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Wed 16 May, 2012 08:04 pm
If we rewrite " an occasion of worship" as "an occasion for worship", have we kept the same meaning?
Context:
No. Not for me. Quite the contrary, for me the expe-
rience of sequencing the human genome, and uncovering this
most remarkable of all texts, was both a stunning scientific
achievement and an occasion of worship.
More context:
"Today," he said, "we are learning the language in which God
created life. We are gaining ever more awe for the complexity,
the beauty, and the wonder of God's most divine and sacred
gift."
Was I, a rigorously trained scientist, taken aback at such a
blatantly religious reference by the leader of the free world at a
moment such as this? Was I tempted to scowl or look at the
floor in embarrassment? No, not at all. In fact I had worked
closely with the president's speechwriter in the frantic days just
prior to this announcement, and had strongly endorsed the
inclusion of this paragraph. When it came time for me to add a
few words of my own, I echoed this sentiment: "It's a happy day
for the world. It is humbling for me, and awe-inspiring, to real-
ize that we have caught the first glimpse of our own instruction
book, previously known only to God."
What was going on here? Why would a president and a sci-
entist, charged with announcing a milestone in biology and
medicine, feel compelled to invoke a connection with God?
Aren't the scientific and spiritual worldviews antithetical, or
shouldn't they at least avoid appearing in the East Room to-
gether? What were the reasons for invoking God in these two
speeches? Was this poetry? Hypocrisy? A cynical attempt to
curry favor from believers, or to disarm those who might criti-
cize this study of the human genome as reducing humankind to
machinery? No. Not for me. Quite the contrary, for me the expe-
rience of sequencing the human genome, and uncovering this
most remarkable of all texts, was both a stunning scientific
achievement and an occasion of worship.
"occasion for" is a common phrase meaning "reason for"
It was an occasion for rejoicing when my son obtained his degree after 10 years.
It was an occasion for mourning when my grandfather died.
I had occasion for doubt because I knew he had told lies before.
An "occasion of" something means "a moment or time when (something) was experienced".
Thus they have different meanings.
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