Caught in a swirl

Wednesday 11th October, 2023

Prof. C. A. Saliya, a professional banker, chartered accountant and university don, writes about something different yet very interesting and timely in his column published on this page, today. He discusses, among other things, the state of religion in the modern world, vicissitudes that religious beliefs have undergone, the disillusionment of people with religion globally, and, above all, our duty to help build a tolerant world. A discussion of this nature is something usually expected of religious leaders, but preoccupied with mundane affairs, they do not seem to have time for such worthy pursuits.

Secularism and its ideological cousin, rationalism, have gained currency, globally, as never before, and it is only natural that the trend of people relinquishing religious faiths is on the rise, as Saliya has pointed out while discussing the changes that have occurred in the thinking of the children of migrants owing to their exposure to the diverse global society, and how these external pressures are influencing and shaping habits, values and practices within their families. It needs to be added that not even the children of non-migrants are free from such pressures and influences in this information-driven world.

The focus of our comment is on the growing disillusionment of modern-day humans with religion. Their disenchantment has come as no surprise, and it is bound to increase with the passage of time, for the rapid advancement of science and technology has upended some widely-held religious beliefs. More importantly, our understanding of the universe keeps changing as science and technology relentlessly push the envelope, open up exciting vistas on many fronts and intensify the epistemological and metaphysical swirl the world finds itself in. Not even Einstein’s theory of general relativity has been free from challenges, as could be seen from a research conducted by a team of scientists of the University of East Anglia.

Well-known Portsmouth University physicist, Dr. Melvin Vopson, is reportedly exploring whether a new law of physics could support the much-debated theory that ‘all of us are mere characters in an advanced virtual world’. His research has received media attention recently the world over. Among those who have evinced a keen interest in this simulated-universe hypothesis are prominent persons such as Elon Musk. Some physicists have claimed that our universe is merely an illusion or a hologram. Top-tier physicists like Leonard Susskind are among those ‘leading the charge into this new land of the holographic principle’. These may be hypotheses, but they bear relevance to religion, and therefore warrant discussion in religious circles. However, never is any reference made thereto in sermons or religious discussions although the illusionary nature of the universe underpins some religious teachings.

The world has seen unprecedented progress in all other branches of science during the past several decades. Dolly, the first clone of an adult mammal, took the world by surprise in 1996, but researchers at the Weizmann Institute, Israel, have recently created complete models of human embryos from stem cells in the lab and grown them outside the womb, according to media reports. It will be interesting to see religious leaders’ take on such developments.

What Artificial Intelligence (AI) is really capable of is beyond human ken. AI has already revolutionised many areas of human activity, especially the world of work and rendered several categories of workers redundant; what impact it will have on religion is anyone’s guess. Sadly, oblivious to these earth-shattering developments which throw up formidable challenges, religious institutions continue to bank mostly on their followers’ atavistic fears, rituals, etc., to achieve their goal of making this world a better place. Needless to say, they have their work cut out.

Whatever their deficiencies may be, religious beliefs are intended to benefit humans, and Saliya has rightly pointed out that as one delves deeper into them, one must remain committed to fostering understanding, tolerance and open dialogue in this conflict-ridden world. This, we believe, should be the bottom line.