Star Trek, my Utopian vision of the future
Ms Boe Meyerson was speaking that Sunday. Her talk was about how the original Star Trek TV series provided the viewer with an ideal version of society. The Starship Enterprise was run by an empowered and evolved crew; Asian, white, female, male, African-American, even Vulcan. Each was making significant contributions to the Starship’s mission. This was very rare to see on TV in the late sixties. (Maybe, still?) As I was listening to Boe Meyerson’s talk, I was surprised to find someone who had noticed the same things I had. Was someone else nostalgic for this utopian vision of the future? I had been moved, too, by Star Trek’s goal to explore new frontiers without violating the Prime Directive: to not interfere with the rights of other sentient species in the Galaxy.
How lucky, I thought, to find a community in New Jersey that was interested enough to gather on a Sunday morning to talk about such things. My quest had ended quickly. I felt at home. That was about 19 years ago. Joining reinforced my instinct that humans do need to congregate, but around common values and imagination, not their religious, ethnic, national or racial histories.
I wished I had discovered Ethical sooner
I wished I had discovered Ethical sooner, and now I have the privilege to be in a position to give back. The TV version of Star Trek from the late sixties is decades old, but some of the ideas it embraced have taken root in new places. One of those places is in social media. James Croft, a young, new Ethical Culture leader-in-training in St. Louis and a self-described fellow nerd, has a Facebook page that has attracted my attention. After attending the World Humanist Congress in Chicago this August, he posted this on his page: “We will change the world. We fractious, skeptical, argumentative, individualistic band of freethinkers will usher in a more reasonable and compassionate society. We will banish superstition and prejudice and put knowledge and justice in their place. I have no doubt now.” His words landed a flutter of butterflies in my stomach.
Let’s take action while also enjoying warm fellowship
Yes, let’s change the world. And let’s take action while also enjoying warm fellowship and the inspiring leadership of Joe Chuman. Please join me in our efforts to nurture both our little planet in the Galaxy and the best selves we can imagine.
