User:Naomyaraceli/Spirituality and science

Spirituality and Science

   This article will talk about the relationship between spirituality and science with Heliopolis as a major example.

Spirituality and science has been linked back since history. Which includes the ancient city of Egypt, Heliopolis. It was known as the Temple of the Sun or City of the Sun. As talked about today, spirituality and science is a heavily conflicted topic with religion playing a major role in it. Although in ancient Egypt, Heliopolis was worshipped by the god of Sun.

Heliopolis

Heliopolis Palace

The word "Helio" means sun in greek which is why they were known for the city of the Sun. Priests worshipped the god of Sun. It was said that everyone inside the city was somehow connected to the sun cult or temple (https://www.archaeology.org/issues/331-1903/features/7371-egypt-heliopolis-excavations). The city is talked about a couple times in the Old Testament. Everyday there was an activity and it was the heart and soul of Egyptian religion. The city was abandoned and wiped away for unknown reasons. Today, what is to be on top of the remains is known as Cairo.

How religion plays a role with science

Famous Greek philosopher

As seen with Heliopolis, religion has always played a role with the figure of science in a way. Their community worshipped the god of sun which is why they named their city as the city of the Sun. The priests studied both philosophy and astronomy (https://www.vision.org/heliopolis-city-two-tales-41). A major philosopher that used the symbol of the Sun to denote it to a higher principle was Plato. While we don't have prove that Plato ever took off to Egypt (https://www.vision.org/heliopolis-city-two-tales-41), he expressed similar beliefs about the sun as those from Heliopolis. "He used the image of the sun to represent the idea of the One, the Good, and the beautiful, seen as the source of existence and being" (https://www.vision.org/heliopolis-city-two-tales-41).

The conflicted topic

Today, the topic has friction between the two. In terms of how most scientists don't believe in a god or how those who are religious don't believe in the Big Bang Theory and such. Which can be ironic when looking at how Heliopolis was as a community with worshipping the god of Sun. Many today believe in only one, either science or religion. This can be because science may not prove those certain religious beliefs. As well as those beliefs not correlating with what science says. As said by an astronomer Nahum Arav, he doubts that science will ever be able to fulfill the spiritual and emotional things people crave so all there is left is faith" (https://www.vision.org/interview-nahum-arav-science-and-spirituality-745).

References

1. Curry, Andrew. "Egypt's Eternal City", Archaeology, March/April 2019, "https://www.archaeology.org/issues/331-1903/features/7371-egypt-heliopolis-excavations". 2. Tompsett, Daniel. "Heliopolis: A City of Two Tales", Vision, Winter 2014, "https://www.vision.org/heliopolis-city-two-tales-41". 3. Cloer, Dan. "Interview: An Astronomer Explores Spirituality", Vision, Summer 2007, " https://www.vision.org/interview-nahum-arav-science-and-spirituality-745".