Tonight I was sitting around a blazing brazier with a couple of friends, drinking Milo and relaxing, and then almost without thinking I looked up. It's a perfectly clear night, and the stars were out in full force. The stars have always been special for me - why, I don't know and probably never will. For others it's the moon, or the sunset, or sunrise. But if asked to pick my favourite natural light there wouldn't even be a moments hesitation. Even when they're dim and partially clouded I feel as though I'm gazing at good friends whom I haven't yet met.
One can't help but wonder occasionally - Is there anyone like me out there? (Spare us your smart comments, Mat. I saw them coming.) They might not look like us, but would they be hnau? For those who haven't read Lewis' Space Trilogy (read it) that means moral beings. Would they live in perfect accord with each other and their Maker, or would they be tragically self-flawed like us? What could we learn from beings wholly other than ourselves? In the end there really is no way of knowing, but it is tantalising to contemplate. Would we even accept them if we found them (or they found us)? It's a question that many insightful SF writers have posed; different scenarios have been explored, but let me put this to you: we didn't do so well at home. When two or more races or cultures came together it generally devolved into a cutthroat competition of 'who can exploit who'. Weaker peoples have been wiped off the globe, or marginalised even to this day. God forbid that we should ever encounter another species of hnau less powerful or canny than ourselves. And perhaps it wouldn't be smart to wish, either, to meet a radically advanced species. They would have to be wise and benevolent indeed not to take one look at us and erase Earth from the landscape of the galaxy in disgust.
4 comments:
HEY! I wasent going to make a smart comment. I just thought that there is room enough for one Christopher D Haines. Go and tell your family that "I have found evidence that someone cloned MaT, and his clone is somewhere, alive and well, on this planet" See what there reactions are, I would get the same reaction if I told someone that you have an identical clone somewhere on this small planet :D
...it's an interesting thought, but I don't hold much stock in the idea of extraterrestrials.
Consideringing the attitude humans have approached conquest with, the thought of benevolence is quite unlikely. You see, they might need have a benevolent attitude to save us from destruction, but they would certainly not be wise. I firmly believe that God goes against His better judgment each day in order to keep our planet in existence. No, only a vastly foolish race would dare to leave us here.
I thank God that the only sentient life in His universe is on planet Earth.
I firmly believe that God goes against His better judgment...
Yet keeping us here for now must be the best and most loving thing to do, or He would not continue to do it. Would we accuse Him of (or even praise Him for) softness? It's not the same as mercy.
No, a truly wise race would understand that, in spite of all signs being to the contrary, God does have good reasons for letting our world continue. And, being wise, they'd not cross Him.
Assuming that, yes, they are wise enough to accept the existence of God.
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