Is Organized Religious Belief At Nation Of War Alongside Scientific Discipline Inward Modern Nigeria?
By doctor Bankole Falade
Eighty 8 pct of Nigerians, from the findings of a World Values Survey, concur alongside the contestation ‘whenever scientific discipline in addition to organized religious belief conflict, organized religious belief is e'er right’. This conflict was evident inwards the actions of religious leaders in addition to followers. During a nationwide polio vaccination campaign, approximately religious leaders claimed that preventing the affliction is against the teachings of Islam spell others called for its boycott arguing it had been contaminated every bit purpose of a conspiracy to reduce the population of Muslims. Both actions led to a boycott of the vaccine alongside grave consequences. Also, the Ebola virus affliction was described every bit an ‘evil spirit’, a view widely held inwards Africa. These interventions signal a conflict betwixt religious in addition to scientific ideas. But is this the norm?The human relationship betwixt scientific discipline in addition to organized religious belief was the focus of a report conducted inwards greater Lagos, Nigeria. The report asked the populace questions almost hateful solar daytime of the month alongside scientific discipline in addition to religion; trust inwards scientists, religious leaders in addition to other social actors; scientific cognition in addition to evaluative attitudes, forcefulness of religious beliefs, etc. We too asked the human being (or woman) inwards the street to narrate his experiences alongside scientific discipline in addition to religion.
Our findings were interesting in addition to surprising. 82% of respondents who concur that ‘Father’s cistron decides sexual practice of child’ too concur that ‘God decides sexual practice of the child’. When asked their ‘First selection for tackling wellness problems’, 55% of respondents selected western medicine, 24% prayers in addition to 6% traditional herbs. On the ‘Second selection for tackling wellness problems’, 34% selected prayers, 29% western medicine in addition to 20% traditional herbs. Only 12% chose western medicine every bit start in addition to minute options. These signal that the respondents seem to both scientific discipline in addition to organized religious belief for explanations almost their the world in addition to wellbeing.
We too establish that religious hateful solar daytime of the month is much larger than scientific hateful solar daytime of the month every bit less than 20% attend scientific discipline activities or sponsor scientific discipline events compared alongside 91% who attend religious activities in addition to the 75% who donate to religious causes.
Findings too surprisingly demo Nigerians possess got same levels of trust inwards scientists in addition to religious leaders. Evaluative attitudes were grouped into ‘progress’, ‘fear’ in addition to a ‘mythical image’. Progress denotes positive experiences such every bit ‘Benefits are greater than harm’ spell fearfulness brings together expressions of worry in addition to occupation concern every bit inwards ‘The to a greater extent than I know almost scientific discipline the to a greater extent than worried I am’. The myth perspective recalls an idealist ikon of scientific discipline every bit inwards ‘Science in addition to applied scientific discipline tin dismiss kind out whatsoever problem’.
At present, the human relationship betwixt scientific discipline in addition to expectations of ‘progress’ varies alongside levels of religiosity. For the non-religious, to a greater extent than cognition makes for greater optimism in addition to for the really rigid believers, cognition makes no difference. For the moderates, however, every bit their cognition increases, they cash inwards one's chips less optimistic. Knowledge is too of import for the moderates inwards the ‘fear’ grouping every bit it decreases at high cognition simply it makes no deviation to the weak or really rigid believers.
The inquiry shows that conflict is non the norm simply coexistence alongside levels of knowledge, religiosity in addition to evaluative attitudes playing rigid roles. The interviewees farther clarified this coexistence in addition to its unlike forms.
Some believe it tin dismiss move empowering, every bit the cyberspace has increased access to religious books, sermons, etc. or parallel, ‘… good if y'all indulge inwards unprotected sexual practice in addition to y'all mean value God volition forestall y'all (from diseases) … the respond is no…’.
It tin dismiss too move hierarchical where scientific discipline comes earlier religion, ‘… I charge per unit of measurement prayer every bit 40% … for me to protect myself from a item affliction similar HIV… I brand utilisation of the protection that scientific discipline has offered…’ or the reverse, where organized religious belief is supreme, ‘… every bit a Christian … if I don’t possess got faith inwards God, if I possess got thousands of Panadol (analgesic) thus it won’t work’.
The human relationship tin dismiss likewise depend on the forcefulness of the individual’s faith inwards scientific discipline or religion, ‘We’ve seen instances whereby approximately people volition tell no, I can’t utilisation drugs … (and) ... y'all see, approximately people, until they learn injection, fifty-fifty if it is ordinary H2O that is inwards the syringe…’.
For ane of the participants, the human relationship creates a paradox, ‘Science gave us a unlike development in addition to at that topographic point is too an development inwards the Bible but, she emphasises, ‘God doesn’t instruct us to move foolish?
Read the amount newspaper 'I possess got faith inwards scientific discipline in addition to God’: Common sense, Cognitive polyphasia in addition to attitudes to scientific discipline inwards Nigeria yesteryear Bankole A. Falade, Martin W. Bauer
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