On Religion and potential life on Mars
 

If it is determined that life once existed, or does exist on Mars, do you think it will change how people view their religion? What might it change in your own perspective?

I ask because I am not completely sure myself. I do not have strong religious beliefs so I can't imagine much change in my own spirituality, or at least I don't foresee it. However, I would welcome anything that would prompt people to reflect on their beliefs a little harder, even if they came to the same conclusion.

I'm not so sure how my own religious beliefs would change because of this, but that's more because of my current state of spiritual flux than anything else.

I think that many people would instinctively lose faith because of such a revelation. Think about what this discovery would mean; it would create a totally new perspective on the universe, as we would realize that there the universe does not, in fact, revolve around us, that we are not as special as we once believed, that we are not God's chosen children.

In such a vastly enlarged perspective, the human- and earth-centric nature of the Bible would become difficult to accept.

However, while it would significantly affect beliefs on Earth, I don't think it would be the end of religion in the form it exists today. After all, one could believe that God is the master of all the worlds, and that he communicates through Scripture with all of them.

that other life forms are seen as competition-that we cannot be choosen if there's another type of life that might be choosen too...i just think that's not very credible theology.

I am hoping for such a revelation in my time, mostly because I think it extremely unlikely that we are alone. As for religion, Really the only one likely to be effected is christianity, and they can just re- interpret a couple more passages of holy scripture to include our brothers from mars, they do it all the time.

seeing as i am a atheist very little


in my veiw there would still be no god

It's more or less a given that life exists in some form elsewhere in the universe. I don't feel that the discovery of simple life forms (bacteria, single-cell organisms, etc.) will have much of an effect on religion. The discovery of intelligent self-conscious life elsewhere certainly would. As an atheist it won't really change my beliefs.

People have been saying of various discoveries for the past few centuries (evolution being a prominent example) that they would exterminate Christianity. None have, so it seems unlikely that the discovery of life elsewhere in the universe would either. On a personal level, it wouldn't necessarily affect my faith. I'd need to know a lot more about exactly what they believed, whether there were different beliefs, any beliefs resembling Christianity, etc., to make any statement about that.

So aliens go to Hell since they dont follow Jesus?! Not a very merciful God! Or maybe there was an Alien-Jesus!

If there is life on mars, the first humans on Mars will be Mormons :P

I'm sure Pat Robertson and some Jehovah's witnesses will race them. :)

In order to follow Christians doctrine, you have to be able to look up into space, at all the solar systems and galaxies and truly believe that we’re the only ones out here…. that’s pretty tough to do. I think if there was proof….some might change they views, but the hard liners will figure out a way to explain it into to bible…that’s what they do, and they’ve become very, very good at it.

I never said that. It's possible that we would need to preach Christianity to them. It's possible there was an alien-Jesus. It's possible they're not fallen, and so don't need salvation. It's possible they received a different form of salvation than what we received. There's no way of knowing without knowing a fairly large amount about the alien's culture.

Of course, it's highly unlikely we will ever contact an alien race, so the point is probably moot anyway.

I can only hope, with all that I am. That any alien race we encounter, will be more open minded than the average christian in this society. Otherwise we are all doomed, what sort of salvation does that leave you.

Interesting. I would say most of the responses here were from people who are Agnostic, Atheist, or have some other form spriituality than the traditional religions. I was hoping to here from more of the die-hard believers.

Asaris, I would like to follow up on one thing that you mentioned.

Do you really think that we have a right to preach our world's version of Christianity to another life form? This immediately brought to mind the old Earth centric view of the universe. Who's to say our version is better than their version?

Also,

I found myself wondering the same thing, wouldn't that be interesting. Say there was another Jesus and his/her teachings were similar but not quite the same as our Jesus. Again, who's to say which is correct? Thier beliefs, like ours, would have to be rooted in their history and culture. It probably wouldn't even closely resemble ours. What if it did though, what if their beliefs were actually closer to a Mohamed then a Jesus. Interesting.

Apply that same perspective to how Christianity views other religions and cultures throughout our history on this planet. What right do christians have to preach to anyone really...

damn, i was still hoping for little green men or something cool like that. woot for small organisms, hey, even little yeast cells produce alcohol. so don't say little things don't matter.

Earth is being polluted by humans. Humans are destructive creatures, we consume and move to a new place to desecrate and continue on with our parasite like existence.

i think people that strictly and literally believe in the creationist theory would have to rethink some things.

.....but why would God only put life on ONE planet, thats just silly

There is life elsewhere...why would there not be. It really makes no sense to think we are the only planet with life.

Could be. I mean, would that be all that different than preaching the Jews version of salvation to all of humanity? But I actually suspect that this is the least likely of the options. We teach that Jesus had to be human, because only a human could die for the sins of a human. But if that's true (and aliens presumably aren't human), then they would need a different mode of salvation.

In trying to evaluate this, I'd look and see whether any of their religions map onto the central concepts of Christianity. Do they believe in sin? Do they believe in grace? For a religion to be true (assuming they are fallen), at the very least the answer to these two questions would have to be yes.

Why would this radically change Christianity? Because of the book of genesis? A book that wasn't created as a piece of Christian doctrine? What is so out of line with the creationist theory (thats what its called right)? Would it be impossible for an omnipotent all-powerful god to create the world in seven days? or better yet what is time to God, seeing as to he is the beginning and the end?

The book of genesis is a means to explaining our creation on earth, it was written several thousands of years ago, and as it goes now PJP II found that the big bang and (I believe) evolution fit in as a means of our creation.

As a practicing Catholic I have no problem believing that there is other life out there. I think it is nieve to think otherwise. Furthermore beliving this in no way discredits me or my faith.

I'm pretty confident that it would have absolutly no effect on religion. Even if we found a whole alien race living under the surface of Mars, religion would just find a way to work it into the fold. After all, part of believe in God is believing that everything is done by his will. Yes, that includes *everything*, this planet or another, it really doesnt matter.

I agree that, for the most part, nothing would change immedietly.
Maybe some of you strict fundamentalists would have to back off a bit from a strict interpretation of the Bible, but even with a "Space Oddessey" type encounter, faith is a phenomenon that is so ingrained into the psyche that the mind weaves around any indirect evidence. For example, any other civilization could be angels or devils - take your pick....
But future generations would be the ones to start to see the light...

First of all, I don't think we will ever find life on another planet, unless we (humans) bring it there.
That being said, if life is found on another planet, I would seriously reconsider my faith in Christianity.
I would NOT reconsider my faith in God.

as usual i must ask: where do you get these things? i know that the theological doctrine i most identify with (Wesleyan, which comprises a lot of the protestant church as a whole) has no such limitations built into it. there is no basis for this broad-sweeping comment and many others of its ilk. just because you say it or want to believe it doesn't make it so.

for myself, i am what many on TFP would consider a "diehard believer." finding life on other planets would not shake my faith a bit. i'll grant anyone the point that certain scriptures will have to be reinterpreted to account for that massive leap in human consciousness. still, the purpose and meaning of the Christian faith would be unaffected. just because we might not immediately understand the theological and eternal implications doesn't mean that the answers aren't there. personally, i am of the opinion that a faith that is held or lost by whether or not life exists on other planets is one that is, at best, tenuously held.

Most of the time, my faith in God seems to be the only thing I have. It will not change if life or evidence of life is discovered on mars. I cannot fathom what God does or has made.....

As irateplatypus pointed out, that statement is just plain wrong. Perhaps SOME Christians feel that way, but I know not ALL do, and as a Catholic I know for a fact Catholicism does not.

Exactly my feelings. As a Catholic, I know primarily the Catholic viewpoint, but the Bible's account of creation is not one to be taken literally. Therefore, the idea of other life is irrelevant to the Bible. Furthermore, the Bible's intended focus is to describe God's relationship with humans, thus alien life forms - whether they exist or not - have no place in the Bible.

Lastly, as for being "saved," the Catholic viewpoint (again, I can't speak for other branches of Christianity with nearly as much knowledge) is that non-Christians are perfectly capable of being saved. It's, basically, just a little harder.

You do realize that the possiblity that there is no other life in the universe is statistically very improbable?

It would not change my belief in God at all. There's nothing stating that He didn't create other worlds or races.

I think the lack of other worldly life, is probably one of the only things that would make me give any credence to the "god" hypothesis. If there truly was no life on the inumerable planets in this universe, God would become more plausible to me. If only because of the improbability of both possibilities.

I think he was saying that the probability of us finding extra-terrestial life made it implausible.

I don’t think you could shake the resolve of the religious right, remember, no amount of evidence to disprove creationism will shake it. Religion is based on faith and no amount of science will break some one so devoted to religion and faith.