From: vxv4@po.cwru.edu (Virgilio Velasco)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Superman buys the farm
Date: 18 Nov 92 10:13:33 GMT
Reply-To: vxv4@po.cwru.edu (Virgilio Velasco)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)


	He was sent to Earth, the only son of his father.  His goal: to
save a planetful of people that desperately needed him.  He was a man--and
yet, he was not.  His works were miraculous, and he performed them with 
nobility, expecting nothing in return.

	Sound familiar?

	Throughout the years, Superman has been regarded as a kind of
Christ-figure.  In the current storyline, it looks as though the writers
are about to take that concept one step further.

	Superman is about to die. 

	Popular opinion holds that he will not remain dead, however.  He
will probably be brought back to life.  How?  Many theories abound, but
few people really know.

	Perhaps he will be brought back to life in much the same way
Spock rose from the dead.  One might therefore be tempted to think of
Spock as a Christ-figure as well.  However, the analogy is more flawed
in the Vulcan's case.  Both characters are noble, caring creatures.
Both of them are human, and yet not human.  Both possess power far
beyond those of ordinary men.  Yet while Superman was a passionate
being, Spock sought to suppress many of the feelings which Christians 
value--in particular, love.   While Superman's father sent him to Earth,
Spock's father sought to prevent him from joining the humans in
Starfleet.  And while Superman indentifies with humanity, caring for
them deeply, Spock sent most of his life denying his human heritage.

	Any further thoughts?

-- 
    Virgilio "Dean" Velasco Jr., CWRU grad student & roboticist wannabee

   "Bullwinkle, that man's intimidating a referee!"    |    My boss is a 
   "Not very well.  He doesn't look like one at all."  |  Jewish carpenter.

[Superman is a dangerous image, since the most likely theological
implication would be the heresy of Arianism.  I hope it's clear to
everyone that we most specifically do not claim that Jesus was
superman.

In dealing with Spock, a lot depends upon whether you regard the
novels as part of the canon.  If so, a somewhat more positive
interpretation comes out.  First, "suppression of emotion" is a
disasterous mistranslation, that came out of early human-Vulcan
interactions, before there was anyone who understood both cultures
well enough to translate words clearly.  Vulcans now believe that a
better translation is "passion's mastery".

Second, suppression of emotion inevitably has connotations for humans
that are inappropriate, because we insist on seeing it in a human
context.  Thus it inevitably has freudian implications, of someone
trying to suppress something that naturally should not be suppressed,
with damaging consequences.  Vulcan emotional control is a basic part
of the culture, which should not be regarded as a pathology in a given
individual.  (Of course Spock himself is half human, so something
which is normal for a full Vulcan could still be pathological for
him.)

As I read things from the novels, Vulcans are still passionate.
However their history of violence was so disasterous that they have
chosen to develop ways to avoid open expression of their emotions in
contexts which could be dangerous -- and for them that's most public
contexts.  Remember however that they have mental powers that human
don't.  For example, marriage involved bonding in a way that lets them
see quite directly each other's feelings.  Their passions also show in
their actions.  While they are generally non-violent, now and again a
situation arises in which justice is served by force.  In such a case
you will not find a more ferocious warrior.  More commonly, they show
in more peaceful pursuits, such as the famous Vulcan dedication to
waging peace.

Spock did die for others.  It seems to me that the fact he did not
show emotion doesn't rob that of its significance as an act of love.
We've had discussions in the past on the significance of love.  Most
of us have claimed that love is not primarily an emotion, but rather a
dedication of ourselves for others.  I would say that Vulcans can
love, even though it will show differently for them than it would for
a human.

I wouldn't want to claim Spock as a Christ figure exactly, because the
essence of Christ's role is that he a mediator between us and God.  We
reach God through him, and God is present with us through our being in
Christ.  Thus properly speaking I don't think anyone else is fully a
Christ figure.  But in a limited sense, yes.  As we see Christ in
other people, we see him particularly in people who die for others.
(However I'd have to say that Spock's death reminded me more of the
Tale of Two Cities than the Bible.)

--clh]