Religion in a Scientific Age

　　科學時代的宗教

　　Religion without science is crippled, while science without religion is blind.

　　宗教缺乏科學是瞎子，科學缺乏宗教是跛子。

　　Today we live in a scientific age in which almost every aspect of our lives has been affected by science. Since the scientific revolution during the seventeenth century, science has continued to exert tremendous influence on what we think and do.

　　生活在科學時代，我們的生活方式都受到科學革命性的洗禮。科學革命起源于十七世紀的西方，今天它仍然繼續的對我們的思想展示它驚人的影響力。

　　The impact of science has been particularly strong on traditional religious beliefs. Many basic religious concepts are crumbling under the pressure of modern science and are no longer acceptable to the intellectual and the well-informed man. No longer is it possible to assert truth derived merely through theological speculations or based on the authority of religious scriptures in isolation to scientific consideration. For example, the findings of modern psychologists indicate that the human mind, like the physical body, work according to natural, causal laws without the presence of an unchanging soul as taught by some religions.

　　科學思潮對傳統宗教起了巨大的沖擊，很多宗教觀點已不再被科學家或知識份子所接受了。很多古老的宗教概念，在現代科學的壓力下崩潰，真理並不是建立在神學的臆測或權威。現代心理學認爲，人類的心識如同肉體一樣，是按照自然規律來運作，其中並沒有宗教所認爲的「不朽的靈魂」的存在。

　　Some religionists choose to disregard scientific discoveries which conflict with their religious dogmas. Such rigid mental habits are indeed a hindrance to human progress. Since the modern man refuses to believe anything blindly, even though it had been traditionally accepted, such religionists will only succeed in increasing the ranks of non-believers with their faulty theories.

　　有些宗教選擇接受科學來調整它們的教義。這種做法是無補于事的，現代人無法接受這種盲目的信仰。雖然它們非常的傳統，可是在錯誤理論的指導下，只會增加唾棄和不信任者。

　　On the other hand, some religionists have found it necessary to accommodate popularly accepted scientific theories by giving new interpretations to their religious dogmas. A case in point is Darwin”s Theory of Evolution. Many religionists maintain that man was directly created by God. Darwin, on the other hand, claimed that man had evolved from the ape, a theory which upset the doctrines of pine creation and the fall of man. Since all enlightened thinkers have accepted Darwin”s theory, the theologians today have little choice except to give a new interpretation to their doctrines to suit this theory which they had opposed for so long.

　　科學迫使很多宗教都認爲有必要給予自己的教義重新的定義。當達爾文推出《進化論》時，宗教家還是堅持：人是「神」的創造。否定了人類是由人猿進化而來的論點。認爲《進化論》是異端學說，擾亂了「神」的神聖性和使人類墮落。幾百年來，宗教家都反對《進化論》，他們認爲這是對他們神聖宗教的一種打擊。

　　近年來，達爾文的《進化論》思想已普遍的被接受，神學家被迫必須對宗教一開始就反對的《進化論》和他們的教義做一個全新的诠釋。

　　In the light of modern scientific discoveries, it is not difficult to understand that many of the views held in many religions regarding the universe and life are merely conventional thoughts of that which have long been superseded. It is generally true to say that religions have greatly contributed to human development and progress. They have laid down values and standards and formulated principles to guide human life. But for al the good they have done, religions can no longer survive in the modern, scientific age if the followers insist on imprisoning truth into set forms and dogmas, on encouraging ceremonies and practices which have been depleted of their original meaning.

　　在科學文明的照耀下，宗教的宇宙觀、生命觀和虛妄的教義全然失色。但是，我們不否定宗教曾經爲人類的進步和發展做出貢獻。宗教也曾經爲人類的生活訂立標准、價值觀和宗旨。雖然宗教曾經做出了巨大的貢獻，可是它們一樣無法在現代的社會生存。在科學時代裏，如果宗教繼續宣揚那些沒有意義的教義和儀式，將失去人類對宗教的信仰。