Comparing Science and Religion in Frankenstein and Angels and Demons Es

Comparing Science and Religion in Frankenstein and Angels and Demons Science and religion have been at odds since patronize in Galileos day and maybe even before. The battle rages on even today with debates on cloning and stem cell research. These issues can be seen not only todays literary works but also in the works from the years past. Two great examples of the past and defer are Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and Dan Browns Angels and Demons. Both deal with the issue of the roles that science and religion play. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is a horror allegory written in 1831. It tells a tale of passkey Frankensteins obsession with playing God and creating a man and the consequences that come with it. Not only does the book reflect on superordinates life and but also on the monsters life and how it deals with the situations at hand. Angels and Demons is a suspense thriller written in 2000. Robert Langdon has been asked to help solve a murder mystery because it is believed th at a secret society that he has studied called the illuminati are behind it. The story takes a ton of twist and turns that involve a container of antimatter, the Catholic Church and a dead priests secret. Even though both of these books were written in different times and with totally different plots they still both bring to light the battle between science and religion that may never diminish. Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with his to attempt to bring in a human. He works on it constantly alienating friends and loved ones. His obsession is finally rewarded with success he manages to perform a monster. This is where Mary Shelley starts to bring in the lesson of playing God. When Victor looks at his creation, he sees what a horror he has created and how hideous a creature it is. No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch (Shelley 44). Shelley shows that man cannot create things witho ut messing it up. This is would not be the last time that scientist went to far to attempt to create perfection. In 1991 Michael Stewart wrote a story called Prodigy in which a man messes with his girls DNA to make her smarter. However, she becomes a child that has evil genes. (Nelkin 35). This is another way authors show that man is not capable of imitating God. Even though Victors description of... ...ck facts before committing them to complete believe. These two books show very well what can happen when religion and science try to battle with to each one other. There are two types of extremes. Those that want to use advanced technology to expand into the realms of God and those that want to use their religious stance to stop technology from advancing. Frankenstein is blinded by his obsession to create life and the Carmerlengo Carlo Ventresca went to the extreme to punish those that he thought had disobeyed his religion even if it was his own father. Neither ext reme is solely right and yet both sides tend to think that they have all the answers. It is a battle that has been going on for centuries and one that is not soon to be done. Works CitedBrown, Dan. Angels and Demons. Pocket Star Books. impudently York, 2000.Mazur, Allan. Science three, religion zero. Society. May June 1996 V 33 No.4. P 20-28.Nelkin, Dorothy. Genetics, God and sacred DNA. Society. May/June. 1196 V33 no.4 pg 29-43.Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Bantam Classics. New York, 1818. Silver, Lee. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. www.princeton.edu/wws320/films/Frankenstein/Frankenstein%20essay.htm