Wernher von Braun Religious Beliefs

New Prada Shop Opens Dubai's Mall of the Emirates Jun 10, 2012 Recognising the UAE as one of its most important markets, Prada officially opened a boutique at Dubai's Mall of the Emirates on Wednesday. Designed by Roberto Baciocchi, it is one of the group's largest. Inside the 1,140-square-metre boutique, shoppers will be met with majestic marble, a succession of symmetrical rooms, luxurious carpeting and a mirror gallery. Separate womenswear and menswear sections house the latest and signature collections, ranging from ready-to-wear, footwear, bags, accessories and a "made-to-measure" area dedicated to bespoke clothing. …it makes sense to open a store in Mall of the Emirates, which is considered "the" shopping destination in Dubai. We also felt it's the right moment in our global picture. We have expansion plans for the whole region in existing and new markets and not just in Dubai. We had a previous operation in the region and we closed down about three years ago. The idea was to clean up the market and to make a new step via our own retail operations.

Maria Luise von Quistorp b: June 10, 1928 (84 today) Married Wernher von Braun March 1, 1947 Landshut, Germany Maria Luise von Quistorp b: June 10, 1928 Married Wernher von Braun March 1, 1947 Landshut, Germany He was 35 She was 19 - difference of 16 years

Buried: Ivy Hill Cemetery, Religious Beliefs of Wernher von Braun born: March 23, 1912 died: June 16, 1977 Buried: Ivy Hill Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia. Technical Director German A-4/V-2 Program - 1932-45 Director Marshall Space Flight Center – 1960-70

Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is there something rather than nothing? There are at least ten answers to this, arguably the biggest Big Question of all time. 1. God The theist’s answer to the question is that God existed before the universe and subsequently brought it into existence out of nothing (ex nihilo) in a single creation moment as described in Genesis. But the very conception of a creator existing before the universe and then creating it implies a time sequence. In both the Judeo-Christian tradition and the scientific worldview, time began when the universe came into existence, either through divine creation or the Big Bang. God, therefore, would have to exist outside of space and time, which means that as natural beings delimited by living in a finite universe, we cannot possibly know anything about such a supernatural entity. The theist’s answer is an untestable hypothesis. 2. Wrong Question Asking why there is something rather than nothing presumes “nothing” is the natural state of things out of which “something” needs an explanation. Maybe “something” is the natural state of things and “nothing” would be the mystery to be solved. As the physicist Victor Stenger notes in his forthcoming book, Why is There Something Rather Than Nothing?: “Current cosmology suggests that no laws of physics were violated in bringing the universe into existence. The laws of physics themselves are shown to correspond to what one would expect if the universe appeared from nothing. There is something rather than nothing because something is more stable.”

Where did religion come from?

Sigismund, Wernher and Magnus In Childhood Portrait (No Date) This is a childhood portrait of Dr. Von Braun, center, with his brothers. Wernher von Braun and his Brothers Future rocket engineer Wernher von Braun, center, with brothers Sigismund, left, and Magnus. Sigismund later became a German diplomat and Magnus was a rocket scientist and a Chrysler executive.

Confirmation in Lutheran Church at age 13 von Braun receives a telescope as confirmation gift

Sigismund – 24 Magnus – 16 Wernher – 23 Emma & Magnus Von Braun family at family home near Oberwiesenthal July 1935 Sigismund – 24 Magnus – 16 Wernher – 23 Emma & Magnus Magnus von Braun was born at his family's manor of Neucken, an estate the von Brauns had owned since 1803,[5] near Pr. Eylau (present-day Dubki near Bagrationovsk, Russia) in East Prussia to Maximilian von Braun (1833–1918) and Eleonore (née von Gostkowski) (1842–1928).[3][6] He studied law at the Universities of Göttingen and Königsberg and joined the Prussian civil service in 1905, at first at the department of trade and commerce in Berlin. Between 1911 and 1915 he was the district chief executive (Landrat) of the Kreis Wirsitz (Province of Posen) and returned to Berlin in 1915 to the department of interior.[4] In September 1917 Braun became the first chief press officer of the Reich Chancellery[7][8] and later the head of the political department of the military administration of Vilnius.[4] He became the Stadthauptmann (head of the administration) of Daugavpils in 1918 and commissarial Police President of Stettin in 1919. Braun then worked again at the department of interior and became the President of the Governorate of Gumbinnen. He was dismissed from the civil service after the Kapp Putsch in 1920 for his role in the coup.[9] Braun returned to his family's manor in East Prussia and was active in several agricultural organisations like the Raiffeisen cooperative. In 1930 he became the Vice President of the Reichsverband der Landwirtschaftlichen Genossenschaften (Association of Agricultural Cooperatives).[10] On 1 June 1932 he was appointed Weimar Germany's Minister of Nutrition and Agriculture and Reichskommissar for Eastern Aid (Osthilfe) in the cabinet of Chancellor Franz von Papen, a position he kept under Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher until 28 January 1933.[11] After the Nazis came to power on 30 January 1933, Braun moved to his manor in Silesia, which after World War II became part of Poland and Braun was expelled to Western Germany in 1946.[8] Braun followed his son Wernher to the United States in 1947, but returned to Germany in 1952, where he died in 1972 at Oberaudorf. Braun married Emmy von Quistorp (1886–1959) on 12 July 1910. They had three sons: Sigismund von Braun (1911–1998), diplomat Wernher von Braun (1912–1977), rocket scientist Magnus von Braun (1919–2003), industrial manager

Prisoner Laborers in Underground V-2 Factory - 1944 Scene from a film depicting prison labourers working on the V2 rockets at Mittelwerk

German Rocket Team at Fort Bliss August 1946 German Rocket Team at Fort Bliss, Texas, USA, August 1946. Von Braun is in front row, seventh from right. Eberhard Rees is on his left Arthur Rudolph is in the front row, fourth from the left. Kurt Debus, who was to become director of the Kennedy Space Flight Launch Facility is first position on left in third row. Bernart Tessmann, who was one of the scientists who hid three truckloads of critical V-2 design documents in a mine is in front row, second from left. On his left is Hannes Leuhrsan, who assisted Tessmann in rescuing von Braun after a near fatal auto accident in April 1945 just before surrender.

“Born Again” – El Paso - 1947 “One day at Fort Bliss a neighbor called and asked if I’d like to go to church with him. I accepted, because I was anxious to see if an American church was just a religious country club, as I had been led to expect.” Instead I found a little white frame building on a small lot. A little while later the minister arrived in an old battered bus that he had driven up to forty miles to retrieve parishioners who did not have cars. Together these people made up a live, vibrant community… This was the first time that I really understood that religion was not a cathedral inherited from the past or a quick prayer at the last minute. To be effective, religion has to be backed up by discipline and effort.” Although he had remained a perfunctory Lutheran in Germany, the old state-supported religion had not much emotional appeal for him. The welcoming inclusiveness of American evangelical Protestantism came to him just at a time when he felt blessed by God and in need of acceptance in a new land.

Marriage - March 1, 1947

Wernher von Braun with his family - Huntsville - 1970 Maria (42) Margrit (17) Peter (10) Dr. Wernher von Braun with his family and dignitaries at ceremonies unveiling a plaque in his honor prior to his leaving Huntsville in February 1970. Pictured: daughter Iris (20), wife Maria, US Senator John Sparkman, Alabama governor Albert Brewer, von Braun, son Peter (10) and daughter Margrit (17). Maria Luisa von Quistrop: b: June 10, 1928 m: March 1, 1947, Landshut, Germany Iris Careen : December 9, 1948 – Fort Bliss Margrit Cecile: May 8, 1952 Peter Constantine: June 1, 1960 Von Braun became naturalized citizen: April 15, 1955 Iris (20)

von Braun daughters Margrit (58) and Iris (62) Von Braun celebration Huntsville March 2012 Community remembers, honors von Braun Submitted by admin on Wed, 03/28/2012 - 07:48 By AMY GUCKEEN TOLSON Staff writer amy.tolson@theredstonerocket.com To the world, Wernher von Braun defined the term rocket scientist, becoming the father of the American space program, but to the von Braun children, he was just dad. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center joined with the von Braun family, as well as the Huntsville and worldwide community to celebrate what would have been the German scientist’s 100th birthday in a special party at the Davidson Center Friday night. "To the enduring spirit of exploration in all of us, and to continue the dream that space exploration offers to bring people of all nations together in the peaceful pursuit of knowledge and wisdom," his daughter Margrit von Braun said in a toast to her late father. While the celebration was as much a tribute to all von Braun accomplished under the Saturn V Rocket, the very vessel he created, the evening was as much about remembering the man that was a husband, father, team member and friend. "He was open minded. He was funny, he was focused, he was determined, he was curious and he was a consummate team builder," von Braun said. "I believe that his spirit lives on in everyone who is an explorer, whether they’re exploring outer space, science, culture, religion, art. His spirit is alive in every person who wonders how to reach beyond perceived limitations."

Dr. Margrit von Braun - March 2012 Dr. Margrit von Braun talks about her father during a 100th birthday celebration in honor of Wernher von Braun at the Davidson Center at the U.S. Space and Rocket center Friday, March 23, 2012 in Huntsville, Ala

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)

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.

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

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.

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.

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.” “I have discussed the aspect of a Designer at some length because it might be that the primary resistance to acknowledging the “Case for Design” as a viable scientific alternative to the current “Case for Chance” lies in the inconceivability, in some scientists’ minds, of a Designer. The inconceivability of some ultimate issue (which will always lie outside scientific resolution) should be allowed to rule out any theory that explains the interrelationship of observed data and is useful for prediction...Many men who are intelligent and of good faith say that they cannot visualize a Designer. Well, can a physicist visualize an electron? The electron is materially inconceivable and yet, it is so perfectly known through its effects that we use it to illuminate our cities...What strange rationale makes some physicists accept the inconceivable electron as real while refusing to accept the reality of a Designer on the ground that they cannot conceive Him? I am afraid that, although they really do not understand the electron either, they are ready to accept it, because they managed to produce a rather clumsy mechanical model of it borrowed from rather limited experience in other fields...”

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 . . ."

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 ..."

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.”

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?”

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."

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.”

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.”

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.” Von Braun grave: Ivy Hill Cemetery, Alexandria, VA