Saying It Like Sagan

CARL SAGAN, who said many things best, said, paraphrased: "Why has there never been a religion which says: "This is better than we ever thought possible! The universe is larger, grander, more elegant, more subtle, more beautiful than any of our prophets or sacred scriptures ever told us? Glory hallelujah!" The answer, as Sagan was pointing out, is that by nature religion does not seek to improve itself, does not seek to incorporate new knowledge into its worldview, and refuses to accept progress, instead preferring to proclaim itself perfect, incapable of advancement. Religions prefer to keep their universes and their gods small. Carl Sagan, like most people well educated in science, had serious misgivings about religion. Sagan had what he called a love affair with science, as do many intellectuals. What he loved about science, as he indicated in his seminal book "The Demon Haunted World" is that it provides new knowledge, it expands humanity's understanding of the world and the universe, it gives us an enhanced appreciation of the glorious natural world, and, most of all, it seeks constantly to improve and correct itself, to learn from its own mistakes. Science inspires those who are amenable to inspiration. Science over the past four hundred years has shown us a universe far larger, more incredible, and more amaagingly sublte and elegant than any religion every has or possibly ever could, within the confines of religion's primitive, mistaken notions about reality. Sagan, like many well educated people, saw religion as confining, stifling, perpetually stuck in its own little world of profound limitations and falsehoods, its views of nature forever locked into a false reality, because of its refusal to grow, change, and improve itself through self correction. Science ceaselessly progresses towards a greater understanding of nature, including human nature. Religions remains forever moribund within nonsensical, primitive cosmic paradigms. According to the bible, for instance, the Earth is flat, and the stars are shiny little trinkets suspended from the solid dome of the sky. Or, they are the light of heaven, shining through pinprick holes in the great iron sky dome, according to which scriptural passage you accept, take your pick. This version of reality is badly out of date, and needs updating, an updating it will never receive, because the Bible is considered by its votaries to be inviolable, sacred, unalterable, perfect, tragically. Religion, every religion of the thousands extant, needs a new book, a new and improved version of reality. Science has a new and improved book every moment of every day. The only true religion is reverence of reality, as revealed by science.