Battlestar Galactica vs. The Seven Principles

Note: The following is a sermon I delivered at Westwood Unitarian Congregation on April 18, 2010

I’m going to ask you a lot of questions today. You’re going to have to do a lot of thinking. For anyone who was coming today to find an uplifting message….sorry.

First a bit of a background on Battlestar Galactica. Battlestar Galactica ran from 2004-2009 (we’re not talking about the campy Battlestar Galactica  from 1978, just in case there’s any confusion). Before I go on, I have to say this is the best show I have seen on television, and I’m not alone. Battlestar Galactica  was a critically acclaimed series and when it was over, I hate to say it, but I felt a little bit empty…Battlestar Galactica, the re-imagined series, told the story of refugees from a genocidal holocaust. The human race went from over 70 billion to 40,000 in the matter of a few hours. The human race is clumped into a ragtag fleet of a few hundred spaceships that flees its enemies, but these could be steamships, rowboats or a caravan. The military, based on the Battlestar Galactica, serves to protect the remaining human fleet, and a civilian government still sets policy and governs what is left of humanity.

Battlestar Galactica, is not science fiction, so much as it is a drama that is set in outer space. Battlestar Galactica can also be used as a thought experiment. Would we do things differently if we were faced with extinction? Would we still hold to our seven principles? I subscribe to Twitter and I also frequently see messages tagged with thought-provoking quotes. Quotes that are nice to read and think about while you’re sipping your cup of tea whilst curled up in the easy chair. How do you feel about these same quotes when your life is going to shit? Think about these situations from Battlestar Galactica…

• You are a hero. You always make the right and just decision. You hold a gun to the head of the black market. The black market is engaged in the sale of alcohol and cigarettes as well as more “disgusting” services. What would you do? Keep in mind we have a principle that speaks to “The inherent worth and dignity of every person”
• You are the military commander for all that is left of humanity. You appear in front of a tribunal, but you quickly realize it’s not a trial, it’s a witch hunt. What do you do? “Justice, equity and compassion in human relations”.
• An election for president sees the potential for a less than desireable candidate to win. The election of this individual could result in the extinction of the human race. It is in your power to rig the election. What do you do? Please remember our principle on “The right of conscience and the use of democratic processes” Frame these questions in the thought experiment that is Battlestar Galactica. You are part of a species that is nearing extinction. One wrong step could doom humanity. So what would you do?

Have you decided? In the show, the hero shoots the gangster in the head and threatens his henchmen with an ominous warning…”the fleet needs the black market, stay away from children and the slave trade or I will come back and blow this ship out of the sky.” The military commander, not wanting to be subjected to a witch-hunt, ends the proceedings and removes the tribunal members from his ship. To prevent the undesirable candidate from winning, the senior officers of the fleet rig the election so their candidate wins. Is that what you would have done? Is it fair for me to ask you these questions sitting in the comfort of this sanctuary? Can you put yourself in that situation and think about your actions?

The situation in Battlestar Galactica may seem extreme, but we can look at ourselves to find other examples.

• World War II, a Jewish girl and her family ask you for help. They need to be hidden from the Nazis. If you hide them and they’re discovered, severe punishment could be given out to you and your family, including your children. What would you do? If a family were to turn them away, would you brand that family cowards? Do you know their circumstances? Another family says yes and does their best to hide away the Jewish family. Are they brave or foolhardy? Are you clear on the issue? What does the principle about “Justice, equity and compassion in human relations” suggest we should do?
• Many people know the story of Robert Latimer, the Saskatchewan farmer who killed his severely disabled daughter. Our first principle states we affirm in “The inherent worth and dignity of every person”. Can you fault Robert Latimer for his actions? He clearly disregarded the first principle to accomplish his goal. Can you put yourself in his situation and think about everything that led him to the decision to kill his daughter? Is the principle still clear?

When you think about the application of the seven principles in these situations, are you thinking about it from the comfort of this sanctuary, or you are you trying to put yourself into those situations to honestly think how you would handle each one. There is a difference. In our childrens’ story this morning (What I Be, by Michael Franti and Ben Hodson), there was a quote that said “I could be you, you could be me I could walk a mile in your shoes….. And you could walk a mile in my bare feet” Can you walk a mile in someone else’s shoes?

We have seven principles, and read in the comfort and relative safety of this church, they all seem quite altruistic.

1. The inherent worth and dignity of every person.
2. Justice, equity and compassion in human relations.
3. Acceptance of one another and encouragement to grow spiritually.
4. A free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
5. The right of conscience and the use of democratic processes.
6. The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.
7. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence.

We strive to follow them and when we can’t follow them, we know we’ve erred…maybe… Are these principles that we should strive to follow all the time, or most of the time. Who here tries to follow these principles? Who here has broken some of the principles before coming to church today? Who expects to make it to the end of the day with all the principles still intact? These thoughts have been percolating in my mind for months. Christine Lesiak and I sat down last week and she helped me a great deal in this service and with this sermon. She asked me “What’s the take away message for your sermon” what’s the thesis? I have an answer now…I don’t know. I was looking for an idea to tie everything together, but I can’t find one. The only thing I can come up with is that the principles look nice on paper and I can mostly follow them when things are going well for me. I can probably even follow them when I’m going through a bumpy patch. I have no idea what would happen to my principles if I was worried about where my next meal was coming from or if I felt my family was being threatened? I’m sorry…the only thing I have left for you are more questions? I hope someone out there can answer them.

The (de)Evolution of Alberta

Evolution is science. Creationism is religion. Evolution should not be brought to Christian Sunday school, and neither should creationsim be brought to public schools.

The phrase “slippery slope” came to mind after reading this article: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/04/30/cgy-bill-evolution-law-alberta-classes-teachers.html

Full disclosure: I’m a devout Unitarian Universalist (see what that is here http://www.westwoodunitarian.ca/aboutUU.htm) and I’m also a engineer and a complete science geek.

 I think pretending evolution isn’t science is wrong. The Alberta government isn’t denying evolution yet, but I think they’re well on their way. The government wants to allow parents to withdraw children from classes where the subject matter is “controversial”. Right now, controversial subject matter is sex education, homosexuality, and now evolution. I think this is wrong. As a parent, if my child learns something in school that I disagree with, it’s an opportunity for me to present my viewpoint and acutally be a parent to my child. Telling my child to cover her ears and say “blah-blah-blah-blah” is not giving them an education. Some parents will say they want to teach their ideas and ideals to their children, which is great, that’s what I plan to do to, but pulling children out of class and telling them to pretend certain subjects don’t exist is ignorant. In my opinion, ignorance isn’t an ideal I want to pass on to my children, but other parents may feel differently.

This is a slippery slope, and to be honest, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened in Alberta “Texas of the North” sooner. When I shake the magic eight ball and ask it “Will the government demand intelligent design is taught alongside evolution?” the magic eight ball says “All signs point to yes”. This cannot happen. Mixing science and religion in this way is a bad idea. I’m not saying science is superior to religion, that’s like saying ovens are superior to watermelons…the comparison doesn’t mean anything. Science is about discovering everything possible about the universe, religion is about discovering everything impossible about the universe.  Keep creationism in Sunday school and keep science in the classroom.

I hope we don’t require the help of Professor Steve Steve at The Panda’s Thumb. He may be the only one who can help us if things slide further into the abyss. “Please Professor Steve Steve Kenobi, you’re our only hope!”

What is a Universal Chan?

Homo Universalis, Universal Man, Renaissance Man, polymath, Universal Genius. All terms used to describe one with proficiency (not necessarily expertise), knowledge and understanding in a wide array of subjects and fields of study. Leonardo da Vinci is frequently held up as the original Universal Man.

I am not the 21st century’s version of the Universal Man. I am the Universal Chan. I have an “executive summary” knowledge of a great many subjects, and of those numerous subjects I only have an understanding of a small handful. Of those subjects I actually understand, I’m only an expert in one or two…and that expertise is regularly questioned. I am not the new version of the Universal Man, but I’m trying.

To fulfil the requirements of a Universal Man, the Universal Chan will discuss a wide range of subjects, all from the standpoint of a 37 year old, bald, half-Chinese, Unitarian Universalist, engineer, husband and father of two. Expect to see posts on politics, science, environmentalism, religion, city planning, arts, music, and most importantly food.

Excelsior!