Today’s religion and sci-fi class focused on the writings of Erich von Daniken
, the movie Knowing
and other interpretations of ancient depictions of encounters with the divine in terms of extraterrestrials, of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”
Two students have already posted over on the course blog about the subject, one asking whether ancient prophets would be judged mentally ill if they lived today, the other focusing on this topic in the wider context of how we deal with the incomprehensible.
, the movie Knowing and other interpretations of ancient depictions of encounters with the divine in terms of extraterrestrials, of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” Two students have already posted over on the course blog about the subject, one asking whether ancient prophets would be judged mentally ill if they lived today, the other focusing on this topic in the wider context of how we deal with the incomprehensible.I can readily imagine ancient Greek polytheists being delighted if the Star Trek episode “Who Mourns for Adonais?
” actually happened. One possible response, after all, would be to rejoice and say “See, science has finally proven that the Greek myths really happened!” But I suspect that most Christians view von Daniken’s suggestion that Ezekiel 1, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and other stories are “scientifically plausible” and involved aliens as detracting from rather than supporting their faith. It is interesting to reflect on why this might be so – especially when the attempt to read modern science into Genesis 1 rather than Ezekiel 1 is embraced far more readily.
” actually happened. One possible response, after all, would be to rejoice and say “See, science has finally proven that the Greek myths really happened!” But I suspect that most Christians view von Daniken’s suggestion that Ezekiel 1, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and other stories are “scientifically plausible” and involved aliens as detracting from rather than supporting their faith. It is interesting to reflect on why this might be so – especially when the attempt to read modern science into Genesis 1 rather than Ezekiel 1 is embraced far more readily.
So let me ask readers of this blog a question an atheist once asked me: If it turned out that “everything in the Bible happened as it says it did,” the only difference being that the being who reveals himself and accomplishes these things is a highly evolved intelligence that arose through natural processes over the course of many universes, how if at all would that affect your faith? Would you worship such a being? Why or why not? Would you consider this to scientifically prove the Bible true, or to undermine it, and once again why?
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