Mankind has an insatiable desire to pursue the unknown. A key facet of the human condition is questioning humanity’s place in the universe and what the future holds. Many believe that this is a large factor of what sets mankind apart from the rest of the animal kingdom: the ability to scrutinize the world on a deeper level. There have been many ways of going about this, from observing the planetary ecosystem and analyzing the rest of humanity, to contemplating whether there is a higher power or entity in the universe. It is through these processes that humankind has come up with the theories and beliefs founded in religion. However, with the more recent development of science and technology, society is faced with a whole slew of issues concerning
This television show had an initial one season run in the 1970s, followed by four season reboot in 2004. In the original show, the religious resonance with the Mormon faith is very clear, with an entire Neumann article dedicated to the “Mormonism in Battlestar Galactica.” It is not surprising that the creator, Glen Larson, was in fact a Mormon, which becomes evident when one realizes that “the show incorporated many themes from Mormon theology, such as marriage for ‘time and eternity’ called sealing and a ‘council of twelve’. The show ends up almost becoming “an allegory of Mormon theology” (Neumann, 227-228). They also make obvious usage of the “most sacred number of Mormonism, 13…[is] on prominent display in BSG” (Neumann, 232). In the Mormon theology, there are “the 12 tribes of Israel plus the one that went overseas”, while Earth is supposedly the 13th colony of humanity (Neumann, 232). Furthermore, their storyline is based heavily in the concept of exoduses. Just as the humans banished the Cylons after the war, the Mormons were kicked out of almost every place they went. Even the names of the planets carry significance, the Kobol of Battlestar Galactica is based on the planet Kolob in Mormon theology, which is believed to be closest to God. It’s clear that the original series is based heavily on Christian theology, which makes the discovery that it was originally titled “Adam’s Ark,” and was focused on retelling biblical stories in space not surprising. Some tweaks were made, Adam became Adama, and the rest is history. This change of pace was set the stage for the later Battlestar Galactica, but the impact of the series was limited by its one season run, the sexism and gender roles the series is rife with, and, most importantly, the one religious theme throughout the course of the show. Using a singular religion makes it rather one dimensional, a poorly
Bitton, Davis & Beecher, Maureen U. New Views of Mormon History. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1987.
In Jerry Oltion’s “Judgment Passed” Noah’s ark is mentioned numerous times which assimilates to Oltion’s work as an allegory for the Christian salvation. The character Jody explains to Greger that the astronauts are possibly the next Ark. Jody states “We were all set to start our own colony, after all. We’re the best genetic stock the UN Space Authority could find, and we’ve got more fertilized ova in the freezer. Maybe God decided it would be a ...
Scott, Donald. "Mormonism and the American Mainstream." Teacher Serve. National Humanities Center, Aug. 2004. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. .
For as long as they have existed, humans have had ideas about what the universe holds. Through the millennia they have come to know quite a bit about what is out there, yet the universe is so vast, the greatest human minds have not been able to find everything. However, thanks to a relatively new theory called panpsychism, there may just be an answer. David J Chalmers, an Australian philosopher and cognitive scientist, has written a research paper titled, “Panpsychism and Panportopsychism,” that may allow some more understanding on what really is out there, through his use of ethos, logos, and diction.
Perry, Seth. "An Outsider Looks In At Mormonism." Chronicle Of Higher Education 52.22 (2006): B9. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.
During the postbellum and early 19th century, people started to challenge what religion meant to them. Lincoln questioned how warring factions could both pray to the same God, yet he concluded that God had “his own purpose” for this war. From these notions, such thought as “the Lost Cause”, was spurred. Another important aspect is people started to challenge their theology with the advent of new science and technology. The effect was to create a competitive marketplace in religion that allowed men and women to shop for religious institutions that they thought best meet their needs. The growing prestige of science compelled Americans reformulating theology; two popular theologies include New Theology, Theodore Munger, and Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy (Goff and Harvey 21-25). These religions are known as NRM, encompassing newer religious groups and old alternative groups, which, together, have challenged mainstream religious traditions and the secular society back in the 19th century, and still to this day. The three popular NRMs during the 19th century are Christian Science, Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism), and Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to Daschke and Ashcraft, people are intrigued by NRMs for a number of reasons: new understanding, new self, new family, new society, and new world (Daschke and Ashcraft 1-13). Conversely...
...leased from prison, Mathews continued his quest for religion by seeking Joseph Smith of the Mormon society, under the alias Joshua the Jewish Minister. The two had a heated discussion of resurrection and reincarnation. On the other hand, Matthews claimed to be both God and the reincarnation of the apostle Matthias. However Matthews his meeting with Smith was unsuccessful because both prophets believed the other was of the devil. Matthews’ s religious journey albeit chaotic and aberrant now serves as subconscious guide for how new religious movements and cults in present day America.
“History of Fundamentalist Mormons.” Wheat & Tares. Wheat and Tares, 2011. Web. 19 Dec. 2011. .
Of the people surveyed the people who were secular more so enjoyed reality TV shows in which man had to depend on nature. Since nature, science and the earth go hand a...
There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and wonderful have been, and are being, evolved” (490). Darwin’s discoveries mark a transition in the timeline of Homo sapien’s war of nature. The unspoken, but inferred, higher animals are human beings. Even if we are just one pace in the evolutionary marathon that occurs on our planet, there truly is grandeur in being a part of the process as a human. We will always grapple with our disposition in the cosmos, but understanding the cycle of life has given us the lens to observe that our own nature is always changing. We are gifted with sentience, so it is imperative that we take advantage of this ability when deciding how to interact with and perceive the nature of Earth. To live life to its fullest, we must appreciate the conclusions we can make about life and morality, continue to debate them, and equip our posterity in the best way we can. The fate of humanity rests in our capacity to achieve a synergistic relationship with the nature of
Christian Science is an idealistic and most radical form of transcendental religiosity. The study of Christian Science teaches a feeling of understanding of God's goodness and the differences between good and evil, life and death. The purpose of this paper is to address how the study of Christian Science helps us better understand the impact of globalization in America, as well as the impact of American on globalization. This paper is important because globalization features a dominant worldview. All throughout the world people believe, study and teach different types of religious movements that impact others. People need to better understand how certain religions modify, conflict with, and impact the world. First, it will discuss the life and work of the founder, Mary Baker Eddy. Secondly, it will examine the primary rituals and religious services of the Christian Science movement. Then, it will outline the precursors and history of the religion. In the conclusion, a response will be offered to the question of how Christian Science helps us better understand the impact of globalization on America and of America on globalization.
Dr. Michael Shermer is a Professor, Founder of skeptic magazine, and a distinguished and brilliant American science writer to say the least. In His book The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People he sets out to embark on the daunting task of convincing and informing the reader on sciences’ ability to drives the expansion of humanity and the growth of the moral sphere. Although such a broad and general topic could be hard to explain, Shermer does so in a way that is concise, easy to understand, and refreshing for the reader. This novel is riddled with scientific facts, data, and pictures to back up shermers claims about the history of science, humanity and how the two interact with one another.
Science has played a significant role in the development of society. Other world views, such as Hum...
Lonegran states that being human means having an unlimited number of questions regarding life and the universe; in order to answer these questions many turn to religion. Religion has traditionally been a major force in humanity’s search for meaning. Religi...
At first glance, many facets of science and religion seem to be in direct conflict with each other. Because of this, I have generally kept them confined to separate spheres in my life. I have always thought that science is based on reason and cold, hard facts and is, therefore, objective. New ideas have to be proven many times by different people to be accepted by the wider scientific community, data and observations are taken with extreme precision, and through journal publications and papers, scientists are held accountable for the accuracy and integrity of their work. All of these factors contributed to my view of science as objective and completely truthful. Religion, on the other hand, always seems fairly subjective. Each person has their own personal relationship with God, and even though people often worship as a larger community with common core beliefs, it is fine for one person’s understanding of the Bible and God to be different from another’s. Another reason that Christianity seems so subjective is that it is centered around God, but we cannot rationally prove that He actually exists (nor is obtaining this proof of great interest to most Christians). There are also more concrete clashes, such as Genesis versus the big bang theory, evolution versus creationism, and the finality of death versus the Resurrection that led me to separate science and religion in my life. Upon closer examination, though, many of these apparent differences between science and Christianity disappeared or could at least be reconciled. After studying them more in depth, science and Christianity both seem less rigid and inflexible. It is now clear that intertwined with the data, logic, and laws of scien...