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If we discover alien life, does that disprove religion?

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I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
 
We've had to make substantial adjustments to theology to account for additional knowledge. This would probably be much more substantial, depending on whether or not the life is sentient. Simple life would require an adjustment, but would still accept without problem the notion that we are designed by a god to be unique beings with a mission. With intelligent life, I would say it would mean we have to discuss whether or not this means that a god was a message for a particular species, or if all of it somehow would still fit.
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
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I'm not a religious person, but I'd imagine that if we discovered intelligent life, that would be a problem for some religious individuals who may begin questioning their faith.

I think it is naive to think that intelligence life does not exist somewhere within the grand cosmos.
 
Nope.
 
I think it would be a HUGE challenge to our religious and political systems in general , and would create a great deal of unrest in general. Although i love the idea, i don't think we are collectiveky ready for it.

and yes, it would have to be intelligent life. otherwise, there would be nothing that most people would fear.
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
Click to expand...

Tralfamadore said:
I'm not a religious person, but I'd imagine that if we discovered intelligent life, that would be a problem for some religious individuals who may begin questioning their faith.

I think it is naive to think that intelligence life does not exist somewhere within the grand cosmos.
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When Scripture and science seem to be in conflict, that doesn't negate one or the other. It indicates a failure on our part to understand one or the other. I don't ANYONE who is a Christian who would think that finding life on anotehr planet would make their faith less valid. Not one single person. The problem with your responses is that they are predicated on a flawed premise that all Christians think that Earth is the only place where life exists and that finding another planet with life would somehow invalidate our faith. All it would do for all the Christians I know would be to show that God's hand is not limited to this one planet. Personally, I think that based on the description o fthe four creatures around the Throne of God, there is most likely four other planets with intelligent life on them.
 
faithful_servant said:
When Scripture and science seem to be in conflict, that doesn't negate one or the other. It indicates a failure on our part to understand one or the other. I don't ANYONE who is a Christian who would think that finding life on anotehr planet would make their faith less valid. Not one single person. The problem with your responses is that they are predicated on a flawed premise that all Christians think that Earth is the only place where life exists and that finding another planet with life would somehow invalidate our faith. All it would do for all the Christians I know would be to show that God's hand is not limited to this one planet. Personally, I think that based on the description o fthe four creatures around the Throne of God, there is most likely four other planets with intelligent life on them.
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I certainly don't think all Christians think the same way in this regard. But, I do think that many Christians, and many religious people in general, hold to this idea that humans are at the center of creation. The idea that there is life that is more advanced than us seems that it would be unsettling to certain religious individuals, especially those who hold to a very strict interpretation of Scripture.
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
Click to expand...
In my opinion I do not think that it would change a thing.

As a matter of fact the idea of this does not bother the Vatican:

Alien Life Out There
Vatican astronomer’s take on extraterrestials.
by Edward Pentin | Source: NCRegister.com

VATICAN CITY (NCRegister.com) — Extraterrestrials: Do they exist?

The head of the Vatican Observatory thinks there’s a good chance they do, and that their existence would be in keeping with the faith.

In a May 14 interview with the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano May 14, headlined “The Extraterrestrial Is My Brother,” astronomer Jesuit Father José Gabriel Funes said that according to his “scientific judgment,” the existence of extraterrestrials is a “possibility.”

“Astronomers contend that the universe is made up of a hundred billion galaxies, each of which is composed of hundreds of billions of stars,” he said. “Many of these, or almost all of them, could have planets. [So] how can you exclude that life has developed somewhere else?”

The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest astronomical research institutions in the world, and has its headquarters at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo just outside Rome.

Its main research telescopes, however, are located at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Father Funes, who took over as head of the observatory in 2006, denied that the existence of other intelligent life-forms would contradict Christian belief.

“As there exist many creatures on earth, so there could be other beings, also intelligent, created by God,” he said. “This doesn’t contradict our faith because we cannot put limits on the creative freedom of God. To say it as St. Francis [of Assisi], if we consider some earthly creatures as ‘brother’ and ‘sister,’ why couldn’t we also talk of an ‘extraterrestrial brother’? He would also belong to creation.”

The Argentine Jesuit explained that scientists studying the question of extraterrestrial life have made much progress in recent years, and will soon be able to identify if other planets have the conditions necessary for life. He added that, in theory, forms of life could also exist in parts of the universe without oxygen and hydrogen...
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No, the complete and utter lack of any supporting evidence disproves religion. Aliens have nothing to do with it.
 
Proof , for or against means nothing to people committed to dogma.
It's all about "faith" not knowledge
 
Out of curiosity, why is it so hard for people to understand that faith doesn't require proof?

Science is the process of understanding the physical world while religion is the process of understanding the spiritual world. One doesn't rely on the other.
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
Click to expand...

It won't disprove Buddhism. As I see it it wouldn't make any difference to me at all. In fact, I fully believe that there must be life beyond earth.
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
Click to expand...

I think it'd cause Biblical literalists some problems, and that a few of the more "fundamentalist" Protestant sects might experience a bit of a crisis as such. Radical Islamists, for their own part, might even go so far as to flat out refuse to believe such a discovery, or declare extraterrestrial beings to be demons sent to test the resolve of the faithful.

On the whole, however, I imagine that it would matter very little for most religions, or most people of religious faith.

The Catholic Church has long considered the possibility of alien life, and has no qualms with it whatsoever. Apart from a few finicky details relating to theological matters (original sin, revelation, salvation, conversion, etca), it'd basically be "business as usual."
 
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Lutherf said:
Out of curiosity, why is it so hard for people to understand that faith doesn't require proof?

Science is the process of understanding the physical world while religion is the process of understanding the spiritual world. One doesn't rely on the other.
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*EVERYTHING* requires proof, or at least evidence. Just because there are a bunch of irrational people out there who think that any ridiculous nonsense they get into their addled heads is worthwhile doesn't mean it actually is. There is no evidence whatsoever that there is any such thing as the spiritual world. Just making stuff up doesn't make it valid.
 
Proof would kill faith.
Lutherf said:
Out of curiosity, why is it so hard for people to understand that faith doesn't require proof?

Science is the process of understanding the physical world while religion is the process of understanding the spiritual world. One doesn't rely on the other.
Click to expand...
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
Click to expand...

Many religions are making the subtle changes required to survive the inevitable discovery of life outside the earth, and thus protect the integrity of their God. Likely, those that follow a religion will simply create a new doctrine in their minds to allow them to "Keep the Faith". The beauty of religion is in the flexibility and adaptation of an all powerful entity....it works in mysterious ways.
 
Risky Thicket said:
It won't disprove Buddhism. As I see it it wouldn't make any difference to me at all. In fact, I fully believe that there must be life beyond earth.
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But Buddhism is not a religion, nor does it have a God to be threatened.
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
Click to expand...
It would validate religion. Finding life elsewhere means the Nephelim, & the "men of old", and the "sons of God", could actually exist.
 
Tralfamadore said:
I certainly don't think all Christians think the same way in this regard. But, I do think that many Christians, and many religious people in general, hold to this idea that humans are at the center of creation. The idea that there is life that is more advanced than us seems that it would be unsettling to certain religious individuals, especially those who hold to a very strict interpretation of Scripture.
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I think that you're perceptiion is screwed up. It would be the rare person of any faith who's faith would be upset by this kind of discovery.
 
mak2 said:
Proof would kill faith.
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Not for the fanatics. Even if it was proven beyond any doubt that there was no God, there are people out there who would believe anyhow. They are emotionally and psychologically invested in keeping the faith alive regardless.
 
Actually i meant proof there is a God would kill faith. It would no longer be faith, God would jsut be another fact.
Cephus said:
Not for the fanatics. Even if it was proven beyond any doubt that there was no God, there are people out there who would believe anyhow. They are emotionally and psychologically invested in keeping the faith alive regardless.
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mak2 said:
Actually i meant proof there is a God would kill faith. It would no longer be faith, God would jsut be another fact.
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I don't even know if that's true. Sure, everyone would believe that God was real, but there are plenty of crazies out there who would believe things about God that were false, just because it's what they've always believed. Religion is not rational.
 
Your Star said:
I think this could be an interesting discussion. Do you think it would disprove every religion if we discovered life outside of our Earth? If so do you think religious belief would plummet? If you are religious would it make you question your faith?

Also, would it have to be other intelligent life or would simple microorganisms have the same effect in your mind?
Click to expand...

I think the only thing discovering alien life would do at first is make us question. What is their position compared to us? Are they friendly? Hostile? What is their culture? What do they look like? Etc. I'm not sure finding alien life just auto disproves religion and even if it were to do so religion isn't going to go anywhere.

I assume by religion you mean Christianity due to you being very vague.
 
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