Comments on: The Cultural argument of going to the Moon: Religion, Colonialism, and One World http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/ Blogging one sidereal day at a time Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:26:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Doc Kinne http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/comment-page-1/#comment-23555 Doc Kinne Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:45:29 +0000 http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/#comment-23555 Sorry, Pamela. We need to make an effort, certainly, to not JUST to offend people. To offend, for offending's sake, is certainly not cool. However, if someone's religion says that the Moon is sacred enough that we cannot explore and exploit it for human benefit, they lose, pure and simple. Science trumps religion. Yes, we need to find a way to say it better than that, but that's the baldface truth. We are not going to the Moon to disrespect anyone's beliefs or religion. If that was the point, that would be bad. But if advancing humanity's factual knowledge comes at the price of having people change their beliefs, then that is the price that has to be paid. I think western history bears out that knowledge that has come to us from science has turned out to be more beneficial than knowledge that comes from religion. That is not to say that religion is not valuable! It is to say that, increasingly, science and religion must serve different purposes, and as harsh as this may sound, people who look to religion for a majority of their answers will have to change. From an economic perspective, I believe that spreading out the cost and spreading out the responsibility and participation as far as is practical is the way we should go. This way as many countries and peoples as possibility have a hand and direct benefits from the results. As for the rest, I have to retreat to the "trickle down" theory of technology, being a recipient of that theory myself. My issue is who to trust with such a project? Who has the long term vision and stability to do such a thing? A corporation that doesn't see past the next quarterly report? A government that doesn't see past the next election? These are the things that I fear. Sorry, Pamela. We need to make an effort, certainly, to not JUST to offend people. To offend, for offending’s sake, is certainly not cool. However, if someone’s religion says that the Moon is sacred enough that we cannot explore and exploit it for human benefit, they lose, pure and simple. Science trumps religion. Yes, we need to find a way to say it better than that, but that’s the baldface truth. We are not going to the Moon to disrespect anyone’s beliefs or religion. If that was the point, that would be bad. But if advancing humanity’s factual knowledge comes at the price of having people change their beliefs, then that is the price that has to be paid. I think western history bears out that knowledge that has come to us from science has turned out to be more beneficial than knowledge that comes from religion. That is not to say that religion is not valuable! It is to say that, increasingly, science and religion must serve different purposes, and as harsh as this may sound, people who look to religion for a majority of their answers will have to change.

From an economic perspective, I believe that spreading out the cost and spreading out the responsibility and participation as far as is practical is the way we should go. This way as many countries and peoples as possibility have a hand and direct benefits from the results. As for the rest, I have to retreat to the “trickle down” theory of technology, being a recipient of that theory myself.

My issue is who to trust with such a project? Who has the long term vision and stability to do such a thing? A corporation that doesn’t see past the next quarterly report? A government that doesn’t see past the next election? These are the things that I fear.

]]> By: Skunkwaffle http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/comment-page-1/#comment-23544 Skunkwaffle Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:45:36 +0000 http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/#comment-23544 I agree with Beth. Someone is always going to be offended no matter how careful you are. The question needs to be more along the lines of: Is what we're doing going to benifit society, the human race, and all other life on earth, or are we just doing this to prove we can. That African kid doesn't spraypaint the church/mosque/temple/whatever, but he could. If he did it just to show that it was possible, then yeah, "Not Cool." But I'd dig up the wailing wall myself if I knew the cure for cancer was buried underneath it. I agree with Beth. Someone is always going to be offended no matter how careful you are. The question needs to be more along the lines of:

Is what we’re doing going to benifit society, the human race, and all other life on earth, or are we just doing this to prove we can.

That African kid doesn’t spraypaint the church/mosque/temple/whatever, but he could. If he did it just to show that it was possible, then yeah, “Not Cool.” But I’d dig up the wailing wall myself if I knew the cure for cancer was buried underneath it.

]]> By: Beth http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/comment-page-1/#comment-23538 Beth Mon, 10 Mar 2008 01:21:57 +0000 http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/#comment-23538 Should we just build on the far side of the Moon where no one sees it? Look at all the junk we have thrown into orbit. That hasn't been well thought out. There aren't easy answers here. But I don't see it so much as a cultural and religious problem as one of considering and discussing the consequences of what we do before we jump in and do it. We need to have an informed discussion with decisions made by people who listen and understand rather than people who are pushing their own agenda. That's why we need people who understand science. But we shouldn't be restricted to what will offend no one. We'd do nothing. You and I wouldn't have been to college much less graduate school if some people had their way. So I think one way of approaching this is to consider being good stewards of the resources. Should we just build on the far side of the Moon where no one sees it?

Look at all the junk we have thrown into orbit. That hasn’t been well thought out.

There aren’t easy answers here. But I don’t see it so much as a cultural and religious problem as one of considering and discussing the consequences of what we do before we jump in and do it. We need to have an informed discussion with decisions made by people who listen and understand rather than people who are pushing their own agenda. That’s why we need people who understand science.

But we shouldn’t be restricted to what will offend no one. We’d do nothing. You and I wouldn’t have been to college much less graduate school if some people had their way. So I think one way of approaching this is to consider being good stewards of the resources.

]]> By: pamela http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/comment-page-1/#comment-23532 pamela Sun, 09 Mar 2008 21:15:13 +0000 http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/#comment-23532 Hi Palzeta - The moon isn't more special than the Earth, and many people's are saddened by what we've done to our planet. They (myself included) don't want the money to become as scared as the Earth. Hi Palzeta – The moon isn’t more special than the Earth, and many people’s are saddened by what we’ve done to our planet. They (myself included) don’t want the money to become as scared as the Earth.

]]> By: palzeta http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/comment-page-1/#comment-23531 palzeta Sun, 09 Mar 2008 20:08:51 +0000 http://www.starstryder.com/2008/03/09/the-cultural-argument-of-going-to-the-moon-religion-colonialism-and-one-world/#comment-23531 I don't buy it. The moon isn't any more special than the Earth. May religions feel the Earth is sacred too. I don’t buy it. The moon isn’t any more special than the Earth. May religions feel the Earth is sacred too.

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