Plenaries
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For several thousand years, religion has played an extremely important role in all facets of society and continues to do so today. But, has religion been a force for good or evil? It is undeniable that religion has contributed positively in some ways to society. Many argue that it is the driving force behind ethics, that it instills a sense of hope and purpose in life, and has been the primary motivator behind the actions of many great people. However, religion has also been the cause behind wars, crusades, persecutions and inquisitions that have led to deaths of millions.
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Undeniably, religion has wrought untold destruction on human affairs, but in other ways has nonetheless contributed to an advancement of the human condition. In the past few decades, we have seen the emergence of a new, opposition to religion: science. One ideology relies on faith, and the other on logic and evidence. In the post 9/11 world, we've seen the resurgence of religion, and conversely atheism backed by science. We see scientific and religious extremists alike argue that one is incompatible with the other. Questions on the subject of religion and science are relevant today more than ever. We must ask ourselves these questions: What roles do religion and science play in our lives? To what extent does science refute religion, and in what ways has religion been rendered irrelevant in society? Holistically speaking, is religion a good thing?
