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Copy Right 2022

Rabbi Dr Zvi

 IDOLATRY-18/

 Science, the Successful Idol

 

 

 

1.   Consulting Wisdom to make Adam

 

 

 

  

Having consulted with the Six Days to provide for Adam’s body,

ELHM wished to make Adam wise –a Homo Sapience.

 

For that, says the Midrash (and RMBN) ELHM turned to

the very Beginning, where it says:

In the Beginning, ELHM created the Heavens and the Earth.”

The Hebrew word for ‘beginning’ – BeReiShit – can be read as:

“At the Head of the Events, ELHM created…”

 

The first verse can therefore be read as:

With His Head (or with the Wisdom in His Head)

 ELHM created the Heavens and the Earth…”

 

Hence ELHM turned to

“The Wisdom in His Head by which He had created the world”

and said to it: “Let Us Make Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

 

Wisdom consented, so ELHM Consulted it, like a builder consulting his plan,

and made Adam’s mind accordingly.

 

Let’s note that since ELHM created the world as a BUILDER and a JUDGE,

the Wisdom of ELHM at CREATION stands for two sorts of wisdom-

the Wisdom of Science, by which He created the world, and

the Wisdom find the truth and execute a truthful JUDGMENT.

 

Both types of Wisdom have a divine origin.

ELHM consulted them both  and made Adam’s mind accordingly.

 

 Let’s consider the first Wisdom – Science.

That consultation was a tremendous gift to Adam,

 giving him a mind that can decipher all the mysteries of the Universe,  

enabling Adam to survive and thrive in ELHM’s world.

 

Yet, this very consultation, has also rendered Science

a magical status in Adam’s mind. Adam would be forever

enchanted by it, fascinated by it, adore it and even be tempted

to worship it.

 

ELHM therefore says to Adam

My son, my daughter, use your Wisdom and Science for your benefit,

enjoy it, be fascinated by it – but do not surrender your life to it,

do not worship it, thinking it would solve all your problem.

Always remember me, the One Who has Planted that Wisdom of Science

in your mind!

 

The most successful idol

We may call science a successful idol, since it is based on success.

It takes a small success in the lab, and turns it to a tremendous success

in real life.

 

For instance: On Dec 17, 1903 the Wright Brothers managed to fly

their first tiny aircraft for only 12 second, then landing it without crash.

That small success has led to the tremendous fleet of plains we have today.

 

 Another example: In 1895, Dr. Wilhelm C. Rontgen discovered X rays by accident

which has led the tremendous growth of X rays Rontgen machines,

that changed medicine.

 

Another example: in 1880, Thomas Alva Edison introduced the first

electric bulb, a small success in the lab that has changed our world.

 

Another example:  On Oct. 1969, two separated computers talked to each other

the first time ever.  One was in LA, the other in Stanford.  Each computer

was the size of a small house. The first message – LOG IN – was short,

and only two letters were exchanged, yet this small success has led to

today’s internet.

 

Thus, science’s success has been capturing Man’s fascination   and adoration,

so much that in many people’s mind it has replaced G-d.

People believe it can solve all of our troubles in life.

 

 

 

But the threat to religion presented by science has come

not only because of its success, but, rather, because of its

scientific method.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Modern Scientific Method as a Threat to Religion

 

 

 

The Scientific Methodology  that we use today,

came to the world at the 18th century

by the great philosopher of Science, Emanuel Kant.

 

Kant set up the Rule of Pure Reasoning, that says:

every person should have the courage to follow only

his Pure Reason, rejecting any dogma or theory that

might be imposed on him by authorities, priests or kings.

 

Kant went on to set up his second rule of Pure Reason Critique.

saying that we should consider for science only items that can be

validated by our senses,

or measured by our instruments,

or tested by experiments in the lab,

or expressed by mathematical equations,

or produce new product such as technology.

 

All other scientific theories, such as G-d’ intervention theories,

as charming and as appealing as they might be, should be

removed to the supernatural, transcendent realm

that can never be validated.

 

Thus, when an apple falls from a tree on your head,

do not consider the “G-d Hypothesis” as a scientific factor,

saying that G-d has caused it, since G-d can’t be sensed by our senses,

can’t be measured by our instrument, can’t be described by

mathematical formula, and can’t produce any new technology.

.

 

When dealing with a falling apple from a tree, for instance,

consider only factors that can be sensed or measured.

such as gravity F, the apple’s mass M, its acceleration g,

then arrive at Newtons’ Formula: F=Mxg square.

 

Moreover, a scientific formula is valid if it allows us to expand it

as a general rule of nature, Thus, Newton’s formula is valid because

It can be is expanded to describe not only the falling apple,

but the attraction of the Moon by Earth, and the Earth by the Sun.

 

Any valid new Scientific theory should not consider

the God Hypothesis as a factor

 

So, while in the past G-d was seen as an intermediator

between us and Nature, after Kant we’ve learned to

remove G-d from our scientific considerations and use

only Pure Reasoning, scrutinized by  Pure Reason Critique.

 

 

Do not mix science with religion

The removal of G-d from any scientific consideration

has led to the secularization of the western society,

namely to the Enlightment movement that swept Europe.

It seemed that science has driven out G-d from the mind.

 

But the truth is that Kant was right, and a scientific theory

should NOT mix religion with science.

 

One cannot, and should not, for instance, attempt to prove or disprove

the existence of G-d by a scientific theory or findings.

 

The Torah says that science is a mere gift – a precious one –

given to us by our CREATOR, ELHM, when He said at our creation,

“Let Us Make an Adam in Our Form and Our Image.”

 

He consulted the “Wisdom by which He had created the Six Days

and made our mind accordingly.

 

The Torah says to Man:  use science for your benefit, enjoy it,

be fascinated by it, but never make it an idol.  But at the end of the day,

remember me, the One who has planted the Wisdom of science in

your mind.

 

Kant’s morality.

Kant’s scientific method, and the Principle of Pure Reasoning,

has spelled out to MORALITY.  According to Kant,

 we should remove G-d not only from scientific theories,

but also from our MORALITY.

 

Each individual, Kant said, is free to choose and follow his own

Pure Reasoning, deciding for himself what to accept or reject

as a moral conduct.

Moreover, we should accept such a moral conduct – only if we would agree

that the same rule would apply equally to everyone in our society,

so that everyone would be happy with it.

 

Hence, according to Kant, Man does not need G-d anymore

to set up our morality. Instead, we should propose and follow

our own Pure Reasoning that knows well what is good for us.

 

Needless to say, today we know how naïve Kant was by assuming

that Man’s Pure Reason would lead to the  goodness of everyone.

 

For instance:

When the mass murderer Adolf Eichmann, the architect

of Auschwitz and the holocaust, was placed in trial in Jerusalem,

Eichmann defended himself by arguing that his Nazi behavior

was in line with Kant, obeying what seemed to him

the moral law of his society.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. How Marvelous is our Mind!

 

 

 

Kant was fascinated by the way our “reasoning” fits nature,

Our brain, he said, was formed in the womb to comprehend nature.

 

It is as if, Kant said, our brain is a “box” of templets, set us “A Priory,”

meaning “in the uterus,” to develop scientific mathematical formulae

that describe the laws of nature.

Kant was so fascinated by this idea that he even proposed that

our brain “dictates” the reality of nature as we perceive it.

 

But unknowingly to him, Kant only discovered what Moses

had already said, that to make Adam, ELHM consulted

His Wisdom and Science by which He had created the world

, and made Adam’s mind accordingly.

 

No wonder that Man’s mind can come up with theories

that perfectly match what we see in Nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Attacking the Bible in the Name of Science

 

 

 

 

 

Another attack of science against religion stamps from

the scientific findings themselves,

 

Thus,

Historians and archeologists have challenged the validity of

the stories in the Bible about the Exodus, about Sinai revelation,

even the existence of Joshua or King David.  Scholars have argued

that the Five Books of Moses were written by different authors living

in different times.

 

Those claims have been dispelled.  The Biblical Computer Code

has shown clearly that the five Books of Moses have a common,

one author.    The validity of the Exodus has also been proved,

as well as the existence of David.

 

Earlier in our classes we’ve   shown how the story of Genesis does

fit well the history of Earth as shown by the History Channel videos.

It is amazing to see how Moses’ words match perfectly well the

scientific findings of Archeology, Geology, Biology, Astronomy about

Earth’ history, including the entire Evolution!

 

Moreover,

Darwinism that once posed a challenge to the Bible

has proven incapable of describing the Evolution.

 

 

For instance, the sudden explosion of life in the ocean during

the short time of the Cambrian Period, which fits Moses’ Fifth Day.

That ‘explosion’ is beyond what random mutations and natural selection

may predict.

 

Moreover,

Darwinism can’t explain the origin of the DNA in the firs cell.

If a protein molecule would evolve by random mutation and natural selection,

It would take more time than the Cosmos’ existence!

 

 

Science is a successful idol since it has successfully improved

and prolonged our lives; since it has eradicated diseases

and improved our communication.

In the eyes of many, G-d has become ‘obsolete

 

 How then would Noahides relate to science?

One way: Think of Noah’s Ark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.   Noah’s Ark as a Scientific Symbol

 

 

 

 

You see, G-d could have saved Noah and his animals by

forming a bubble around him or by any other miracle.

 

Instead,

G-d ordered Noah to build a scientifically sound floating device,

an Ark whose dimensions assure that it would never capsize.

 

It was built by aa smart formula:

Its length, 300 ama, was six times longer than its width, 50 ama,

and ten times longer than its height, 30 ama.

 

Its pyramidal shape and slanting walls assured that

the rain water would wash off to the sea.

The Ark also had neither front or a back,

since it was not supposed to go anywhere, just stay afloat.

 

When loaded, the Ark’s center of gravity was below the waters’ surface,

so that it might wobble yet stay upright.

 

The Talmud says that many builders copied the Ark’s formula

and built their own arks, that stayed upright over the water

and never capsized.

.

By this, G-d is sending us a message, that we too

should use Science to protect us from Nature and its calamities.

.