Religion and Science
8. The Atheistic Interpretation of Religion
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‘flash of insight, then that is understandable,
because “this is a perfectly legitimate use of the
word ‘revelation’ in ordinary speech.” We say of a
particular discovery that it was an ‘absolute
revelation’. Any piece of profound insight can
likewise be referred to as a ‘revelation.’ (p.196).
Similarly, he says that the concept of life after death
is not understandable when it is taken literally, but
that we can understand it if it is understood as the
language of parable. It is because we know full well
that the body disintegrates after death and the soul
ends with the body that the concept of life after
death is literally unintelligible.
Alexis Carrel calls revelation mysticism. To him:
The search for God is, indeed, an entirely
personal undertaking. By the exercise of the
normal activities of his consciousness, man
may endeavour to reach an invisible reality
both immanent in and transcending the mate-
rial world.
Thus he throws himself into the most
audacious adventure that one can dare. He
maybe looked upon as a hero or a lunatic. But
