The philosophy of faith in Christ begins on Earth and extends to Heaven.
The philosophy of science fiction, or SF, begins today and extends to tomorrow. (The philosophy of fantasy begins today and extends to yesterday; but that's another essay.)
The place SF and Faith meet is on Earth, today. I am a Christian. I'm also a SF writer and reader. For decades, I've read with glee (and sometimes with a frown) as SF writers like Herbert, McCaffery and Cherryh have disappeared my beliefs in favor of a spiritual nothingness. It may be because they just didn't want to add another layer of complication to an already complicated story. It may be that they really believe that Humans will outgrow their religions. It may also be that they don't have the faintest idea what do DO with Christians in space. It may be, as in the Star Trek Universe that everyone else can have a religion, but Humans (who are obviously the most superior form of humanoid) don't bother with all that meditation on Mount Selaya, or attempts to reach the Halls of Stovokor or follow the Prophets because they've outgrown the need. Roddenberry was a great believer in the ultimate perfectibility of Man. It's the essential philosophy Star Trek is built around when it comes to religion.
I disagree. It's a minority opinion, but I disagree anyway. I believe that Christians will carry their Bibles -- in whatever form -- into space. I believe that they will share their faith and that spacers, starship captains, colonists, xenobiologists, terraformers, and...aliens will accept in their hearts (or whatever!) Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. I believe that the love of Christ will extend to the physical Heavens as well as the metaphorical heavens. I believe there will be fellowships of Christian believers in as many places in the future as there are fellowships of Christians today from the Arctic wastes to the jungles of Borneo. I believe that Christians will hold positions of authority tomorrow as they do today. I also believe that rather than trying to establish a "kingdom of heaven on Earth" through legislation and political activism, the Christians of the future will do what the Christians of today mostly do: share the Good News of Jesus Christ at home and at work and at school.
And my SF will reflect that belief!
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