Religion and the Possibility of Alien Life

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The discussion centers on the potential implications of discovering intelligent aliens on human beliefs and religions. Participants speculate on how various religious groups might react, with some suggesting that believers may view aliens as creations of God, while others might see them as demonic or evil entities. The Vatican's stance is mentioned, indicating that the existence of aliens could be integrated into the belief in a creator. The conversation highlights that individuals' interpretations would vary widely based on their existing beliefs, with some already associating aliens with biblical figures or concepts. The discussion also touches on the idea that fundamentalist views may lean towards seeing aliens as malevolent, while other denominations might embrace them as fellow creations of God. Overall, the thread explores the complex interplay between faith, interpretation, and the potential for new discoveries in the context of extraterrestrial life.
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Today I was wondering, what do you all think would happen if humans discovered aliens that were more intelligent than us? What would happen to religions that believe in God and such? Do you think people will think of them as the creations of the devil or something? What if they had evolved beyond war? Then would they be thought of as creations of the devil?

I have no clue what people would think.
 
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Willis666 said:
Today I was wondering, what do you all think would happen if humans discovered aliens that were more intelligent than us? What would happen to religions that believe in God and such? Do you think people will think of them as the creations of the devil or something? What if they had evolved beyond war? Then would they be thought of as creations of the devil?

I have no clue what people would think.

They would think that God put them there and then there would be rapid funding of NASA in order to send Bibles to the stars.

The Vatican already gave its stance on this issue: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/6536400/The-Vatican-joins-the-search-for-alien-life.html
 
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If you believe in a supernatural creator, why wouldn't you believe that it created them too? Ruling on this thread pending.
 
People who stubbornly hold beliefs will continue to believe no matter what evidence they see. They will assimilate the information into their world model, rather than accommodate their world model.
 
But aren't humans supposed to be created in the image of god? If god creates a different type of intelligent being, then wouldn't they think otherwise?
 
Willis666 said:
But aren't humans supposed to be created in the image of god? If god creates a different type of intelligent being, then wouldn't they think otherwise?

"We can't limit the creative freedom of God" - Vatican
 
What if the Earth was older than 5000 years... or their was no divine intervention and you could show how things happen through rational cause and effect. What if we found dinosaur bones... then wouldn't they think otherwise?

I don't think so.
 
not-sure-if-devils-or-aliens.jpg
 
http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/2861/alienst.jpg
 
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  • #10
Willis666 said:
Today I was wondering, what do you all think would happen if humans discovered aliens that were more intelligent than us? What would happen to religions that believe in God and such? Do you think people will think of them as the creations of the devil or something? What if they had evolved beyond war? Then would they be thought of as creations of the devil?

I have no clue what people would think.

Plenty of people already believe aliens are here, so in part you can gauge the reaction to actual contact based on these beliefs. Some religious people assume "the aliens" are evil. Some believe they are only demons pretending to be aliens. Some think they are the angels mentioned in various religions. Some think they are the wizards behind the biblical God. Some think they actually started the human race. As with all things, each person would view the event through their own filter

One can even anticipate the interpretation based on the denomination. For example, fundamentalists tend to expect evil. New-age fundamentalists tend to expect deception. Protestants and Catholics tend to see us all as children of God. Mormons already believe in ET as a part of their religion [sheep that are not of this flock].
 
  • #11
Willis666 said:
Today I was wondering, what do you all think would happen if humans discovered aliens that were more intelligent than us? What would happen to religions that believe in God and such? Do you think people will think of them as the creations of the devil or something? What if they had evolved beyond war? Then would they be thought of as creations of the devil?

I have no clue what people would think.

I'm sure I've posted something to this effect before, but I can't find it. My apologies for repeating myself:

Deuteronomy 5:7 said:
non habebis deos alienos in conspectu meo

Which I translate as: do not have alien deities in my presence

Which implies there are many gods.

Which means there is no problem with aliens showing up that look like spaghetti.
 
  • #12
seize the pastafarian!
 
  • #13
Willis666 said:
But aren't humans supposed to be created in the image of god? If god creates a different type of intelligent being, then wouldn't they think otherwise?

What is meant by the phrase in the image of god? There really isn't a consensus among biblical scholars as to the meaning of that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_God#Interpretation
 
  • #14
Time to put the thread down.
 

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