"Oh my God, look at that picture over there! There's the Earth comin' up. Wow, is that pretty!"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. [Psalm 19:1 ESV]
-- Astronaut William Anders
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. [Romans 1:19-20a ESV]
For background, read Atheist, NASA Conceal First Communion on Moon and also read Christians Can Forget Having Any Career at NASA
In addition, read Astronomer Says No Intelligent Life Beyond Earth
-- From "Apollo 8 astronaut to mark 1968 broadcast to earth" by The Associated Press 12/23/13
An Apollo 8 astronaut who was among the first to orbit the moon is set to help re-enact the 1968 Christmastime broadcast from space.
Millions tuned in on Dec. 24, 1968, when Commander Frank Borman, Bill Anders and James Lovell took turns reading from the Book of Genesis as the Apollo 8 orbited the moon.
Lovell is expected to attend Monday’s event at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, where the original Apollo 8 Command Module is.
Lovell took part in several missions, including as pilot in the Gemini 7 flight in 1965, a command module pilot on Apollo 8 and a commander of Apollo 13.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Space history: Men orbit moon for first time in history" by Michael Shinabery, New Mexico Museum of Space History 12/22/13
In addition to being the first humans to orbit the moon, the website nasa.gov cited the primary mission was capturing "high-resolution photographs of proposed Apollo landing areas." The first manned lunar landing, Apollo 11, would take place just seven months later.
Among the mission's firsts, according to nasa.gov, are the "first pictures taken by humans of the Earth from deep space, and first live TV coverage of the lunar surface." According to [author of "Genesis," Robert] Zimmerman, Anders also captured a color image of an event never before seen firsthand by man. As the crew flew 70 miles above the moon, Anders grabbed the camera and took the photograph known as "Earthrise."
The U.S. Postal Service would issue the photograph on a six-cent stamp with the words, "In the beginning " The phrase paid homage to the Christmas Eve TV broadcast of the crew reading from the biblical Genesis. Zimmerman wrote that a reporter put the idea of a "Christmas-type gesture from space" into Borman's head.
. . . Frustrated over the lack of a poetic idea to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, Borman turned to a friend who called a spokesman for the Bureau of the Budget, Joe Laitin. Zimmerman said Laitin, a reporter who covered the Nuremberg Trials, "got a Gideon Bible that he had once swiped from a hotel." Laitin's wife told him: "If you want poetry you should look in the Old Testament." When Laitin responded he wouldn't know where to begin, Christine Laitin said, "Why don't you begin at the beginning?"
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From the transcript of the Apollo 8 astronauts (click to hear audio recording)
William Anders:
"For all the people on Earth the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you".Jim Lovell:
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.Frank Borman:
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
"And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.Borman then added, "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you - all of you on the good Earth."
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good."
From "'We close with good night, good luck': Apollo 8 astronaut marks 1968 broadcast to Earth" by Sophia Tareen, The Associated Press 12/23/13
Millions tuned in on Dec. 24, 1968, when Frank Borman, Bill Anders and Lovell circled the moon. A television camera on board took footage of the crater-filled surface as the astronauts read Bible verses describing the creation of Earth. They circled 10 times and began reading from the Book of Genesis on the last orbit.
"It's a foundation of Christianity, Judaism and Islam," Lovell said of choosing Genesis. "It is the foundation of most of the world's religions. ... They all had that basis of the Old Testament."
After the Christmastime broadcast, atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair filed a lawsuit against NASA, alleging First Amendment violations. But the case was dismissed, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read how President Obama Has Deleted God the Creator on Numerous Occasions, including in Thanksgiving Proclamations, and at Easter and most recently when quoting Abraham Lincoln re: Gettysburg.
