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[Naughty Bear]

In majority of sci-fi media, we are dealing with themes of Transhumanism, bioengineering, alien life, artficial life and many others that could resolve around the creation of species or the galaxy.

Religion is quite a complex topic and probably a taboo. And with so many religions each with their own view on how we should live our lives, is religion too much trouble and be ignored in future sci-fi media and in the future or is it important to sci-fi and our future?

Is and would Religion get in the way of such advancements in reality and in sci-fi? Just been wondering on how religions in the Mass Efect universe would deal with the everyday man/woman having implants and genetic engineering, AI's taking part in everyday life and actual alien life walking the streets.

How would religion accept this if we came into contact with an actual Mass Relay?

[AlanC9]

Religious themes worked out fine in Hyperion. Staying away from them just seems like you're limiting yourself. Unless you really do think that the whole business is nonsense and eventually everyone's going to wise up.

[Naughty Bear]

AlanC9 wrote...

Religious themes worked out fine in Hyperion. Staying away from them just seems like you're limiting yourself. Unless you really do think that the whole business is nonsense and eventually everyone's going to wise up.

Well i'm mainly thinking about the future and injecting a bit of interest by discussing how our religions react to Humanity stumbling upon a Mass Relay.

Discovering a Mass Relay means there is alien life and they existed before us. That is quite a huge step and i remeber the Vatican said something about willing to accept alien life, but never heard anything from other religions.

[Naughty Bear]

Cthulhu42 wrote...

Well, what it doesn't need is a bunch of ridiculous religious imagery where it doesn't belong. The green ending and its obvious "Garden of Eden" symbolism is beyond awful.

Like i said to Alan, if we did stumble across an alien civilization who are most likely to be more advanced and have probably accepted such advancements like bioengineering and artificial limb prosthesis.

Wouldn't religion hold us back on these advancements? Damaging 'gods image'? Messing with nature?

And what about accepting if it did happen, that we actually had 'gods' who were in turn an advanced civilization and created us? How would religion even try to accept that?

Modifié par Naughty Bear, 25 mai 2012 - 06:28 .

[Kr0gan]

I don't think that it should stay away but I would enjoy some sci fi setting where religion simply doesn't exist. The topic is really abused in the sci fi field, during some time it was cool but now is overused (sometimes I think that authors include it because they can't imagine a world without religion or they try to cater to the theist masses... or they are simply cheap, I don't know).

[loungeshep]

No it should be a part of but not define it. Even if you don't believe in anything, it is a part of our historical culture and shouldn't be ignored all together.

Religion shouldn't get in the way of anything. Well beliefs shouldn't.

Star Trek did it right.

[Naughty Bear]

Kr0gan wrote...

I don't think that it should stay away but I would enjoy some sci fi setting where religion simply doesn't exist. The topic is really abused in the sci fi field, during some time it was cool but now is overused (sometimes I think that authors include it because they can't imagine a world without religion or they try to cater to the theist masses... or they are simply cheap, I don't know).

Hence why i created this thread. I personally think it would get in the way of sci-fi fiction and potentially our future.

[Kr0gan]

Naughty Bear wrote...

Cthulhu42 wrote...

Well, what it doesn't need is a bunch of ridiculous religious imagery where it doesn't belong. The green ending and its obvious "Garden of Eden" symbolism is beyond awful.

Like i said to Alan, if we did stumble across an alien civilization who are most likely to be more advanced and have probably accepted such advancements like bioengineering and artificial limb prosthesis.

Wouldn't religion hold us back on these advancements? Damaging 'gods image'? Messing with nature?

And what about accepting if it did happen, that we actually had 'gods' who were in turn an advanced civilization and created us? How would religion even try to accept that?

It seems to me that you are mixing topics, one is the use of religion in  sci fi media and the other is how religion would deal with alien life and post singularity issues.

[Reorte]

No subject should be taboo. If you can fit religion in convincingly to any story then there's no reason not to.

[Chala]

Nah...
As long as the topic is not forced I don't see the problem.

[Naughty Bear]

Kr0gan wrote...

Naughty Bear wrote...

Cthulhu42 wrote...

Well, what it doesn't need is a bunch of ridiculous religious imagery where it doesn't belong. The green ending and its obvious "Garden of Eden" symbolism is beyond awful.

Like i said to Alan, if we did stumble across an alien civilization who are most likely to be more advanced and have probably accepted such advancements like bioengineering and artificial limb prosthesis.

Wouldn't religion hold us back on these advancements? Damaging 'gods image'? Messing with nature?

And what about accepting if it did happen, that we actually had 'gods' who were in turn an advanced civilization and created us? How would religion even try to accept that?

It seems to me that you are mixing topics, one is the use of religion in  sci fi media and the other is how religion would deal with alien life and post singularity issues.

The future is my main discussion topic, reality. But the topic can be flexible and fit into a discussion on how it works in fiction.

I read stories on how some religions are agaisnt bioengineering, stem cell research and transhumanism. Both i find very interesting.

Modifié par Naughty Bear, 25 mai 2012 - 06:34 .

[DeathScepter]

you can believe in God and believe in aliens is normal. Religon is not always hold science back. The point of Religion is to keep science honest.

The existance of Alien doesn't negate God, Religion, or God creating Man. IF you think other wise, then you are an idiot.

[Abraham_uk]

The religious slants in Deep Space 9, Babylon 5 and Battlestar Galactica remake were done very well.

They were not too preachy. They were plot relevant. They provided context and adequate explanations to character motivations. They were an integral part of the plot.

They didn't try to force ideas on the audience. They showed how strong religious belief can be helpful and harmful at the same time.

[Reorte]

Naughty Bear wrote...

Kr0gan wrote...

I don't think that it should stay away but I would enjoy some sci fi setting where religion simply doesn't exist. The topic is really abused in the sci fi field, during some time it was cool but now is overused (sometimes I think that authors include it because they can't imagine a world without religion or they try to cater to the theist masses... or they are simply cheap, I don't know).

Hence why i created this thread. I personally think it would get in the way of sci-fi fiction and potentially our future.

By the time in which Mass Effect is set I would think that it's very unlikely that religion will have vanished so pretending it doesn't exist is very unconvincing and makes suspension of disbelief (make of that what you will in this context!) harder.

[Naughty Bear]

Reorte wrote...

Naughty Bear wrote...

Kr0gan wrote...

I don't think that it should stay away but I would enjoy some sci fi setting where religion simply doesn't exist. The topic is really abused in the sci fi field, during some time it was cool but now is overused (sometimes I think that authors include it because they can't imagine a world without religion or they try to cater to the theist masses... or they are simply cheap, I don't know).

Hence why i created this thread. I personally think it would get in the way of sci-fi fiction and potentially our future.

By the time in which Mass Effect is set I would think that it's very unlikely that religion will have vanished so pretending it doesn't exist is very unconvincing and makes suspension of disbelief (make of that what you will in this context!) harder.

Obviously it will not disappear.

Hoping to see some religious members here add their opinions on using bioengineering and cybernetics.

Modifié par Naughty Bear, 25 mai 2012 - 06:36 .

[Reorte]

DeathScepter wrote...

you can believe in God and believe in aliens is normal. Religon is not always hold science back. The point of Religion is to keep science honest.

The existance of Alien doesn't negate God, Religion, or God creating Man. IF you think other wise, then you are an idiot.

Oh the irony.

[DeathScepter]

why the irony

[Reorte]

Naughty Bear wrote...

Reorte wrote...

By the time in which Mass Effect is set I would think that it's very unlikely that religion will have vanished so pretending it doesn't exist is very unconvincing and makes suspension of disbelief (make of that what you will in this context!) harder.

Obviously it will not disappear.

Hoping to see some religious members here add their opinions.

Well, I can't help you there because I'm very definitely not religious. Like just about every other opinion I think that a good author will take a step back and try to keep their own beliefs and opinions out of it so that they can create their characters' beliefs and opinions without bias. I.e. when a novel portrays all the religious people as either credulous fools or the only decent people in it the author's own view is getting in the way of the story. The fact that religions will almost certainly still exist means that they have to be considered as they'll almost certainly be a strong motivator for some characters. I'm not really bothered what form future religious portrayal takes just so long as it can be justified for the setting.

[Kr0gan]

So you want to start a theist vs atheists debate here? I don't think that this is the right place (don't get me wrong, I do enjoy those debates... in Youtube).

Anyway, before this thread dies I would like to say that I think that by the time ME happens, we won't have any religion (or death by aging and earth diseases but that's another topic)... I'm more doubtful that we will have FTL travel but who knows...

[Abraham_uk]

Okay I know this thread is going to get locked down.

Politics and religion are topics that get frequently banned. It is even stated in that contract where we ticked the box but never really read.

So let me say this.

Like anything else there is an effective way to approach religion in science fiction. Just because some media have failed or have been very heavy handed doesn't mean religion should stay away from science fiction.

Science fiction can be a good medium to criticise religion or for showing how belief in higher beings cannot be fully negated by science. Science fiction can show the impact religion has on people. Science fiction can even try and disprove religious beliefs through a series of logical arguments.

As long as it's not heavy handed and as long as it's plot relevant. It must also feature in character motivations.

Modifié par Abraham_uk, 25 mai 2012 - 06:42 .

[Amaterasuomikami]

Naughty Bear wrote...

How would religion accept this if we came into contact with an actual Mass Relay?

It would depend on the religion, but I don't see for example the Vatican having a panic attack. Certainly the Church has been increasingly comfortable with science, although of course they want people to not be obsessed with technology and forget their morality/faith.

The Mass Effect series is fairly upbeat about religion. The Asari are probably the most advanced race in the galaxy, and their faith is still very important to them.

[Naughty Bear]

Amaterasuomikami wrote...

Naughty Bear wrote...

How would religion accept this if we came into contact with an actual Mass Relay?

It would depend on the religion, but I don't see for example the Vatican having a panic attack. Certainly the Church has been increasingly comfortable with science, although of course they want people to not be obsessed with technology and forget their morality/faith.

The Mass Effect series is fairly upbeat about religion. The Asari are probably the most advanced race in the galaxy, and their faith is still very important to them.

Until Javik came along.

[Reorte]

Abraham_uk wrote...

Okay I know this thread is going to get locked down.

Politics and religion are topics that get frequently banned. It is even stated in that contract where we ticked the box but never really read..

Huh? There are politics and religion in the game. If it says somewhere that they can't be discussed then that's pathetic. There's no good reason to lock a thread discussing them unless it degenerates into insults (which such threads all often do).

[ObserverStatus]

nope, I think that sci fi writers should explore the evolution of every aspect of society, religion included.