In this post I will try and answer the following basic questions:
1. Why is Science alone not enough?
2. Are not the satisfaction of physical needs enough for man?
Why do we even need religion?
When someone hears about a religion, ha asks, "What need is there for
religion! It is now the scientific age. The age of religion has already
passed. If we study science well, develop our culture, and make progress in
every field, that is enough. Why is there any need for religion?" I think
there are some who naturally think this way.
Especially from the end of the 19th century to the earlier part of the 20th
century, there were many, many people who thought like that. In those days,
many people said to themselves, "if only we study science and find out the
new scientific facts and many scientific principles, and if the world
advances that way, it will naturally go on advancing and prospering in every
way." If the potential force of science were completely realized, all the
people in the world would live happily and peacefully. Literally, we would
have a Utopian world.
The Dream of Science Shattered
Well, do you remember! The dream of science has been shattered right after
the
beginning of the 20th century. The dream has been broken into pieces.
Look at the aspects of the 20th century with its highly-developed scientific
civilization. World War I brought us such great calamities and then, a little
later, came the ravages of World War II, and then the continuous 'cold war'
as well as the frequent 'hot wars'.
The world in which we now live in this 20th century, even though proud of
highly-developed science, has actually become unimaginably bloody and cruel.
Now science is at the height of progress and we are living in its atomic age.
But when we think of the results which science has brought us, we, the people
of the world, shudder with the fear that sometime in a future moment the
atomic bomb may fall on our cities.
So, first, science has brought us a sanguinary world. Second, science has
brought to all mankind a world of instability and fear. Think deeply on these
things.
Of course, we need science. We need science just as we need fire. Do you know
how much we need fire? It is used to cook dinner and to make the room warm.
How much we need fire! But the fire must be used in the right way. If not,
that fire may become the cause of great damage and terrible disasters. It is
the same with science. Science must be used in the right way. If not, it may
cause more terrible disasters.
Of course, science can help make airplanes, and atomic and hydrogen bombs.
But it can never make a good man who will make the best use of science.
Where, and who then is going to make a base, depraved, ill-natured man just!
Where should he go to make himself justified? From this situation arise
religious
concerns.
Man cannot make himself justified. He must return to the Creator who first
made him.
The Emptiness of Material Life
Some people often say that bread is the most important thing we need. So they
cry for bread, which leads some political leaders to cry out,"Follow me, and
I will give you bread." In one sense, that is right. Clothes, food, and
shelter are important needs. But we should remember one thing here; and that
is, has anyone really found satisfaction in life by solving economic
problems?
All the communist countries have been treating people like slaves and as
machines with the promise that by doing so they will solve the problem of
daily bread. Let's suppose that they've solved this problem of bread. Do you
think they can be happy without freedom under the dictatorship of Communists?
In my opinion, America is a country that has helped its people solve economic
problems under the freedom of democracy. America has prepared its people to
solve all the problems of everyday life and allowed them to enjoy freedom
under the policy of a democracy. Do you think there is anyone in America who
finds true satisfaction in life just by solving their fleshly problems?
16,000 persons commit suicide every year in America.
If man were composed of a body only, he would be happy just to have good food
and good clothes. But, as you know, a man is not made up of merely a body. In
man there is a strange flame of fire, namely, a soul. Even if he is given all
kinds of good conditions in his physical life, he will always feel empty and
dissatisfied if he doesn't have spiritual peace and satisfaction.
Therefore, the Bible says, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of God." The theory of the Communists that
man can be happy by bread alone regards man as an animal. But man has
something precious in his body that the animal doesn't have: his soul or
spirit which yearns for something better than bread. He searches for
something more valuable. If he doesn't get anything more valuable, he always
feels the emptiness of life until this void is filled.
So scientific advances, and fullfillment of physical needs does not bring a
filling of this emptiness... this is a start of an understanding of Man's
need for God. Nothing satisfies certian spiritual needs of mankind except
there be a God, and that necessitates religion. Finding God is not in this or
that certain scientific fact.. but in the fact that noting else fills these
needs.
I will post more later.
John Havener
(Most of this note was paraphrased from Rev Hen, Kyeong-Chik's speach in
Seoul Korea.)