Beyond Scientism and Progressive Secularism

This is a selection from a longer essay:

"'(Scientism´s) 800-lbs. Gorilla Having Tea With Leprechauns (Socrates, Gaia, and God)": Science and Syllogism, Jesus and Sustainability, and Integrative Multidisciplinary Philosophy

As Covid-19 lockdown progressed, references I made to "View of God" psychosomatic studies1 with results correlating to immune vigor drew ample hostility from scientism anti-religionists. Personally when I was in high school, my dad died of pneumonia at 51, weakened after radiation treatment for cancer. He never tried combining available mind-body therapy with treatment. He was an ex-Catholic atheist, but also a well-rounded political scholar who did have books on religious studies and transpersonal psychologists like Jung. Raised secularly, I opened a scholar´s religion book in high school and began appreciating the Chinese Tao, instinctively still, as a transcendent, immanent, and non-objectified experiential "creative continuum."2a An interfaith seeker, I then studied liberal arts biological anthropology in college where my foundations in psychobiology were laid. Working in Social Services after graduating, I noted the social justice concerns of ACT UP AIDS activists and their grassroots health strategies.2b New Atheist ideologues, on the other hand, have committed basic fallacies, publicly ignored basic scholarship, and trivialized the Divine,3a,b even citing leprechauns, as childishly unscientific and supernatural.4 Inflamed in part by fundamentalist anti-science attacks, overconfident anti-religionists in turn misfire by blaming all of religion instead of extremists. A review of scientism´s advocates and progessive own challenges with secular worldviews leads us to the syllogism as a helpful philosophical method. Situating philosophical analysis as primary allows us to link evaluations of science and religion, and use Gandhi as an example of the latter. A historical review of philosophy´s development allows us to survey its development by Christians into modern academics. The multidisciplinary philosophical basis of academics can be highlighted, and more comprehensively than with science or philosophy alone, spiritual-religious practice and experience can be situated for thought, meditation, prayer, inspiration, and action.. ....

People of faith opposing health policies like Covid-19 face-masks based on overconfidence in religious devotion8b can understandably be upsetting. In the mainstream, secularized views rarely acknowledge even the basic established complementary roles of spiritual-religious experience, psychosomatic-, and scientific- medicine,9a,b,,c,d,e despite leading medical initiatives at Harvard and Duke .10a,b,c We might also note that grassroots lifestyles and economic activist approaches are widely underutilized. Yet, sufficient attention given to grassroots spiritual-religious catalysts could transform and inspire people in various areas, especially around concerns left unaddressed by otherwise hopeful efforts such as those of Barack Obama, Interfaith Power and Light, Occupy Wall St., and the National Council of Churches.11a,b,c,d Transforming the biases that hamper broader support for pivotal areas like psychosomatic medicine and extended sustainability activism requires insights more soul-gripping and constructive than the power-bases and theater of politics and limits of protests.....

Spiritual-religious experience is normally relegated to the merely personal and subjective in nature. However, empirical evidence corroborating with interpretations of the transpersonal are apparent in diverse disciplines20a,b,c like historical sociology, appropriate psychosomatic research,21a,b,c,d,e,f,g and accessible spiritual-religious healing testimonies associated with medical care. For example, Marlene Klepees´ prayerful and visionary healing from cerebral palsy while at the Mayo Clinic22 is one among many.23a,b,c,d In social justice activism, Oglala-Lakota Joann Tall had prophetic dreams that motivated her anti-toxics-type protest.24 As Martin Luther King did, Fannie Lou Hamer sustained an empowering religious moral narrative in her activism, and leadership of a farm co-operative project25 based on an established social business model.26 Historically, modern science´s origins with spiritual-religious attitudes sheds interesting light on scientists when they engage in social responsibility like ex-physicist Vandana Shiva´s indigenous farmer organizing27 and ex-Greenpeace chemist Michael Braungart´s work certifying green product lifecycles.28 ....

Endnotes: 1. Gail Ironson, MD et al, “View of God as benevolent and forgiving or punishing and judgmental predicts HIV disease progression,” Journal of Behavioral Medicine 34 (2011), 414, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-011-9314-z . 2a. Huston Smith,. The World's Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, (HarperOne, 1958, rev. ed. 1991). 2b. Aizenmann, Nurith, "How To Demand A Medical Breakthrough: Lessons From The AIDS Fight," NPR.org, Feb 9, 2019, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/02/09/689924838/how-to-demand-a-medical-breakthrough-lessons-from-the-aids-fight 3a. Jha, Alok, “Peter Higgs criticises Richard Dawkins over anti-religious fundamentalism,” The Guardian, 26 December 2012, https://www.theguardian.com/science/2012/dec/26/peter-higgs-richard-dawkins-fundamentalism 3b. Scruton, R at “After New Atheism: Where now for the God debate?” New Humanist Mag. event at Royal Society for Arts, Sept. 21, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7v9QL2HLlE 4 Crawley, W., “On God and Leprechauns," BBC, 17 September 2007, https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2007/09/on_god_and_leprechauns.html .

9a. Herbert Benson, MD, Timeless Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief, (Fireside, 1997). 9b. O. Carl Simonton, MD, The Healing Journey: Restoring Health and Harmony to Body, Mind, and Spirit, (Bantam, 1992) . 9c. "Autoimmune Disease and Histories of Stress," nature-nurture.org, Gail R. Berger L.M.S.W., accessed on Nov. 5, 2020, https://www.nature-nurture.org/index.php/chronic-stress/chronic-stress-human/histories-autoimmune/ 9d. David Creswell, et al., "Mindfulness meditation training effects on CD4+ T lymphocytes in HIV-1 infected adults: A small randomized controlled trial," Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 23 (2009) 184. 9e. RJ Davidson, et al., “Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation.” Psychosomatic Medicine, 65:4 (2003 Jul-Aug), 564. 9f. BB Bittman, et al, "Composite Effects of Group Drumming Music Therapy on Modulation of Neuroendocrine-Immune Parameters in Normal Subjects," Alternative Ther Health Med, 7 (2001), 38-47. 10a. “Talks and Interviews, 1995-2002 Harvard Medical School symposium: Spirituality & Healing in Medicine,” Virginia Harris, C.S.B. Resources,, accessed on Oct. 3, 2020, https://www.virginiaharris.com/resources . 10b. "Spirituality and Healing: Harvard Catalyst symposium, by Ellen Barlow, January 14, 2015,” Harvard Medical School News and Research, accessed Oct. 4, 2020, https://hms.harvard.edu/news/spirituality-healing . 10c. “Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What´s in a Name?” U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, accessed on Nov. 5, 2020, https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/complementary-alternative-or-integrative-health-whats-in-a-name 11a. Ralph Nader, “Barack Obama: What´s He Waiting For?” Aug. 22, 2017, accessed on Nov. 4, 2020, Nader.org, https://nader.org/2017/08/22/barack-obama-whats-he-waiting-for/ 11b. “Interfaith Power and Light: A Religious Response to Global Warming- Annual Report 2018,” https://www.interfaithpowerandlight.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IPL-Annual-Report-18-LRS-4.pdf 11c. Sanders, Sam, “The Surprising Legacy Of Occupy Wall Street In 2020,” NPR, January 23, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/01/23/799004281/the-surprising-legacy-of-occupy-wall-street-in-2020. 11d. National Council of Churches, “Joint Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace,” accessed 11/20/2020, http://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/joint-action-and-advocacy-for-justice-and-peace/

20a. M. Eliade The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion, (Harper Torchbooks, 1961). 20b. B. Greyson, "The psychodynamics of near-death experiences." The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 171 (1983), 376. 20c. Greyson, B. "Consciousness Without Brain Activity: Near Death Experiences," Youtube: Beyond the Mind-Body Problem: New Paradigms in the Science of Consciousness, The United Nations, New York: Nour Foundation, Sept. 11, 2008, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_qBIw7qyHU 21a. Ironson, "View of God." 21b. Christina E. Hughes, "Prayer and Healing: A Case Study, Journal of Holistic Healing, (September 1, 1997), https://doi.org/10.1177/089801019701500310 21c. Helming, Mary Blaszko PhD, FNP, AHN-BC, “Healing Through Prayer: A Qualitative Study,” Holistic Nursing Practice, 25:1 (Jan/Feb 2011), 33, doi: 10.1097/HNP.0b013e3181fe2697 21d. "Miraculous Healings: Since the apparitions, Lourdes has dealt with more than 7000 cases of unexplained cures," Lourdes Shrine Medical Bureau, accessed on Nov. 4, 2020, https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/miraculous-healings/ 21e. Rogers, C., “Ancient Secrets of a Master Healer (Pankaj Naram): Deeper Healing Solutions (Siddha Veda),” TEDxWilmington, Oct. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHul6zDPE2w&t=479s . 21f. R Jahnke, et al., “A comprehensive review of health benefits of qigong and tai chi,” Am J Health Promot , 24:6 (Jul-Aug 2010), e1, doi: 10.4278/ajhp.081013-LIT-248. 21g. Gregoire, Carolyn, Oct. 16., 2015, Scientists Put Shamanic Medicine Under The Microscope: In an unlikely collaboration with Amazonian shamans, medical researchers seek a cure for autoimmune disease,” Huffington Post, https://www.huffpostbrasil.com/entry/shaman-medicine-autoimmune-disease_n_55f8737be4b0d6492d633c23?ri18n=true 22. M. Klepees in R. Settoon, "Woman Healed of Cerebral Palsy Through Vision," CBN, undated (1980-), https://www1.cbn.com/700club/woman-healed-cerebral-palsy-through-vision . 23a. Bill Owen in C. Clements, "The Healing Ritual," It´s a Miracle, Questar Entertainment: CA. 1998-2004, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phoB7YABGMk&t=30s 23b. Jeff Markin in C. Crandall MD, Touching Heaven, (Faith Words, 2015), 97. 23c. Mehl-Medrona, Coyote Healing, 18. 23d. Keener, Craig, "Miracle Reports in the Gospels and Today," July, 2014 Special Divine Action Conference, Ian Ramsey Center for Science and Religion, Oxford U. , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYBnJF2P_WQ 24. "Joann Tall," 1993, Goldman Environmental Prize, accessed Oct. 3, 2020, https://www.goldmanprize.org/recipient/joann-tall/ 25. David L. Chappell, A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion and the Death of Jim Crow,(University of North Carolina Press, 2004), 312. 26. J. Birchall, The International Co-operative Movement, (Manchester University Press, 1997). 27. Shiva, Vandana, "Everything I Need to Know I Learned in a Forest," YesMagazine.org,, May 3 2019, https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/nature/2019/05/03/vandana-shiva-seed-saving-forest-biodiversity/ 28. Sacks, Danielle, "Green Guru Gone Wrong: Green architect William McDonough has been hailed as a water-walking visionary. The truth is far more complicated.," fastcompany.org, 11-01-08, https://www.fastcompany.com/1042475/green-guru-gone-wrong-william-mcdonough