Did Astronaut Chris Hadfield Slam all Non-Christian Faiths in Interview on NPR?

By Mike Shoesmith

While floating weightless in the International Space Station last spring, Commander Chris Hadfield recorded his own version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" — a video that's now been viewed more than 18 million times on YouTube. But when he wasn't busy being an Internet phenomenon, the Canadian astronaut was witnessing awe-inspiring beauty, facing life-threatening dangers and, at times, holding onto a spaceship orbiting Earth at 17,500 miles an hour.

Hadfield has flown three space missions, conducted two space walks and spent a total of six months in space. On Earth, he's been the chief of international space station operations in Houston and chief CAPCOM commander — the person at mission control who communicates directly with astronauts in orbit. In a new book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, he shares some of the lessons he learned in space.

On Faith and religion Hadfield seemed to be slamming all non-Christian faiths. Read between the lines here with me.

Hadfield said, when referring to looking down at the earth from space as opposed to the vast emptiness of space: "it can't be random." He also said, while sounding very inclusive on the surface:

"The big pervasive feeling on board looking at the Earth [from space] is one of tremendous exquisite privilege that it exists. ... But I think what everyone would find if they could be in that position — if they could see the whole world every 90 minutes and look down on the places where we do things right, and look down where we're doing stupid, brutal things to each other and the inevitable patience of the world that houses us — I think everybody would be reinforced in their faith, and maybe readdress the real true tenets of what's good and what gives them strength."

If one was to actually look at a map of, say, Islamic countries we see exactly that, "stupid and brutal things" being done. The same can be said about Hindu countries where a person's situation is seen as the result of Karma. The same goes for Buddhism. 

While on the other hand, when we look at a map of those nations with a strong Christian heritage like most of Western Europe (though currently under siege by Islamists), Canada, the US, et al we see prosperity and philanthropy. When Atheism took hold of Eastern Europe we saw a powerful degradation of life in all of its facets. With the fall of the Iron Curtain in the 90's the Western influence came in and restored prosperity to the land (2 Chron 20:20).

If one was to actually take the time to examine the various war memorials scattered around Western Europe, Canada, and the US one would quickly get the (right) impression that God was the motivation behind the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. Not the God of Islam or the many Hindu gods but the 'I AM.' The God we know from the pages of the Bible and, perhaps, Chris Hadfield's God also.

Listen to the entire interview with Chris Hadfield here.