Rabo is bokononist (21st of February 2011)

portrait of Rabo Karabekian in Pula, pencil

How many of stupid and hard-headed "discussions" on relation of science and religion have I heard, especially in recent times? Too many.

One should be cautious when using words "discussion" and "dialogue". These words do not at all fit to some forms of conversation. I had a misfortune to know a type of extraordinarily selfish people of flat voice who, in their years of being on this planet, learned to falsify a "civilized discussion". Their idea of "civilized discussion" consists of speaking about something in flat intonation, with a calm facial expression and robotic movements. This is the most important characteristic of being civilized. OK. Perhaps I could agree on a certain superiority of that form, but let us not lose from sight the basic condition required to call something a dialog: empathy.

And regardless of emotional and vigorous way that often characterizes my discussions, so that I do not fit in their definition of "civilized", I have an elementary precondition for discussion: I can feel concern and pain of an animal, and especially of other human being. Emotional invalids and selfish manipulators cannot.

I have really seen a lot of such emotional invalids and selfish manipulators when it comes to "discussions" regarding relation of science and religion. And I am really sick of it, because those types of people usually lead each of the "sides" in the "discussions".

I am sorry for the dogmatism of certain people from my profession (science). Exactly that is the reason of decline of all religions - dogmatism, and emotional invalids are trying to make science one of dogmatic disciplines. And please don't ask me what is the relation of emotions to science. Of course there is a relation, because science is not an activity separated from humans. Science is human endeavour and is therefore certainly in some relation to emotions.

I can suppose that something that is good for me may be completely inadequate for someone else. That is completely reasonable assumption and the other guy should have his freedom of thinking differently, as long as it does not hurt anyone else. Of course, when we start talking about raising and educating children, the story changes. I am here speaking about equals, that are, both by their age and intelligence, free to choose their worldview.

It is a bit silly for me to further elaborate my attitude because I've written it down in a very detailed (but short) manner in Problem of the observer, so if you'd like to read more about it ... You will have to learn Croatian, however.

For all those that can at the same time play with different perspectives regarding relation of science and religion, here is material for thought that I definitely recommend:



"Cat's Cradle" is a new addition to this "must comprehend" list, but certainly very important and original addition. That novel was so important for Rabo Karabekian that during one visit to Pula, where I had the opportunity to make his portrait, he told me that he converted to bokononism, the religion that he just got to know from "Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut. And here is what Bokonon, the prophet of bokononism, says about emotionally invalid, "learned" people.

"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way."

Bokonon says how God created the world and man in it (he says of his first book: "Of course it's trash"):

"In the beginning, God created earth, and he looked upon it in His cosmic loneliness. And God said, "Let Us make living creatures out of mud, so the mud can see what We have done." And God created every living creature that now moveth, and one was man. Mud as man alone could speak. God leaned close as mud as man sat up, looked around, and spoke. Man blinked. "What is the purpose of all this?" he asked politely.
"Everything must have a purpose?" asked God.
"Certainly," said man.
"Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this," said God. And He went away.

There is much more that I cite in the Croatian version of this page, but for those of you that want to know more, there is also >> a page dedicated to Bokononism where you can learn a lot more.

"Cat's Cradle" is definitely a must read !

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Last updated on 21st of February 2011.