SciFi and Human Nature

Outcasts is a new miniseries on the Space Channel, a post-apocalyptic storyline developed by the BBC. The premise is that we have devastated the planet earth and in 2040 we must leave to start over on another planet. Our new home is called Carpathia, named after the ship that rescued survivors of the Titanic disaster. Most evacuees don't survive the trip but a colony is established, and the story begins ten years after the initial landing. Can we really start over?

We discover quickly that the colonists have personal baggage, some from earth, but also guilty decisions made since planetfall. The spacecast blog notes: "The characters are presented with the failings of the human race - will knowing what went wrong on Earth really force us to change our ways, or will "human nature" turn out to be the deciding factor?" At one point in the pilot episode the leader of the expeditionary teams concludes, "You start all over again, you mess things up again. That's just how it has to be."

Religion and media researchers have argued that channels "narrowcasting" to specific audiences have the opportunity to explore issues that the major broadcasters wouldn't consider. As yet, religious themes in Outcasts have not been raised, but the question of human nature looms large. From a religious perspective, I understand this as a fundamental question. Any social movement, secular philosophy or religious dogma that doesn't seriously address human nature misses the rescue boat.

The Judeo-Christian tradition does, though with varying interpretations. In the archtypical start-over story from the Bible, Noah and the flood, we read:

" ⁵ The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. ⁶ The LORD regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled."

Ouch. One significant counter theme in this tradition is there remains hope that God provides start-overs, heaven sent Carpathias.

I'm intrigued to see where this series is heading, and to answer the question: "who are the outcasts?"