science, science fiction, and spirituality part 2

Science, Science Fiction, and Spirituality

Part 2

“[T]here is today—in a time when old beliefs are withering—a kind of

philosophical hunger, a need to know who we are and how we got here. There is an ongoing search, often unconscious, for a cosmic perspective for humanity.”

Carl Sagan, The Cosmic Connection (1973), p. 59

New Myths in Place of Old Creeds

“We need a new religion.”

Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology (2005), p. 374

New Myths in Place of Old Creeds

“The search for superior beings, the quest for extraterrestrial intelligence, is

itself a kind of religion.”

Stephen Dick, Life on Other Worlds: The 20th Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate (1998), p. 253

New Myths in Place of Old Creeds

“[There is] an emerging canon of transcendent stories that provides

meaning to our lives . . . the mythmaking work of two powerful

engines of cultural influence—speculative science . . . And the works

of science fiction . . .

New Myths in Place of Old Creeds

“. . . [presented to us as] a much-needed alternative to more traditional perspectives

on God, people, and the destiny of the human race, an alternative that will open a spiritual pathway into the increasingly technological

future.”

James Herrick, Scientific Mythologies: How Science andScience Fiction Forge New Religious Beliefs (2008), p. 13

New Myths in Place of Old Creeds

James A. Herrick Scientific Mythologies: How Science and Science Fiction Forge New Religious Beliefs

Intervarsity Press, 2008

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

New gods for a technological age

Belief in “other worlds” as old as 4th century BC Rejected by early church fathers under influence

of Plato and Aristotle (only one “Prime Mover”) ET visitation idea of science fiction first appears

in 17th century French scientist and science fiction writer

Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle (1657-1757): Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds (1686): hostile to Christianity, promoted polygenism

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

French scientist and science fiction writer Bernard de Fontenelle (1657-1757): Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds (1686): hostile to Christianity,

promoted polygenism

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

Case for polygenism made by contemporary, Isaac la Peyrere, Men Before Adam (1655) Fontanelle warned inhabitants of other worlds not men.

Scientists like Edmund Halley (1656-1742): other habitable planets with life “taken for granted”

Thomas Paine proponent of plurality of worlds. Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464) first theologian of

prominence to endorse plurality of worlds. “perhaps the inhabitants of these worlds are nobler than

ourselves”

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

“made sense” because of Darwin French astronomer Camille Flammarion (1842-

1925) applied Darwinism to other worlds with most effort.

Plurality of Inhabited Worlds (1862); reprinted 33 times by 1880 “all planets would attain life in due time”

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

Flammarion was also a mystic, obsessed with life after death and reincarnation.

Believed in “evolutionary reincarnation” where souls migrated not only from body to body, but planet to planet.

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

“Once life has started in a relatively benign environment and billions of

years of evolutionary time are available, the expectation of many of us is that intelligent beings would develop.”

Carl Sagan, The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence (1978)

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

By end 19th century, the myth of the intelligent, spiritual, and benevolent ET was entrenched in Western thought.

By end 20th century, ET visitation and displacement of theism (current or ancient) was also entrenched in Western thought. Official sources (astronomers, military, NASA, etc.) Unofficial sources (science fiction writers and film-

makers) First UFO “wave” in mid-20th century

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

By end 19th century, the myth of the intelligent, spiritual, and benevolent ET was entrenched in Western thought.

By end 20th century, ET visitation and displacement of theism (current or ancient) was also entrenched in Western thought. Official sources (astronomers, military, NASA, etc.) Unofficial sources (science fiction writers and film-

makers) First UFO “wave” in mid-20th century

The Myth of the Extraterrestrial

Michaud

The Myth of ET Salvation

Saving Humanity from Itself

“Interstellar communication . . . May be the agency of our own survival.”

“[These beings are] supercivilization gods . . .”

“. . . motivated by benevolence . . . [and] hundreds or thousands or millions of years beyond us . . . [they] possess sciences and technologies so

far beyond our present capabilities as to be indistinguishable from magic.”

The Myth of ET Salvation

Carl Sagan, The Cosmic Connection, 220-222, 243, 267

“Humankind will remain vulnerable so long as it stays confined here on

earth.”

Martin Rees, Our Final Hour: A Scientist’s Warning:How Terror, Error, and Environmental Disaster

Threaten Humankind’s Future in this Century—On Earth and Beyond (2003), p. 170

The Myth of ET Salvation

These beings are here to save us from a “newly redefined fallenness” (Herrick, 68)

Humanity is not lost in sin, but in the primitive stages of biological, spiritual, and social evolution.

Humanity in its present condition is a threat to itself; it must be saved by a greater intelligence

The Myth of ET Salvation

Space is where humanity will meet its gods—our deliverers

Will achieve Eden—utopia We attain unlimited knowledge Overcome human evil

The Myth of ET Salvation

“Heaven, purged of religion, is transformed into Space.”

James Herrick, Scientific Mythologies (2008), p. 89

The Myth of ET Salvation

Science fiction propaganda blurs the lines between ET and Christian theology (or redefines theism)

God, angels = benevolent ETs It’s about messaging, not cartoonish nonsense Hundreds of thousands of pages and hours of

print science fiction, TV, and film have transmitted the memes since late 19th century.

The Myth of ET Salvation

Christian minister / priest reads from Psalm 91:11 before humans chosen to join the aliens.

Hands the human race over to the “real” truth or a greater truth.

ET possesses powers to heal and fly.

Spiritual connection with Eliot.

Rises from the dead.

Klaatu

The Myth of the New Humanity

“We will be as gods”

“I teach you the superman. Man is something that is to be

surpassed.”

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Myth of Becoming Gods

“The center of the science fiction universe (in place of the absent God) is . . . man as he will ‘become’ in the

future.”

Seraphim Rose, Orthodoxy and the Religionof the Future (1996), p. 73

The Myth of Becoming Gods

Again, humanity is not lost in sin; it needs to evolve.

Humanity is the divine image; its destiny is to become divine.

In an evolutionary worldview, the divine image = panspermia (intelligent or otherwise)

ET evolution undoubtedly propelled by science and technology.

The Myth of Becoming Gods

Our evolution must proceed with same tools We must restore Eden, whether helped by ET

contact or not Trans-humanism

Digital enhancement; uploading consciousness Genetic enhancement Cloning Synthetic biology Nanotechnology

The Myth of Becoming Gods

Re-shape matter in all forms, biological or otherwise, upon demand

Arthur C. Clarke in 3001:

“Now they were Lords of the Galaxy, and could rove at will among the stars.”

The propensity for people to believe our future is in space, and that ET really is out there, explains (in part) why people are willing to believe past human history is also connected to space.

God/gods = ancient ET visitation

The Myth of God

Prometheus

Prometheus Mythology

Titan; trickster figure credited with creating man from clay Divine “gardener” from space Movie: engineers look like smooth

white clay; our DNA comes from theirs

Defies the gods by giving fire to humanity

Prometheus Mythology

This gift enabled civilization and progress

Prometheus known as “champion” of humanity

Sentenced to eternal torment by Zeus

Prometheus Mythology

Bound to a rock, where each day an eagle (symbol of Zeus), came to feed on his liver, which would then grow back to be eaten again the next day.

Prometheus Mythology The giver of (human) life has his abdomen torn open, a dying god

Jesus = spear wound in his side = the creator-redeemer, giving his life for humanity, keeping the devil at bay.

Prometheus Mythology

Movies.com: We had heard it was scripted that the Engineers were targeting our planet for destruction because we had crucified one of their representatives, and that Jesus Christ might have been an alien. Was that ever considered?

Prometheus Mythology Ridley Scott: We definitely did, and then we thought it was a little too on the nose. But if you look at it as an “our children are misbehaving down there” scenario, there are moments where it looks like we’ve gone out of control, running around with armor and skirts, which of course would be the Roman Empire. And they were given a long run. A thousand years before their disintegration actually started to happen. And you can say, "Let's send down one more of our emissaries to see if he can stop it." Guess what? They crucified him.

See this review by Cavalorn

Bottom Line

What we regularly assign to entertainment is actually a viable worldview in the mind of many.

Postmodern Zeitgeist Failure of Christian thinkers to care