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Wernher von BraunReligious Beliefs

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New Prada Shop OpensDubai's Mall of the Emirates

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Maria Luise von

Quistorpb: June 10, 1928

(84 today)Married

Wernher von BraunMarch 1, 1947

Landshut, Germany

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Religious Beliefs

ofWernher von

Braun

born: March 23, 1912died: June 16, 1977

Buried: Ivy Hill Cemetery,

Alexandria, Virginia.

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Why is there something rather than nothing?

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Where did religion come from?

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Sigismund, Wernher and Magnus

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Confirmation in Lutheran Church at age 13

von Braun receives a telescope as

confirmation gift

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Von Braun family

at family homenear

Oberwiesenthal

July 1935Sigismund – 24

Magnus – 16Wernher – 23

Emma & Magnus

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Prisoner Laborers in Underground V-2 Factory - 1944

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German Rocket Team at Fort Bliss August 1946

“Born Again” – El Paso - 1947

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Marriage - March 1, 1947

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Wernher von Braun with his family - Huntsville - 1970

Iris (20)

Maria (42)

Peter (10)

Margrit (17)

Wernher (58)

von Braun daughters

Margrit (58) and

Iris (62)

Von Braun celebrationHuntsville

March 2012

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Dr. Margrit von Braun - March 2012

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The Bible and the Beginning of Time

• In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)

• …we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. (1 Corinthians 2:7)

• This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:9)

• The hope of eternal life, which God... promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2)

• To the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)

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Was von Braun a Christian?

• According to W. Albert Wilson, a former NASA employee and Gideon Society member, in 1962 a troubled-looking von Braun requested to see him privately after hearing Wilson present the Gideon ministry to a church in Alabama.

• “When I left the office, I knew that he had become a Christian,” recalled Wilson.

• Later von Braun attended a Lutheran church and often read from the Gideon Bible Wilson had presented to him.

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Creation and the Creator• “We do not expect to find, through the exploration of

space, tangible proof of the existence of God. But as scientists we cannot but admire His handiwork more deeply as we learn more about creation. And indirectly we learn more about the Creator

• …For spiritual comfort I find assurance in the concept of the Fatherhood of God.

• For ethical guidance I rely on the corollary concept of the brotherhood of man.”

Huntsville Ministerial Association St. Thomas Episcopal Church November. 13, 1962

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Christ and Scientific Research

• Although I know of no reference to Christ ever commenting on scientific work, I do know He said: “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

• Thus I am certain that, were He among us today, Christ would encourage scientific research as modern man’s most noble striving to comprehend and admire His Father’s handiwork.

Religious Implications of Space Exploration: A Personal View, Belmont Abbey College, North Carolina, November 22, 1971.

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Knowing the Nature of the Creator• In this reaching of the new millennium through faith in

the words of Jesus Christ, science can be a valuable tool rather than an impediment.

• The universe as revealed through scientific inquiry is the living witness that God had indeed been at work.

• Understanding the nature of the creation provides a substantive basis for the faith by which we attempt to know the nature of the Creator.

Responsible Scientific Investigation and Application: A Talk Prepared for the Lutheran Church of America, Philadelphia, October 29, 1976.

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On Intelligent Design• “For me the idea of a creation is not conceivable without

invoking the necessity of design. One cannot but conclude that there must be design and purpose behind it all.

• ....the better we understand the intricacies of the universe and all it harbors, the more reason we have found to marvel at the inherent design upon which it is based.”

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Science and Religion• "For me there is no real contradiction between the world

of science and the world of religion. The two are dealing with two different things, but they are not in conflict with each other.

• Theologians are trying to describe the Creator; scientists are trying to describe His creation.

• Science and religion are not antagonists; on the contrary, they are sisters . . .

• While, through science, man tries to harness the forces of nature around him, through religion he tries to harness the forces of nature within him . . ."

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God and Freedom• "Science itself has no moral dimension; it is neither good nor

evil. We must apply our own moral yardstick to judge its ethical value."

• "Man has this fabulous ability to learn, to understand, to correlate, and to create. "He has the capability to make nature his servant. His freedom in making decisions is almost fearsome . . .

• Science has taught us one most important lesson about God that we should never forget: We have learned that God does not interfere in the free order of life and nature which He created. If we do not accept this, we must abandon the entire concept of freedom ..."

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The Laws of Nature

• "Our knowledge and use of the laws of nature that enable us to fly to the Moon also enable us to destroy our home planet with the atom bomb.

• Science itself does not address the question whether we should use the power at our disposal for good or for evil.

• The guidelines of what we ought to do are furnished in the moral law of God.”

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On Faith• I find it best through faith to accept God as an intelligent will,

perfect in goodness, revealing himself in the world of experience more fully down through the ages, as man’s capacity for understanding grows.

• For spiritual comfort I find assurance in the concept of the fatherhood of God. For ethical guidance I rely on the corollary concept of the brotherhood of man.

• Scientists now believe that in nature, matter is never destroyed. Not even the tiniest particle can disappear without a trace.

• Nature does not know extinction – only transformation. Would God have less regard for his masterpiece of creation, the human soul?”

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Humanity and Technology

• “The farther technology advances, the more fateful will be its impact on humanity.

• But if the world's ethical standards and moral laws fail to rise and to be adhered to with the advances of our technological revolution, we run the distinct risk that we shall all perish."

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Thoughts on the End of Life•“When my journey comes to an end,' he once remarked, 'I hope that I can retain my clear mind and perceive not only those precious last moments of my life, but also the transition to whatever will come then.

•A human being is so much more than a physical body that withers and vanishes after it has been around for a number of years. It is inconceivable to me that there should not be something else for us after we have finished our earthly voyage.

•I hope that I can observe and learn, and finally know what comes after all those beautiful things we experience during our lives on Earth.”

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From Major General John Medaris

• “His imagination strolled easily among the stars, yet the farther out into the unknown and unknowable vastness of Creation his thoughts went, the more he was certain that the universe, and this small garden spot within it, came from no cosmic accident, but from the thought and purpose of an all-knowing God.

• Von Braun died as he had hoped, with a clear mind able to experience the transition to the afterlife.

• His last credo was, “Thy will be done.” ... yes, in earth as it is in heaven.”

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Psalm 19:1 “The heavens are telling

the glory of God; and the firmament

proclaims his handiwork.”