Unitarian Multiversalism
A short story about a free and responsible search for life across dimensions
Edited by Althea May Atherton.
CE 2061 - General Assembly, Special Committee on First Contact
"Never has 'that which we know by many names' been more appropriate," said Chair Oliver. "We have been blessed with a sacred obligation to mediate relations between our universe, and those now teachable through the All Souls portal in Tulsa."
"How can we be trusted to speak for the whole of humanity?" asked member Lathrop. "Should this not be put in the hands of the scientists or the politicians?"
"The first message through the portal was 'sanctuary,'" replied Oliver. "We must trust that they chose us, and that is worthiness alone."
"But why us? We cannot offer the certainty of other faiths, nor the reach afforded larger religious institutions," asked Courter.
"Perhaps because we are the most comfortable with uncertainty. Whoever opened the portal may be a seeker, like us, and we can trust their selection," said Rev. Carillo.
"Regardless of why, they have chosen us. We are in contact with our terrestrial authorities; NASA and the Pentagon have sent observers, but we are free to proceed until there's obvious danger. What shall we, as a faith, do?" tasked Chair Oliver. "We have 24 hours."
Informed by UU principles & more than a little Star Trek, the Committee drafted 3 protocols of First Contact:
1. Welcome Table
- Greet as a guest, aware that this may invite danger
2. Space at the Table
- Define who we are, & make room for exchange
3. Home Visit
- Secure a visit to their world
Earth Common Era, 3061. General Assembly, Daycamp Classroom
"And then what happened?," asked the assembled children, in a range of tones and sound-orifices.
"Well," said Counselor Herrera, "as looking around attests, the exchange was peaceful. Not without disagreement, but those first years passed without war."
"But there was a war! A bad one!," a precocious blue-tinged Cephaloid shouted.
"Yeah! Why do we call it 'all holes church' now?" a red-headed Terran chimed in.
"Those are good questions, & I will answer them in time," said Counselor Herrera, "but for now, it was choices long after First Contact."
"Multiversal peace is a constant work," Herrerra continued. "And we can talk more about it over snack time."
Most kids rushed to the assembled tables, history lesson abandoned in a flurry of carrots and grapes.
"But why are we still universalists in a multiverse?" the Cephaloid asked Herrerra.
"That, too, is a great question," the counselor replied, nudging the child towards the snacks as they walked together, "but this one has a clear answer. The multiverse is all our separate home origins. But the 'universe' in our name is 'universal'. We believe all the multiverse is worthy of salvation."
Thank you all for reading. I know a short story about religion and alien contact is not exactly what you signed up for, but it is what I have to offer this month. I drafted it first on Bluesky, the microblogging social network that has supplanted Twitter for me. It is invite-only for now, which is a major limitation, but invites keep expanding.
I have a long-in-the-works story on chemical weapons and cluster munitions I’m hoping to finish and publish here soon, as well as a piece on two months spent delving deep into early atomic history, thanks to Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”
Speaking of Oppenheimer, if you’ve been missing my writing or the actual sound of my voice, and want to hear me talk atomic origins and film, I have an abundance of stories for you. For Source New Mexico, I wrote about the absence of New Mexicans on screen in “Oppenheimer.” At Vulture, I offered 12 books and films to read and watch to expand the depth of knowledge and perspective after seeing the film. At Popular Science, I wrote about what Nolan’s film left out about atomic bombs and testing, and I also covered how the Trinity test was filmed. For Arms Control Wonk Blog, I wrote a paired review of Barbie and Oppenheimer (Barbenheimer).
If you want to listen to me talk Oppenheimer, I spoke with Jeffrey Lewis of Arms Control Wonk about the film, and especially about the 1946 to 1952 era left largely off screen. Over at Angry Planet, Matt Gault and I talked about the film as film, and what it means for journalists covering nuclear weapons. While the link is not live at the time of my writing, I’ve recorded an episode with Hell of a Way to Die about Oppenheimer, which is a nice conversation between myself and Francis, who is not up to his elbows in nuke coverage.
As ever, thank you all for your continued support and patience, and I look forward to writing for you more in the future. I enjoy the freedom of this newsletter, and especially the audience support. Every subscriber has already made my life, as a freelancer and a new parent, that much easier. In a just society we’d have basic social protections not linked to employment, but in the absence of that, I am grateful for what you all can spare to help me and mine get by.
lol this is great