Parliament of Worlds Religion 1999 Capetown SA

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 41

A CALL TO OUR GUIDING INSTITUTIONS
DECEMBER
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The influence and power of science, medicine, and technology are now so enormous that scientists, physicians, and engineers bear an unprecedented responsibility for the future. Not only their knowledge and technical skills but also their conscientiousness and prudence are critical to what we make of ourselves and our world in the next decades.
THE CALL TO SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
Over the course of history, science and religion have often been seen as contradictory or even as mutually exclusive. Increasing openness, however, has recently produced a new level of dialogue between the two. This development could not be more fortuitous: in the final analysis, the wisdom of religion, the knowledge of science, and the art of medicine are indispensable to each other and to a sustainable future.
We call on the institutions of science and medicine to develop practical ways to engage creatively with other guiding institutions in pursuit of a just, peaceful, and sustainable world.
In this spirit, we invite all individuals, communities, groups, and organizations engaged with the institutions of science and medicine to reassess their roles for the next century.
Each is invited
to enter into dialogue with competent persons from the world's religious and spiritual traditions with regard to the ethical and moral dimensions of research programs and the long-range consequences of scientific, medical, and technological innovation;
to reflect sincerely on the limitations and moral boundaries of science and medicine in continual dialogue and exchange with other guiding institutions,
to develop and disseminate common statements of ethical standards and practices for science, medicine, and technology-across cultures and disciplines,
to resist efforts at control, redirection, or even domination of scientific and medical enterprises by narrowly defined interests, whether economic, political, military, or religious;
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