Live Long and Prosper \u2013 The Sacrificial Formula<\/h3>\n
In a reference to my favorite Star Trek movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan<\/a><\/em>, the current movie\u2019s Spock (Zachary Quinto) restates the sacrificial formula: \u201cThe needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.\u201d This formula has generally been used throughout human history to justify sacrificing<\/a> someone else<\/em>. As Ren\u00e9 Girard<\/a> points out, from ancient human groups to modern societies, whenever conflicts arise the natural way to find reconciliation is to unite against a common enemy.<\/p>\n Of course, there\u2019s a lot of this going on throughout the Star Trek franchise. One conversation in Into Darkness<\/em> explicitly points this out when Kirk (Chris Pine) unites with his enemy Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), and explains it to Spock:<\/p>\n Kirk:<\/strong> The enemy of my enemy is my friend.<\/em><\/p>\n Spock:<\/strong> An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects.<\/em><\/p>\n Kirk:<\/strong> Well, it\u2019s still a hell of a quote.<\/em><\/p>\n Indeed, it\u2019s a hell of a quote because we see this reality throughout human history. It\u2019s the darkness of violence referred to in the title of the movie. The human tendency to unite against a common enemy was explained in the first century by a man named Caiaphas. We find Caiaphas\u2019 statement<\/a> in the Gospel of John, as he explains his reason to have Jesus killed: \u201cIt is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.\u201d The sacrificial formula that Caiaphas refers to is based on a desire to live long and prosper<\/em>, but it comes by sacrificing another person. Caiaphas has been maligned throughout much of Christian history, but, tragically, that hasn\u2019t stopped many Christians from imitating his formula and uniting against our own common enemies!<\/p>\n Spock refers to a different form of sacrifice when he says, \u201cThe needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.\u201d He isn\u2019t referring to sacrificing someone else; rather, he\u2019s referring to self-sacrifice. As opposed to Caiaphas\u2019s reasoning, Jesus says<\/a>, \u201cNo one has greater love than this, to lay down one\u2019s life for one\u2019s friends.\u201d This invitation to a life of self-sacrifice is based on a selfless motivation that others might live long and prosper. Spock does this in The Wrath of Khan<\/em>, and Kirk does this in Into Darkness.<\/em><\/p>\n Ancient sacrificial systems washed people in the blood of their sacrificial victim. Uniting against a common enemy and the blood of the victim had a powerful effect of washing away the hostilities within the community. If the sacrifice was successful, the community was pacified, reconciled, and given new life.<\/p>\n After Kirk sacrifices himself for his friends, Bones (Karl Urban) resurrects him with the super-blood of his enemy, Khan. They discuss the transfusion process with Star Trek\u2019s usual humor:<\/p>\n Bones:<\/strong> You were barely dead, it was the transfusion that really took its toll. You were in a coma for two weeks.<\/em><\/p>\n Kirk:<\/strong> Transfusion?<\/em><\/p>\n Bones:<\/strong> Your cells were heavily irradiated. We had no choice.<\/em><\/p>\n Kirk:<\/strong> Khan?<\/em><\/p>\n Bones:<\/strong> We synthesized a serum from his\u2026super-blood. Tell me, are you feeling homicidal, power-mad, despotic?<\/em><\/p>\n Kirk:<\/strong> No more than usual.<\/em><\/p>\n What\u2019s the difference between Kirk and Khan? The same blood flows through their veins \u2013 they are both loose cannons wreaking havoc on others by following their own agenda. A difference emerges between Kirk and Khan as Kirk discovers that he is run by the same \u201chomicidal, power-mad, despotic\u201d tendency. In realizing that, Kirk made the first step in changing his course from darkness to light.<\/p>\n The movie ends with Kirk making a speech to the Starfleet community. He says, \u201cThere will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves.\u201d This movie is about the darkness of terrorism and the dangers of violence. If we stop those who mean to do us harm with violent methods, we don\u2019t just risk awaking the same evil within ourselves; we become<\/em> the same evil. As with Kirk and Khan, the same violent blood will run through our veins. We fall into a trap with our enemies where each side accuses the other of meaning to do harm.<\/p>\n The hope of Into Darkness<\/em> is that we can change our course. Kirk ends his speech by saying, \u201cOur first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that\u2019s not who we are\u2026When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship, he had me recite the Captain\u2019s oath\u2026Words I didn\u2019t appreciate at the time. But now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were and who we must be again.\u201d<\/p>\n The Captain\u2019s oath was the familiar pledge to \u201cexplore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.\u201d<\/p>\n Star Trek: Into Darkness<\/em> warns us about violence. It pleads with us to live long and prosper, not by violently sacrificing our enemies, but by encouraging the United States to change course. When we use violent methods to combat the violence of our enemies, we become just like our enemies, sacrificing one another in the name of peace. The same blood flows through our veins. The War on Terror<\/a>, including our drone<\/a> attacks, has only caused more terror<\/a> in the world. Star Trek is calling us to change course. Who are we? Who do we want to become?<\/p>\n Historian Tracy McKenzie<\/a> reminds us that from very early on, the United States wanted to be a light to the nations, a city on a hill. This, according to McKenzie, was not originally about conquering others in the name of manifest destiny<\/em><\/a>. The phrase was first used by George Winthrop to stress that the future of this country depended on people \u201cpurpos(ing) to \u2018love one another with a pure heart,\u2019 \u2018bear one another\u2019s burdens,\u2019 and be willing to sacrifice their \u2018superfluities\u2019 (material surpluses) \u2018for the supply of other\u2019s necessities.'\u201d Winthrop warned that the eyes of the world were upon the young nation, and that if it failed in its endeavor to \u201clove one another,\u201d \u201cbear one another\u2019s burdens,\u201d and \u201csacrifice our material surplus for the sake of other\u2019s necessities,\u201d that this country would fail and, as McKenzie says, \u201cbecome a laughing stock, objects of scorn and derision.\u201d Across time and space, Winthrop and Into Darkness<\/em> plead for us to remember who we are. The message is clear: If we continue to sacrifice others with drone attacks and military violence, we may lead the world into a darker, more violent place. Captain Kirk\u2019s example invites us to change course. Will we follow?<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Star Trek: Into Darkness is a fascinating and complicated story that is well worth watching. Instead of providing a summary, I want to explore three related aspects of the movie that have to do with mimetic theory: sacrifice, blood, and hope for a more peaceful future. Live Long and Prosper \u2013 The Sacrificial Formula In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[33,56,75,107,132,145,167,172,182,185,186,205,207],"class_list":["post-204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-caiaphus","tag-drone-strikes","tag-george-winthrop","tag-jesus","tag-movie-review","tag-peace","tag-sacrifice","tag-scapegoat","tag-spock","tag-star-trek-ii","tag-star-trek-into-darkness","tag-violence","tag-war-on-terror"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ravenfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/Khan+Kirk-glass-into-darkness-300x201.jpg\")
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<\/a>The Blood of My Enemy<\/h3>\n
Changing Course<\/h3>\n
![William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in \"The Wrath of Khan\" (1982)](\"https:\/\/www.ravenfoundation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan-kirk-spock-dying-william-shatner-leonard-nimoy-300x153.jpg\")
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