HUMANITY'S DESTRUCTIVE NATURE
Quotes from the Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
I found The Martian Chronicles to be surprisingly relevant and meaningful as Bradbury touched on themes of art, science, isolation, memories, and freedom. I was struck by his way of comparing the Martians to Earth men and man’s inclination toward destruction. As an admirer of nature even amidst the urban, I connected with the sections that spoke about the preservation and respect for the natural world.
These three quotes stood out because of their relativity today and the knowledge that there is another way for us to live. We do not have to keep destroying things but should find a way to blend things together. Art and science, science and religion, nature and cities, are all areas where our society demands separation, but in reality, they should be considered together.
Otto Marseus van Schrieck. Still Life with Poppy, Insects, and Reptiles, ca. 1670. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Blending religion, Art, and Science
Too often, people reduce complicated things into oversimplified categories. If something is one thing, it cannot be another. If it falls under science, it cannot be classified as religion. And yet, why should they be distinctive? Bradbury does a beautiful job of explaining the intersection of these categories and the imaginative world where people do not separate what should belong together. Science is merely the investigation of the miracle, and art is the interpretation.
There is art and craftsmanship in nature, even if the artist is not visible. Science should be an accompaniment, a partner in better understanding the world, not a source of conflict. Perhaps if we prized connection rather than contention, we would find more instances of art and science working together.
Burning Books
A preview of Fahrenheit 451, William Stendahl explains to his arcitect, Mr. Bigelow, the attrocity of burning books. It is not fringe groups or anarchitist but the State that destroys knowledge and education.
As I read the lines of what was destroyed first all I could think of was, “The began by controlling books about race and then LGBTQ books…” and I wondered at the terrifying parallels of science fiction and real life. Even so, what stood out profoundly was the reason for such extreme measures. The reason for erasing identity, history, and representation was not out of brave rebellion but out of fear.
Are the people who censor and destroy books aware of what they are doing? Do they truly believe they are doing good, or are they only shadows of themselves, overwhelmed with fear, and instead of reaching for empathy, perspective, or enlightenment, they would rather bury and burn what they do not understand? Unfamiliarity can be daunting, but so is being in a constant state of fear.
Aegidius Sadeler. Book in flames / Hand in the clouds with scales, 1666. The Rijksmuseum
Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Perseus and Andromeda, study for The Doom Fulfilled, 1875. The Art Institute of Chicago
Knocking down religion
One of the tragic occurrences of the past century has been the elevation of scientific theory over faith. Neither can be proven, and in many ways, they cannot be seen; yet, somehow, we believe in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution instead of Moses’ account of the creation of the earth by God. We believe T.H. Huxley’s agnostic arguments, but not the argument of a covenant between God and Man. We believe in Freud’s psychoanalysis, but not the acceptance of a free gift, one that provides eternal life.
The struggle is no longer one of religion being knocked down or smothered by the voices of science; it is the resurgence of a forged faith, not steeped in hope, promise, and love, but in power and domination. What sort of world would it be if people who professed a faith that meant being a servant rather than a superior or being last instead of first actually transpired? Would we see a transformation of society simply by people enacting the faith they claim to profess? Instead, people are choosing theories —scientific, conspiratorial, or otherwise —rather than seeking depth and understanding in their faith.