gained in a particular experiment. Some other
information that is equally important cannot be
measuredsimultaneouslyandis lost.”
One may raise the question as to how the
complementarity principle which governs physical
quantities, relate to a transcendental God who is beyond the
reach of empirical verification! The discovery of Higgs
boson brought a lot of media hype with it. The hype that this
discovery would be a great blow
to the various religious faiths
sounds very fallacious and needs
to be addressed. Will the
discovery of Higgs particle
negate the existence of God? The
application of complementarity
principle will answer this
question.
The mutual exclusivism of God and the God particle
is valid implying both are exclusive in their own realms. It
can be derived from the principle that the discovery of the
Higgs particle may exclude God from its definition of the
origin and the structure of this universe, but it cannot negate
God's existence. As Thomas Aquinas notes, we are led by
faith to affirm that the world had a beginning in time and an
eternal creation is possible. Here the eternal creation is
taken with an understanding of creation as against change.
God and God particle are two concepts that cannot be
explained by one theory or an experiment. We need to look
at both of them as complementary. Both are required for a
holistic and complete understanding of this reality. But are
God and the God's particle complementary? Can an
understanding be reached in this realm of human thinking
about God whom we cannot verify and the God particle
which we cannot spiritualise? What is the final ground
where both the scientist and a mystic shall amicably say
“Amen?”
Nithin Monteiro SJNithin Monteiro SJNithin Monteiro SJ
“Those who say that the study of science makes a man an atheist must be rather silly.”“Those who say that the study of science makes a man an atheist must be rather silly.”“Those who say that the study of science makes a man an atheist must be rather silly.”

The reality is such a complex design that it offers more
than what human beings can perceive. The important
thing that I need to stress is that the realms of God and
the God particle are both exclusive yet
complementary. On one hand, the whole world is
reaping the fruit of
s c i e n c e a n d
technology. On the
other, it is also basking
in the love of God.The
search of science for a
grand unified theory
that explains this
complex universe
with great simplicity
is surely a genuine
search. However, can
it offer such a unified
theory? Moreover,
will science reach an
end in developing
such aunifiedtheory?
Religion too has made
God its monopoly. The supernatural understanding of
God as prescribed by religion needs to be critically
analysed and decoded. Can religion and spirituality
give the final word about God? Does religion own a
copyright over God? Religion as understood by some
of the religionists has been a cause of terror and
disaster in recent times. Religion has monopolised
God and has manipulated the idea of God for its
progress and survival. Religion is dependent on God
and not vice-versa. Hence our understanding of God
needs to change as we pass from one milestone to
another in this pilgrimage to reach the pinnacle of truth
viz.,God experience.
In a world that is facing acute fanaticism and
fundamentalism, a breakthrough is needed. The navel
gazing philosophy has brought a kind of apathy for the
other. Philosophy, which needs to help a person
enlighten himself/herself, has turned into ideologies
that have led to some of the worst bloodbaths in human
history. Science too, being “value-neutral,” has caused
a lot of suffering rather than easing the life in this
world. We are faced with contradictions and conflicts
that pose a threat to our own existence rather than to the
existenceof God.
The discoveries and inventions are not a threat to God's
existence. These are manifesting themselves as threats to
our own existence. The peak of evolution, human race, has
repeatedly fallen out of grace, confessed before the universe
and its designer, and has
been restored as the jewel of
this creation. However, it is
good to note that the
anthropic principle forms
the basis for all our
interpretations of this
universe. It is only the
human beings who can
reflect on this universe. This
universe would exist even if
our race would be extinct. It
would just continue to exist,
though there would no one to
callit“theUniverse.”
What is one to make of all
this? Using an organizing
p r i n c i p l e l i k e
Complementarity helps us to avoid choices leading to such
philosophical dead ends. We live in one world, with
different aspects. The big split is between facticity (what
there is) and function (what we do with it).
Complementarity can help us to a deeper understanding of
the way in which material and immaterial aspects of our
experience combine to form a broad representation of
reality. The price paid is the admission of a fundamental
indeterminacy into our descriptions of experience.
Complementarity is not a form of dualism, but provides us
with a broad, coherent description of all those aspects of
reality,whichconfrontus inourdailylives.
Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumWriters’ ForumFEBruArY 2015FEBruArY 2015FEBruArY 2015 Pg. 11Pg. 11Pg. 11
“Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.”“Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.”
Richard P. FeynmanRichard P. Feynman
“Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt.”
Richard P. Feynman

Every creature on earth traces back its origin to
the single cell, which was the first living thing
on earth. This means that we all have the same
origin. In fact big bang theory says that everything
including the greatest star began with one bang several
years ago. So, are
we all made of the
same stuff as that
of the stars? It
seemsso.
I t ' s n o t
only science, but
a l s o r e l i g i o n
which upholds that
we all have a one
common origin.
Yet, many of us
fail to understand
this. The result of
our failure to understand this fundamental truth is the
extinction of life. Many creatures have become extinct
andmanymoreareinthelinetojointhem.
EVOLUTION OF LIFEEVOLUTION OF LIFE
FROM A SINGLE CELLFROM A SINGLE CELL
EVOLUTION OF LIFE
FROM A SINGLE CELL
Nithin Coelho SJNithin Coelho SJNithin Coelho SJ
It is not only against other species that we are in
conflict, but also among ourselves. This is not a new thing.
Humans have waged war since the existence of life. At the
beginning it was against other species, then against each
other. By harming others, we are harming ourselves, as we
are part of the same basic
creative force of the
universe.
How can we stop
this extinction drive that
we began so long ago?
How to stop ourselves
from causing our own
extinction? The only
way is by raising our
consciousness to the
mystery of togetherness
in creation. In other
words, to accept that we
are all one and that we belong to each other in the sense of
our common origin. With this sense of belonging in our
heart, we can grow and live as real human beings without the
needof warinthenameof religionor science.
Complementarity has a broad vision, which
applies not only to God and the God particle. The 'I' of
the universe, who/what governs all of the physical
phenomena is an important part of our lives. The
physical reality is the concrete foundation that really
helps us to understand ourselves as intelligent beings.
The aspect of the divine in each one of us and in this
universe needs to be contemplated upon. An
understanding of both God and the God particle is
essential to understand ourselves in this pilgrimage to
the cave of our hearts. Only in this cave can we feel and
listen to the silence of this reality. The whole reality
comes to a standstill. It is here, the physical laws
become no more relevant and the theology of religion
becomes less important. This is the cave of our hearts,
which a scientist calls 'the singularity' and the mystic
calls the 'divine experience.' It is here that our thinking
transcends and our comprehension becomes affection.
Thisistheexperiencethatcannotbeexplained!
To conclude, the 'I' of the universe is not more about
owning this universe! God and God particle are not here to
contend to own/govern this universe! It is the projection of
the 'navel gazing spirituality' of the human race which
always aims at owning and not sharing! The
complementarity principle gives equal space to each. God
cannot be reached by the way of science. Similarly, God
particle cannot be discovered and verified by theology.
They are two distinct
realms. Only a heart
large as this universe
can accept this fact.
Hence God and the
God particle are
exclusive in their
own realms, and yet
complementary. To
this both the scientist
and the mystic shall
say,“YES.”
“The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification.”“The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification.”
Thomas Henry HuxleyThomas Henry Huxley
“The man of science has learned to believe in justification, not by faith, but by verification.”
Thomas Henry Huxley

Human person is continually grappling with a
perennial question, 'who am I? One of the
implications of this question is the origin of
the universe. In the course of human history human
person has been trying to articulate the origin of the
reality based on his/her limited experience. It has given
rise to various responses such as creation, evolution,
emanation etc. Here I would like to focus on the first
two. The difference between creation and evolution
lies in the way reality is approached. Creation tries to
respond by giving a faith perspective whereas
evolution has its foundation on the scientific
knowledge. This has led to a major controversy called
creation-evolution controversy or creation Vs
evolution debate. Both of them try to claim their
position to be the best whereas our focus here would be
tobringaboutadialoguebetweenthetwo.
Creationism: This view certainly contradicts
the whole idea of evolution. This is propagated by
some fundamentalist Christians and others who say
that the book of Genesis must be taken literally. Hence,
God is seenas havingcreatedtheworld, dayby dayas a
seriesofcomplex,finishedproducts.
Evolutionism:This view holds that everything,
from the distant galaxies to the entire human person
evolved from a primitive super molecule. Hence the
ideaofacreatorGod is outrightnegated.
In this post-modern era the level of support for
evolution is more among the scientific community and
academia whereas the creation accounts are
continually challenged leading to a faith crisis among
the believers. To begin with, an important
characteristic of creation is that it is a making of
somethingoutofnothing.
Evolution need not necessarily contradict the idea of
creation but rather presupposes creation. When we try to
reach the source of evolution, it stops at the primitive super
molecule. Even today science is not able to explain the
origin of that primitive super molecule. Dialogue between
creation and evolution (or religion and science) could be
found in the vision of Teilhard de Chardin. He speaks about
the unfolding of two stages in the process of evolution. The
first stage is the unconscious process from the big bang to
the emergence of human being. In the second stage 'Man is
evolution become conscious itself '. In this framework God
pours out the divine wisdom into the primitive super
molecule for a creative evolution of the universe. Hence, in
Teilhard's vision creation and evolution are not
diametrically opposed to each other; instead, they are
dialecticallyrelatedtoeachother.
Pope Francis in his own characteristic style is
trying to bring about a dialogue between creation and
evolution, saying that evolution and the big bang theory are
in fact real and that God is no magician with a magic wand.
“The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the
world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine
creator but, rather, requires it. Evolution in nature is not
inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution
requires the creation of beings that evolve.” (Address to the
PontificalAcademy of Science, October 2014). Mutualism,
a biological concept, can very well be applied here. It is a
symbiotic interaction between different species that is
mutually beneficial. Creation and Evolution are
articulations about the origin of the universe seen from
different worldviews. Let there be mutual sharing so as to
enhance our
understandi
ng which
would lead
to a better
articulation
o f t h e
c o m p l e x
reality in
which we
f i n d
ourselvesin.
CREATION AND EVOLUTION -CREATION AND EVOLUTION -
DIALOGUEDIALOGUE
CREATION AND EVOLUTION -
DIALOGUE
Norwin Pereira SJNorwin Pereira SJNorwin Pereira SJ
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
Charles DarwinCharles Darwin
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
Charles Darwin

This article is based on the model of Science -
Religion - Dialogue but it has another
component assigned to it namely Trans-
humanism. I would like to first present to you the
current update on all these grounds namely my ideas
on the present state of Science, Religion; in particular
Catholicism, a dialogue between these two, the
present efforts being made towards Trans-humanism
highlighting its purpose and then after considering our
present stand, we shall take a leap into the future.
Let us begin with the
scope of Science. Beyond doubt
Science has progressed far
beyond any human imagination
just over the last 400 years. There
was a great curiosity to find out
something in each of those
scientists and they did it. They
progressed, found something
new, documented it and carried
on. Others came in found
something else, something better,
disproved the past, made the necessary corrections
and moved on. This method has continued ever since
and thus science has progressed so much. In search for
the truth, they did not hold on, rather they let go, and as
a result of this automatic humbling experience science
stands where it is today. The progress has been thick
a n d f a s t a n d i s e v e r i n c r e a s i n g .
Let us look at the sphere of religion, with
Catholicism in particular. For centuries we the church
have held on to the dogmatic teachings. We have
hardly changed and further what is worse is that we
refuse to. It took 400 years for even the church to
admit that Galileo was right and the universe was
heliocentric rather than geocentric. Holding on to
dogmatic views certainly we are heading towards ruin
as in the past. Cardinal Martini said in an interview
just before his death, the church is lagging by 200
years. It is proving to be true. With Latinization there
is hardly any place for or recognition to in-culturation.
There is a kind of dichotomy between
a heretic and a dogmatic. I would say both the views
are extremes and we ought to take the mid path. Not
denouncing the critic as well as not upholding the
skeptic. The church has to shun its dogmatic ways and
Ryan Rodrigues SJRyan Rodrigues SJRyan Rodrigues SJ
SCIENCE - RELIGION - DIALOGUESCIENCE - RELIGION - DIALOGUE
TOWARDS TRANSHUMANISMTOWARDS TRANSHUMANISM
SCIENCE - RELIGION - DIALOGUE
TOWARDS TRANSHUMANISM
accept humbler position. What has religion made out of
God? Was it really ever needed in the very first place?
Institutionalized religion has certain structures that need to
be I would say done away with at times. Institutionalization
is out of the need for self preservation and in some cases
even will lead to serving someone's self interests. There
exists so much of corruption inside the church! The outside
world is bound to ask, is this the way God choose to lead us?
I have often held the view that science does not really reject
God as much as it does to the God of
religion! With the election of Pope
Francis fresh life has been breathed by
the Spirit of God into the Church.
Things are beginning to change and
t h a t i s a p o s i t i v e n o t e .
Thus, what is inevitable is the sphere
of dialogue. Religions can dialogue on
a common table of science. Science as
it is, is progressing thick and fast and
religion has miles to catch up. But it is
time now. Religion is going its own
way and science along its own.
Presently they do not seem to meet at any common point and
therefore dialogue has to settle this issue. Science and
Religion do not need each other but human beings need both
as Einstein rightly said. God has to and will certainly evolve
from the dialogue over science and religion. The need of the
hour is this. If we do not bridge the long increasing gap
between these two realms then that will be the end of human
kind. Will God be happy without his own creation, in his
own image and likeness? Will science have any meaning
without the existence of the human race? They both who
think they are independent now will have to rely upon each
other. That is where we are leading to, and that is the role of
dialogue.
“No one should approach the temple of science with the soul of money changer”“No one should approach the temple of science with the soul of money changer”
Thomas BrowneThomas Browne
“No one should approach the temple of science with the soul of money changer”
Thomas Browne

I must say that to some extent we are trying to
play God when it comes to spheres of trans-
humanism. Cloning of sheep is already done; secretive
efforts are being made to clone humans, though illegal
and condemned out rightly. Those who are trying to
make a super human race have actually got all of their
intentions wrong. They want to create a superior race
so that they can gain command over other humans,
make them slaves and thus subdue the earth.This is the
update from this sphere. Some questions I wish to raise
here. First, why is there no end to human greed for
power? Secondly why cannot we become life savers,
by making new limbs or organs for those deprived
human being through our technology. In other words
why not we make the best use of the great talent we
have to do well to the whole human race!That is where
trans-humanizationreallystands atthemoment.
After having looked at the current status of
Science, Religion, Dialogue and Trans-humanization,
I would like to dream of a future where all these four
work handinhand.
Science evolves beyond imagination, religion
leaves out its dogmatic standpoint, both of them
dialogue and trans-humanism becomes a necessity in the
positive sense. So what I want to imagine for the future is
this! Science develops itself so much that humans will be
genetically modified in so far as they can adapt to the signs
ofthetimes.
Science keeps on progressing at a rapid speed and
religion humbly accepts the good work that is being done.
There is a continuous dialogue between science and
religion where science explains to religion the current
affairs and religion based on its relevant traditional
experience substantiates what science has said. In terms of
progress science takes the lead, while in terms of issues
relating to ethics and morality, religion is chosen
unanimously to show the way. In this way no one sphere is
dominating. This calls for the present church setup to die
down and for a new church to emerge, may be the one
which has the real vision of Christ. If humans evolve to a
trans-human state biologically, and that all in thus future
race is born a super human being, what is the relevance of
God then? God too will evolve. In what way He will make
these super humans truly human, make them relational
beings, create harmony in the universe and marvel at his
creation. This is my vision for the whole cosmos so as to
makeitabetterplace.
SCIENCE - RELIGION - DIALOGUESCIENCE - RELIGION - DIALOGUE
TOWARDS TRANSHUMANISMTOWARDS TRANSHUMANISM
SCIENCE - RELIGION - DIALOGUE
TOWARDS TRANSHUMANISM Ryan Rodrigues SJRyan Rodrigues SJRyan Rodrigues SJ
Loud announcement
heard all around,
For a volunteer to enter
the womb of terror.
No sound was heard in
the surround,
For fear of radiation
from the reactor.
Should I be the one, an
old man?
To sacrifice my comfort for others!
Should I do it for the love of all men?
Or at least for my child and another's!
Here I write it for you, my child,
To let you know that I have lived my days.
And I lived them for you, my child.
Now I am ready to die, that live you may.
I know not what awaits me there!
Yet, I go in to shut it down.
To save all hearts from death's terror,
Which for long has held us down.
Soldiers lay down their lives,
For the country of theirs.
Today, I do the same,
For humanity of ours.
Spend not your time, shedding tears,
For you got it,
with ransom of
mine.
Don't waste it in
useless fears
Rather make it,
the best gift of
mine.
RANSOM OF MINERANSOM OF MINE
This poem is an inspiration from the 2011Fukushima accidentThis poem is an inspiration from the 2011Fukushima accident
RANSOM OF MINE
This poem is an inspiration from the 2011Fukushima accident
“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.”“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.”
Isaac NewtonIsaac Newton
“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.”
Isaac Newton

“The more I study science, the more I believe in God.”“The more I study science, the more I believe in God.”
Albert EinsteinAlbert Einstein
“The more I study science, the more I believe in God.”
Albert Einstein
RELIGION AND SCIENCERELIGION AND SCIENCERELIGION AND SCIENCE
Contradict or Complement…?Contradict or Complement…?Contradict or Complement…?
AMystical wind blows over the world today
crossing all boundaries of religions and
cultures. Sensitivity to the ultimate
mystery is awakened even in scientists, philosophers
and artists….The crisis felt in the traditional circles
of Christianity is a pointer to the call of the spirit to
e x p l o r e t h e
d e e p e r
dimensions of
faith.
The rising
r e s t l e s s n e s s
within human
h e a r t s , e v e r
i n c r e a s i n g
l o n g i n g f o r
something new
every time and the
growing global
consciousness of
deep interdependence in the one world, hints at the
relentlesssearchhumanis in,today.
The reality around us is multifaceted and
mysterious. The more one explores, the more one is
revealed of the hidden mysteries of life and of the
universe.The inbuilt longing or search or restlessness
very subtly connects human back to the mysterious
reality of which he/she is part and parcel. Human
more than ever is in search of his roots and the
purpose of his existence today and the advances in
science and technology is one of the expressions of
this relentless search. Science, in simple terms is a
systematicstudy ofthereality.
People often tend to think that science and
religionareatcoldwarwitheachother.Ibelievethis
is nothing but an exaggerated statement, which carries little
weight. Religion as we see aims at an inner quiet journey, to
the deeper reality. Science is an active search for the hidden
mysteries and an attempt to understand the reality. On the
periphery they might come across, as contradicting each
other, but analyzing deeply we come to realize that they
complementeachother.
Let us explore this
through the example of
big-bang theory, for our
better understanding.
(What I am presenting
here is a very superficial
analysis, which needs to
be reflected more
deeply) The existential
question that haunts
humans often is –Where
did I come from? This
leads me to speak about
the creation of our
universe. Science comes up with the idea of Big Bang. A
mighty explosion that happened at some point in time when
all the mass of the universe was together. The immensely
dense mass or atom, that exploded led to the present
structure of the (ever expanding) universe. In simple words,
it's a process of contraction and expansion. Logically
arguing, the expanded universe, someday, is bound to come
backtoitsoriginalstateagainor contractagainasbefore.
.
Rayan Lobo SJRayan Lobo SJRayan Lobo SJ

“If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God.”“If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God.”
Lord William KelvinLord William Kelvin
“If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God.”
Lord William Kelvin
Reflecting on the big bang we come to
understand that everything came from the same atom
or has a common origin. Thus the reality around, the
cosmos, the heavenly bodies, the trees, the
mountains, the animals and birds, the stars and
everything in the universe share common elements.
They share a common origin and a common destiny
(coming together again or contraction). Without
getting into details, I would just like to state that we
find similar teachings in
Vatican II documents
too.
T h e i n n e r
restlessness or the
i n b u i l t u r g e t o
interconnect could well
be understood in terms
o f t h e d e e p e r
relationship human
beings have with the rest
of the universeAt this
point it would be apt to note that even the world class
scientists are not fully sure what exactly led to the
big-bang. Religion responds with the idea of
uncaused cause, whom it names – GOD or creator.
Dwelling on
the point of
e x p a n d e d
universe that is
b o u n d t o
contract again,
leads us to the
understanding
of gathering of
a l l t h i n g s
togetheragain.
St Paul in his letter to Eph. 1:10, “as the plan for the
fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in
heaven and things on earth”. Thus can we call the ongoing
scientific and technological advances, a step towards the
gatheringof allcreation?
Yet another point we need to keep in mind from the
big-bang theory is the aspect of universal brotherhood. If
all of us came from the same source, there is nothing or no
one called, 'the other'. This
leads to the understanding of
universal family. Isn't this the
deeper message of every
religion? The conflict arises
when the institutionalized
religions of today try to
project that they possess all
answers and all truth in them.
The recent record-breaking
controversial Hindi Movie –
PK challenges the organized
institutional structure of
religion.
There is an interesting argument in the movie in the
temple scenario between a shopkeeper and PK(an alien
trying to understand religion and God). Having bought the
statue of a god,
PK realizes that
i t ' s n o t
functioning and
rushes to return
i t t o t h e
shopkeeper,
saying, “God is
not working.
His battery
mustbedown.”
Rayan Lobo SJRayan Lobo SJRayan Lobo SJCont’d from pg. 16Cont’d from pg. 16Cont’d from pg. 16

Perplexed shopkeeper tries to convince PK saying,
that “there is nothing wrong. I myself created it with
my own hands…” PK,
not able to understand
the logic behind it asks
a further question,
“Did you create God or
God createdyou?”
I b e l i e v e
people today are
desperately trying to
protect God (which is
their own creation), which is the biggest lacuna of
our times. I would put such a highly institutionalized
religious attitude as mere socio-political approach,
which gives little room to the spirit. But these
irrational practices shouldn't hinder us from reading
the signs of our times, for as Christians we believe in
aGod, who writesstraightevenon crookedlines.
The occasional conflict between science and religion
needs to be seen as a reminder for you and me to explore the
deeper dimensions of faith. The
authentic search in science and
religion invites us to glance at a
RELIGION which is beyond
religions and at a GOD who is
beyond gods. They also very
subtly convey to us that there is
an awakening to the ultimate
mystery,inhuman.
A s I c o n c l u d e , I
improvise on what I said earlier, that a genuine search in
science and religion complement each other, leading to the
deeper shores of faith, where one feels secure and restful. In the
understanding of St Augustine, that will be a point when the
creation meets its creator or according to St Paul, a moment,
whenallthingsaregatheredinHIM.
Cont’d from pg. 17Cont’d from pg. 17Cont’d from pg. 17 Rayan Lobo SJRayan Lobo SJRayan Lobo SJ
Joseph Jerald SJJoseph Jerald SJJoseph Jerald SJ
“Science is simply common sense at its best”“Science is simply common sense at its best”
Thomas HuxleyThomas Huxley
“Science is simply common sense at its best”
Thomas Huxley

Has humankind been achieving lately that
which was originally ascribed only to
God?”, would be a legitimate, distressed
and disturbed question of any one following the
recent developments in biotechnology, genetic
engineering and cloning, involving creation and
cloning of life
f o r m s i n
laboratories. Well!
If you are one, then
believe me you are
not alone whose
ground is shaken.
R e l i g i o n s a n d
ethical groups are
all up in arms
a g a i n s t i t .
Biotechnologists
a r e s e v e r e l y
reproached and
accused of “Playing
God”, by entering
into the domains
into which only the omnipotent God can. TheVatican
has put its own sanctions and directives on it, and the
Islam clerics have declared that they would kill those
engagedinsuchactivity.
What is it all about? For those of us who are unaware
of what genetic engineering or biotechnology is and
does. here is something in a nut shell. Biotechnology
is the use of living systems and organisms to develop
or make or modify products or processes for specific
use. Genetic engineering is a specialized branch of
biotechnology; it is the process of manually adding
new DNA to an organism. The goal is to add one or
more new biological traits that are not already found
in that organism. Cloning is part of Genetic
engineering. It involves manually making in the
laboratorygeneticallyidenticalcopiesofindividuals.
Like any field of research and technology, biotechnology
too – though it has made its positive contribution in making
human life better, happier and safer – has received and
continues to receive sharp and vehement reproach and has
become a locus of strong and endless ethical controversy.
The uproar against GMO (Genetically modified crops) is
rather weak and feeble
when compared to the
other areas which
directly involve human
life like embryo transfer,
in-vitro fertilization, test
t u b e b a b i e s e t c .
Biotechnologists are
blamed for disregarding
creation and natural
p r o c e s s e s o f l i f e
generation. Here are just
a few examples, which
have raised thunderous
reactions:
Virgin births- in vitro
fertilization precluding the physical sexual reproductive
processes.
Cloning- first sheep (the famous “Dolly”), then dogs and
now for exorbitant fees, your favorite pet's DNA can be
cloned for those who miss them. Who can give a guarantee
that there aren't attempts underway in some top secret
laboratorysomewheretoclonehumans?
Creation of artificial life forms: In a lab environment a
living and reproducing single celled organism was created
from completely synthetic chemicals!!! Isn't that directly
doingthework ofGod (evenifit'sintheminutestlevel)??
There are other examples but this should get the ball
rolling.
THE QUALITY OF ATHE QUALITY OF A
JESUIT BIOTECHNOLOGISTJESUIT BIOTECHNOLOGIST
THE QUALITY OF A
JESUIT BIOTECHNOLOGIST
“God [is] the author of the universe, and the free establisher of the laws of motion.”“God [is] the author of the universe, and the free establisher of the laws of motion.”
Robert BoyleRobert Boyle
“God [is] the author of the universe, and the free establisher of the laws of motion.”
Robert Boyle
Sujay Daniel SJSujay Daniel SJSujay Daniel SJ

Ethical issues with such technology can
range from basic identity as a living organism to
commodification of it. Is it ok to manufacture
embryos which suit the choices of the market?Would
it not amount to buying a pair of jeans in a mall? Will
the newly born genetically modified humans be
better than those born
of normal parental
union? Would it lead
to a sci-fi fiction like
Dr. Frankenstein, and
lead to a war between
those humans who
were created and
those manufactured?
The implications and
debate is lengthy and
intricate. There are
completely logical,
e m o t i o n a l a n d
pressing reasons on
both sides. But we
needtotakeastand…
As Christians and Jesuits, we face bio-
medical issues as religious believers and members of
the Church with certain convictions about God, this
world, and life. So, the bioethical decisions of a
Christian ought to reflect a proper understanding of
these convictions. Here are some convictions we
needtobearinmind:
1. Creation is a quality of God alone, it's only God's
prerogative.
2. Humans are created by God in his image and
likeness. He creates us in dignity and loves us to
death. The worth of the whole person comes
ultimatelyfromGod.
3. All life forms are
of inherent worth
and dignity and
are not to be
t r e a t e d a s
c o m m o d i t i e s
which can be
manipulated to
s u i t h u m a n
selfishneeds.
4. Technology is a gift of God's intelligence in us and
should be made use of to complement the work of God. It
should be used only to enhance the quality of life and one
should takeresponsibilityforit.
5. All life forms are unique, and creating clones is showing
disrespect to the one
c l o n e d , a n d
commodifyingtheclone.
We Jesuits who are
known for our pro-life
stance in all our endeavors
and who are radically
interested in the innate
dignity of human life,
should know and take a
stand on such life-affecting
issues. Jesuits' dedicationto
science should arise from
the gems of our spirituality
which is “to find God in all
things”. Even as we are
actively involved in path breaking biotechnology research
in our institutions, we are called at the same time to be
catalysts in molding the ethical perspective of our students.
We have amidst us an eminent and renowned
biotechnologist, Fr. Leo D'Souza, who has the credit of
being the only person to be successful in growing a cashew
tree using tissue culture technology. We can make a
positive difference in the life of the people through their
research and findings. When the whole world is accusing
biotechnologists of “playing God” for taking science to
extremes, let us be known for “Playing God”, in promoting
lifeinallitsdignity,valueandlove.
THE QUALITY OF A JESUIT BIOTECHNOLOGISTTHE QUALITY OF A JESUIT BIOTECHNOLOGISTTHE QUALITY OF A JESUIT BIOTECHNOLOGIST
“Science is not about making predictions or performing experiments. Science is about explaining.”“Science is not about making predictions or performing experiments. Science is about explaining.”
Bill GaedeBill Gaede
“Science is not about making predictions or performing experiments. Science is about explaining.”
Bill Gaede
Sujay Daniel SJSujay Daniel SJSujay Daniel SJCont’d from pg. 19Cont’d from pg. 19Cont’d from pg. 19

CONGRATULATIONSDEARDEACONSCONGRATULATIONSDEARDEACONSCONGRATULATIONSDEARDEACONS

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