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What does Religion Have to Say About UFO's?


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Recently I was exploring the subject of UFO's with a friend and it was clear that she was deeply skeptical about the subject. Later I discovered that she was a keen practising Christian and so I naturally wondered if there could be a connection. I have not seen her since to ask her directly.

Here are some questions:

1) Are there any clear references to ET life in the bible that would tend to steer believing Christians away from the subject? Are some sects more inclined to believe than others?

Suggested pointers:

http://christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-c012.html

2) Is this true for other great religious texts?

3) Is the fairly recent declaration by the church significant?

http://dancingfromgenesis.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/vatican-says-ets-alien-life-forms-real-biblical-history-catholic-church-pope-benedict-pontifical-acadmeny-of-sciences-corrado-balducci-chief-astronomer-gabriel-funes-declare-controversy-compatibilit/

4) is there compelling evidence for a connection between religion and UFO's? Many people look at clues in religious artwork and claim that this is true. What about Ezekiel's wheel for example?

My experiences over the years tells me at an instinctive level that having a strong religious belief may indeed preclude a person from believing in the existence of ET life and UFO's. Or is it simply that they regard the subject as not important? Indifference rather than denial.

I would be interested to see what others think.

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My experiences over the years tells me at an instinctive level that having a strong religious belief may indeed preclude a person from believing in the existence of ET life and UFO's.

Unless they're the Vatican Astronomer.

Or the Pope (both the last one and the new one).

Or me for that matter.

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having a strong religious belief may indeed preclude a person from believing in the existence of ET life and UFO's

I really don't see why it should. As observed, the Vatican itself seems to think that it may be quite possible that there might be life Out There. And if God is the Creator of the Universe, not just a local god for one particular planet, surely those who believe that is so would be willing to acknowledge that He may have created other forms of life Out There as well?

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The existence of aliens would present a MASSIVE theological problem for Christians (and possibly many other faiths as well).

Where the aliens in the Garden of Eden ? If not, then they could not be guilty of Original Sin; a cardinal aspect of Catholic doctrine.

Did Jesus manifest himself to the aliens ? If not, then this means that the aliens ... ALL OF THEM ... are unable to go to heaven.

Did the Aliens receive the Gospels ?

The gospels where written by Jesus' followers, sometimes LONG after his death. If Jesus DID manifest to the aliens, then there would presumably have been alien followers who would have written THEIR version of the Gospels. (and by extension, the entire Bible). Would this be different to OUR Gospels ? If so, which one is correct ?

And if both sets turned out to be identical.. then... WOW...that is devestating proof of the accuracy of the Gospels.

This would be seismic stuff !

Edited by RoofGardener
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It might be argued by some who believe in those things, perhaps, that such things only applied to Humanity, and that God as, in this case, serving in the capacity of a local God for local people, so therefore Jesus' mission to save humanity from Sin was only relevant for Humanity.

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It might be argued by some who believe in those things, perhaps, that such things only applied to Humanity, and that God as, in this case, serving in the capacity of a local God for local people, so therefore Jesus' mission to save humanity from Sin was only relevant for Humanity.

Yes I see this. Historically religionists have had a kind of 'isolationist' view, that God concentrates on them and nothing else, and we humans are his unique experiment.

Do we see an updating in recent times of this view; particularly when science has given us images that tell perhaps a different story?

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It might be argued by some who believe in those things, perhaps, that such things only applied to Humanity, and that God as, in this case, serving in the capacity of a local God for local people, so therefore Jesus' mission to save humanity from Sin was only relevant for Humanity.

Yeah, maybe everyone else did what God told them to do and not what a talking bloody lizard said was a good idea.

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Yeah, maybe everyone else did what God told them to do and not what a talking bloody lizard said was a good idea.

You mean the Serpent? interesting question there, although it may be going off on a slight tangent: God must have created the Serpent as well, mustn't he? So did was the serpent the first one to rebel , so in fact he was the one God should have taken it out on rather than poor old Adam & Eve, who were just gullible at most, or was he, like Satan was to poor old Job a while later, told to be an agent provocateur by God to test their obedience to his instructions?

Edited by Admiral Rhubarb
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As observed, the Vatican itself seems to think that it may be quite possible that there might be life Out There.

As per my knowledge this statement by the Vatikan is not that old, I think just some years. If so, I would say

that the Vatikan´s statement is more based on a policy/strategy to be prepared for answers (sic!) in case of

ET detection (thats more likely nowadays than in the past based on technology/computer power development/

raise in search activities and the V. knows that all) than it is based on a general belief in the existence of

extraterrestrial life.

Edited by toast
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According to the 'Tanach' of Judaism and therefore the 'Bible' of the Christians - the first thing in creation - "God created the Heavens...". Presumably that would include everything in it aswell. Any denial of this statement by religious followers would imply that any other lifeforms were either created by some other entity or do not exist (which is unlikely).

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ET life wouldn't really go against anything in any of the major religious texts. But having been around religious circles myself I can tell you that many religious leaders strongly oppose belief in ETs because they see it as a gateway to other "cult" beliefs that may contradict their religion.

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ET life wouldn't really go against anything in any of the major religious texts. But having been around religious circles myself I can tell you that many religious leaders strongly oppose belief in ETs because they see it as a gateway to other "cult" beliefs that may contradict their religion.

Nice way to express it; in other words interest is discouraged on the basis that it is a perceived competing belief.

I tend to cringe when I read UFOs and religion in the same topic.

Can you say why?

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You mean the Serpent? interesting question there, although it may be going off on a slight tangent: God must have created the Serpent as well, mustn't he? So did was the serpent the first one to rebel , so in fact he was the one God should have taken it out on rather than poor old Adam & Eve, who were just gullible at most, or was he, like Satan was to poor old Job a while later, told to be an agent provocateur by God to test their obedience to his instructions?

Actually, if the Serpent was Satan, at the time he was working for God as "the one way says the things you don't want to hear", looking at Job, that was Satan's job to say and presumably do, things that tested the boundaries. Tempting Eve was part of the job, her ACCEPTING the temptation was her weakness. If she'd have said "p*** off snake" Satan would have gone to God and said "heap, they're temptation proof".

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Nice way to express it; in other words interest is discouraged on the basis that it is a perceived competing belief.

Pretty much.

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When you say UFOs you really mean aliens.

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Tackling UFOs/aliens and religion in one posting--ambitious of you! One editorial note: To refer to the Roman Catholic Church (post #1, 2nd citation) as "the church" denies the legitimacy of hundreds of millions of Orthodox and Protestant believers the world over; the Orthodox being even more ancient than the Roman Church.

My own opinion is that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," and the liberal (scholastically liberal) Christian has no fear or loathing of the possibility of alien life elsewhere in the universe. It would raise interesting, but not harmful, questions about the relationship of God to alien life; it would be an encounter not wholly different from the first contacts between Europeans and indigenous American peoples (Vikings-native skraelings; the Spanish, French, English, Dutch, Swedes and Russians with various tribal groups of North, Central and South America). Those historical examples are rife with abuse, war, decimation, slavery and more, so we might hope an interstellar contact would be more peaceful and productive. . .

The positive effect of contact with alien life/culture for religionists would be to "push the envelope" on how "big" (philosophically and theologically) God truly is.

Interesting post--glad to see von Daniken and Stichin are, so far, absent in the mix.

Edited by DeWitz
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I don't give two craps what any religion has to say about this. They can't answer what they are either.

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When you say UFOs you really mean aliens.

Of course; the real mcCoy.

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Tackling UFOs/aliens and religion in one posting--ambitious of you! One editorial note: To refer to the Roman Catholic Church (post #1, 2nd citation) as "the church" denies the legitimacy of hundreds of millions of Orthodox and Protestant believers the world over; the Orthodox being even more ancient than the Roman Church.

My own opinion is that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," and the liberal (scholastically liberal) Christian has no fear or loathing of the possibility of alien life elsewhere in the universe. It would raise interesting, but not harmful, questions about the relationship of God to alien life; it would be an encounter not wholly different from the first contacts between Europeans and indigenous American peoples (Vikings-native skraelings; the Spanish, French, English, Dutch, Swedes and Russians with various tribal groups of North, Central and South America). Those historical examples are rife with abuse, war, decimation, slavery and more, so we might hope an interstellar contact would be more peaceful and productive. . .

The positive effect of contact with alien life/culture for religionists would be to "push the envelope" on how "big" (philosophically and theologically) God truly is.

Interesting post--glad to see von Daniken and Stichin are, so far, absent in the mix.

Thank you for your views.

That's very clear.

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Doesn't it make a change to have some reasonably considered responses in a thread rather than the usual bickering.

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Doesn't it make a change to have some reasonably considered responses in a thread rather than the usual bickering.

You can always rely on me :blush:

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Nice way to express it; in other words interest is discouraged on the basis that it is a perceived competing belief.

There is no reason that both beliefs couldn't be incorporated in a single world view (or 'universe view' if you will). Unless you are talking of aliens 'creating' humans, then yes that would be counter to most religions.

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Doesn't it make a change to have some reasonably considered responses in a thread rather than the usual bickering.

Give it time...

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There is no reason that both beliefs couldn't be incorporated in a single world view (or 'universe view' if you will). Unless you are talking of aliens 'creating' humans, then yes that would be counter to most religions.

As you know or recall, my view is that we are a hybrid; genetically interfered with in ancient times. I also believe that the further back you go in history the more integrated the two subjects were. ET's were the Gods of ancient times.

That is after all what the people of Egypt and South America claim.

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