The Prime Directive

If you're like me and grew up on Star Trek in one or more of it's many incarnations, you know exactly what I mean when I say "the prime directive." It's so ingrained into the fabric of the Star Trek universe, and culture, that anyone who has ever watched any part of Star Trek instinctively knows what it is without having to go back and review which episode or movie it came from.

For those of you who were not on a Star Trek I.V. drip for most of their lives, let me explain. The Prime Directive is Starfleet General Order Number One, and according to the Wikipedia (under the Article Title of Prime Directive):

"The Prime Directive states

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As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Starfleet personnel may interfere with the normal and healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes introducing superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Starfleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship, unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation(Giancarlo Genta, Lonely Minds in the Universe: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, Springer, 2007, p. 208.)

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"Nothing within these articles of Federation shall authorize the United Federation of Planets to intervene in matters which are essentially the domestic jurisdiction of any planetary social system, or shall require the members to submit such matters to settlement under these Articles of Federation; But this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII. (STAR TREK TECHNICAL MANUAL [TOS], [Articles of the Federation, Chapter I, Article II, Paragraph VII])"

Within the Star Trek universe, the Prime Directive is absolutely sacrosanct, and violating it bring severe consequences, not the least of which is that the person who did so is considered to have committed a gross atrocity in the process. The idea behind it is simple, they don't want to cause irreparable harm to any culture or society that isn't ready to accept the realities an interstellar civilization and alliance would bring. The parallels in real history are numerous as European civilization repeatedly interfered with the natural development of indigenous cultures with the result of many of those cultures and languages being lost, and often their people ending in a worse position than if they had been left alone.

As Christians, we too have been given instructions by Jesus Christ and His Apostles very similar to the Prime Directive. As I have watched the protests on the news this week surrounding President Obama's commencement speech, I have been reminded of this. There have been protesters now on both sides of the Abortion debate, both pro-life and pro-choice, marching and demonstrating, most notably on the pro-life side against President Obama's appearance at a Catholic University, because of his politically pro-choice stance. People have argued, been arrested, carried signs, and even held a competing graduation ceremony for those students opposed to the President's presence.

The Church Fathers spoke out against the practice of abortion as far back as the Roman Empire. I find it intriguing that an issue which was debated two millennia ago is still relevant today. It has always been the view of the Church that all life is sacred, and that the termination of the life of a child, whether in the womb or out of it, is an atrocity. I do not disagree.

But where our Prime Directive kicks in is that this is our belief. This is our standard. This is a view and belief of the kingdom and government of heaven, and applies to all those within that kingdom. As St. Paul wrote in 1st Corinthians 5:12-13, "for why should I be judging outsiders? Is it not your business to judge those within? God will judge those outside. 'Purge the evil person from your midst.'" (NAB)

We cannot take the direction and governance of the Holy Spirit on such matters and enforce it on those outside the Church. It would be the same as if the United States decided that it was going to enforce the US Constitution on Mexico, by force if necessary. Mexico is not a part of the United States and it would be a grossly inappropriate attack on their sovereignty, whether or not we believe our laws to be of a higher moral quality than theirs.

We're not here to enforce an artificial and unsustainable moral conduct on those who are not conjoined to Jesus Christ and not possessed of His Holy Spirit. The attempts to do so only lead to more suffering, guilt, anger, and frustration on the part of all parties involved. The choice to follow Jesus Christ is just that, a choice. Like Jesus Christ, we weren't called to follow Him to condemn the unsaved world, but that the world might be saved through Him with us as priveleged participants in that salvation. We are sent, like Him, to seek and save that which is lost, not to expect the spiritually blind to be able to live as though they can see. Even our own civil secular governments recognize the cruelty of that expectation. We're here to introduce them to a relationship with the Father through the Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. To bind up that which is broken, and fan the smoldering match into a flame. Attempting to impose the conduct of the Church on the unbelieving only encourages and produces self-righteous hypocrisy at best, and at worst... It doesn't work.

There are many women who make the choice to have an abortion, for whatever reason. This is a choice which harms them and leaves them scarred for the rest of their lives. It's our responsibility and directive to care for them and have compassion on them. It's our express directive to neither judge nor condemn, but to offer forgiveness and healing, as Jesus Christ did to us.

This is our prime directive in interacting with the unbelieving world: "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. Don't condemn, so that you won't be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. ... Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who persecute you, and pray for those who abuse you and mistrust you. ... Love your neighbor as yourself. ... Love one another as I have loved you." It is absolutely sacred, and the consequences for violation can be eternal and devastating.