My husband and I quit cable TV some time ago to save money like many households. With all the streaming options and subscription variants it’s debatable on whether you actually save money in the long run.
But my point is that because of our split with cable, we have watched a wider variety of shows. We have also been able to go back and catch shows we only watched sporadically. And one of those shows is Star Trek Voyager. It is about a crew that gets lost in space and tries to make their way home to Earth, despite estimates it will take a lifetime.
I am always amazed at some of the gospel values that are woven into some of the situations and characters in deep space and how their bizarre situations can apply to real life.
One example was in an episode we recently viewed where the crew of Voyager encounters the Kazon people who are not to be trusted and pose a grave and ongoing threat to their safe journey.
One of the crew members suggests to the captain that the ethics followed by the crew be changed or abandoned because “this far out in space” no one will know or care. And the goal is to get back to Earth quicker and alive.
To this suggestion Captain Janeway replies, “In a part of space where there are few rules, it’s more important than ever that we hold fast to our own. In a region where shifting allegiances are commonplace, we have to have something stable to rely on. And we do. The principles and ideals of the Federation. As far as I’m concerned, those are the best allies we could have.”
What Janeway is saying is that they need to remain decent people with values even when no one is looking. Holding fast to ethics and principles are important. Our Catholic faith is proof that a system of belief is beneficial and applicable across the ages and applies to life, ancient or modern. When all else in life fails, faith provides trust, stability and a path forward. You could rewrite Captain Janeway’s quote to reflect the Catholic faith and it would totally apply.
And with a few minor edits, you could make Janeway’s comment apply to good journalism and news literacy as well.
With everyone and his brother writing, tweeting, posting, podcasting on whatever subject they wish to expound upon, it is more important than ever that we hold fast to a code of ethics. And I don’t say this for journalists who are not being valued as they should in this time of massive information flow. I say this for those of you who are consuming the information. Do information consumers stop to ask themselves if what they are hearing or reading is accurate, fair, free of bias, transparent, or free of harm? Are the writers accountable to anyone except their own opinions?
As we now live in the age of AI (artificial intelligence) and now, as you will see on
page 12, “transhumanism,” it is more important than ever to know who is writing the information you are taking in and where it comes from. While you can absolutely learn things from Facebook, X, TikTok, etc. not all things are true. What are the sources of that information?
Facts still matter, and they always will. Like it or not, the world still needs reputable news sources, secular and religious. I encourage you to consume information from many sources who abide by a code of ethics. Make sure it is accurate. You may not agree with it, and you shouldn’t always agree.
Like the Starfleet captains who use a code of ethics to look at and discern situations from their own view and the view of the aliens they encounter, you too must take in all sides of an issue and use your Catholic faith to guide you. And we earthlings at The Observer are here to help.
