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Presentation: 2012 100YSS Symposium
Rev. Dr. Alvin L. Carpenter
Pastor, First Southern Baptist Church West Sacramento CA
Email address removed
Title: The
Non-promise of Earth bound Religions into Space.
The incompatibility of earth bound religions for an
interstellar community. You will never get a religion with out getting their
doctrine in the bargain. You will never get a religion without their claim that
they speak "for" God. All ministers say they are "called of God." This means, I
am called and you are not. Any one who has the title Rev. before their name has
an agenda. What is that agenda? You have to learn to ask over and over until
you get an answer that makes sense. How will the agenda of advancing a religion
be compatible on a starship that has the sole agenda of staying alive and
living at peace with one another.
Ask any
representative of an earth religion, "Why should we carry your religion to the
stars." With the terrible history of religion, and the terrible acts carried
out today under the banner of religion it is a very valid question"why should
you come to the stars? Then ask again and again until you find the true answer:
The goal of religion is to convert and impose. That is the task of all
religions otherwise they would disappear in a generation. In Christianity it is
called the Great Commission: " Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the world. Amen." Matthew 28:19-20.
Today, I
would like to pose for your consideration, in the strongest terms possible,
that our earth religions are not only nonessential for a interstellar community
but are in fact detrimental to the success and well being of a Colonized
Interstellar Vessel. One charismatic fundamentalist of any religion will be
enough to destroy the entire ship.
An important question:
There are
many different religions in the world; of these there are many varieties of
each religion. Within Christianity alone the World Christian Encyclopedia
(Oxford Univ. Press, 2nd edition, 2001) states there are 34,000 different
branches comprising the Christian religion. These divisions within Christianity
did not occur over a cup of tea but were the result of infighting of the worst
sort. One thing we know for certain and that is Christians themselves cannot
get along with one another. With that in mind how will they get along with
others on a starship?
All of
these religions claim a special relationship to the Divine, and all seek to
expand by some form of coercion. If they did not reproduce themselves in some
form they would cease to exist. Coercion is the most effective. Fortunate for
us, history has recorded the acts of these religions as they made war with one
another and with the King. Historians have preserved for us the long history of
violence, war, anti-science, anti-scientists, anti-education, homophobic,
xenophobic, patriarchal, religions.
Yesterday (9/13/12) in a speech by the Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton ask the question: "Can we have religion without violence?
Because until we do the world will never have peace." I think these same words
will be repeated a thousand years from now here on earth because there is
little indication much has changed and there is no willingness to initiate
change by religious leaders.
Religions acknowledge this history and yet they feel they
are ready to take to the stars. No, they will demand you take them to the
stars. They say they have come a long way but the daily newspaper tells a
different story.
The question is: Why? What is their motive? What can they
bring that will be so valuable that it will compensate for all their potential
to do evil?
Having been
a minister for over 40 years I find their motive a simple one: To convert, to
spread the word, to evangelize, to insure all in the interstellar community
will not burn in hell for all eternity as infidels. The word Islam means to
"submit," and the Christians are commanded to "Go into all the world and make
disciples of all people." "Turn or burn," as they saying goes. Religion must
make new converts or else it will die in a generation. All power and wealth a
religion possesses comes as a result of evangelism and on a starship it will be
no different than it is here on earth. Already I have heard one religionists
bring up the idea of using the tithe on the starship. The tithe is a doctrine
that 10% of all income belongs to God. This lunacy has enriched the church and
impoverished the people. Do we need 10% of the wealth of all the citizens on a
starship going to a religion?
Were this
star ship to leave next year, instead of 100 years, which religion would you
take with you? Scientologists, Roman Catholics, Mormons, Southern Baptists, the
fundamentalists of any religion, Unification church, Falun Gong, who would you
take right now? Most likely none. This decision will be faced some day and if
they (religions) are not willing to be a part of the scientific community and
act for the benefit of all humanity, even if they must act against their own
self-interest, then they are unworthy of being a part of future humanity.
