Thread: Intelligent Life

Hypothetical Here:
Say we find intelligent life somewhere in space... what does that do to the religions here on Earth? I say it pretty much makes them all null and void, as it goes against the main teachings... of most of them at least.



Discuss

very few religions explicitely deny the existence of life outside of this planet, actually. its possible that it would actually convince many people that some religions are based more in truth than they previously thought.

Originally Posted by Xaqaria

very few religions explicitely deny the existence of life outside of this planet, actually. its possible that it would actually convince many people that some religions are based more in truth than they previously thought.

It would ruin mainstream religions like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Mormonism. All who claim to be the special unique reason for existing.

For others like say... scientology, it would only reinforce it...
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Originally Posted by O'nus

It would ruin mainstream religions like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Mormonism. All who claim to be the special unique reason for existing.

For others like say... scientology, it would only reinforce it...
~

Well the books of the judeo-christian religions sometimes refer to god as "Elohim" but the exact meaning of the word is unclear as it doesn't necessarily only refer to a single all powerful creator. There are some that believe that the word was literally used to refer to other worldly creatures and creators that came from heaven, which is the sky or above the Earth; being extra-terrestrial.

The mormons specifically believe in other planets and sentient life and that Earth is just one of many of Gods creations.

The hindu religion is also unclear as to whether their gods are purely spiritual or are also physical in nature. There are some hindu followers that believe shiva, krishna, kali, etc. were all real people who either came from other planets or were born on Earth.

Originally Posted by Xaqaria

Well the books of the judeo-christian religions sometimes refer to god as "Elohim" but the exact meaning of the word is unclear as it doesn't necessarily only refer to a single all powerful creator. There are some that believe that the word was literally used to refer to other worldly creatures and creators that came from heaven, which is the sky or above the Earth; being extra-terrestrial.

The mormons specifically believe in other planets and sentient life and that Earth is just one of many of Gods creations.

The hindu religion is also unclear as to whether their gods are purely spiritual or are also physical in nature. There are some hindu followers that believe shiva, krishna, kali, etc. were all real people who either came from other planets or were born on Earth.

And here we see the contingency plan for theism to fall upon - taking references out of context and manipulating it.

Oh well, delusions are impervious in mass numbers, right?

Some may have legitimate belief in alien life-forms, but my point here is just that, in any case, theists will have some manipulated contingency plan for any case.
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Originally Posted by O'nus

And here we see the contingency plan for theism to fall upon - taking references out of context and manipulating it.

Oh well, delusions are impervious in mass numbers, right?

Some may have legitimate belief in alien life-forms, but my point here is just that, in any case, theists will have some manipulated contingency plan for any case.
~

Why must it be manipulative? Why does there have to be under-handed connotations about it just because it relates to religion? I don't understand the idea that if you are an atheist, you are allowed to revise your beliefs but if you are a religious person, any revision based on new evidence is seen as manipulation and negative alteration.

These are the facts; the Torah, the talmud, the Q'uran, the new testament, the Vedas, The Gitas, etc., etc., all religious texts were written. These texts were inspired by certain circumstances. The circumstances that inspired these texts are largely unknown. Why must you see it is a negative thing to try to understand what the knowledge of our distant anscestors was based off of? Why must we believe that everything that people believed 2000, or 6000 years ago was wrong in order to progress?