TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT = SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT?

"If they're more advanced than us, they should be nearer the Creator for that reason," said Pastor Dr. Matthew Collins as he pondered the Martian invasion in the 1953 classic, WAR OF THE WORLDS. When I first heard this line years ago, I was thrilled. As an evangelical Christian with a bent toward SF and (admittedly small doses of) F, I felt deeply connected to this sentiment.

I knew that H. G. Wells was probably spinning in his grave at this misrepresentation of his work. I thought that the belief in God exhibited (in the 1953 version) by Uncle Matthew, the two hymns ("Now Thank We All Our God" and "Abide With Me") as well as "...God in his wisdom..." gave secular credence to my beliefs. I also happen to believe that these sentiments were the reason Speilberg, Friedman and Koepp destroyed a church in intimate and loving detail as the "martians" emerged from the ground in their 2005 remake.

But lately, I'm less sure that Pastor Dr. Collins' observations had as fine an implication as I first thought. Were Haskin and Lyndon actually trying to say that as technology moves Humanity forward, we will BECOME more like gods? If so, then my rejoicing has turned to bitter ashes and sackcloth of mourning because I was seduced by this fraudulent "man of God" -- who was actually a Man of the god Science. Science as Religion isn't a new idea. Asimov uses it in FOUNDATION, the original "first" of the 10 book Foundation Series. While the span of time is unrelated, the culture that spawned the movie (1953) and the books (1951) is the same: an Age of Wonder in which Science could do no wrong.

Is the message of WOTW (1953) that technological advancement equals spiritual advancement because our understanding of the universe leads inevitably to a deeper faith in God? Or is it that technological advancement equal spiritual advancement as Man works to BECOME God?

It no longer matters what Haskin and Lyndon meant -- for good or ill, the latter is where our culture is now. We seek to use every means at our disposal to create ourselves as undisputed rulers of the universe -- and much of our SF/F supports and reflects that effort. Pastor Dr. Collins' words might then be recreated as well: "If we've become so advanced, we should nearly be the Creator for that reason."

Sackcloth and ashes, anyone?