Timeout from reading: I know those posters! My former roommate Ned had them up. He worked at NASA Goddard at the time. See endnote to Quibble, chapter 18, “Egg.”
That would be an interesting religious conference: What does it mean to have dominion over the Earth in an age of space exploration? II Chronicles documented how Israel's exile time limit was set by how many jubilees they denied the land. What are our rights and limits to space and the other worlds?
Exactly the kinds of questions I want to search for answers to. I’m not familiar with that bit from 2 Chronicles - I’m going to read it and see if I can come up with a theory to share. Thanks!
"All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: "Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled."
You stretched my brain this morning...thanks for that. Your post brought to mind a short story I read years and years ago. Don't remember the title or author but the plot was space explorers trying to catch up with Jesus as He went from civilization to civilization living and dying for them. I recall the explorers always just missed him.
Wow! You made me think with your thought re: the truth in stories. That stories are "true in spirit" - when you peel back the layers revealing the human heart you've uncovered the truth. That's a great thought and I loved the way you applied it to the Abraham story!
"This just about blows the two-dimensional being’s mind because he’s never before conceived that there might be dimensions beyond his own." (aka "If you want to know about water, don't ask the fish.)
In the same way - is it not our physical existence that actually locks us into the space-time continuum? I suspect our only way to the 'great out there' requires that AfterLife is really real. Interesting installment, Cam. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! If you don’t want to miss the next one, why not subscribe? 😎
Glad that you feel I’m being even-handed in both celebrating and analyzing faith—that’s important to me. Loving sci-fi does complicate things being a person of faith because it’s not obvious how to reconcile these worlds (science fiction and faith) but I’m darn well trying.
If I’m understanding your question correctly, you’re asking what I think about the apparent injustice in expending vast resources to advance space travel/colonization, while there are so many people in need here on Earth? It’s not a simple thing to answer. I think you can argue that it’s ‘moral’ to expend resources this way from a few angles, but no arguments are bulletproof.
You might say, for instance, that advancing our capability as specie is to reach the stars is justifiable because it will grant us access to unlimited resources. This will benefit people here on Earth in the long term, which is a good goal to shoot for. Think about all the money and energy being sunk into developing nuclear fusion technology — couldn’t governments be spending that on social welfare programs to benefit the poor? Sure, and I hope they do, but it’s also good to invest and prepare for the future. Nuclear fusion could provide limitless energy for humanity, so it might solve a good new problems we have now!
As for other writers doing this same kind of thing, I haven’t encountered any yet. Do let me know if you find some, but I’m also kind of glad to have occupied my own unique little niche!
Timeout from reading: I know those posters! My former roommate Ned had them up. He worked at NASA Goddard at the time. See endnote to Quibble, chapter 18, “Egg.”
https://singulardream.substack.com/p/quibble-chapter-18
That would be an interesting religious conference: What does it mean to have dominion over the Earth in an age of space exploration? II Chronicles documented how Israel's exile time limit was set by how many jubilees they denied the land. What are our rights and limits to space and the other worlds?
Exactly the kinds of questions I want to search for answers to. I’m not familiar with that bit from 2 Chronicles - I’m going to read it and see if I can come up with a theory to share. Thanks!
2 Chronicles 36:21
"All this was to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah: "Until the land has retrieved its lost sabbaths, during all the time it lies waste it shall have rest while seventy years are fulfilled."
You stretched my brain this morning...thanks for that. Your post brought to mind a short story I read years and years ago. Don't remember the title or author but the plot was space explorers trying to catch up with Jesus as He went from civilization to civilization living and dying for them. I recall the explorers always just missed him.
Thanks for the your thoughts!
st
https://stevendthomas.substack.com
Great piece of writing
Thanks so much, Vince!
Wow! You made me think with your thought re: the truth in stories. That stories are "true in spirit" - when you peel back the layers revealing the human heart you've uncovered the truth. That's a great thought and I loved the way you applied it to the Abraham story!
"This just about blows the two-dimensional being’s mind because he’s never before conceived that there might be dimensions beyond his own." (aka "If you want to know about water, don't ask the fish.)
In the same way - is it not our physical existence that actually locks us into the space-time continuum? I suspect our only way to the 'great out there' requires that AfterLife is really real. Interesting installment, Cam. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! If you don’t want to miss the next one, why not subscribe? 😎
Glad that you feel I’m being even-handed in both celebrating and analyzing faith—that’s important to me. Loving sci-fi does complicate things being a person of faith because it’s not obvious how to reconcile these worlds (science fiction and faith) but I’m darn well trying.
If I’m understanding your question correctly, you’re asking what I think about the apparent injustice in expending vast resources to advance space travel/colonization, while there are so many people in need here on Earth? It’s not a simple thing to answer. I think you can argue that it’s ‘moral’ to expend resources this way from a few angles, but no arguments are bulletproof.
You might say, for instance, that advancing our capability as specie is to reach the stars is justifiable because it will grant us access to unlimited resources. This will benefit people here on Earth in the long term, which is a good goal to shoot for. Think about all the money and energy being sunk into developing nuclear fusion technology — couldn’t governments be spending that on social welfare programs to benefit the poor? Sure, and I hope they do, but it’s also good to invest and prepare for the future. Nuclear fusion could provide limitless energy for humanity, so it might solve a good new problems we have now!
As for other writers doing this same kind of thing, I haven’t encountered any yet. Do let me know if you find some, but I’m also kind of glad to have occupied my own unique little niche!