The Depiction of Religion in Science Fiction Stories
POSTED BY: Zisker
UPDATED: Friday, June 23, 2006 06:26
VIEWED: 5806
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In the bible god is a bit ... slow. He really doesn't know what's going on around him, but he's got ways of finding out.
Adam and Eve eat the fruit, god doesn't know, god first assumes, incorrectly, that someone told them they were naked (doesn't even occur to him they ate the fruit.)
Later Cain kills Abel, the bastard, and god says, "Where did you put your brother?"
Cain replies, "Am I my brother's Keeper?"
God ponders it for a moment, asks around, and then says, "The blood of your brother spoke to me and you're not gonna like what it said."
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God has a habit of being a little out of it, never quite being up on the times. Then someone says a prayer or he asks a question and he catches up and unleashes a plague or some such.
That's just the bible though, not a lot of people like it all that much.
Outside of the bible but still in the biblical tradition similar things happen.
In the book of Enoch, which Jesus himself makes reference to (hows that for celebrity endorsement?) god doesn't seem to realize the angels are having sex with humans and teaching them naughty things (war and sorcery among other stuff) or at the very least chooses to ignore it until some of the good angels notice it and say, "Something must be done."
On the other hand I'm told that some Gnostics believed that there were two gods, the god of the Old Testament who created the world, whom they did not like much, and another god, the all seeing all knowing god of light and knowledge, whom they sought to rejoin.
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Anyway my point is that god not knowing we're here isn't outside of the realm of religious possibility.
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I tend to think that an omnipotent omniscient omni-benevolent god is an impossibility, I don't think a benevolent god would allow itself to be all powerful, when you think about what all powerful really means. The physical possibility of free will aside you can't be free in a place where something can do anything, because anything includes changing what you think and feel, as well as what you remember, and everything else that makes you you.
The bible was very clear about this issue, and in the Old Testament god was all powerful (though as I already said not all seeing), but not very nice. Why did the plagues of Egypt happen? The King James translation of the Old Testament says it was because, "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." God had the power to control what people did and used that power to make it so they would give him an excuse to do impressive and terrible things.
Of course it goes on to say that when the people in the village next door ditch god to go to "strange gods" this is also the will of god. God is testing you, and when god has forced the village next door to start worshiping someone else you are to destroy that village, its people, its treasures, and its livestock. Have fun with that.
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I do however believe in a caring god, an all seeing one no less, just not all powerful. I believe in a god that can create the world but not change a mind.
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Tryin' something complicated and hoping the site doesn't implode again. . .
Quote:Yeah, it's Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, though most of what I posted comes more from the website and background info revealed by TPTB. The worldbuilding for that show was truly incredible. On par with the entire Star Wars EU, or even our own 'verse.
Originally posted by Zisker:
That the TV series? I'd really like to look that up . . .
There was one overtly Wayist character in the show; Rev Bem (short for the Reverend Behemiel Far-Traveller). He was a Magog, like the Annointed One, and it's from him that we know their policy toward conversions. Rev was eventually booted off the show (well, technically the actor was allergic to the makeup, but it's not like they tried too hard to replace him).
Quote:I've said it before:
Originally posted by christhecynic:
In the bible god is a bit ... slow.
God = Jayne.
Quote:I like the quotes. The God we have is plenty strange enough.
"strange gods"
EDIT: and now that the site's back, I can fix the bad bold tag.
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We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.
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Well, congratulations chris, you've managed to caouse me to login and post for the second time in a year. Oh, and while we're on the subject of congratulations, my wife just had a baby today! Yay us!
Anyway, this is a hijack, so I must apologize, but I've heard so many people say similar things as you did, chris, and I really wanted to reply.
Quote:
Originally posted by christhecynic:
In the bible god is a bit ... slow. He really doesn't know what's going on around him, but he's got ways of finding out.
I disagree.
Quote:If my son breaks the lamp, I can totally see myself asking him the question "did you break the lamp?" even if I alreay know the answer. Not to be mean, but to give him the opportunity to be honest and show me his remorse. You may disagree with that parenting style, but it doesn't mean I don't really know the answer to the question
Adam and Eve eat the fruit, god doesn't know, god first assumes, incorrectly, that someone told them they were naked (doesn't even occur to him they ate the fruit.)
Quote:see above
Later Cain kills Abel, the bastard, and god says, "Where did you put your brother?"
Cain replies, "Am I my brother's Keeper?"
God ponders it for a moment, asks around, and then says, "The blood of your brother spoke to me and you're not gonna like what it said."
Quote:the bible is only "very clear" on one issue as far as I can tell, and that is that there is a God and he had a kid named Jesus. The fact that everything else is interpreted differently seems to suggest that it's not "clear."
I tend to think that an omnipotent omniscient omni-benevolent god is an impossibility, I don't think a benevolent god would allow itself to be all powerful, when you think about what all powerful really means. The physical possibility of free will aside you can't be free in a place where something can do anything, because anything includes changing what you think and feel, as well as what you remember, and everything else that makes you you.
The bible was very clear about this issue
Quote:again, no, he just has a parenting style that you probably wouldn't use
, and in the Old Testament god was all powerful (though as I already said not all seeing),
Quote:yeah, that's always seemed odd to me, too. Only thing I can think is that Pharaoh wanted his heart hardened - Pharaoh wanted to not feel any remorse about killing his slaves, so God allowed him to have the mindset that he wanted, which happened to also be a catalyst to inspire the Jews to get out of Egypt.
but not very nice. Why did the plagues of Egypt happen? The King James translation of the Old Testament says it was because, "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." God had the power to control what people did and used that power to make it so they would give him an excuse to do impressive and terrible things.
Quote:Umm... no. God does not force people to do bad things. Jesus talks about how God never tempts us, let alone forces us to sin. He allows us to be tempted. Before you say "that's the same thing" consider this: I don't want my kids to ever get hurt. But I will not lock them in a bubble all their lives. I have to let them live, and in the process get hurt, even though I would not hurt them myself.
Of course it goes on to say that when the people in the village next door ditch god to go to "strange gods" this is also the will of god. God is testing you, and when god has forced the village next door to start worshiping someone else you are to destroy that village, its people, its treasures, and its livestock. Have fun with that.
Quote:Logically, I can't find any necesary flaws in that belief, but I do believe that God has the power to change minds, but that he doesn't. At least, not fully. He'll nudge people in one direction or another, but he'll let them make the choice. And the fact that he CO
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I do however believe in a caring god, an all seeing one no less, just not all powerful. I believe in a god that can create the world but not change a mind.
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