Kingons, Vulcans and Bible Thumping Ways

This is the Voice of One.

So let me see if I got this straight. Episcopal Priest Fr. Roger Joslin speculates (Springdale Morning News, April 28th 2012 p8A) that if we were to find life on other planets this could have widespread ramifications on theology on this planet. He postulates the notion that as we are presented with proof of extra-terrestrial life we would, in his words, "let go of our narrow conceptions of God. . ." and wonders if we would, in his words, "let go of fundamentalist convictions."

His argument goes like this. We find a planet that is female dominated, we'd see how absurd are the traditional roles of men and women in the church. We'd find a planet that reproduces asexually and we would learn how ludicrous is our stance concerning same sex issues. And when we find a planet really in tune with the spiritual realm, poof! There go our silly notions about the Trinitarian conceptualization of God, and that pesky need for salvation.

Wow. Beam me up, Scotty! So you really think that as we encounter these more enlightened beings (let’s call them Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans) we would see the error of our Bible thumping ways? But wait a minute! What if we found extraterrestrial life, all right, but what if they were total warmongers who ate their young? What if they followed capitalism? Voted Republican? Then what would we do?

It's all idle speculation, of course and it is fun to fantasize such scenarios. But let's think for a moment, what if we really did come across Klingons, Romulans and Vulcans? What effect would that have on us, spiritually and theologically? 

The answer: None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

There would be no effect because that relationship that brings us into a saving relationship with God is a covenant exclusively between mankind and God. It doesn't cover animals, you notice. Only people. The same concept applies here. The covenant between God and mankind is for mankind only therefore presumably God would have worked out a separate covenant with each one of these specimens of His handiwork.

So would we evangelize Klingons? No. Would we outreach toward the Romulans? No. Would we send missionaries to Vulcan? No. And they would not evangelize us. But then again it's all whimsical fantasy.

Or is it? Perhaps what we're seeing here is a longing, a deep seated wish, by a stiff necked and proud generation that wants to give lip service to God but who does not want to do what He says. Perhaps this is an example of a people who would use any fantasy to rid themselves of anything smacking of religious orthodoxy while claiming a manufactured version of the love of God. A people, perhaps, who would create God in their own image, and loudly declare their love for the concept they call God and impressing us with their great religiosity and smugly letting us know that God was on their side all along?

Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” I take that to mean that if we love the Lord we will do what he asks of us and not try to force our notions of political correctness down His throat.

Here’s what I think. I think these folks say they love God, but they do not love his Word, nor his Way and hence I speculate their avowed love of God is false, and it is so false that some would use silly fantasies to explain why their way is better than the Bible. Oh, I dunno. I would advance the notion that if you really do love God, you will love his Word and his Way and you will follow.

In all reality, I would hazard a guess that a Close Encounter with Klaatu and Gort would not make us abandon our Biblical understandings, but we would hold to them even more strongly than we do now. 

Maybe it’s a generational thing. In the original 1951 movie The Day The Earth Stood Still, Klaatu recognized the existence of God. Worf, in Star Trek Deep Space 9, tells us that the Klingon gods were more trouble than they were worth and so Klingon warriors tracked them down and slew them.

I think I’m sticking with Klaatu.  

This is the Voice of One.