Should Humanity Take Religion on Interstellar Space Voyage? (Bapist preacher says NO!)

Live Science ^ | September 19, 2012 | Clara Moskowitz

[2ndDivisionVet]

Sending people to another star will be a monumental undertaking, and the challenges will be not just technological, but human. One thorny question, experts say, is whether to involve organized religions in the effort to mount an interstellar journey.

Religious leaders argued the issue Sept. 14 in Houston at the 100 Year Starship Symposium, a meeting to discuss the prospect of sending a space mission to another star within 100 years.

The church has the resources, funding and reach to garner support for an interstellar mission, said Jason Batt, group life director at Capital Christian Center in Sacramento, Calif. Batt said there is "spiritual potential" in space travel and that the church should begin preparing an organization for an off-planet ministry.

However, others resisted the notion of involving organized religions in a starship mission. Such a voyage would likely be long, and may involve multiple generations, with perhaps 10,000 people onboard. [Are Aliens Part of God's Plan, Too?]

"The only way humanity can survive is if they leave behind the Earth-based religions," charged Rev. Alvin Carpenter, pastor at First Southern Baptist Church West Sacramento. "If there's any way to make this fail, bring Earth-bound religions."

Religions, he argued, breed aggression and conflict...

[5th MEB]

HELL YES.. Lets cram all the muzzies into a colander and shoot them to the nearest sun.

[cynwoody]

If you wanted to terraform Mars, and it would take a thousand years, who would be the best organization to manage the project? The Soviet Union? Aztecs? Hitler’s thousand year Reich? Or the Vatican?

Some random Americans who want to get rich?

And who don't give a rat's ass for NASA, EPA, or any other manifestation of their government?

[2ndDivisionVet]

I thought the Klingons on the original series were Muslim.

[Rashputin]

For someone who claims to be a Southern Baptist he has a lot less faith in Jesus Christ and the Gospel than any of the Southern Baptists I know. If we were to begin interstellar travel it would be because Christ wanted it to happen and He would therefore expect us to take our faith in Him with us. Not just with us in a way that has each person involved in the exploration mission being their own final authority, either.

I agree with poster Vince Ferrer, only the Catholic Church has proved that it is capable of undertaking and completing multi-generational projects. This country sure hasn't, we can't even commit to keeping the highways in repair across multiple generations if it means spending money on highways rather than subsidizing some new "benefit" people decide they have a "right" to.

[ExGeeEye]

"I'm the Space Pope, and I approve of this message."

[Psycho_Bunny]

Actually, the incomprehensible size of the observable universe - which expands one light second, every second, in every direction - renders Occam’s Razor almost infinitely meaningless.

[huldah1776]

That’s exactly what I told my kid when he was worried about being invaded. :)

[mdmathis6]

Many of the Eugenics wars took place in Asia, took out all the Muzzies!

[Ken H]

The church has the resources, funding and reach to garner support for an interstellar mission,...

Then the church footing the bill gets to decide. It's a no-brainer, folks.

[papertyger]

Actually, the incomprehensible size of the observable universe - which expands one light second, every second, in every direction - renders Occam’s Razor almost infinitely meaningless.

How?

Unless other parts of the Universe are made of materials, the nature of which are completely at odds with the matter we are aware of, the "size" is utterly irrelevant.

[OldNavyVet]

None of them could handle it. Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terraforming_of_Mars

[hosepipe]

[ Actually, the incomprehensible size of the observable universe - which expands one light second, every second, in every direction - renders Occam’s Razor almost infinitely meaningless. ]

To WHOM->?... WHY?... When?.. for what reason?..
Science fiction must appear to be logical to humans...
Reality has no such demands.. needs.. or agenda.. (nothing to prove)..

[Zionist Conspirator]

"The only way humanity can survive is if they leave behind the Earth-based religions," charged Rev. Alvin Carpenter, pastor at First Southern Baptist Church West Sacramento. "If there's any way to make this fail, bring Earth-bound religions."

Religions, he argued, breed aggression and conflict...

At first I was wondering why he was a minister of an evil "Earth-bound religion." Then I realized he was just doing his job of bringing aggression and conflict.

[Zionist Conspirator]

The original Star Trek series sort of addressed this question in an episode in which Kirk and his bridge team were going to be killed by an alien race because they discovered that humans have a violent past and we have murdered each other. In that episode, Kirk launches into a soliloquy about laws and religion that provides morals and alternatives to our violent nature.

This was one of the ‘preachy’ episodes that Star Trek got into with social issues instead of being an ordinary, entertaining TV show.

Nonetheless, the message was powerful and still applies. If we DON’T take religion with us when we venture into the stars, that’s more telling about the kind of people we will have become, than the kind of people we are.

I disagree completely. The episode you cite is secular humanist to the core, regarding religion--all religions, without any concern as to whether or not one of them is "true"--as a purely utilitarian tool for civilizing peoples. If this is all (or even primarily) that religion is for, then religion is completely false.

The morality of "Star Trek" is groundless humanist morality. It regards man as an end in himself and religion as something to be used in the service of a non-Theistic, purely rational morality, which allegedly exists objectively even if there is no G-d (chas vechalilah!). This is totally wrong, as apart from Divine decree no objective morality does or even can exist.

Perhaps you will remember in the episode where they meet the ancient Greek "gxd" Ap*ll* that Kirk tells him "we have no need of gods." Rodenberry (a staunch secular humanist) probably meant the statement to end there, but apparently someone else at NBC had the writers add "we find the One quite sufficient" to placate the "rubes."

Religion has only one use: to be true. If it isn't true, it is useless, however useful it may be in enforcing purely subjective hang-ups that masquerade as some sort of "objective morality."

[omega4412]

St. Leibowitz, pray for us.

[KC_Lion]

Religion has only one use: to be true. If it isn't true, it is useless, however useful it may be in enforcing purely subjective hang-ups that masquerade as some sort of "objective morality."

That mabye true Z.C. but....

What does G-d need with a starship!?

Jim you don't ask the almighty for his ID!!

[KC_Lion]

Passing Through Gethsemane

[Psycho_Bunny]

Are you talking materials as in physics or as in the base elements of life? Your point is unclear.

[Psycho_Bunny]

“Science fiction must appear to be logical to humans...
Reality has no such demands.. needs.. or agenda.. (nothing to prove)..”

I don’t know why you used the phrase “science fiction” but with the rest of your statement you’re saying the human constructed concept of logic we know as “Occam’s Razor” is completely irreverent to reality.

You’ve restated my conclusion from a slightly different - and not conflicting - angle.

[DustyMoment]

Sorry, I’m not getting into a philosophical debate on this one. If Roddenberry was such a secular humanist, why did he reference morality and religion in the same solilioquy that Kirk delivered?

Ya wanna get into all this philosophical horse manure? Have at it - but include me out.