Manorfire

If an intelligent life form from another planet were to land on Earth, how would it affect religous folks? Imagine ET showing up in a shuttlecraft, would Chistians, for example, conclude that all that stuff in Genesis didn't happen? Discounting the whole "God was a Spaceman" theory, does Christian, and other religious dogma, depend on humans being alone in the universe?

For me, I don't think it would negate God exactly, but it would surely contradict parts of the Bible. As far as the Bible goes, this is not a big deal, since it contradicts itself here and there anyway. I expect that Christianity would just find some other way of interpreting its passages. Didn't Jesus mention having other flocks to tend? That could mean on other worlds, couldn't it?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but except for some poetic passages in Job, the Bible has practically nothing to say about the universe beyond Earth's atmosphere. It doesn't say Extra Terrestrials exist, it doesn't say they don't. If they do, religious folk could just say that God made us and them. I'm not so aware of other religion's philosophy...how might they account for Aliens?

Religion's biggest quandary may be deciding whether ETs have souls. If so, would this dictate that they'd been borne into original sin and in need of religion to 'save' them? Wouldn't this have required Jesus or whoever to have completed an interplanetary tour of the cosmos, dying on every world where life had developed? That would suck - think of the commuting alone...

In theory, an entity capable of doing the whole Genesis-style-creation-thing would be able to create as many sentient species as she/he/it saw fit. However, if such an entity existed and scattered sentient species across universes, then why keep it a secret for umpteen-thousand years? Why is it not prominent in any religion or their scriptures? (Yep, I am dismissing scientology).

So, to confirm the question is this: what would happen to religion if ET came to our planet? Perhaps we'll all become indoctorined into their alien religion(s)?

Willravel

I'd be very curious to see if they had religion at all. If they did, there might be something to the connection. If they didn't it's possible that spirituality and faither in the suprenatural are flukes in evolution that have no real explaination.

Would that negate God? No. Nothing can really prove or disprove God conclusively.

CSflim

We'd have to baptise them. If they are anything like the aliens from Signs, this would probably be fatal to them. But at least they would be saved. I'm sure they'd understand.

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Dilbert1234567

Marklar?

no, you can't disprove god, just like i can't disprove a flying spegetti monster...

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Manorfire

Interesting responses...perhaps nothing can disprove God conclusively, as suggested. So, would the discovery of God negate ET?

If aliens landed here, that would presumably mean they were massively more technologically advanced than we are. They could possess knowledge of things that we have never even imagined. If only a few landed on Earth, they would most certainly have the upper hand and our fear might keep us from spouting off too much about anything....though, I doubt we would wait to see what they wanted.

IMO our beliefs would suddenly seem quite naive and provincial...the most arrogant of us would be cowed into silence. The aliens would represent the depth of our ignorance about everything and not only would our religious beliefs be shaken, but so would our scientific understandings of the universe. Of course, there will be a contingent of people who will call it a hoax or a conspiracy, while others who would see aliens shaking hands with Bush on the 11:00 news and say "Meh"?

If these aliens were by and large biologically identical to humans in body shape, yet came from a planet with a much different environment, it could be a compelling argument for a creator of some kind. Otherwise, if they were giant blobs of goo, for example, religions would have to reinterpret what resembling "God's image" means.

It could also be argued to support the "God was a spaceman" theory - maybe the aliens seeded this and other planets with life umpteen-jillion years ago, and now they want to see how we turned out. Further, if they said "We have watched your species for 3,000 years" and we have digital film of Jesus, Budda and Mohammed and interviews with their followers, then that would have an impact. Then, would we go to war on who created the aliens?

If aliens landed would they be met with religious spokespeople demonising them, saying that they were of the devil, through anonymous press statements and not to the scary alien faces. For some, I'm sure there wouldn't be a "fire and brimstone" talk for the heathen aliens.

In the future, if we landed on another planet and found intelligent life we'd send missionaries in a hot minute. But only if that life was clearly more primitive than ours.

You see, young marklar. Those marklars don't care about marklar marklar. They just want to take your marklar and marklar their own marklar. The only marklar for this is to marklar.

ironman

God is about faith, not reason.

"Marklar is about marklar, not marklar"

I love SP!

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ObieX

People say that God created angels too right? so we know we're not alone right there. Are angels actual beings that "come down from the heavens" to visit us? Maybe all the stories of angels are actually aliens or maybe all the stories of aliens are actually "angels".

the world may never know!

Ir eally dont think most religions would change at all if aliens landed on earth. Most would find a way to work it into their beliefs and some religions already seem to have the possibility worked out ahead of time.

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Ourcrazymodern?

ET might prove god. Yet another question I don't understand, & thank you. What varieties of science fiction have you read?
I believe all beings with intelligence, of whatever level, probably have souls of a sort. Thus, the dog, the cat, the horse, the ferret...& OMG! We eat PIGS!
Why worry about ET's? Have you seen one?
(I think the bible also didn't mention eternal souls of any sort?)
Cool post, manorfire.

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