To begin let’s examine the beliefs and the strong feelings the main characters had in the movie. Robert Langdon is a Harvard University professor of religious iconology and symbology. He believes that there is a science to religion and without science there is no religion. Even though he mentioned he was raised Catholic, but that he will never God he always had respect for what other believe. Professor Langdon even stated “that faith is a gift he has yet to receive”. Throughout, the entire movie Professor Langdon never believed that god brought him to Rome but his knowledge of religion and symbols did. In the end of the movie the head cardinal asked Professor Langdon to be gentle of the words he will use when speaking about the church and to remember that “Religion is flawed, only because man is flawed; The world is in need of both science and religion”.
Camerlengo McKenna found it to be blasphemy to use science to prove the power of creation. Having his beliefs so strong he was willing to go to any links to stop science from intertwining with religion. Camerlengo truly believes the only one who holds the power of creation is God. Camerlengo beliefs were so strong that he was willing to kill the pope and tried to convince others of the church that they were at war
because of the Illuminati. In the end he sacrificed himself by burning alive in the Sistine chapel. Even though he deceived the church, the church still hid the truth from the public.
During the movie it was not clear till the end on what the former Pope belief on science and religion were. It wasn’t until his death was found out to be murder that the former Pope believed in both and by feeling this way he was trying to bridge the gap between science and religion. One way of bridging that gap was finding out about the invention of the god particular. It would prove that you can use scientific proof to prove the extistists of the divine power. Something the Pope wanted the public to hear by urging Leonardo Vetra, a Catholic priest physicist. The former Pope’s and Leonardo Vetra both lost their lives for their beliefs in both science and religion.
I truly enjoyed watching Angels and Demons because the light is showed on the power that science and religion hold. I believe there is room for both in the world today for a few reasons. Two major reasons are some people need actual proof that something exists that they have never seen, whereas others hold on to faith of a God though spoken words and actions. To render one obsolete would throw the balance off in the world. As long as there is one, there will always be the other for the fact people need both if they truly know it or not. Both science and religion hold a healing power of some sorts.
If I had to pick to live in a world without science or religion, I would have to go without religion. Science has helped to make the world a better place threw the knowledge it contains with facts and inventions. For centuries religion has caused people to divide among each other in sometimes violent manners. Along with judgmental, hatred towards your fellow man for not believing in what you believe somehow makes them wrong. Plus living with science you can still love thy neighbor and be open to new ideas and facts. (Word count:712)