A quirk of this century has been the notion that parents could raise children in two incompatible religions simultaneously. The secret to understanding the universe was to first set aside as irrelevant the Person, Son, Word, and Work of God. Since few Christians are aware of the mechanism Horace Mann set in place 150 years ago to steal Christian children right out from under the noses of their parents, the church sat out this particular struggle. Since man cannot live without meaning, though, the artists stepped in when the Church bowed out. The universe of the standard science fiction story is frankly evolutionary, reveling in the idea of continual improvement through continual struggle.
Life can be good, even though ultimately pointless.
The new technology, whether developed by earthbound science, or alien artificat, is a standard feature of this genre. A kid who confronts disturbing new powers within his own body can delight in reading stories of other lives and cultures disrupted by new things. The standard plot is for the innocent, the everyman, who acquires said power to use it. Most of the time, the protagonist achieves new status by coming to terms with the new capability. Now and then, however, a Victor Frankenstein brings ruin upon himself and the world through his misuse of the dangerous gift.