A fun analogy from Asimov

[YankeyMCC]

Just felt like sharing this. Ever couple of years I re-read Asimov's Robot/Empire/Foundation novels and I'm currently reading "Robots and Empire"

In case you're not familiar the main theme is that there have been two human expansions into space. One group called "Spacers" has built a stable - you might say dull - safe but stagnant society. The other group called "Settlers" are expanding, rough, and thriving.

The Spacers have created their society by relying on Robots. The Settlers disdain Robots and do not use them at all.

I've just read a scene where two Spacers are planning the destruction of Earth (which is currently aligned with the Settlers).

One Spacer is left alone in the office of the other more prominent Spacer who he's trying to convince to join in his plan to destroy Earth so that he can secure his own ambitions not to mention the supremacy of Spacers.

He considers trying to break into the prominent Spacer's computer files but doesn't because as always Robots are present and they would not allow it and they are not corruptible.

"Amadiro was right. Robots were so useful and efficient - and incorruptible - as guards that the very concept of anything criminal, illegal, or simply underhanded did not occur to anyone. The tendency just atrophied - at least as against other Spacers.
He wondered how Settlers could manage without robots. Mandamus tried to imagine human personalities clashing, with no robotic bumper to cushion the interaction, no robotic presence to give them a decent sense of security and to enforce - without their being consciously aware of it most of the time - a proper mode of morality."

Just replace Robots with god and robotic with divine and you get the same clap trap that theist push. That morality must be enforced by fear of some outside force or consequence. Not only does the tendency to commit a criminal act atrophy anything "out of bounds" like exploring, pushing the bounds of knowledge and experience atrophies.

And that theme is carried through the stories as the Spacers do indeed vanish and the Settler's expand to fill the Galaxy. And as if to make the point more clear the Settler's are only successful because a similar weakness that they develop is removed - a religious like reverence for Earth which threatened to hold them back - keep them fro m progressing.

And the Spacer attitude towards people who keep Robots out of their society? Sounds very familiar to the attitude of people who keep gods out of the lives.

"It would be impossible for Settlers to be anything but barbarians under the circumstance and the Galaxy could not be left to them. Amadiro was right in that respect and had always been right..."

The conclusion being that Earth and by extension the Settlers must be destroyed of course, better to even leave the Galaxy empty of humans (if the Spacers still did not expand) than to have nonbelievers (in the books nonbelievers in the benefits of a robotic society in the real world nonbelievers of gods) fill it up.

:) Man I love re-reading the classics each time I see a new facet to like about them.

[beam me up scottie]

1. What a marvelous post!

I love the works of Isaac Asimov.
My dad fed me Asimov, Bradbury and Heinlein regularly when I was a kid.
I think it is time to start re-reading them again.

[Beetwasher]

2. Yeah, Great Book!

I just read it recently as well. Love the whole Robots/Foundation meta series...

[onager]

3. I frequently re-read...

"Asimov's Guide To The Bible."

There is just no greater weapon against those arrogant Xers who are always whining that we atheists "know nothing about the Bible."

Asimov explains the historical and contemporary social context of everything, and of course he was an atheist. That gives it a nice perspective you're not going to get from Rev. Billy Bob Asshead's Compleat History Of The Word Of Gawd, The Buy-bull.

He originally wrote it in two parts, for the Old Testament and NT. But most bookstores carry a revised edition which includes both plus the Apocrypha, usually for a very reasonable price.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. It there were gods, Asimov would be one of them. (nt)