If E.T. did phone OUR home how would religion ever survive.

[Glidescube]

If intelligent life ever made contact with us do you think religion as we know it would come to an end? If it does, with religion gone and the knowledge that we are not alone in the universe, would we finally learn to shun greed and live in peace?




P.S. > Then again with humanities luck it would probably be the Ferengi calling and they would come here worshiping Bush as a goddess~ :D

[tjwmason]

1. Wouldn't make any difference to religion.

and even if religion went, nothing would change about humanity.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. I think we would be Alien food.

Truly.

[Borgnine]

3. Religion would adapt as little as needed.

Firstly, I doubt it would change the idea of an Earth-centric universe. Most would view the alien beings as inferior, even if they were identical to humans or possessed technology far greater than us. Some would view them as demonic or ungodly. And others would simply accept that we are not alone in the universe and move on.

[moggie]

7. I suspect you're right

But note the "ungodly" part of that. Imagine the missionary zeal with which some Christians would want to bring God to the heathen aliens! I'm willing to bet that the Catholic church, at least, already has plans.

For a fictional treatment of this, see "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. Personally, I thought it sucked mightily, but many disagree.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. religions are pliable enough lie-mongers and misrepresenters to survive.

They will simply steal the best ideas from the past, apply them to the current situation like they have every generation earlier. On top of that, they will use and nurture the fear caused by the unknown and capitalize on it. If not a falwell or a robertson, someone very much like them will self-promote himself as the "answer" to the "invading" aliens.

[UncleSepp]

22. Um... religion in general doesn't care

So what if there were aliens? The whole concept of religion isn't founded on "IN the beginning, there weren't any aliens", or on the uniqueness of Earth. If I didn't know better, I'd think you didn't really know enough about religion to hate it as much as you do.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. What would artificial intelligence mean to religion?

If we do ever develop it, would Christianity, or other religions, recognise a soul in a machine, if it seemed to think and react in an intelligent way? Would anyone say that Jesus died to save the machines too?

[Inland]

16. You'll have to ask the A.I.s themselves what it means.

The machines themselves might have religion. That's the premise of the new Battlestar Gallacta, anyway.

[banana republican]

19. Artificial Intelligence: When the real thing won't Do..... n/t

[soothsayer]

6. Bet the alien's got its own religion, creation myths, etc.

[smomfr]

8. What alien in his/her/whatever right

mind would want anything to do with our fucked up little planet?

[Inland]

12. There was an old BC comic strip

"Do you believe there are alien life forms of superior intelligence?"

"Of course!"

"Then why haven't they tried to contact us?"

"Because of their superior intelligence."

[BoneDaddy]

9. Well...

When you puny humans are exposed to transforming gamma rays of our all powerful God GIUMCIOEPRIUEOPSPPSIOEIAISO then you will realize that all is folly.

[Zebedeo]

10. Jesus' "other sheep"

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:14

Some Christians believe this reference to "other sheep that are not of this sheep pen" refers to extraterrestrials. Other Christians believe that this was merely a reference to Gentiles.

I predict that no extraterretrial life will ever be discovered by mankind. However, if it is, and if it is as advanced as mankind is, I predict the aliens will be, on the whole, theists. They may have a slightly different understanding of God, because God may have revealed Himself to them in a different way. However, I believe that any advanced civilization would be theistic.

[Inland]

11. No. There would be efforts to convert aliens. Maybe vice versa.

If a religion is not merely a collection of gods dedicated to a particular tribe, then it's open to outsiders. There's no reason why any intelligent alien life form wouldn't be considered a person to be saved.



A more interesting question is, what happens if the aliens themselves come with a religion. . Would humans dump their now seemingly weak and parochial religions for a religion that spans the cosmos? Suppose they offered inducements, like, say, eternal health. People have switched for less. What if there is an offworld Pope type figure?

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hunter]

14. They would force us to worship their Giant Squid.

Some people would claim that Jesus was the Son of their Giant Squid and the aliens would be okay with that.

Life on earth would go on as usual.

[Inland]

15. And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords. nt

[NMMNG]

20. Sure thing, Kent Brockman

:silly:

[ozone_man]

17. What if the aliens were the gods?

Makes me think of this quote.

If it were proven that were no God, there would be no religion. ...But also if it were proven that there is a God, there would be no religion. - Ursula K. le Guin

So if there is a god or gods, would she be more pissed at believers who believed in a false god(s), or skeptics who were waiting for some real evidence?

[manic expression]

26. One thing

There are people who deny things that are clearly proven. The Flat Earth Society being one example, as they seriously believe the Earth is flat.

As long as someone is a good person, no god could care what someone believes. Religion is just one path to the same goal.

[Zhade]

18. I"d hope so!

The sooner humanity moves on from the folly of living life by the of unevidenced alleged 'gods' the better.

[Crunchy Frog]

21. Did anyone ever see that South Park episode?

Alien life is discovered on some planet and Pat Robertson is having this enormous fund raising drive to raise money for some expensive spacecraft so they can invade the planet and convert the natives to Christianity.

I could see just that sort of insanity if we ever discovered intelligent extraterrestrials. Either that or we would decide that they were creatures of the Devil and should be exterminated. Just hope they don't decide the same about us (though maybe they'd be right :D ).

[InaneAnanity]

23. It wouldn't make a difference

Sadly, I don't think humanity can ever leave religion behind.

[rug]

24. Adam and Eve would have to be redefined.

[NativeTexan]

25. The Old Testament explains what happened on Earth...

.....nothing more, nothing less. It DOES explain that God created the Heaven and the Earth.

Makes no difference. All life was created by God.