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On Christmas Eve 1968, three astronauts aboard the Apollo 8 spacecraft became the first humans to orbit the moon—and to see Earth from afar. For a television special broadcast worldwide, they transmitted images of the view out their window.
Following a year of social and political upheaval, they wanted to send a message of hope. Each in turn read from the Book of Genesis, a story of the world’s creation. Not everyone appreciated hearing verses from the Bible on a broadcast celebrating a scientific milestone—including the founder of American Atheists, who filed a lawsuit in protest. Yet the moment highlighted one role religion continues to play in a world where some would claim science has replaced it. |