Chapter 3 (b)
If we consider religion in its essence — that is, as an inner experience, as adoration of God and communion with Him — we must agree that science not only does not contradict religion, but, moreover, science leads to religion. If we do not limit ourselves to the painstaking collection of facts, like the learned specialist Wagner in Goethe's work, but, like Faust, give free rein to the entire human thirst for knowledge, which strives to comprehend the mysteries of existence and to possess these mysteries, then we will inevitably arrive at religion. And it is precisely science that proves its necessity. It poses the very same questions that religion answers. By the law of causality, science leads us to the First Cause of the world, and religion answers who is this creative First Cause not only of the world but also of man. It tells us that we descend from God (and not from apes). Science reveals the eternal Logos of being, which conditions this harmony. Science leads us to the need for some rational meaning in life, some higher purpose for life. Religion answers – it is GOD.
The recognition of the Divine principle within me and throughout the world, so that love, wisdom, and beauty encompass the entire expanse of existence, and God is all in all, constitutes the rational purpose of the world.
Science substantiates not only the natural laws by which the world exists, but also the normative laws by which it must exist in the interests of preserving life. This is ethics — the science of norms of behavior. Medicine also substantiates rules of behavior; it demonstrates the necessity of a pure, moral life, prescribing sexual abstinence for young people outside of marriage, but does not indicate the source of strength for self-discipline. The same is true of alcoholism.
Sociology justifies the law of human solidarity and cooperation. However, "you must" therefore means "you can." And so, there must be a force that would serve as a source of both light and spiritual energy, a source of spiritual satisfaction. This force is God.
Science has only phenomena, but human philosophical inquisitiveness strives to penetrate behind the veil that hides from us the true essence of the world, its nature, its true being, its ontological basis, its truth.
And He comes into the world who says: "I am the truth" (John 14:6) (that is, what is genuine and eternal, what constitutes the true basis of existence, its truth, what truly exists). In short, scientific thinking proves that there must be a God, and religion reveals Him and communicates about Him.
Science logically demonstrates the necessity of God's existence, aesthetics reveals the perfect being through images, and religion unites and brings one into communion with God.
In "The Divine Comedy", Virgil, the personification of human knowledge, accompanies the poet Dante through hell and purgatory. But when the travelers reach the gates of Paradise, Virgil abandons Dante and leads him across the threshold into the radiant light of the Divine through Beatrice (the personification of religion). Only inner religious experience can help you cross the threshold between appearance and essence, necessity and freedom. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through Me," says Christ (John 14:6). This religious experience reveals to many the real, immediate existence of the One whose presence was suggested by thought, revelations of beauty, and the awareness of one's own imperfection. And then we see that religion does not contradict science, but religion drives science. We are not talking about the “religion” that burned Giordano Bruno at the stake, because it also burned Jan Hus (the pastor), that is, it fought not only against science, but also against religion.
First of all, our position is correct psychologically, from the perspective of the psychology of cognition. We're accustomed to thinking that knowledge is stronger than faith, which is the foundation of religion. But in fact, it's faith that gives power to knowledge. Knowledge without certainty, without recognition, is dead knowledge. You may know that an airplane can lift you, but if you're not sure, you'll never dare board it. Knowing that you can dip your hand, coated in ammonia, into molten lead without harm doesn't give you the courage to do so unless you're confident in that knowledge. Meanwhile, factory workers wash their hands in molten lead.
Moreover, knowledge of a moral order, which obliges us to heroism, risk, and sacrifice, requires complete faith, which only religious faith can possess: for a morality to which we have an irreligious attitude is bad (it goes without saying that a religion that is immoral is not a religion). Only religion gives moral norms a normal, absolute sanction, and only then are they (moral norms) not relative, but absolute commandments of God.
Religion also drives science in the sense that it awakens and encourages the spirit of inquiry. This is true of Christianity. "Prove all things; hold fast to what is good," says the Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:21). "Search the Scriptures" — this is the commandment of Christ (John 5:39). The power of religion lies in its awakening a love for life, for nature, for humanity, illuminating them with the light of eternal, enduring meaning. "The dead bones in the anatomical museum became alive for me," said a medical student after discovering the source of living water in Christ. One desires to know this world, which is not a blind, random combination of elements heading toward destruction, but a wondrous cosmos, revealing the expanded book of knowledge of the Father.
Religion drives science because, through religious experience, we come into contact with eternal Reason, the Voice of the world. "Whoever loves God is known by Him" (1 Cor. 8:3). Isn't that why some of the greatest discoveries and inventions were made by those who were both great scientists and great Christians? Let's recall the monk Gutenberg, who burned with the desire to find a way to widely disseminate the Bible (the first book he printed was the Bible), and let's recall Newton, who was able to reverently observe the processes of nature where others saw only the mundane falling of an apple. The very qualities of persistent research — selfless labor, faith in the end result, humility — are, more than anything else, products of religion. While deduction (that is, the method of deducing particular judgments from general ones), so characteristic of a proud mind inclined to subordinate everything to pre-established premises, led science to the sterile rationalism of the seventeenth century, induction (the derivation of a general judgment from a series of particular facts), the humble acceptance of facts as they are, brought about a flourishing of science, leading to discoveries and inventions. This was the shift from rationalism to empiricism under Bacon, who advanced the inductive method and the principle of humble inquiry into nature (nature is conquered by obedience to it).
Science without religion is "heaven without the sun." But science, clothed in the light of religion, is inspired thought, illuminating the darkness of this world. "I am the light of the world: whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life," says Christ (John 8:12). And now it is clear why religion played such a prominent role in the lives of scientists. Professor Eberhard Dennert reviewed the views of 262 renowned natural scientists, including the great scientists of this category, and found that 2% were non-religious, 6% indifferent, and 92% ardent believers (among them Julius Robert Mayer, Karl Ernst von Baer, Carl Gauss, Leonhard Euler, and others).
A book in English titled "Religious Beliefs of Scientists" was recently published. The author (Arthur Tabrum) sent a written request to 133 prominent British and American scientists, containing two points:
1) Does the Christian religion contradict science in its foundations?
2) Does this person know of any scientists who have recognized such a contradiction?
116 responses favorable to religion were received; the rest either did not respond or were vague. Among the first were names such as Lord Kelvin (William Thomson), Sir Oliver Lodge, and others. Among the Christian believers, those mentioned included Michael Faraday, Georg Ohm, Charles-Augustin de Coulomb, André-Marie Ampère, and Alessandro Volta, whose names have become immortalized in physics as common nouns for well-known physical concepts. And who doesn't know of the religious enthusiasm of the brilliant mathematician Pascal, who wrote the astonishing "Thoughts on Religion"! Let us also recall the religious views of some of the scientists.
Galileo (1564–1642), a physicist and astronomer, wrote: “Holy Scripture can in no case speak evil or be mistaken; its sayings are absolutely and immutably true.”
Boyle (1626–1691), a chemist: “Compared with the Bible, all human books, even the best ones, are only planets, borrowing all their light and radiance from the sun.”
Pasteur (1822–1895), a chemist and physiologist: "The more I know, the more nearly is my faith that of the Breton peasant. Could I but know all I would have the faith of a Breton peasant's wife."
Newton (1643–1727), philosopher and mathematician, expressed his positive beliefs in miracles and prophecies in his commentary on the Book of Daniel and the Apocalypse.
The works of the brilliant physician and humanist Professor Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov are still considered classics in both medicine and pedagogy. References to his writings are still made as compelling arguments. However, Pirogov's attitude toward religion is carefully concealed by modern writers and scholars. Here are some hushed-up quotes from Pirogov's writings:
"I needed an abstract, unattainably lofty ideal of faith. And by taking up the Gospel, which I had never read, and I was already 36 years old, I found this ideal for myself."
"I consider faith to be a human psychic ability that, more than any other, distinguishes us from animals."
"Mysticism is absolutely essential for us: it is one of the natural needs of life."
“The development of the individual personality and all its inherent qualities – this, in my opinion, is our telescope against the ills of the age that is drawing to a close.”
“Believing that the fundamental ideal of Christ’s teaching, in its inaccessibility, will remain eternal and will forever influence souls seeking peace through an inner connection with the Divine, we cannot doubt for a moment that this teaching is destined to be an inextinguishable beacon on the winding path of our progress.”
"The unattainable heights and purity of the ideal of the Christian faith make it truly blessed. This is revealed by the extraordinary calm, peace, and hope that permeates the believer's entire being, as well as short prayers and conversations with oneself and with God."
In his diary, Pirogov asserts that he professes the Christian faith exactly as it is expounded by the Orthodox Church.
The French physician Maurice Fleury, in his book "Pathology of the Soul," says: "But besides natural science, there is also theology, which has its own methods that allow it to affirm certain truths... Both religion and science have their own methods and their own spheres. They can exist side by side perfectly well, and both fulfill their purpose" (Chapters 4 and 5).
The late psychiatrist Ivan Pavlovich Merzheevsky, in his speech "On Conditions Favoring the Development of Mental and Nervous Illnesses in Russia and Measures for Reducing Them," commented on Christianity as follows (p. 12): "A counterweight to the oppressive external circumstances that so often contribute to the emergence of psychoses, in addition to improving material conditions and raising moral standards, should be the development of those noble aspirations that elevate emotional tone and provide support for a person against the many temptations and falls in the struggle for existence. These aspirations consist in the realization of ideal concepts of happiness in the best sense of the word, developed by practical philosophy. These concepts are of three types. One of these concepts is usually expressed in the belief that it is possible in another life, in the afterlife. This is the only hope of all those who suffer and are offended by life; it is the refuge indicated by religion, and especially Christian religion, for all suffering and grief for which there is no cure."
Psychiatrist Pavel Ivanovich Kovalevsky concludes his work "Jesus the Galilean" with the words: "The serious and difficult task of the future is to reconcile the principles of Christian religion and knowledge. Achieving this goal will require the continued, collaborative work of theologians, naturalists, and sociologists. Let us hope that knowledge and faith will find a worthy union and bring comfort and reconciliation to humanity" (p. 185).
Earlier, psychiatrist P.I. Kovalevsky said: "The religious and moral education of Christian children must necessarily begin with the study of the Gospel and New Testament sacred history" (p. 184). (P.I. Kovalevsky managed to carve his way from the poor, almost beggarly conditions of a village school, where he was pulled by the forelock, to the rectorship of a university. Therefore, if he's not a genius, then he's close to it.)
Professor of private pathology and therapy, Alexander Minaevich Shiltov, does not merely speak about religion, but actively advocates for it in his books: "Thoughts on the God-Man," "Ethics and Religion Among Our Intelligentsia," and "Among the Godless" (posthumous notes of the physician-philosopher).
Here are the words of psychiatrist Professor Richard von Krafft-Ebing: "The ability to ignore the minor anxieties inevitable in everyday life, a calm and serious attitude toward the heavy blows of fate, seeking and finding solace in the lofty principles of religion and philosophy — these are partly the fortunate gifts of nature, partly the precious gifts of self-education. Happy is he who finds in religion a sure anchor of salvation against the storms of life."
Dr. Nikolai Piasetsky zealously fights for the Christian religion in his brochures: “External and Internal Experience in the Christian Religion,” “Christian Fasting from a Medical Point of View,” “Conflicts in the Spiritual Life of the Modern Intelligentsia,” “Hygiene and Christianity ,” “Crises and Problems in the Field of Hygiene of the Spirit and Body.”
Among foreign psychiatrists, Dr. Julius Ludwig August Koch devoted considerable attention to religion. In his remarkable book, "The Nervous Life of Man," in the chapter "Causes of Nervous Diseases" (p. 163), we read: "Alienation of the soul from God is the greatest evil. In it, for both individuals and society, the most caustic and poisonous substance matures, which destroys the nerves." Further, in the chapter "Treatment of Nervous Diseases" (p. 204), Dr. Koch writes: "Where does the soul draw the strength to withstand what assails it and threatens the nerves? Where does it get the weapons for its victorious rebuff? When it is wounded, what prevents it from falling, but from defending itself and its nerves? The answer is that nothing is achieved without religion, that is, without a personal relationship with God. It is in religion that our best strength lies."
Below on the same page we read: "But we are talking about the fact that a person who relies on God can endure many disappointments, many heavy feelings that penetrate the soul, and through it, the nerves, and that a religious person is not overcome in soul and body by what threatens a non-believer; at the very least, he will turn away from what draws another, and that religion, in this way, acts preventively in many respects." Further on page 206 we read: "Whether people believe or not, it is indisputable that the influence of religion, not only for individuals but for everyone in general, serves as the best protection against many nervous disorders."
And to those nervous patients who, due to misguided notions, have a wrong attitude toward everything, including religion, and as a result fall into despondency, Koch addresses the following words: “You poor, poor people, who are led astray by the weight of psychopathy! What help could you receive if you knew the cause of your rebellious, self-tormenting, and faint-hearted thoughts? You think that God would accomplish everything for your good if you did not spoil so much yourselves. He would arrange everything if you did not destroy what has been arranged. You think that He can no longer treat you with love or assist you on the path you have chosen for yourselves. You place too much importance on yourselves, and too little on God. Oh! How much more generous the Lord is than your heart. And you yourselves do not know whether the path you have set for yourselves is the true one. You undermine your own strength, which is meant to guide you, forcing it to look back at what has passed and what was bound to pass. You no longer need to choose, if you have allowed others to make the choice for you. God is mighty in His power. He governs even your little world. He alone corrects everything. He leads both you and other people along the path He will indicate, and that is the true path. A weak child is nonetheless His child, and He will direct your weakness toward His purpose. It is not for us to govern the world. We must believe in Him, believe in Him more than in anyone else, more than our father and mother, more than in your little heart, torn but stubborn, a sick heart that He wants to heal. He is the one who gently destroys what we create, so that we may see the heavenly light once again” (p. 34).
The French doctor Laurent Joubert, in his booklet "Medicine of the Soul," says: "Indeed, the reception of the Holy Mysteries is a great healing remedy for the soul and body. It is a great consolation for the suffering and grieving. It uplifts the spirit and fills the heart with joy and hope."
The famous astronomer Johannes Kepler concludes his work on astronomy with a prayer in which he thanks God for revealing to him the greatness of nature.
Our famous physicist Alexander Zinger, at the end of his physics course, quotes the words from the Book of Wisdom of Solomon: “He Himself (that is, God) has granted me true knowledge of what exists, in order to know the structure of the world and the actions of the elements” (Wisdom 7:17).
The author of these lines was able to interview a number of Russian scholars on this issue. Authorities such as the philosopher Alexander Ivanovich Vvedensky, the anatomist Nikolay Lysenkov, the philosopher Nikolay Onufriyevich Lossky, the physiologist Ognev, and many others spoke decisively in favor of the Bible and other fundamental truths of Christianity, such as the God-manhood of Christ and His resurrection.
Religious beliefs also influence scientists from whom one might not expect them. Charles Darwin is one such example: "I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying a Creator." "Life must have been breathed into the first cell by the Creator."
When the renowned naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace visited Darwin, he had to wait for an audience, as his son said, "Now my father is praying." In the 1830s, Darwin visited Tierra del Fuego. He was devastated by the local customs, typified by debauchery, infanticide, and human sacrifice. A few years later, he visited the country again. And what happened? The savages' morality had become unrecognizable. It turned out that this was the fruit of the Christian mission, which, with the power of the gospel, had eradicated these sad facts. From then on, Darwin remained a lifelong member and donor of this mission. Shortly before his death, he read the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews and marveled at the profundity of this, as he called it, majestic book.
One could cite many more similar examples from the lives of scientists, but these are enough to show that only our "half-knowledge" distances us from God. If these geniuses and talents who advanced science were men of faith, then why shouldn't we be the last of them, scientifically speaking, merely their feeble disciples?
Men of science humbly lay their crowns at the foot of God's Throne. Once, in the Moscow University Cathedral, there was such an incident involving the renowned gynecologist Professor Fedor Sinitsyn during Holy Week: having bowed to the ground, the old professor remained frozen in that pose... It turned out that he died at that very moment. Thus, the scientist's soul bowed before God until the very end, offering Him its final breath.
It's also not surprising that Christian student movements have emerged in various countries, whose members strive to integrate science and the Christian religion in their lives. This movement was greatly facilitated by the renowned biologist Henry Drummond, who made a lasting impression on students with his profound lectures precisely because he combined brilliant scholarship with a fervent faith in Christ.
A Christian student is a perfectly natural and normal phenomenon, no matter how strange it may seem to traditionally minded students, who consider religion the domain of backward people and fear that religion is incompatible with free thought. But we see further that an educated person can not only believe in God, but inevitably must. Great scientists, who serve as authorities for us in the field of science, can also, it turns out, be examples for us in the realm of religion. And therefore:
"Do not confine yourself with a narrow boundary, do not extinguish the lights of the spirit, reconcile free thought harmoniously with the soul's religiosity."
Glory to those students who are able to overcome the dominance of traditional prejudices and disregard false shame in the name of truth, or, as the Russian student song goes:
"Glory to those who serve the truth, and sacrifice everything for the truth!"
Every specialist, by focusing exclusively on their specialty, becomes a one-sided individual with a narrow outlook. This one-sided knowledge and lack of general education often lead to a mechanical worldview (Professor of Medicine Aleksandr Shiltov).
What should those who seek truth for its own sake, who seek life, do? The first scientific task is simple: "Search the Scriptures" (John 5:39). Learn the content of the Gospel, examine it thoughtfully, seriously, conscientiously, without prejudice. And you will see a light that will illuminate all problems, all needs, the entire soul, its wounds and illnesses. Through the Gospel, a person sees himself, as he is and as he should be. But the most joyful knowledge the Gospel provides is the news of the Savior, through whom we can be what we should and want to be in our highest aspirations.
And here the second step is inevitable: “Come... that you may have life” (John 5:40).
The chemical formula of water can satisfy the thirst of the mind, but it cannot quench the thirst that requires water itself. We need not proof of God's existence, not the idea of God, but God Himself, the Living, the Loving. And ultimately, only God Himself can prove the existence of God by His very being, by His entry into the human soul.
I recall a conversation with Professor Ognev, the purpose of which was to verify with him, as a natural scientist, some of the specific points of this lecture (in particular, about Darwinism). When the topic of religion came up, he became particularly inspired: "For me, religion is the spiritual life that we have through Jesus Christ... The only thing I regret is that there was a whole period when I didn't know this life." Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke.
How we wish that we could all be filled with this sacred fervor, this yearning for a genuine, spiritually enlivened life! For this is not a question of the intellectual problem of reconciling science with religion, but of life and death... Knowledge alone can make us mere bookmen, theorists, Hamlets who reflect but cannot create. Faith alone, which does not know what it believes in, whose object is not the boundless and radiant image of God revealed in Christ, is blind faith. Such faith may inspire a Don Quixote, but... only in his battle against windmills.
We need living knowledge and clear faith, and only their synthesis and inseparable connection will open the possibility of creative life. For it is the wise, inspired by faith, who create life.
Chapter 4
The recognition of the Divine principle within me and throughout the world, so that love, wisdom, and beauty encompass the entire expanse of existence, and God is all in all, constitutes the rational purpose of the world.
Science substantiates not only the natural laws by which the world exists, but also the normative laws by which it must exist in the interests of preserving life. This is ethics — the science of norms of behavior. Medicine also substantiates rules of behavior; it demonstrates the necessity of a pure, moral life, prescribing sexual abstinence for young people outside of marriage, but does not indicate the source of strength for self-discipline. The same is true of alcoholism.
Sociology justifies the law of human solidarity and cooperation. However, "you must" therefore means "you can." And so, there must be a force that would serve as a source of both light and spiritual energy, a source of spiritual satisfaction. This force is God.
Science has only phenomena, but human philosophical inquisitiveness strives to penetrate behind the veil that hides from us the true essence of the world, its nature, its true being, its ontological basis, its truth.
And He comes into the world who says: "I am the truth" (John 14:6) (that is, what is genuine and eternal, what constitutes the true basis of existence, its truth, what truly exists). In short, scientific thinking proves that there must be a God, and religion reveals Him and communicates about Him.
Science logically demonstrates the necessity of God's existence, aesthetics reveals the perfect being through images, and religion unites and brings one into communion with God.
In "The Divine Comedy", Virgil, the personification of human knowledge, accompanies the poet Dante through hell and purgatory. But when the travelers reach the gates of Paradise, Virgil abandons Dante and leads him across the threshold into the radiant light of the Divine through Beatrice (the personification of religion). Only inner religious experience can help you cross the threshold between appearance and essence, necessity and freedom. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through Me," says Christ (John 14:6). This religious experience reveals to many the real, immediate existence of the One whose presence was suggested by thought, revelations of beauty, and the awareness of one's own imperfection. And then we see that religion does not contradict science, but religion drives science. We are not talking about the “religion” that burned Giordano Bruno at the stake, because it also burned Jan Hus (the pastor), that is, it fought not only against science, but also against religion.
First of all, our position is correct psychologically, from the perspective of the psychology of cognition. We're accustomed to thinking that knowledge is stronger than faith, which is the foundation of religion. But in fact, it's faith that gives power to knowledge. Knowledge without certainty, without recognition, is dead knowledge. You may know that an airplane can lift you, but if you're not sure, you'll never dare board it. Knowing that you can dip your hand, coated in ammonia, into molten lead without harm doesn't give you the courage to do so unless you're confident in that knowledge. Meanwhile, factory workers wash their hands in molten lead.
Moreover, knowledge of a moral order, which obliges us to heroism, risk, and sacrifice, requires complete faith, which only religious faith can possess: for a morality to which we have an irreligious attitude is bad (it goes without saying that a religion that is immoral is not a religion). Only religion gives moral norms a normal, absolute sanction, and only then are they (moral norms) not relative, but absolute commandments of God.
Religion also drives science in the sense that it awakens and encourages the spirit of inquiry. This is true of Christianity. "Prove all things; hold fast to what is good," says the Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:21). "Search the Scriptures" — this is the commandment of Christ (John 5:39). The power of religion lies in its awakening a love for life, for nature, for humanity, illuminating them with the light of eternal, enduring meaning. "The dead bones in the anatomical museum became alive for me," said a medical student after discovering the source of living water in Christ. One desires to know this world, which is not a blind, random combination of elements heading toward destruction, but a wondrous cosmos, revealing the expanded book of knowledge of the Father.
Religion drives science because, through religious experience, we come into contact with eternal Reason, the Voice of the world. "Whoever loves God is known by Him" (1 Cor. 8:3). Isn't that why some of the greatest discoveries and inventions were made by those who were both great scientists and great Christians? Let's recall the monk Gutenberg, who burned with the desire to find a way to widely disseminate the Bible (the first book he printed was the Bible), and let's recall Newton, who was able to reverently observe the processes of nature where others saw only the mundane falling of an apple. The very qualities of persistent research — selfless labor, faith in the end result, humility — are, more than anything else, products of religion. While deduction (that is, the method of deducing particular judgments from general ones), so characteristic of a proud mind inclined to subordinate everything to pre-established premises, led science to the sterile rationalism of the seventeenth century, induction (the derivation of a general judgment from a series of particular facts), the humble acceptance of facts as they are, brought about a flourishing of science, leading to discoveries and inventions. This was the shift from rationalism to empiricism under Bacon, who advanced the inductive method and the principle of humble inquiry into nature (nature is conquered by obedience to it).
Science without religion is "heaven without the sun." But science, clothed in the light of religion, is inspired thought, illuminating the darkness of this world. "I am the light of the world: whoever follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life," says Christ (John 8:12). And now it is clear why religion played such a prominent role in the lives of scientists. Professor Eberhard Dennert reviewed the views of 262 renowned natural scientists, including the great scientists of this category, and found that 2% were non-religious, 6% indifferent, and 92% ardent believers (among them Julius Robert Mayer, Karl Ernst von Baer, Carl Gauss, Leonhard Euler, and others).
A book in English titled "Religious Beliefs of Scientists" was recently published. The author (Arthur Tabrum) sent a written request to 133 prominent British and American scientists, containing two points:
1) Does the Christian religion contradict science in its foundations?
2) Does this person know of any scientists who have recognized such a contradiction?
116 responses favorable to religion were received; the rest either did not respond or were vague. Among the first were names such as Lord Kelvin (William Thomson), Sir Oliver Lodge, and others. Among the Christian believers, those mentioned included Michael Faraday, Georg Ohm, Charles-Augustin de Coulomb, André-Marie Ampère, and Alessandro Volta, whose names have become immortalized in physics as common nouns for well-known physical concepts. And who doesn't know of the religious enthusiasm of the brilliant mathematician Pascal, who wrote the astonishing "Thoughts on Religion"! Let us also recall the religious views of some of the scientists.
Galileo (1564–1642), a physicist and astronomer, wrote: “Holy Scripture can in no case speak evil or be mistaken; its sayings are absolutely and immutably true.”
Boyle (1626–1691), a chemist: “Compared with the Bible, all human books, even the best ones, are only planets, borrowing all their light and radiance from the sun.”
Pasteur (1822–1895), a chemist and physiologist: "The more I know, the more nearly is my faith that of the Breton peasant. Could I but know all I would have the faith of a Breton peasant's wife."
Newton (1643–1727), philosopher and mathematician, expressed his positive beliefs in miracles and prophecies in his commentary on the Book of Daniel and the Apocalypse.
The works of the brilliant physician and humanist Professor Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov are still considered classics in both medicine and pedagogy. References to his writings are still made as compelling arguments. However, Pirogov's attitude toward religion is carefully concealed by modern writers and scholars. Here are some hushed-up quotes from Pirogov's writings:
"I needed an abstract, unattainably lofty ideal of faith. And by taking up the Gospel, which I had never read, and I was already 36 years old, I found this ideal for myself."
"I consider faith to be a human psychic ability that, more than any other, distinguishes us from animals."
"Mysticism is absolutely essential for us: it is one of the natural needs of life."
“The development of the individual personality and all its inherent qualities – this, in my opinion, is our telescope against the ills of the age that is drawing to a close.”
“Believing that the fundamental ideal of Christ’s teaching, in its inaccessibility, will remain eternal and will forever influence souls seeking peace through an inner connection with the Divine, we cannot doubt for a moment that this teaching is destined to be an inextinguishable beacon on the winding path of our progress.”
"The unattainable heights and purity of the ideal of the Christian faith make it truly blessed. This is revealed by the extraordinary calm, peace, and hope that permeates the believer's entire being, as well as short prayers and conversations with oneself and with God."
In his diary, Pirogov asserts that he professes the Christian faith exactly as it is expounded by the Orthodox Church.
The French physician Maurice Fleury, in his book "Pathology of the Soul," says: "But besides natural science, there is also theology, which has its own methods that allow it to affirm certain truths... Both religion and science have their own methods and their own spheres. They can exist side by side perfectly well, and both fulfill their purpose" (Chapters 4 and 5).
The late psychiatrist Ivan Pavlovich Merzheevsky, in his speech "On Conditions Favoring the Development of Mental and Nervous Illnesses in Russia and Measures for Reducing Them," commented on Christianity as follows (p. 12): "A counterweight to the oppressive external circumstances that so often contribute to the emergence of psychoses, in addition to improving material conditions and raising moral standards, should be the development of those noble aspirations that elevate emotional tone and provide support for a person against the many temptations and falls in the struggle for existence. These aspirations consist in the realization of ideal concepts of happiness in the best sense of the word, developed by practical philosophy. These concepts are of three types. One of these concepts is usually expressed in the belief that it is possible in another life, in the afterlife. This is the only hope of all those who suffer and are offended by life; it is the refuge indicated by religion, and especially Christian religion, for all suffering and grief for which there is no cure."
Psychiatrist Pavel Ivanovich Kovalevsky concludes his work "Jesus the Galilean" with the words: "The serious and difficult task of the future is to reconcile the principles of Christian religion and knowledge. Achieving this goal will require the continued, collaborative work of theologians, naturalists, and sociologists. Let us hope that knowledge and faith will find a worthy union and bring comfort and reconciliation to humanity" (p. 185).
Earlier, psychiatrist P.I. Kovalevsky said: "The religious and moral education of Christian children must necessarily begin with the study of the Gospel and New Testament sacred history" (p. 184). (P.I. Kovalevsky managed to carve his way from the poor, almost beggarly conditions of a village school, where he was pulled by the forelock, to the rectorship of a university. Therefore, if he's not a genius, then he's close to it.)
Professor of private pathology and therapy, Alexander Minaevich Shiltov, does not merely speak about religion, but actively advocates for it in his books: "Thoughts on the God-Man," "Ethics and Religion Among Our Intelligentsia," and "Among the Godless" (posthumous notes of the physician-philosopher).
Here are the words of psychiatrist Professor Richard von Krafft-Ebing: "The ability to ignore the minor anxieties inevitable in everyday life, a calm and serious attitude toward the heavy blows of fate, seeking and finding solace in the lofty principles of religion and philosophy — these are partly the fortunate gifts of nature, partly the precious gifts of self-education. Happy is he who finds in religion a sure anchor of salvation against the storms of life."
Dr. Nikolai Piasetsky zealously fights for the Christian religion in his brochures: “External and Internal Experience in the Christian Religion,” “Christian Fasting from a Medical Point of View,” “Conflicts in the Spiritual Life of the Modern Intelligentsia,” “Hygiene and Christianity ,” “Crises and Problems in the Field of Hygiene of the Spirit and Body.”
Among foreign psychiatrists, Dr. Julius Ludwig August Koch devoted considerable attention to religion. In his remarkable book, "The Nervous Life of Man," in the chapter "Causes of Nervous Diseases" (p. 163), we read: "Alienation of the soul from God is the greatest evil. In it, for both individuals and society, the most caustic and poisonous substance matures, which destroys the nerves." Further, in the chapter "Treatment of Nervous Diseases" (p. 204), Dr. Koch writes: "Where does the soul draw the strength to withstand what assails it and threatens the nerves? Where does it get the weapons for its victorious rebuff? When it is wounded, what prevents it from falling, but from defending itself and its nerves? The answer is that nothing is achieved without religion, that is, without a personal relationship with God. It is in religion that our best strength lies."
Below on the same page we read: "But we are talking about the fact that a person who relies on God can endure many disappointments, many heavy feelings that penetrate the soul, and through it, the nerves, and that a religious person is not overcome in soul and body by what threatens a non-believer; at the very least, he will turn away from what draws another, and that religion, in this way, acts preventively in many respects." Further on page 206 we read: "Whether people believe or not, it is indisputable that the influence of religion, not only for individuals but for everyone in general, serves as the best protection against many nervous disorders."
And to those nervous patients who, due to misguided notions, have a wrong attitude toward everything, including religion, and as a result fall into despondency, Koch addresses the following words: “You poor, poor people, who are led astray by the weight of psychopathy! What help could you receive if you knew the cause of your rebellious, self-tormenting, and faint-hearted thoughts? You think that God would accomplish everything for your good if you did not spoil so much yourselves. He would arrange everything if you did not destroy what has been arranged. You think that He can no longer treat you with love or assist you on the path you have chosen for yourselves. You place too much importance on yourselves, and too little on God. Oh! How much more generous the Lord is than your heart. And you yourselves do not know whether the path you have set for yourselves is the true one. You undermine your own strength, which is meant to guide you, forcing it to look back at what has passed and what was bound to pass. You no longer need to choose, if you have allowed others to make the choice for you. God is mighty in His power. He governs even your little world. He alone corrects everything. He leads both you and other people along the path He will indicate, and that is the true path. A weak child is nonetheless His child, and He will direct your weakness toward His purpose. It is not for us to govern the world. We must believe in Him, believe in Him more than in anyone else, more than our father and mother, more than in your little heart, torn but stubborn, a sick heart that He wants to heal. He is the one who gently destroys what we create, so that we may see the heavenly light once again” (p. 34).
The French doctor Laurent Joubert, in his booklet "Medicine of the Soul," says: "Indeed, the reception of the Holy Mysteries is a great healing remedy for the soul and body. It is a great consolation for the suffering and grieving. It uplifts the spirit and fills the heart with joy and hope."
The famous astronomer Johannes Kepler concludes his work on astronomy with a prayer in which he thanks God for revealing to him the greatness of nature.
Our famous physicist Alexander Zinger, at the end of his physics course, quotes the words from the Book of Wisdom of Solomon: “He Himself (that is, God) has granted me true knowledge of what exists, in order to know the structure of the world and the actions of the elements” (Wisdom 7:17).
The author of these lines was able to interview a number of Russian scholars on this issue. Authorities such as the philosopher Alexander Ivanovich Vvedensky, the anatomist Nikolay Lysenkov, the philosopher Nikolay Onufriyevich Lossky, the physiologist Ognev, and many others spoke decisively in favor of the Bible and other fundamental truths of Christianity, such as the God-manhood of Christ and His resurrection.
Religious beliefs also influence scientists from whom one might not expect them. Charles Darwin is one such example: "I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying a Creator." "Life must have been breathed into the first cell by the Creator."
When the renowned naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace visited Darwin, he had to wait for an audience, as his son said, "Now my father is praying." In the 1830s, Darwin visited Tierra del Fuego. He was devastated by the local customs, typified by debauchery, infanticide, and human sacrifice. A few years later, he visited the country again. And what happened? The savages' morality had become unrecognizable. It turned out that this was the fruit of the Christian mission, which, with the power of the gospel, had eradicated these sad facts. From then on, Darwin remained a lifelong member and donor of this mission. Shortly before his death, he read the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Hebrews and marveled at the profundity of this, as he called it, majestic book.
One could cite many more similar examples from the lives of scientists, but these are enough to show that only our "half-knowledge" distances us from God. If these geniuses and talents who advanced science were men of faith, then why shouldn't we be the last of them, scientifically speaking, merely their feeble disciples?
Men of science humbly lay their crowns at the foot of God's Throne. Once, in the Moscow University Cathedral, there was such an incident involving the renowned gynecologist Professor Fedor Sinitsyn during Holy Week: having bowed to the ground, the old professor remained frozen in that pose... It turned out that he died at that very moment. Thus, the scientist's soul bowed before God until the very end, offering Him its final breath.
It's also not surprising that Christian student movements have emerged in various countries, whose members strive to integrate science and the Christian religion in their lives. This movement was greatly facilitated by the renowned biologist Henry Drummond, who made a lasting impression on students with his profound lectures precisely because he combined brilliant scholarship with a fervent faith in Christ.
A Christian student is a perfectly natural and normal phenomenon, no matter how strange it may seem to traditionally minded students, who consider religion the domain of backward people and fear that religion is incompatible with free thought. But we see further that an educated person can not only believe in God, but inevitably must. Great scientists, who serve as authorities for us in the field of science, can also, it turns out, be examples for us in the realm of religion. And therefore:
"Do not confine yourself with a narrow boundary, do not extinguish the lights of the spirit, reconcile free thought harmoniously with the soul's religiosity."
Glory to those students who are able to overcome the dominance of traditional prejudices and disregard false shame in the name of truth, or, as the Russian student song goes:
"Glory to those who serve the truth, and sacrifice everything for the truth!"
Every specialist, by focusing exclusively on their specialty, becomes a one-sided individual with a narrow outlook. This one-sided knowledge and lack of general education often lead to a mechanical worldview (Professor of Medicine Aleksandr Shiltov).
What should those who seek truth for its own sake, who seek life, do? The first scientific task is simple: "Search the Scriptures" (John 5:39). Learn the content of the Gospel, examine it thoughtfully, seriously, conscientiously, without prejudice. And you will see a light that will illuminate all problems, all needs, the entire soul, its wounds and illnesses. Through the Gospel, a person sees himself, as he is and as he should be. But the most joyful knowledge the Gospel provides is the news of the Savior, through whom we can be what we should and want to be in our highest aspirations.
And here the second step is inevitable: “Come... that you may have life” (John 5:40).
The chemical formula of water can satisfy the thirst of the mind, but it cannot quench the thirst that requires water itself. We need not proof of God's existence, not the idea of God, but God Himself, the Living, the Loving. And ultimately, only God Himself can prove the existence of God by His very being, by His entry into the human soul.
I recall a conversation with Professor Ognev, the purpose of which was to verify with him, as a natural scientist, some of the specific points of this lecture (in particular, about Darwinism). When the topic of religion came up, he became particularly inspired: "For me, religion is the spiritual life that we have through Jesus Christ... The only thing I regret is that there was a whole period when I didn't know this life." Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke.
How we wish that we could all be filled with this sacred fervor, this yearning for a genuine, spiritually enlivened life! For this is not a question of the intellectual problem of reconciling science with religion, but of life and death... Knowledge alone can make us mere bookmen, theorists, Hamlets who reflect but cannot create. Faith alone, which does not know what it believes in, whose object is not the boundless and radiant image of God revealed in Christ, is blind faith. Such faith may inspire a Don Quixote, but... only in his battle against windmills.
We need living knowledge and clear faith, and only their synthesis and inseparable connection will open the possibility of creative life. For it is the wise, inspired by faith, who create life.
Chapter 4
