This article serves to discuss the reasons behind the incompatibility of religion and enlightenment
On the Incompatibility of Religion with Enlightenment
“To
gain your own voice, you have to forget about having it heard.” —Allen Ginsberg, WD
In the modern day, post-enlightenment recurrence of religion but there lies an inherent problem in that discourse. Writes Jonathan Sheehan, what kind of questions might one ask about religion and enlightenment, an enlightened religion? That is synonymous to a rational religion. Is there such a thing as a rational religion?
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There might be rational arguments in the doctrine of one religion to refute the belief system of another. It was by this process that the three most well known traditions came one after the other. Taking the example of Islam and the story of Prophet Abraham, one can see rationality and reasoning in every part of his monologue and refutation. He refuses to follow blindly the tradition and religion of his forefathers, there is a loud application of rationale is his denouncement of the stone idols as God, he believes that something that has been made by man himself cannot be the god of man. “And mention in the Book (the Quran) Abraham, indeed he was a man of truth, a Prophet. When he said to his father: “O my father! Why do you worship that which hears not, sees not and cannot avail you in anything? O my father! Verily! There has come to me of knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me. I will guide you to a Straight Path.” (Quran 19:41-43) What is helpless to defend itself cannot possibly be the defender or the God of people. The story continues and in his monologue to the discovery of God there
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Newal Osman’s interview
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the best years of my life. Very nice. After that I went to LUMS for four years as a math major. I was a very hard core science student in my Alevels, very You would think a PhD in history would make a person, black and white, very black and white in my especially a teacher, a very dull personality. But this particular teacher thinking as well. *interviewer positively surprised is full of surprises, in her slightly Punjabi accent she excitedly tells us this time* *interviewee seems entertained by all about herself. Well, most things about herself. reaction* When I went to LUMS, in my first year I took some politics courses and some social science What was your childhood like? courses and there was a complete conversion. I think quite a happy one, a slightly nerdy one. It was a very happy Then I decided that I had had enough of math and one. I think , a comfortable one, a secure one. Nice family, no issues it wasn’t my cup of tea. So I switched at the end of in the family thank God for that! I was a good student, a bit of a my first year to social sciences. And my area of bookworm (but that comes with the package I suppose)! Um.. nice concentration was political science, I did my major friends! Not over social, not extremely social but.. yea. in social sciences and I had two minors, economics and maths. So from there I went to LSE in London, I Hm… How would you define yourself? did my masters in international history focusing on Why would I define myself? *she seems entertained at this point* colonisation, the cold war and general policy making /decision making, those were my three Well… Ideologically? main areas. Wo kia, uske baad I went to Cambridge for my PhD and I did my PhD in south-Asian Acha us tarhan se! Well I would say a pacifist firstly.. *takes a long pause to figure herself out* I think a centrist or just left of centre. Not history, so Punjab politics and all that. an extreme leftist but definitely left of centre *clearly very precise And after your PhD, can you tell us about your views* in terms of political ideology. A feminist yes definitely but I career? think everyone with a little bit of brain is. But not slightly averse to radicalism in any form, not just religious radicalism but feminist Um.. I basically just came back, because the work radicalism or any kind of radicalism. permits didn’t work out. I came back last March, and I lounged around a little bit and then I started How would you describe your personality? teaching here. Umm.. analytical may be, over thinking. *interviewer not surprised at Is this your first experience as a teacher? answer- shakes head* how would I describe myself.. *takes another long pause, can’t find answers* those are the only two or three words This is my first experience as a proper teacher, that come to my mind, over analytic and over thinking. yeah! But before that I was doing consultancy, part-time and I was teaching as a TA or an RA, you Anything other than those? know, supervisor for undergrads. Umm.. introverted and introspective as well. But a bit too introspective , maybe I should be more open. Can you walk us through your educational background? Oh yeah, I did my Olevels from Foundation public school in Karachi and then I went to Lyceum for my Alevels *interviewer gets excited*. Oh! Did you go to lyceum too? Lyceum was great, they were two of
How would you evaluate yourself as a teacher? I think it’s too early to say, I’ve literally only been teaching for six months you guys are in a better position to evaluate me than I am myself. But there is always a self-analysis? No.. I really have nothing to say to that, self-