The Mystic Power of Science

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Long ago, Marco Polo asked Kublai Khan if he would be interested in converting to the Catholic faith. The Khan answered, he would consider it, however, he had many wise men in his court who could perform great acts of mystic power. If he were to convert, and not be able to duplicate these acts, he would lose the esteem of the court, and thus, in all probability his basis for power. For this reason he declined to convert.

This same tendancy seems prevalent in Western society. The faith, however is placed into the most reasonable of things. The television brings powerful images into our homes. Cars, and jet planes move us about our daily routines, with the greatest of ease. With a few simple clicks of a button, we toss our food in a box, and when the microwave dings, we eat. All very reasonable things, that leads to the undeniable conclusion of the mystic power of science.

The combination of power, and wonder has always impressed mankind. We want to be in control of things. We want reasonable explanations. Science has brought this about, so it is only natural, that we have learned to rely on its truth.

By no means, would I suggest the abandonment of science, after-all, I have been a Sci-Fi geek since I can remember. However, I would call for a reflection of the human spirit.

Many times I have been told, I'll believe in God, when the almighty walks down to Earth, and reveals themselves to me.

This is very reasonable. After-all, one can see the miracles of science on a daily basis. Only a mad-man would call it mystical. Like-wise only a mad-man would claim to have witnessed God, because science could not prove such a claim.

This, to me, is the danger that modern man faces in this perilous hour of history. We think to reason through everything. The power is in our own hand, and nothing can change that.

Then why do we fight wars?

Is conflict the nature of all things? Was Nietzsche correct in his vision of nihilism? Have all the gods truly died, cut down by our steely knives? Is the will to survive not enough, and the true nature of things the will to power? The struggle to dominate, to overcome, to destroy those things weaker than ourselves?

If this is true, then what hope is there for our tiny insignifigant blue-green planet, hiding in the western spiral arm of the Galaxy?

Will Science find the way to a human Utopia, capable of withstanding the trials of time?