Man's Place in the Universe

 "...Never again would man be satisfied to bow in utter subjection to the powers of the universe. He would stand erect and demand the right to challenge the universe and master its secrets. This was indeed a new day for man and the birth of a new conception of man's place in the universe." - S.E. Frost

Have you ever wondered what your place is in the universe? Does anything you do matter? Do you really have any control? This is what Keith Ogorek had to say on the subject in Chapter 5 of his, "A Clear View"....

Man has long struggled for an answer to the question, "What is my place in the universe?" Before considering the place of man in the universe, one must first consider what he believes about the origins of the universe. A person's view on the beginning of the universe will often shape his view about the origins of man. During the 1920's, the theory of Evolution was the prominent explanation for both the origin of the universe as well as that of man. However, Evolution could never be fully explained by science, so it cannot be considered valid.

In general, there are four answers to the important question i have introduced, which is: "What is man's place in the universe?"

1.  Man is fated and is subject to the forces of the universe.
2.  Man is the center of the universe and is the full determinant of his destiny.
3.  Man is subject to chance and there is nothing sure, predictable or controllable. 
4.  Man is created by God with purpose and intentionality. 

Each of these views can be seen in culture today. The first can be seen in those people that seem cynical or apathetic. They have developed this personality as a consequence of the fact that they believe that nothing they do in their lives really matters, so why should they care about anything?

The second can be seen in people that appear to be overwhelming confident, and even proud or conceited. The development of the view that they are the center of the universe has led them to think that they are in control of every aspect of their lives, and that no one else has any say in what they do. I believe this is often seen in politicians and celebrities, as a result of their fame. They are treated like the center of the universe, so that is what they begin to believe.

The third is very similar to the first, in that it is seen in people who believe they don't have control over anything that happens.The difference is that the first says that man's fate is governed by the forces of the universe, while the third says that man's fate is simply not governed by anything, but left up completely to chance.

The fourth, my view, can be seen in people that live with an aer of accountability and intentionality, in that everything they do has a purpose, and the purpose is not one of selfish desire. These people are driven by God's Word and what He has planned for their lives.

Through the interactions with people in my own life, I tend to meet those that possess either the view that man is the center of the universe and thus the most important aspect of life, or the view that man is subject completely to chance and thus no one has control over what happens. Unfortunately, the view I see the least often is that of man being created by God with a purpose. The Christian perspective is being drowned out by the idea that man is the center, and thus higher than God.

By understanding which of these views a person believes in, we can discover what or who is the personal authority in their life. "People's choices and decisions indicate what the personal authority is in their life." Someone's personal authority can be things such as the drive to be popular, a fear of failure, or a conviction to please God. A person's personal authority often stems from their beliefs about truth or their view of God.

Ogorek believed that a person's view of man and his view of authority are connected, but sometimes the Church fails to make that important connection. The church can focus on teaching that our view of man should be that we were created by God with the purpose of serving him, and they can focus on the importance of establishing God's Will as our ultimate authority, but they hardly ever discuss the two together. They fail to see that a person's beliefs about his ultimate authority are actually his first step toward establishing his view of man.

The result of this disconnection by the Church is that some Christians acknowledge that God is their ultimate authority, but they also believe that they are in control of their own lives. Their view of authority and their view of man do not coincide or make sense together. While God does give us free will to make many of our own decisions, he has a hand (a large hand) in every aspect of our lives. God does not make all of our decisions for us, but he influence those decisions, one way or another.

Therefore, I do not believe that anyone can say that man is truly "free." Total freedom implies that there is absolutely nothing that can influence the decisions that we make, and there is no one who can punish us for any bad decisions that we may make. God is our judge. We are free to live here on this earth, and to live our own lives, but we are required to live our lives for Christ. Those that choose not to will ultimately be punished and condemned. I know that may sound harsh, but it's the true reality of life. We are free to choose whether or not to live for Christ, but we are not free to choose what happens to us as a result of which path we choose. Though I do not think true and total freedom can ever be achieved, the only piece of freedom we can have comes from the hope we have in Christ.


"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
 the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
⁴ what is man that you are mindful of him,
    and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵ Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁶ You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under his feet,
⁷ all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
⁸ the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, 

   whatever passes along the paths of the seas." - Psalm 8:3-8

 

Star Trek...who knew?

I am sure that most of you have heard of a TV show called "Star Trek," right? I have, but I never understood what made it so appealing to some people, or why it had any sort of significance at all. That changed when I read an article by Dwayne Day. Mr. Day explained how Star Trek was one of the most culturally influential TV shows of all time. This show was comprised of a multi-racial cast, which sent the message that people of different cultures could work together to maintain a peaceful world.

Apparently, the purpose of the show was to use futuristic situations as analogies for the current problems occurring on Earth. It discussed moral and social issues such as slavery, warfare, and discrimination. "Star Trek presented a positive image of the future at a time when the news was filled with stories of racism, social strife, and war."(-Dwayne Day) Many people, during the 1960's, were fearful that America would not emerge from the Cold War. The idea that people of different races, specifically American and Russian crewmen, could work peacefully together in the future communicated a very important message to the American people: "humanity will be okay."

In addition to all the concepts of the show, Star Trek also effected future science fiction shows, because they would all have to live up to the standards already set by this show, in order to be respected. Star Trek also influenced the start of a fan group known as the "Trekkies," which grew into an entire "folk subculture." The world even went so far as to add Star Trek phrases to well known dictionaries. Clearly, the TV of Star Trek had much more influence on society and culture than I had ever imagined.

In the clip of an episode that I watched, the main issue being addressed was the idea of slavery. During the 1960's, America was still fighting the battle of Civil Rights. Slavery had officially "ended" nearly a century earlier, but African Americans were still not treated with the equality and respect that they deserved. In the episode clip, a citizen of another planet was attempting to seek asylum aboard the Enterprise. He had evidently been involved in some revolution attempts on his planet, as a group tried to free themselves from the slavery and oppression that they had been put under for so long. The man that was sent to retrieve this escapee declared that he was no longer a slave on that planet; that slavery had been abolished years ago. However, the escapee was still treated as a slave.

That is the situation that existed in America as well. Though African Americans were not technically "slaves," they were still oppressed and treated as though they were inferior to white Americans. The purpose of this episode of Star Trek was to show that any form of slavery, whether physical or mental, was not accepted, and should not be tolerated.This show attempted to get America to wake up and make a change.

African Americans and women throughout the nation were encouraged by the fact that those like them had been portrayed in equality with white men. It gave courage and hope to those who had been afraid or hesitant to try and pursue their dreams. Star Trek was a historical landmark that greatly affected American culture.

      "Star Trek has clearly influenced many diverse aspects of human behavior." - Dwayne Day