Thursday, September 5, 2019
Thomas Aquinas Essay Example for Free
Thomas Aquinas Essay Science and religion by its very natures have always been clashing throughout history. Although heated arguments have usually sprouted from Christianity and its contradictory principles to science, most religions have been in the same boat with Roman Catholicism when it comes to the fundamentals of faith against science. The Egyptians would have raised arguments against astronomers if they had been confronted with the idea that their sun god was merely a ball of fire at the center of the solar system. However, during the medieval times, those who were in economic and political power understood the world merely as a place to perfect their holiness and therefore, any scientific study that contradicted Biblical statements had to be considered wrong.            This point of view was only adjusted when scholars such as Thomas Aquinas were able to reconcile religious obedience with the discoveries of science. Had this turn around in philosophical understanding not happened, the world would not have reached the body of knowledge and progress that man is enjoying today.            According to an article of John Courtney Murray, S.J. entitled, Medieval Synthesis from the Problem of God (1964), Thomas Aquinas bridged the seemingly endless gap between science and Christianity by helping man understand his faith and discoveries in a different light. First of all, Thomas Aquinas believed that the universe was made by God but this did not mean that it is perfect like the omnipotent God. The universe is merely an expression of God’s love for mankind but its strengths and weaknesses do not limit God’s greatness. Thomas Aquinas believed that God sends messages of His love through physically tangible things that are present in the world but these are merely ways for Him to make His presence felt in man’s life. Secondly, Thomas Aquinas also believed that man was created by God with an intelligence that cannot be rivaled by any other creature on the planet and this makes man the steward of everything else that surrounds him. It is this second principle that allows man to discover his world without the guilt of overstepping his Christian beliefs.            Although medieval history has already shown that religion can be sidestepped to understand how the world moves, contradictions between faith and science still abound and causes rifts and differences of opinions. There are those who believe that the theories on the evolution of man should not be taken up in the academic field because it goes against the basic story of Creation in the Bible. However, if one will turn to Thomas Aquinas’ perspectives between science and religion, one would understand that there should be no problem in the learning of these scientific lessons because these are merely theories that men of science have reported based on their interpretations of evidence. These theories are man’s understanding of his world outside the views of faith. God gives man the permission to discover things and use his intelligence to interpret these so that humans can better appreciate the intricacy of the world He has created out of His great love.  Therefore, if Thomas Aquinas would be asked about the theories of evolution, he would probably just shrug and tell those who do not allow it to be taught in classrooms to understand that the bodies of knowledge that science brings should only make us wonder and love God more.            Thomas Aquinas is relatively clear in his position on the permission to study evolution in the classrooms, his stance on a more scandalous issue such as embryonic stem cell research can be a bit vague. His train of thought can be used for and against the issue.            Thomas Aquinas believes that man must protect all forms of life because God granted him the intelligence and therefore stewardship over all creatures. In the debates that have ensued in the past, scientists and Christians already agree that an embryo is a live individual merely waiting to develop into a full human being. Therefore, man must protect embryos from being killed merely for the progress of science.            However, man’s stewardship also means that he has to discover ways to protect and save lives. Embryonic stem cell research can produce many discoveries that could help save the lives of many sick people in the future. Its discoveries can lead to the much greater good of mankind if the embryos used for the research would be sacrificed.  Secondly, many embryos in the fertility clinics are merely flushed into toilets when these are not needed anymore.  Embryonic stem cell research would put these embryos to better use for the propagation of life.            Philosophical principles abound on this world and can be easily twisted by anyone to favor a perspective as can be seen with the view of Thomas Aquinas. In the end, it is still man’s faith or curiosity that would guide him towards the progress he wants to achieve.
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