For years I had a copy of this Apollo 8 photo over my desk at home.
Posted on 12/18/2007 3:31:13 PM PST by BGHater
The Adler Planetarium has the first Christmas message from space: the 1968 flight manual from Apollo 8 containing verses of Genesis.
The three crew members took turns, on live television on Christmas Eve, reading the opening passages of the Bible, starting with, "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth. ..."
"It was a natural. It's really the basis of most of the world's religions," Apollo 8 astronaut and Lake Forest restaurateur James Lovell said in an interview last year.
Historian Robert Zimmerman, writing in his book Genesis: The First Manned Flight To Another World, called it "the most profound Christmas prayer ever given by any member of the human race."
Using their "bully pulpit in space," the three astronauts articulated "the American vision of moral individuality, religious tolerance and mutual respect," wrote Zimmerman.
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin "proclaimed he saw no god in space. [Frank] Borman, Lovell and [William] Anders saw Him everywhere."
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!!!!!
That was interesting - and very telling.
I remember that like it was yesterday. Gave me goosebumps.
Almost 40 years, unbelievable.
I was only 7 years old in 1968 but I remember watching this.
My parents let me stay up late. I was anxious to go to bed, very concerned that Santa might pass by my house because I was still up. But my parents told me it was OK because Santa was running a little late as he had taken a break to watch this on TV too. And that made perfect sense to me.
I remember my dad, not typically the touchy feely type, wiping tears from his eyes that night.
BTW, I can close my eyes, and then see and hear that video and audio from lunar orbit. I can also visualize where I was and who I was with. My parents' basement family room, and my father's sister and her family, along with mine, and a couple of friends of my Aunt and Uncle, (and my Dad too, come to that, One of them was my barber, sometimes, Dad had two barber friends. :), the other was the Barber's lady friend of long standing, and we're not talking spring chickens, even in 1968. :) ).
Of it does. Santa is still very interested in aero and astronautics. He does fly all around the world you know.
Check out "Please be advised, there IS a Santa Claus", as well as the Genesis reading and wishing Merrry Christmas.
For years I had a copy of this Apollo 8 photo over my desk at home.
This is how old I am! Indeed I remember both of the broadcasts!
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