Throughout the course of this Blog, I have often opined on the battle between science and religion. Science, fueled by theories and experimentation, strives to learn the truth while religion, based on dogma and faith, purports to know the truth.
Spirituality, it seems, represents a middle ground between science and religion, encompassing the unexplained, the imagined and the mysterious. Science is inclined to attribute spirituality to the cerebral and emotional nature of humans; in other words, it is a product of our large, complex brains, influenced by hormones and other chemical mediators. Religion, on the other hand, accepts spirituality as the manifestation of God, thereby lending credence to the tenets of faith.
Agnostics, myself included, lean toward the scientific explanation while retaining an interest in and respect for the unexplained. While spirituality may offer an emotional crutch when facing, hardship, tragedy or mortality, it is free of the rigid standards imposed by either science or religion. Indeed, it is a highly personal aspect of life and one wonder's if we are the only species to sense its presence; perhaps it is the essence of life itself.
