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Would ET contact challenge religious faith ?


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Theologian Robin Lovin doesn't believe that discovering alien life would cause a 'crisis of faith'.

Few could doubt that the revelation that we are not alone in the universe would have significant and far-reaching consequences for society. Not only would it be one of the most important events in human history but it would also lead us to question our place in the universe and to see ourselves as a species in a new light.

Read More: http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/268085/would-et-contact-challenge-religious-faith

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Good question! I think die-hard Christians like my mother would just cling more closely to her Bible and take ET contact as the proof that God created the entire universe, not just this planet. Whereas I see the Bible as the story of the Jews, she sees it as so much more. Of course, she is almost 100 and was a Bible School teacher for a very long time.

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You can twist the bible to fit virtually any scenario or belief.I have no doubt if we found alien life some christian would pull a line out of the bible that supposedly makes reference to them.

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First I am glad this guy had a revelation that occurred to the Rand Corp. in the 60s.

And if there is one thing that history teaches us it is that we can compel our beliefs upon others no matter the destructive cost to their culture or well-being.

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Man is very egocentric and has often tried to "do away with" God, because of the implication is, that if we are created beings and not products of random chance and evolution, we might be accountable to our Creator.

We have ideas about how our world is put together, once the earth was flat, now we know better. Once the sun and solar system revolved around the earth, again ditto. We often set forth human traits that supposedly separated us from the beasts. Language was one, but then we found animals with complex languages such as cetaceans. Then we proudly said man is the only animal that uses tools, but we found birds like crows and the famous Woodpecker Finch, Sea Otters, along with our closest relatives the apes, also use tools. Douglas Adams in his famous Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, said that man did away with God, making him disappear in a "puff of logic" and then went on to prove that, "black was white and white was black, but was then summarily "run over at the next Zebra crossing." But despite attempts, the notion of a high being is still very much with us today. Sometimes that notion is misused to be sure, but neither scientific inquiry, nor communism, nor the writings of skeptics and atheists like Voltaire, Carl Sagan and Richard Dawkins have done away with God. God is still very much apart of our culture, and not our's alone; believers in some form of deity vastly outnumber those who do not believe.

Now alien contact would be something of a different order of magnitude but I don't see such contact doing away with God or the concept of God. We are talking about a Being that created the entire universe and everything in it. If Earth and our solar system is any example, God is a God of variety and creativity. He made a big universe, mind-bogglingly big, and we have discovered many alien worlds, some possibly capable of sustaining life. Whether sentient, intelligent and technological life exists outside our solar system is an open question. Whether we or such life can breech the light-speed barrier and transverse incredibly vast distances is another unknown.

Such contact would change our perspective on our place in the cosmos, but again I do not see it "doing away with God."

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My question is what would happen if they shared the exact same beliefs?

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You can twist the bible to fit virtually any scenario or belief.I have no doubt if we found alien life some christian would pull a line out of the bible that supposedly makes reference to them.

You are somewhat correct. In fact there is a large and growing group of Christians who are concerned about just such a scenario. 2 Thessalonians 2:11

"For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,"

Many now think that this may refer to an alien visitation. The bible doesn't clearly reference aliens so if some show up, doing things that seem supernatural, they might readily be accepted as gods by most of humanity. Christ laid out some specific circumstances surrounding his return. If Luke Skywalker shows up first then I plan to keep moving and let the rest flock to him in joy ;)

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Wait....didn't the Catholic Church come forward and say something about this already? I think they said something like God is bigger than just humanity. I am not Catholic of course but I think thats a good way to think about it. I believe in a god I am just not fond of belonging to any religion.

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Man is very egocentric and has often tried to "do away with" God, because of the implication is, that if we are created beings and not products of random chance and evolution, we might be accountable to our Creator.

No, it's the lack of evidence.

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Aliens probably use a scale of the inhabited Planet's superstition percentage as a decision for formal contact.

This Planet is still child like as a whole.

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I am a Christian and it would not challenge my faith in Christ. If I took all of the parts and gears of a functioning pocket watch and placed them in a paper bag and shook the contents for a billion years, I would never open the bag and find a working pocket watch. The odds of finding a working pocket watch are better than the Earths creation by chance in chaos. I respect all other beliefs but this one is mine. Jesus said, he is not from this world, so by our definition, he is an Alien / ET.

Edited by maximusnow
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I am a Christian and it would not challenge my faith in Christ. If I took all of the parts and gears of a functioning pocket watch and placed them in a paper bag and shook the contents for a billion years, I would never open the bag and find a working pocket watch. The odds of finding a working pocket watch are better than the Earths creation by chance in chaos. I respect all other beliefs but this one is mine. Jesus said, he is not from this world, so by our definition, he is an Alien / ET.

Amen Brother!

Why Atheists think they would get a working Pocket Watch is beyond knowing except that God sent his strong delusion on them for being unGodly.

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Theologian Robin Lovin doesn't believe that discovering alien life would cause a 'crisis of faith'.

Read More: http://www.unexplain...religious-faith

It wouldn't for most of us, even the fundamentalist Christians out there, if put in the correct context.

Is the Idea of Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life Compatible with Conservative Judaism & Christianity?

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I'm Catholic and I never understood why people would be upset about religion if we find other intelligent or even unintelligent beings. God created the universe. He created everything.

If they have a different religion, so we have a bunch too.

I believe in one God, and as long as you do good in this life and treat all (humans and animals) with respect, I think it's a good foundation to salvation. :)

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Well, if aliens have their own belief system and see us as HEATHEN SAVAGES...Hilarity would ensue.

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While I believe that it would most certainly challenge some religious beliefs, I also believe that those particular sects would somehow spin it into their favor.

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Well if Jesus visited Aliens? Then chances of them building faster than light technology in order to be able to visit us is slim.

Matthew 6:31-34

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Edited by davros of skaro
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My question is what would happen if they shared the exact same beliefs?

That might be the best question ever, I had never considered it.

It would certainly be interesting...

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People are afraid of the unknown. Bible thumpers would most likly call them demons and decievers. Quran thumpers, Jins.

I think it would have an huge impact on the belief structures of this world. WHAT would be the result of them showing them selves? Are they here to help?

Do you really want to know if they are here?

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I do. Actually I already know.

Seek with an open mind and you will too.

Edited by Omnaka
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I do. Actually I already know.

Demons....Right?

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Demons....Right?

There are good and bad entities, in all worlds, advanced and primitive. Like atracts like. I have seen benevolent brothers from other places. (DID NO harm). freaked me out a lot. I know who they are now. Ill do better next time. :)

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Surprised this has not been moved to ET section.

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