The Importance Of Faith In Arthur C. Clarke's The Star
Many people do not believe in a higher power or God. For those who do, it seems challenging for them to keep their faith. Especially when bad things happen, which can make them question their faith and whether god is real or not. In Arthur C. Clarke’s short story “The Star,” a group of space explorers discovered the remnants of an ancient civilization that was destroyed when the star blew up. One of the explorers is a priest, and the discoveries challenged his faith. At the end of the short story, the priest makes another discovery; he realizes that the star was the same one that initiated the birth of Jesus. The priest’s discovery confirms faith by indicating that human beings are superior to other beings; they are the “Chosen Ones.” Human
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beings need to understand how important they are to God compared to other living beings for God loves them so much that he send his only begotten son to die for their sins, he created other living organisms to serve as food for them, and he says so himself in words that “whoever believes in him will not perish” (John 3. 16).
God loves people so much so that he sent his beloved son to die for their sin and to save them from evil. For him to send his only begotten son to earth to suffer and die for the sake of the human species should be proof enough that humans are loved unconditionally by him. Jesus was God’s first creation and was the only one directly created by God hence why he is referred to as the begotten son. John one verses one to four states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God… The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was Life” (Holy Bible, John 1. 1-4). According to the passage, Jesus was there for it all; he was there when God created human. He was born first and has been by God's side, in some way, from the beginning. Humankind out of all living organisms knows how having someone there by one’s side from day one can mean a lot to an individual. To use that person as bait for other people can be such a hard decision. God must love this species so much to use Jesus and send him to Earth to go through all that torture mentioned in the bible so that he can die to save humanity from their sins.
God did not only create humans as the only living organisms on earth. He also created animals as well as plants, which serves as food sources for people. God loves everything he created yet he allowed humankind to eat the other living things, nonhumans, he created on this Earth. It is understandable that humans can eat plants because even though plants are living they are not similar in any way to humans like animals are. Animals can eat and drink, reproduce and grow, and have similar features to humans yet humans can kill and eat them. God gives humanity dominion over all the things he created on Earth. In Genesis one he states, "have dominion over the fish of the sea… and over every living thing that moveth upon earth” (Genesis 1.28). He says so in his words that humans have all the power and authority over every other living organism on earth. Not only did he create human beings he also provided food water and everything else they need for survival.
In terms of the short story, since God sends Jesus to save humanity from perishing for their sins then killing the other civilization was probably because of balance.
Throughout the Bible, they are verses about God's love for mankind. There might be things in life that make believers doubt the love of God but his words seem truthful and promising. Just as in “The Star” the priest started doubting God’s love after he realizes he blew up a whole civilization to use as a signal for Jesus’ birth. Even though the story is science fiction, it is a great example of believers doubting God when things go wrong. Everything God does he does it for a reason and he does not like it when others question him because it is a sign of doubt and unfaithfulness. The priest himself should know how God works and yet he still questions him. At the end of the short story the priest says, “God, there were so many stars you could have used. What was the need to give these people to the fire, that the symbol of their passing might shine above Bethlehem?” (Clarke 4). It does seem wrong of God to blow up a whole civilization so the light from the explosion can lead the wise men to Jesus’s crib. As a scientist, the priest should know about balance. The world must be balanced; if one person dies someone else must be born. If Earth and everything it holds gets to stay alive then something else must take its
place.
The short story, "The Star," by Arthur C. Clarke brought forth the idea that humankind is the superior race compared to other living organisms on Planet Earth as well as the whole galaxy. According to the story, God blew up a planet and used the light from the explosion to show the three wise men the way to baby Jesus. The priest in the story questions God and his faith after discovering that the light of Bethlehem had something to do with the star’s incineration. God may seem cruel at times, but he loves humans. He sent his beloved son to earth to die for them and created other organisms on earth for people to use for survival. He always mentions in the Bible how much he loves them and how they will not perish if they believe in him.
beings need to understand how important they are to God compared to other living beings for God loves them so much that he send his only begotten son to die for their sins, he created other living organisms to serve as food for them, and he says so himself in words that “whoever believes in him will not perish” (John 3. 16).
God loves people so much so that he sent his beloved son to die for their sin and to save them from evil. For him to send his only begotten son to earth to suffer and die for the sake of the human species should be proof enough that humans are loved unconditionally by him. Jesus was God’s first creation and was the only one directly created by God hence why he is referred to as the begotten son. John one verses one to four states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God… The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was Life” (Holy Bible, John 1. 1-4). According to the passage, Jesus was there for it all; he was there when God created human. He was born first and has been by God's side, in some way, from the beginning. Humankind out of all living organisms knows how having someone there by one’s side from day one can mean a lot to an individual. To use that person as bait for other people can be such a hard decision. God must love this species so much to use Jesus and send him to Earth to go through all that torture mentioned in the bible so that he can die to save humanity from their sins.
God did not only create humans as the only living organisms on earth. He also created animals as well as plants, which serves as food sources for people. God loves everything he created yet he allowed humankind to eat the other living things, nonhumans, he created on this Earth. It is understandable that humans can eat plants because even though plants are living they are not similar in any way to humans like animals are. Animals can eat and drink, reproduce and grow, and have similar features to humans yet humans can kill and eat them. God gives humanity dominion over all the things he created on Earth. In Genesis one he states, "have dominion over the fish of the sea… and over every living thing that moveth upon earth” (Genesis 1.28). He says so in his words that humans have all the power and authority over every other living organism on earth. Not only did he create human beings he also provided food water and everything else they need for survival.
In terms of the short story, since God sends Jesus to save humanity from perishing for their sins then killing the other civilization was probably because of balance.
Throughout the Bible, they are verses about God's love for mankind. There might be things in life that make believers doubt the love of God but his words seem truthful and promising. Just as in “The Star” the priest started doubting God’s love after he realizes he blew up a whole civilization to use as a signal for Jesus’ birth. Even though the story is science fiction, it is a great example of believers doubting God when things go wrong. Everything God does he does it for a reason and he does not like it when others question him because it is a sign of doubt and unfaithfulness. The priest himself should know how God works and yet he still questions him. At the end of the short story the priest says, “God, there were so many stars you could have used. What was the need to give these people to the fire, that the symbol of their passing might shine above Bethlehem?” (Clarke 4). It does seem wrong of God to blow up a whole civilization so the light from the explosion can lead the wise men to Jesus’s crib. As a scientist, the priest should know about balance. The world must be balanced; if one person dies someone else must be born. If Earth and everything it holds gets to stay alive then something else must take its
place.
The short story, "The Star," by Arthur C. Clarke brought forth the idea that humankind is the superior race compared to other living organisms on Planet Earth as well as the whole galaxy. According to the story, God blew up a planet and used the light from the explosion to show the three wise men the way to baby Jesus. The priest in the story questions God and his faith after discovering that the light of Bethlehem had something to do with the star’s incineration. God may seem cruel at times, but he loves humans. He sent his beloved son to earth to die for them and created other organisms on earth for people to use for survival. He always mentions in the Bible how much he loves them and how they will not perish if they believe in him.