Chapter two continued

Question – Is everyone born with a need for the things only God can offer them? I believe the answer is yes. So those who turn from the Bible will try to meet that need with something other than a relationship with Jesus Christ won’t they? Why have so many today that have turned from God to the modern mindset of science and “reason” have then gone the extra step of turning to science fiction?

Have you ever wondered why science fiction is so popular? Think for a moment about the very first Star Wars movie, now called “Episode IV-A New Hope”. I was 12 years old when my uncle took myself, his brother and my cousin to see it in 1977. I remember there was really only one point in the movie with a large amount of alien creatures; and they were visible for only a few seconds. It was in a scene that took place in a Cantina. The rest of the film was almost entirely cast with human beings. Now compare that to “Episode I-The Phantom Menace”, which is about ten years old now. This movie has aliens all through it. It starts with a set of bad guys who sound a lot like Asian people speaking English with an accent. There is also a character called Jar-Jar who essentially looks and sounds like a Jamaican.

It seems to be a reasonable conclusion that the film from the 1970’s was meant for an American audience of mostly nominal Christians who did not really believe in life on other planets at the time. The newer one however, was meant for an international, less Christianized audience more ready to accept the idea after so many years of exposure to the concept. A story came recently from a remote jungle village in the Philippines of a missionary working to save a man who had been possessed by demons. After the man had been healed he told the missionary that the demons he saw looked a lot like the beings in the Star Wars movies.

There are biblical and religious parallels in many films and science fiction stories. What is the Jedi’s weapon of choice but essentially a flaming sword like what kept Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden after they sinned? Star Wars Episode 1 also borrows from the Bible with the virgin birth of Anakin Skywalker. “Battlestar Gallactica” has often been referred to as a mix of “Chariots of the Gods” and Mormon theology (sfbd.org.uk/view/Battlestar-Gallactica-TV-Series) I am not a Mormon nor do I agree with much of what the LDS Church teaches, but I remember I found the spiritual aspects of the show to be its most appealing feature when it originally ran in 1978.

Science fiction as a genre is usually paired with another genre called “Fantasy”. Many of these films take place in the distant past like the stories of Genesis and therefore offer us an alternative to the Bible’s teaching of our origins. “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is a recent example. Any film about dinosaurs would fit this category also. Parallels can even be found in such fantasy stories as “The Wizard of Oz”, where Dorothy and her friends travel to the “Emerald City” down the “yellow brick road”. Compare this to Revelation 4:3 and 21:21 where God’s throne has a rainbow “in appearance like an emerald” and “the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass”. If you enjoy British sci-fi you no doubt have perused “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, where the earth is one big giant experiment to find the answer to “the ultimate question of life the universe and everything”.

There is a also sub category within science fiction called “Post Apocalyptic” filled with movies that take place in the not so distant future, after the great crisis of Daniel 12:1. Some are utopian, where man is improved after the crisis. Most are anti-utopian, where the world returns to some sort of primitive state. The “Mad Max” trilogy or Kevin Costner’s “Waterworld” comes to mind here. Either way the message is the same. Man in his present state survives the crisis, though the Bible says otherwise.

Undoubtedly the most successful sci-fi franchise of all time has been “Star Trek” in all its forms from the original TV show to the four spin off series, books, films and the cult following of trekkers (not trekkies) who go to fan conventions. Now that a new Star Trek film is out, think about the first 6 Star Trek films with the original cast from the television show. Star Trek 1 has someone looking for their god, their creator. The power of creation is a central theme in the second movie, which ends with Mr. Spock dying to save the rest. He not only saves his friends but this very special new planet that was just created at the end of the film. Spock is half human and half Vulcan, which is a planet that supposedly is better than earth is, because its culture is more logical and self-controlled. He comes back to life in Star Trek 3. Then Spock and the whole crew return again to the earth in our time in movie number 4. Star Trek 5 deals with the subject of Heaven, and in Star Trek 6 we make total peace with our enemies. This opens the door for the rest of the films that follow as they take us into a brave new world of exciting adventures.

Does that sound familiar? That is point for point the exact same process world history is going through and the same process anyone individually needs to understand in order to become a born-again Christian. In order to find peace with God we first need to admit our need of Him. As soon as we look for Him He is right there ready to work in our lives. Then we learn that He is the Creator, and that He sent His Son Jesus, who is at once fully God and fully man. Jesus is perfect and completely self-controlled. He came from heaven above where the other planets are to die and rise from the dead for our sins. This plan of salvation the Father and Son worked out is now being offered to the whole world, but it also is for each individual person in this world. Christ promised to return again to rescue His friends and take us to Heaven, something which Bible prophecy says will happen very soon. When all is said and done on the last day of human history, when every question is answered and God’s just dealing with His enemies has been fully satisfied, the Lord will open the universe up to those who accepted His salvation. We will live with Him forever and yes indeed; every day will then be a grand and exciting adventure.
Think about all these films and television shows and I’m sure you’ll agree in order for science fiction to be successful, not only does it need compelling characters, riveting action sequences and really great special effects, it also needs one more thing. What it needs is to somehow some way draw from these great themes of religious history. Why? The answer is that ultimately they are the real truth and deep down every single human being knows it.