Poll: An interesting conundrum

[GrimTuesday]

I've been watching Star Trek: The Next Generation for the last few weeks and recently I watched the episode entitled "Who Watches the Watchers".

Spoiler: For those who have not seen it or who don't know the name every Star Trek episode ever

The episode begins with the generator at a federation anthropologist's viewing hideout exploding. The Enterprise responds and beams down to help the wounded, and in the process, one of the inhabitants of the planet, a race of proto-Vulcans who the anthropologists were studying, climbs up the rock face to the window of the viewing area. The away team and the Vulcan guy are surprised and the Vulcan falls. The fall gravely injures him and to save his life, the Enterprise violates the prime directive and beams him aboard. When he is returned to earth, he thinks he was saved by a god, who he calls The Picard, as he saw Picard giving orders The rest of the episode revolves around Picard trying to convince the Proto-Vulcans, who had previously abandoned religion in favor of logic and reason, that he is not a god.

So put yourself in the position of Picard, you've come across a primitive civilization that has decided you are a god. You're faced with a question of morals, do you allow them to continue to think of you as a god, or do you go to whatever lengths necessary to prove that you are simply human?

Me personally, I would not allow them to think of me as a god. This is partly because of my views on religion, but also its because I think that it would alter the natural growth of the civilization in such a way that would be detrimental to both them, and the civilizations around them.

What would you do and why?

 

[BrassButtons]

I would not want to be deified for two reasons. First, I don't have a very good opinion of religion, so I certainly wouldn't want to be responsible for starting one. Second, it would be lying to not challenge their claims of my divinity.

 

[him over there]

Of course not, The truth is far to valuable and it would send them back into the equivalent of the dark ages based on the fact they've already adopted reason and logic. Unless of course it was for the good of science: observing how a society interprets advanced technology that is humdrum to us as witchcraft and how they discover and come to terms with its falsehood.

 

[werty10089]

I don't have a God complex. I AM GOD!!!

OT: Who in their right mind wouldn't abuse any power given to them? It works for most politicians, it can work for me. Of course, I have good intentions and what-not, so me being classified as a divine monarchist would work out in everyone's favour... For the most part... Maybe.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Unless it's really funny or a joke, I don't like spreading around follies and information I know is wrong.

 

[WolfThomas]

Nope, read and/or watch The Man Who Would Be King, that shit always backfires.

 

[GrimTuesday]

I don't have a God complex. I AM GOD!!!

OT: Who in their right mind wouldn't abuse any power given to them? It works for most politicians, it can work for me. Of course, I have good intentions and what-not, so me being classified as a divine monarchist would work out in everyone's favour... For the most part... Maybe.

See, its not so much the abuse of power that makes me opposed to the idea of being deified, I would be a splendid god who asked little of my subjects, however, to me its about stunting or galvanizing their growth as a species in a manner that could be destructive in the long run.

 

[Syphous]

Sure, I would let them think I was some kind of deity. Then I would tell them about basic morals that any civilization should have (don't steal, don't cheat, don't murder, don't touch my stuff) and then I would have sex with all of their women and leave.

[br]PEACE!​

 

[Kapol]

It depends on how 'primitive' they are. I do believe that religion is important for the advancement of a race to a certain degree. Of course, if the proto-vulcans were able to consiously decide to follow logic and reason as a whole race over religion, then I'd hardly say they are primitive. Sounds more advance then we are right now. But if we're talking about a primitive culture that still bases who's in charge based entirely who is strongest and can take what they want, I think religion would be more of a help then a hinderance.

 

[Infamous Boss]

Sure, I would let them think I was some kind of deity. Then I would tell them about basic morals that any civilization should have (don't steal, don't cheat, don't murder, don't touch my stuff) and then I would have sex with all of their women and leave.

[br]PEACE!​

Like a BOSS!


OT: No it would be to much responsibility not to mention "the man who would be king" ending i would be sure to get.

 

[GrimTuesday]

So put yourself in the position of Picard, you've come across a primitive civilization that has decided you are a god. You're faced with a question of morals, do you allow them to continue to think of you as a god, or do you go to whatever lengths necessary to prove that you are simply human?

Personally I'd try to get them to realize I'm simply human. It seems dishonest otherwise and I don't really want to have a strong impact on their lives randomly like that. Though I don't know if I'd let it bother me too much. Wouldn't go to insane lengths to correct it, it's kinda his mistake not mine.

Me personally, I would not allow them to think of me as a god. This is partly because of my views on religion, but also its because I think that it would alter the natural growth of the civilization in such a way that would be detrimental to both them, and the civilizations around them.

Natural growth? What're you talking about? It's not as if we're unnatural elements. We're part of the same universe. Encountering other civilizations isn't exactly unnatural.

I don't know if you watch Star Trek, but the Federation has the Prime Directive, basically, the technologically advanced civilizations aren't supposed to interfere with the development of the less developed one. Basically, the presence of more advanced species coming from outer space would change the development of the less developed species, thus not allowing them to to take their own course of development.

 

[Ogargd]

Personally I think religion is a bad thing, so no I wouldn't, I would go out of my way to prove I am merely a space traveler.

 

[GrimTuesday]

So put yourself in the position of Picard, you've come across a primitive civilization that has decided you are a god. You're faced with a question of morals, do you allow them to continue to think of you as a god, or do you go to whatever lengths necessary to prove that you are simply human?

Personally I'd try to get them to realize I'm simply human. It seems dishonest otherwise and I don't really want to have a strong impact on their lives randomly like that. Though I don't know if I'd let it bother me too much. Wouldn't go to insane lengths to correct it, it's kinda his mistake not mine.

Me personally, I would not allow them to think of me as a god. This is partly because of my views on religion, but also its because I think that it would alter the natural growth of the civilization in such a way that would be detrimental to both them, and the civilizations around them.

Natural growth? What're you talking about? It's not as if we're unnatural elements. We're part of the same universe. Encountering other civilizations isn't exactly unnatural.

I don't know if you watch Star Trek, but the Federation has the Prime Directive, basically, the technologically advanced civilizations aren't supposed to interfere with the development of the less developed one. Basically, the presence of more advanced species coming from outer space would change the development of the less developed species, thus not allowing them to to take their own course of development.

Well that might be part of Star Trek, but I still disagree with the idea that it is changing their development. It's not as if there was a preset course for their development and we're outside of that preset course.

Think about how interactions between more powerful advanced civilizations and less advanced civilizations, the more advanced almost always impose their culture and morals over the less developed. Look at what happened with the colonists and the Native Americans, it drastically changed the development potential of the Native Americans. Its the same principle, more advanced civilizations are more likely to impose their will upon the less developed.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I don't think you define being God as i do

Gods are superior beings

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

Sure, I would let them think I was some kind of deity. Then I would tell them about basic morals that any civilization should have (don't steal, don't cheat, don't murder, don't touch my stuff) and then I would have sex with all of their women and leave.

[br]PEACE!​

The problem is, how do you lay down the laws? Do you just say, "Don't do this because I said so," or do you give them reasons for how they should act, which allows them to build a civilization built on the spirit of the law, rather than it's letter.

OT: It would be a despicable thing to do to impersonate God. I don't have nearly enough wisdom or grace to be trusted with that kind of power over a species.

 

[Lawnmooer]

Hmm... If I was in that given situation then I'd probably go about teaching them to live in the way that doesn't involve depending on religion (If it means pretending to be their god and writing down the information very clearly so as to avoid confusion and possible alternate religions to make them kill each other for stupid reasons) so that they essentially do go about their lives like they did beforehand with the possible exception of a perhaps lowered chance to start bringing in religions as a reason to stray away from their original ideals.

 

[flamingjimmy]

I'd play long at first and then just repeatedly test their faith to try and get them to think critically about religious claims.