FIRST-PERSON: Worship, on the moon

FIRST-PERSON: Worship, on the moon

http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=33371

Kelly Boggs Posted on Jul 16, 2010

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Apollo 11, NASA's first manned mission to land on the moon, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., 41 years ago on July 16, 1969. Four days later, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the lunar surface and proclaimed, "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind."

While the first activities by man outside of the Apollo 11 lunar module were broadcast and publicized, one of man's first acts on the moon's surface -- a religious act -- which took place inside the lunar module was kept very private.

On July 20, approximately two-and-a-half hours after landing and prior to exiting the lunar module, Buzz Aldrin broadcast to Earth: "This is the LM pilot. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way."