@jeffreyweichsel@peterrhague C.S. Lewis in Out of the Silent Planet and elsewhere says it's because humanity will kill and subjugate the aliens we encounter.
@SketchesbyBoze@lauren_wilford "On a broad historical view it is, of course, not the demonstrative gestures of Friendship among our ancestors but the absence of such gestures in our own society that calls for some special explanation. We, not they, are out of step." C.S. Lewis, 1960
@pensandpoison Great question! I suggest G.K. Chesterton was good at four forms, in descending order of greatness:
Non-fiction: apologia, journalism, criticism
Novels: The Man who was Thursday
Short stories: Father Brown
Poetry: "The Donkey"
@jmc_fire "We would all be damaged in the process." I'm actually sympathetic because courage in the cause of the truth is really difficult. But we should apologize when we fail to be courageous in the cause of the truth.
@Thiohna@EndlessLamenes I think he's asking you a fair question because it concerns activism. People get upset about the children that were killed in Gaza (to use his example) while still just "walking dully along" (Auden) when a particular child they don't know is killed there.