Imagine the Uproar Today
June 23, 2008 6 Comments
I was just watching the Discovery Channel’s series “When We Left Earth”. I’ve always loved hearing about the early space program and this show is great.
I also just learned that on the Apollo 8 mission (first to orbit the moon and the mission that took the above picture) the crew read an exerpt from the Book of Genesis over the airwaves on Christmas Eve. When they returned one atheist in Texas sued them. I suspect if they did that today there would be thousands filing suit.
And this is ‘progress’ ?
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* Update
Here’s the text of what was read:
William Anders
“We are now approaching lunar sunrise and, for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Jim Lovell
“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Frank Borman
“And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas – and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth.”
* Additional note: The suit against the astronauts was thrown out by SCOTUS citing lack of jurisdiction!
Yes.
I don’t think you’re right about the atheists wanting to sue over that business, and if you are, I’d like to say I’m on your side. The way I imagine the Apollo 8 situation, it’s a balance between the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. The astronauts, being given a forum on the public airwaves (public, right? Otherwise, no question it’s fine), have the right to express themselves as they see fit, and the establishment clause interest is minimal because people who don’t like it can simply turn it off. Plus, it’s a little more of a show of religion: symbolic, not an expense of state resources. And I’m more fine with the symbolism – the neighborhood baby-Jesus creches – than with state funding of “creation science,” for example. Read Noah Feldmann’s “Divided by God” – Feldmann and I see eye to eye on this issue.
Although it was like pulling teeth to get him to sign my book at this symposium, even though he used to freaking teach at my freaking school.
It makes me sad that people react that way when instead those who don’t believe could take it they would have taken a passage from Shakespeare.
On another note, how moving to see that beautiful picture above and hear the words they read!
Check out the update in the post for the text of the actual reading.
NP, It’s hard to imagine a time when you would feel the hand of the Creator more than looking back on that picture.
Eh. It was a different time.
Was it harmful for them to read it? Nah. Not really. But it was a bit… out of place, to do so. Don’t forget that at the time, we were in a winner takes all, staring contest with the USSR.
The ‘GODLESS’ USSR!
Times have changed. I’m no atheist, but if a shuttle crew did that today, I’d be cringing. Religion, in my opinion, is a private thing and using “company” equipment for religious purposes is well within in a “no go” area for me.
At the time of the above reading, it was done (at least in part) to make a point that we had made it and the Soviets had not. It was us (God’s on our side), versus the Godless empire. If anything, I think it cheapens the text to some degree and that is my primary reason for wanting to avoid any repetition the event. If the crew wanted to have a Christmas service, then fine. More power to them. To the best of my knowledge though, none on board were pastors or Priests, so to broadcast this seems a bit… I don’t know… trite.
Turkish Prawn
TP, I don’t know that I see it as any kind of political statement. I think it was Christmas Eve, they were farther from home than any other humans had ever been and they were struck by a feeling of something bigger. I think for me, personally, if I was in that position I wouldn’t be thinking of myself as an American… looking back on that view I would probably feel very interconnected with everyone on Earth.
Granted, today I would cringe too…not so much becauseI was offended but because that politically correct mentality has permeated everything.