Please join us for Spiritual Cinema on Friday, November 1st at 7:00 PM. We will watch the motion picture, “Jurassic Park” (1993) which is based on the novel by Michael Crichton. The middle school youth group is encouraged to attend as they will watch a bit of the film earlier in RE. The movie is 127 minutes and will be followed by a brief discussion of some of the topics raised by the movie. The Flippo family has volunteered to screen the movie in their home (this movie really needs surround sound to be appreciated) and they have room for at least 14 people. Please click this address for a map or directions: 2650 Easthaven Drive, Hudson, OH 44236. Please RSVP to Dan Flippo at [email protected]. Also, if you are in need of of a ride or are willing to provide a ride to others, please tell Dan when you RSVP. People are welcome but not required to bring food to share during the movie.

Comments by Dan:

Our fourth UU principle calls us to a “responsible search for truth and meaning.” This of course raises the question of what is an irresponsible search for truth? If it is true, how can it be irresponsible? I think Jurassic Park does a wonder job demonstrating just how dangerous truth can be when we use our fantastic technology to alter our environment. This movie helps us to consider the ethical implications of scientific advancements and what policies and laws need to be in place. Genetic engineering is a challenging ethical question as the technology can also be used to treat horrible diseases and bring back species that we have made extinct.  I encourage people to read the following BBC article about the real, current scientific debate on efforts to bring back woolly mammoths:

Should cloned mammoths roam the Earth?

It seems to me that we live in a society in which technology is continuously presented as wonderful. We were less exposed to the negative aspects of technology which were inevitably there. One of my interests is to provide that kind of balance to these notions that cell phones and faxes are all wonderful and great. Isn’t it fabulous that we all have computers? Well, yes and no is my response.
I was particularly interested in that, in working on Jurassic Park that aspect of what are the negative parts. Because in talking with the people who were doing this kind of research what I was hearing was that the most responsible of them were deciding not to proceed down certain lines of inquiry which is really a new phase in science. Traditionally in science what the scientists themselves have said is: “I might as well do it, because if I don’t, someone else will. It is going to happen inevitably.” I think there’s recognition now, that it’s not so inevitable and it’s quite conceivable that if I don’t do this research neither will anyone else. It’s simply too dangerous.

? Michael Crichton, Interview in “Beyond Jurassic Park”

Movie Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hke5SxKzkbc&feature=youtu.be