Science fiction, creation and limits

There's a strong connection between science fiction and evolutionary theory. I want to make a few comments about the comment below.

Quotes and comments;

1. 'Spinrad complains that this light velocity limitation is;
"a pain in the neck to science fiction writers. The literary necessity for faster-than-light travel is all too obvious. Without it, we could have no stories of galactic empires, not much anthropological science fiction, few pictures of alien cultures or outré planets, a dearth of first-contact stories—in short, science fiction writers would be pretty much confined to our own solar system É . Thus hyperspace. Or overdrive. Or whatever it takes to get our literary spaceships from star to star in literarily usable time." [1.]

- In a similar way, materialists talk about evolution of this and that organ or creature, while ignoring the fact it's impossible to get life from non-life. This is their version of faster than light travel. They know it's impossible, but it's so much fun (and so profitable) to use, that they use it anyway. Think of all the 'just so' stories it makes possible. Without spontaneous generation a thousand Darwinian storytellers would be out of work.

- Like sf writers, Materialists don't want the limitation reality would lay upon their (metaphysical) speculations. At the very heart of fallen man is a hatred of limitations. ("You shall be as gods,'' was the temptation man originally fell for. It's the one he still suffers from, and will do so until the end of the age.) What this amounts to is a hatred of reality. Man hates his mortality, the extent of his life span, the limits of his intelligence, the frailty of the body, the contrariness of other people, etc. He wants to be as a god; he wants his every whim to come true. He wants to be the source of the Ultimate in the universe. While this has its comical side, it is also dangerous.

- Fallen man hates the fact the universe puts limits on his desires; that it places limits on his imagination. The usual response to this is to ignore reality, and to proceed as if it doesn't exist. In sf then we see the human heart at its most unrestrained. (i.e. acting as if reality didn't exist.) We see some writers even constructing fabricated worlds (and even 'universes') where there are no real limits; where man's merest whim results in the accomplished deed. (Writers posit connections between the mind and a planet that has been 'digitized' by nano-technology; where a mere command for an apple to fall from a tree, makes it fall, where the hero can say, ''let there be light,'' and light appears, etc.)

- In Darwinism 'literary necessity' (that makes sf writers use technology that is impossible) is replaced by metaphysical necessity. The Materialist needs a universe where life can spontaneously generate; can spontaneously emerge. His metaphysics demands it. This being the case, we get evolution whether it's possible or not. It doesn't seem to matter that it's impossible. If it's not possible the grand story of Materialism can't be told, and that's just unacceptable to many people.

- The connection here is obvious; science fiction and evolutionary theory are parts of a team; they work together. If sf needs faster than light travel [FTLT] it also needs spontaneous generation and evolution, if those distant parts of the galaxy are going to be populated. In the popular galactic empire stories we have two impossibilities put together. The task of the Hollywood director is to make it seem plausible. The school teacher has a tougher task, he or she has to try and make spontaneous generation seem plausible.

- As the sf writer hates being confined (limited) to the solar system, the materialist hates to be confined to reality. (Why reality isn't enough for him is another question.) So how do you get out of the sink of matter? You build a ladder out of stories and you haul yourself up; you build a bridge made out of stories and cross over from inert matter to living organism. (Think of it as crossing the void between galaxies if that will help :=) The stories the materialists use aren't plausible, but as Spinrad says, 'hyperspace, overdrive, whatever it takes.' In this case hyperbole; to go, not where no man has gone before, but to go beyond the truth. (What is exaggerated here is the public confidence some solution to this limit will be found.)

- Men want to use the 'literary spaceship' called Darwinism to escape from God, but their contraption isn't going to get off the ground. If it can't get started it ain't gonna fly.

- At the foundation of Materialism is an impossible story called spontaneous generation. At the foundation of Christianity is a possible story called Creation.

- MKE

Notes;
1. Science fiction: a Biblical perspective - David Laughlin