Question for religious people

[DisgruntledVirus]

Inspired by my post in here http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=38&threadid=2229354

Lets say an alien space craft lands tomorrow (think of when Vulcans land on Earth, or some other alien first contact situation and not a government coverup deal). What will the Pope say about we are unique and created by "God"? What will every major religion do about humanity being unique and created by "God"?

 

[CKent]

In the old days I'd grab a lawn chair & beer, but the mods are faster now

 

[KB]

They will say that the Aliens are the Devil testing their faith.

Or they will say the Bible account is not literal.

Either way they will not give up their faith.

 

[Vehemence]

They'll probably say it's a useless hypothetical situation, akin to asking an atheist what he'd think if God suddenly appeared before him.

 

[irishScott]

The wonderful thing about religion-specific Gods is that if they actually came to Earth claiming to be such, they'd probably be killed or otherwise ignored by their followers.

Go around the Middle East claiming to be a reincarnation of Allah and see how long you last.


<------------Deist

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: KB
They will say that the Aliens are the Devil testing their faith.

Or they will say the Bible account is not literal.

Either way they will not give up their faith.

Damn that logic and science!

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

How would that scenario refute that we are not "unique" or that God created us?

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
How would that scenario refute that we are not "unique" or that God created us?

How wouldn't it?

 

[MrWizzard]

You sir need more things to do with your extra time.

 

[JS80]

How are aliens incompatible with Judeo/Christianity?

 

[Crono]

Hypotheticals like this are pointless, because it won't happen. Not a real spacecraft and not real aliens, anyway. You might as well ask what would religious people do if everyone on the planet suddenly became believers. Besides, there wouldn't be any one unified response.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I am don't want this to be a "lawn chair and beer" type religion thread. I am really curious as to what somebody who believes in a faith of some kind would be able to do if an alien species came to Earth today.

When science has shown something that contradicts religious texts, the "meanings" are changed to still be able to be true with the facts that science provides. I think aliens would seriously force a change in a lot of religion, but how or would it even force a change in the way religious texts were read?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
How would that scenario refute that we are not "unique" or that God created us?

How wouldn't it?

The only way it does is if you posit that the only intelligent 'human' with a soul in the universe lives on the planet Earth. I fail to see where the bible says this.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: MrWizzard
You sir need more things to do with your extra time.

Yeah I should do some work at some point today.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Crono
Not a real spacecraft and not real aliens, anyway.

Thank you for proving KB's point that religious nutjobs will say anything to continue following their faith blindly.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
How would that scenario refute that we are not "unique" or that God created us?

How wouldn't it?

The only way it does is if you posit that the only intelligent 'human' with a soul in the universe lives on the planet Earth. I fail to see where the bible says this.

Just trying to get a real response instead of a copout question. Nice job

 

[OCGuy]

When something is pounded into your head a such a young age (church, gawd, etc), it is very hard to get out of it. No matter what logic tells you (A man didnt build a giant boat and track down 2 of every animal, the earth isnt only 5000 years old, etc) you are going to keep your "faith." For most religious people, I would say religion was burned into thier brain long before they discovered logic.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: Crono
Hypotheticals like this are pointless, because it won't happen. Not a real spacecraft and not real aliens, anyway. You might as well ask what would religious people do if everyone on the planet suddenly became believers. Besides, there wouldn't be any one unified response.

How can you say "not a real spacecraft and not real aliens"? Just as I cannot prove your "God" doesn't exist, you cannot prove that aliens don't exist somewhere in the Universe. It is completely different than asking if everybody became a believer, because I am not saying you couldn't still believe in "God" or that religion would go away. The same way a lot of doctrine has changed from the times of an Earth-centric view of the universe to the modern view of the Universe.

I know that there wouldn't be one unified response, but it might provide some insight into how it would change religion (or if it even would).

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
When something is pounded into your head a such a young age (church, gawd, etc), it is very hard to get out of it. No matter what logic tells you (A man didnt build a giant boat and track down 2 of every animal, the earth isnt only 5000 years old, etc) you are going to keep your "faith." For most religious people, I would say religion was burned into thier brain long before they discovered logic.

What does logic or, lack thereof, have to do with faith? Faith is a choice based on free will and can neither be proved or disproved by logic.

 

[CycloWizard]

If it happened today, it's likely that the pope's response would be something to the effect of, "Avast, thar be aliens! Ahoy!" Other than that, I don't think he'd be too worried about it, unless they happened to be from that planet that the Scientologists or Mormons think they're from. Then things might get a little shaky.

 

[Nik]

Actually, with the vast expanse of the universe and the number of points of light in the sky, it would be completely arrogant to assume that earth is the only body in the heavens that contains intelligent life. Assuming as much kinda refutes the whole "intelligent" part.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: Crono
Not a real spacecraft and not real aliens, anyway.

Thank you for proving KB's point that religious nutjobs will say anything to continue following their faith blindly.

Think about it. How many atheists would also be skeptical of an alien spacecraft and aliens? Some people you know, even? Maybe not as many as those who claim to be religious, but a large number, I am sure. Despire the statements of people that there "must" be intelligent life on other planets due to the vast amount of time and space in the universe, there is not a single shred of evidence that shows otherwise. So yes, I think there will be "religious nutjobs" like myself, as well as atheists, agnostics, and any other classification you can think of, that deny any such appearing as being a true extraterrestrial visitation.

 

[Bryophyte]

My mother-in-law believes in aliens, but she says that they are "angels".

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Crono

Originally posted by: Nik

Originally posted by: Crono
Not a real spacecraft and not real aliens, anyway.

Thank you for proving KB's point that religious nutjobs will say anything to continue following their faith blindly.

Think about it. How many atheists would also be skeptical of an alien spacecraft and aliens? Some people you know, even? Maybe not as many as those who claim to be religious, but a large number, I am sure. Despire the statements of people that there "must" be intelligent life on other planets due to the vast amount of time and space in the universe, there is not a single shred of evidence that shows otherwise. So yes, I think there will be "religious nutjobs" like myself, as well as atheists, agnostics, and any other classification you can think of, that deny any such appearing as being a true extraterrestrial visitation.

It's man's nature to be both inquisitive and skeptical. Regardless of man's religious affiliation (or lack there of), you're going to find skepticism everywhere until the reality of it simply cannot be refuted.

I'm of the persuasion that life exists somewhere, but I don't assume to know what level of life. I'd be mostly skeptical, too, yet I'd actually be open minded about it which is a major difference between religious nutjobs and me.

 

[irishScott]

Originally posted by: Ocguy31
When something is pounded into your head a such a young age (church, gawd, etc), it is very hard to get out of it. No matter what logic tells you (A man didnt build a giant boat and track down 2 of every animal, the earth isnt only 5000 years old, etc) you are going to keep your "faith." For most religious people, I would say religion was burned into thier brain long before they discovered logic.

Pretty much. Which is why I'm going to ensure that my future kids aren't indoctrinated with that shit at a young age. I'll let them go to a decently moderate church if they/my future wife wants it. Many social opportunities that are vital at that age can be found there, but if I hear them spouting off about "the one true God" or any other phrase of the Bible, they're going to get a good lesson in common sense from Daddy.

In any case, I'm 20, so all of this "future" stuff probably won't happen for another few years.

Seriously though, religious indoctrination is virtually the same as brainwashing suicide bombers. Admittedly the results are (generally) much more positive, but it's the same principle.