Delp (Diomedean) to Wace (Terran):
"'The Lodestar didn't give you [wings], because you don't need them.'" (p. 170)
We will be delighted if we find intelligence on any extra-solar planet. It will be a secondary, although nevertheless important, question whether that intelligence has reached a scientific understanding of reality.
Van Rijn uses almost exactly the same language:
"'...we, who the good God did not offer wings...'" (p. 173)
Van Rijn is one of those people who have inherited Catholic belief, who know of evolution by natural selection and who refer any questions about the matter to professional theologians.
I am concerned about two issues:
the anti-Darwinism of CS Lewis' Ransom Trilogy;
the fact that I personally did not start to understand natural selection until after I had been at University for a while - so is this scientific understanding as widespread as it should be?
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Considering how many still believe in superstitions like astrology, crystals, the enneagram, young Earthism, evolution denying, etc., yes, we should be concerned over how widespread anti science attitudes are.
Ad astra! Sean
A lot depends on the individual. I was a Darwinian and an atheistic materialist by the time I was six, IIRC.
(I came to it on my own -- my parents were churchgoing Anglicans, if not particularly enthusiastic ones.)
I suspect that in many periods, people of that general cast of mind just kept it to themselves -- I certainly would if I was in Florence in 1100.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
While I don't agree atheism is true, I am not going to beat you over the head about that! And you are not one of those anti-Christian atheists who foam at the mouth with rage and hatred for Christians, ESPECIALLY Catholics. Your attitude is that of Poul Anderson, who had only respect and courtesy for honest believers in God.
Ad astra! Sean
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