Stewardship and Space Exploration

A Middle School-High School Discussion

Here's a way to reflect on the good use of human resources and tie in current events. Print out the following news item for students to read. After reading, discuss the following questions:

1. Do you think it's important to learn whether there was ever life on Mars? Why or why not?

2. Do you believe that there could be aliens somewhere in the universe? Why or why not?

3. Read aloud Luke 16:1-13. What do these Scriptures say about being a good steward? Do you think the United States is being a good steward by spending money on space travel? Explain.

Luke.16 Verses 1 to 13

[1] He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.

[2] And he called him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'

[3] And the steward said to himself, `What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg.

[4] I have decided what to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the stewardship.'

[5] So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, `How much do you owe my master?'

[6] He said, `A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, `Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'

[7] Then he said to another, `And how much do you owe?' He said, `A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.'

[8] The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

[9] And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.

[10] "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much.

[11] If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches?

[12] And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

[13] No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

4. Read aloud Genesis 1:26-28. What does it mean to "subdue the earth"? Do you think space exploration is part of God's command to subdue the earth? Why or why not?

Gen.1 Verses 26 to 28

[26] Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."

[27] So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

[28] And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."

5. Imagine...what might God think about space exploration?

Space Exploration   

Washington, DC

In the excited glow of two successful missions to Mars, President Bush announced "a new plan to explore space and extend a human presence across our solar system."

On January 3, 2004, Mars Exploration Rover Spirit bounced and rolled for several minutes on its landing on Mars. Three weeks later, NASA's second Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity landed halfway around the planet from the site where its twin rover had landed. One of the primary goals of the Rovers is to discover signs of life that may've been on Mars.

Bush's first goal is to complete the International Space Station by 2010. The second goal is to develop and test a new Crew Exploration Vehicle by 2008. Bush said, "The main purpose of the spacecraft will be to carry astronauts beyond our orbit to other worlds." The third goal is to "return to the moon by 2020, as the launching point for missions beyond."

These goals will add $12 billion to the existing $86 billion budget NASA currently has. According to the White House press office, NASA will continue to spend less than 1 percent of the Federal budget each year.

Opponents of President Bush's plan argue that this money could be better spent on school funding, feeding the poor, or taking care of the elderly.

President Bush, though, says, "Along this journey we'll make many technological breakthroughs. We can't know yet what those breakthroughs will be, but we can be certain they'll come and that our efforts will be repaid many times over."

More than 1300 space technologies, such as CT scanners and MRIs, have contributed to U.S. industry and to hospitals worldwide.