Converging Realities: An International Conference on Science, the Humanities, and Religion
Oct. 22 – Oct. 25, 1987
12th Annual Conference, Princeton University, NJ
Attendance: 400
The Importance of Ideas
Dr. Laszlo said, human beings make their own reality and that reality is a very divergent one. For world order we need diversity with unity. For the very survival of humanity we need to converge towards world order. Such convergence requires a spiritual element to accelerate this process of integration because of wide spectrum of diversity that exists. He described the self-creative process of evolution and species development. The convergent higher level of consciousness always coordinates and integrates diversity of lower levels then it creates a diverse and yet united community.
The Importance of Ideas
Mr. Douglas Martin reviews the roles of religion and science over the past 400 years. Science and its tendency to secularism, and religion and its tendency to dogmatism and obscurantism suggest the question: “How can two such opposing approaches to reality converge?” It is the Bahá’í Community that offers the model for fundamental change. Shoghi Effendi wrote that it was the “society-building power” in the mission of Baha’u’llah” which is “slow and unobtrusive to which the life of the world-wide Bahá’í Community is wholly consecrated…”.
The Redemption of Science
Dr. Anatol Rappoport
Peace Chair Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada, and president of Science for Peace.
The speaker discusses the role of science in the modern age. Science cannot continue without morality to guide it. Relying on the moral neutrality of science is analogous to asking the Cheshire Cat: “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. The “unholy alliance between science and institutionalized war” is explored. Science cannot be morally neutral.
Poverty and Racism in Urban America
Dr. June Thomas
Auxiliary Board member in the U.S. and associate professor in the Urban Planning Program at Michigan State University.
Dr. June Thomas spoke on the subject of a spiritual solution to the economic problem and distribution of wealth. She talked about poverty in the world. Poverty in United States is linked to racial prejudice, lack of education, and alcohol and drug addiction. The United States has an unbelievable number of people who live in poverty especially— African-Americans. American cities are rife with a wide range of social problems. Baha’u’llah called on the kings and rulers of the earth to look to the welfare of their people.
Respondents to Dr. Rappoport, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Livezey
Papers were presented by Dr. Rapoport (''The Redemption of Science'') and Dr. Thomas ("Poverty and Racism in Urban America") Dr. Livezey then presented a paper on "The Role of Human Rights Organizations.'' This recording is the Response to those presentations from Dr. Robert C. Henderson, secretary of the U.S. National Spiritual Assembly, and Dr. Will C. van den Hoonaard, a professor of sociology at the University of New Brunswick, Canada.
Scientific and Spiritual Reality
The Brain, Where Converging Realities Meet
Respondents to Dr. Pribram and Dr. Danesh
Dr. Anatol Rappoport
Peace Chair Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada, and president of Science for Peace.
The Brain, Where Converging Realities Meet
Evolution of Reality
Dr. George Land defines evolution as a process of stages of development, connected by waves of change. In every system, the growing thing seeks a pattern of organization that allows survival in it's environment. Humans are moving from a management paradigm of hierarchical control, into a creative paradigm through a new understanding of reality. He uses the recognition of human rights and gender equality as examples of this. Unconditional love is the requirement for moving into the next stage of development and the effect will be joy.
The Validity of Human Rights - A Baha'i Approach
Multi-author category: "The Validity of Human Rights: A Baha'i Approach,'' prepared by Morten Bergsmo, a student of law at the University of Oslo, Norway, and Kishan Monocha, a medical student at St. Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College in London, England.
In the Beginning was the Word
"The Convergence of the Scientific and the Spiritual": Dr. Woodman presentation is the third such talk in a series of talks given on this theme, and the basis of his talk is on the nature and meaning of "In the Beginning Was the Word" [The People of the Book]. What does it mean to individuals today and more importantly what is its true meaning?
Respondents React to "Realities and Convergence" Theme
A number of respondents, among them Drs. Pribaum, Land, Hatcher and Lazlo, comment on the conference presentations that were under the theme of "Realities and Convergence". The first responents believes all humanity is on a search to impose some order out of the chaos of the world. Further, one of the central activities of existence is "to connect". He quotes a tradition from Islam: "Knowledge is a single point which the ignorant have multiplied". Next is Dr. Karl Pribaum who discusses the three stages of development described by the Swiss psychologist Dr. Jean Piaget.