Amendment 4: Keep studying, learning science or go backward?

As a retired minister, I am often asked deep questions about the meaning of life or how can we reconcile spiritual beliefs with current events. It does not have to be hard to believe in science, spiritual laws and have faith simultaneously. 

Newton's Laws of Physics did not discover how the universe works. For me, they validated the Eternal Laws of Spirit. His concepts of mechanics devised laws of motion and universal gravitation in the 1600s, a time of upheaval.

For hundreds of years, Aristotle had almost exclusive influence over western scientific thought. Newton upended classical thought to apply experimentation and mathematics to change the world view from seeing everything in the world in terms of their meaning to viewing everything in terms of cause and effect. Newton's laws changed the scientific mindset.

Newtonian physics explains the structure of the visible universe with accuracy and easy to verify mathematics. His concepts of mechanics devised laws of motion and universal gravitation during turbulent times. They formed the foundations for later scientific explorations.

Descartes, Galileo, Newton and Boyle would use the scientific method of experimentation and validate their findings with the "new math": algebra and calculus.

Science and math are useful tools in proving or disproving hypotheses. One of Newton's laws of thermodynamics states that: “Matter cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change form.”

The laws of spirit and of science hold true for me and so I can easily reconcile my vote for Amendment 4 with my beliefs. Today's “War on Woke” is dangerous because it reviles science; it bans books that stimulate curiosity and promote tolerance.

We also find ourselves living in a time of upheaval, where religion, science, politics, commerce and the arts are undergoing change. Our deep question is: “Will we use the tools given us to build a better world, or will we reject them and choose to go backward?”

Felicia Bruce, Fort Pierce

Published in TCPalm Letters to the Editor on October 15, 2024: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/opinion/readers/2024/10/15/letters-re-assess-vero-beach-three-corners-cleveland-clinic-woes/75550992007/