Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno spoke out a few days ago against what he sees as a “destructive myth” that has developed in modern society that religion and science are competing ideologies:

“Knowledge is dangerous, but so is ignorance. That’s why science and religion need to talk to each other,” he said.
“Religion needs science to keep it away from superstition and keep it close to reality… And science needs religion in order to have a conscience, to know that, just because something is possible, it may not be a good thing to do.”

Now to Baha’is this might sound a little familiar, as the agreement of science and religion is one of the foundations of the Baha’i Faith. Abdu’l-Baha, the son of Baha’u'llah, said something remarkably similar to Mr. Consolmagno’s statement at a talk in Paris almost 100 years ago:

If religion were contrary to logical reason then it would cease to be a religion and be merely a tradition. Religion and science are the two wings upon which man’s intelligence can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress. It is not possible to fly with one wing alone! Should a man try to fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the despairing slough of materialism.

Paris Talks, Page 143

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