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It’s probably important to start understanding and thinking more about living in space because frankly that is where the human future may be. At some point the Catholic Church will need to think about how people can “do” Catholicism in space.

What a great thread - thank you for posting it, marshmallow!

Larry: I figure ray guns or phasers would be mandatory equipment on long term space flight.
Legatus: They ought to be mandatory equipment for long term exposure to the religion forum.

LOL! Hang in there, Legatus. You don't need ray guns in the forum. But IMO it's a good idea to stay on yellow alert, and keep your shields up.

While we're having fun, I'll offer up these gems from some old satire threads on the subject:

Kenneth Erff, public relations director for Focus on the Family, asserted, "Whether or not Spirit ever finds life there, I definitely think we should consider Mars an enemy planet!" In response to some confusion from THO, Erff continued, "At the very least it's one of Satan's playgrounds, which he'll use to lure humans away from God's plan and salvation. I mean a trip to the Moon or Mars is one thing, but living there is a recipe for damnation. I can't advocate a plan that would place children born in these locations in a position where they cannot receive God's gift of eternal life!"...
....Don Claymont, secretary of petitions for CAEER, agrees and added, "Even if you could be saved while living permanently on the Moon—which I highly doubt—how pleasing would your life be to God when you can't even begin to carry out your portion of the great commission? You can ignore your calling to spread the gospel to the ends of the Earth, but God certainly won't ignore your ignoring when it comes time for the world's final judgment! That is, if He even realizes you're out there."
-- from the thread Bush's Long-Range Space Initiative May Place Communities Millions of Miles from Earth and Grace
...[Benny Hinn] says he believes that he will be earth's first emissary to an alien world. "As we were walking around the telescope praying over the property, breaking any curses that Satan may have placed upon that property because of the godless actions of atheist scientists, Jesus came to me. Jesus came to me and said, 'Benny, I am going to send you to the heavens.' Wow! Can you believe it? He told me that there is a planet a few dozen light years - that's the distance light travels in one year, that's a light year, and it's a long way. He said this planet, and he gave me the name, Zeta Reticuli, and I spoke to astronomers and they confirmed that there is a planet named that out there. Jesus said, 'I am going to send you there, and you are going to preach my glory.' I asked the Lord, how I was going to go there, and he said, 'Those space ships in Texas that people have been seeing, they're coming for you.'"
-- from the thread TV Evangelists Unite to Beam Gospel to the Stars