Is the solar eclipse a message from God? For many, the eclipse is, especially to those living within the path of totality. For most people, this eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a demonstration of what happens when the sun and moon align. Certain groups within the US have differing opinions on what the eclipse exactly means, believing that this celestial experience is, in fact, caused by something not of this world.
The belief that solar eclipses and other galactic phenomenons are the works of otherworldly beings dates back many centuries into the past. The sudden darkening of the sun and the sky was poorly understood for many millennia. Research on eclipses has been conducted the past few centuries; however, this information was retained by the intellectually and societal elite up until just a few decades ago. The reason why eclipses have an almost mythical connotation is because they are perceived as rare, since it is rare for an eclipse to happen in the same spot more than once. However, according to research, they are quite common; eclipses occur on Earth at least every one-and-a-half years. Still, its not unusual for eclipses to illicit emotional responses, as many perceive eclipses as an omen or portent of unfavorable events to come.
One such theory predicts that the eclipse will be a message from God, stating that aliens are real. A member of The Society for the New Message from God, Marshall Vian Summers believes that God has been communicating with him for years, and the eclipse is no such exception. His society is rooted in the belief that eclipses are forms of celestial communication tying Earth and the otherworldly together. Summers claims to be a messenger from God, one designated to receive and interpret messages for others to hear. These messages come in the form of spoken and auditory communication, which he has recorded and transcribed into a plethora of written works and podcasts. He plans on using the widespread anticipation and captivation of the eclipse as a method of spreading his message and popularizing his works, describing his plans to attend an eclipse viewing party in his hometown of Boulder, Colorado.
Due to religious freedoms being spread and enforced for the past few centuries, it's possible for people with such theories to speak out and spread their beliefs among people. He describes personal encounters with God, something that could be considered heretical and against the main religion of Christianity in the past. Nevertheless, his interpretation of the eclipse may be accurate. It's certain that, for years to come, eclipses around the world will continue to illicit these overwhelming, emotional sentiments, and others will continue to theorize possible explanations for these celestial phenomenons. Is the solar eclipse a message from God? Time can only tell.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/solar-eclipse-as-religious-experience/536823/
http://www.westword.com/news/solar-eclipse-bringing-message-from-god-about-aliens-9394141
I found your post very insightful about how we are living in such a modern society advanced with technology and understand the science behind the eclipse. Most, I assume, have never theorized or believed that the eclipse was caused by aliens but we shouldn't be too rash to invalidate people's beliefs. The Aztecs, Chinese, Egyptians and other ancient cultures actually revered the sun and the moon, viewing them as gods. If anything was out of the ordinary such s the eclipse, it would seem to them that the world was ending because it was so unexpected and that was all what these people knew and understood. It was especially interesting when you mentioned how the Marshall was using the eclipse to spread his own word. This is incredibly common it seems because when people don't understand what seems to be the unexplainable, they may take whatever plausible or even just explanation that they have. Overall, great job on the post!
ReplyDeleteI thought that you did a great job in your post to connect both technology and religious perspective in your post. I really liked how you tied your post back to the idea of religious freedom being kind of a vector for people to spread their ideas about what the eclipse means to them. As in USHAP, learning about the spread of religious values was quite interesting; Summers, who says "God is speaking to him" reminded me of Anne Hutchinson and her relationship with God, I thought your post was really interesting and I loved to see the different interpretation of the eclipse.
ReplyDelete