How would ETs views affect your faith

ScumLord

In the future, if we did venture out into space and ran into other intelligent life and discovered they had no gods and never had, how would that affect your faith?

Would you just assume we where he's chosen people as he did with the Jews? Or would the fact that that no one else had heard of him make you seriously second guess he's existence.

Of course the opposite could happen and religion could be common in all intelligent life. I actually think it's likely that most intelligent life would have had some sort of religion even if it was brief. It's fairly logical for an intelligent being seeing their position in the animal kingdom to jump to the conclusion that there's a more intelligent being above them in charge of everything. But if they all came back saying they don't believe in a god, would it have any affect on your religion?

prinz

ScumLord wrote: »

In the future, if we did venture out into space and ran into other intelligent life and discovered they had no gods and never had, how would that affect your faith?

Short answer - it wouldn't, plenty of godless folk right here on Earth.

ScumLord wrote: »

But if they all came back saying they don't believe in a god, would it have any affect on your religion?

Same as above.

gaynorvader

To OP:What if the E.Ts believed in the Christian God? Would that affect your beliefs?

fitz0

I'd ask if they had any evidence either.

Fanny Cradock

We have had the question asked a number of times before. Below are tw recent examples.

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055191211
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055346908

ScumLord

prinz wrote:

Short answer - it wouldn't, plenty of godless folk right here on Earth.

It wouldn't bother you that god only made himself known to a tiny minority of one species in the entire universe once throughout the history of time..

gaynorvader wrote: »

To OP:What if the E.Ts believed in the Christian God? Would that affect your beliefs?

Well I suppose it's possible they could have been around at the time and have recordings of Jesus. If it was all proven to be true I'd have to change my opinion. I would still protest against the bible as we'd have the actual word of God and wouldn't need it any more. I just think the bible is out of date.

Like I said in the first post I think it's likely any intelligent life would have tried religion at some stage, it would be interesting to see how the values of their religion differed, weather they still practised or abandoned it. If every religion throughout the universe was practically the same it might point towards proof in a god. But if every religion varied wildly it would probably prove religion is just a culture thing.

prinz

ScumLord wrote: »

It wouldn't bother you that god only made himself known to a tiny minority of one species in the entire universe once throughout the history of time..

No it wouldn't bother me, perhaps they would still be living in grace and would have no need for further revelation after creation.

I'd also counter that God has made himself known to the vast majority of this species of this planet, not a tiny minority.

p.s. you only have to look at this planet to get many religions with different values, at various stages.

gaynorvader

fitz0 wrote: »

I'd ask if they had any evidence either.

Would them not having the exact same stories not be proof enough?

ScumLord wrote: »

[...]

Well I suppose it's possible they could have been around at the time and have recordings of Jesus. If it was all proven to be true I'd have to change my opinion. I would still protest against the bible as we'd have the actual word of God and wouldn't need it any more. I just think the bible is out of date.

Like I said in the first post I think it's likely any intelligent life would have tried religion at some stage, it would be interesting to see how the values of their religion differed, weather they still practised or abandoned it. If every religion throughout the universe was practically the same it might point towards proof in a god. But if every religion varied wildly it would probably prove religion is just a culture thing.

So if, they were less advanced, technologically speaking, than us and had the same beliefs, you'd take that as evidence that God exists? That's the kind of open-mindedness I like to see!

fitz0

gaynorvader wrote: »

Would them not having the exact same stories not be proof enough?

Well since the bible has some stories that are lifted from earlier myths Id say it would give those myths just as much credence.

gaynorvader

fitz0 wrote: »

Well since the bible has some stories that are lifted from earlier myths Id say it would give those myths just as much credence.

Even though these beings would have (probably) a wholly different way of thinking and there's no way they could have exchanged stories with our early ancestors?

fitz0

gaynorvader wrote: »

Even though these beings would have (probably) a wholly different way of thinking and there's no way they could have exchanged stories with our early ancestors?

That still wouldn't change the fact that Christian teachings lift much from earlier religions. If, however, the evidence was overwhelming and after examining it I came to the conclusion that it was true I would change my mind. But only if it stood up to analysis, which I would doubt very much to happen.

gaynorvader

fitz0 wrote: »

That still wouldn't change the fact that Christian teachings lift much from earlier religions. If, however, the evidence was overwhelming and after examining it I came to the conclusion that it was true I would change my mind. But only if it stood up to analysis, which I would doubt very much to happen.

Right, so if these aliens had a book they called the bsh'nak which contained many of the same stories as the Bible, believed in the Holy Trinity, believed that an alien called Jason came down and died on a cross to forgive their sins etc etc. But had no additional evidence than we have here on Earth, would you still not accept that as proof of God's existence?

Fanny Cradock

gaynorvader wrote: »

Right, so if these aliens had a book they called the bsh'nak which contained many of the same stories as the Bible, believed in the Holy Trinity, believed that an alien called Jason came down and died on a cross to forgive their sins etc etc. But had no additional evidence than we have here on Earth, would you still not accept that as proof of God's existence?

Very compelling evidence, but not proof.

gaynorvader

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Very compelling evidence, but not proof.

Maybe I'm a bit mad then, because I'd accept that as proof, the coincidences would be too much. How much more evidence would you need? I believe if the above evidence were true, then it would satisfy the following definition of proof:

proof

   /pruf/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [proof] –noun 1. evidence sufficient to establish a thing as true, or to produce belief in its truth.

Fanny Cradock

Well I'm already a Christian, so I don't need any proof.

I'm quite sure that there would be some non-believers who could envisage a scenario for the similar texts other than the truthfulness of there being a God as described by Christianity. In fact, I remember Jimi starting a thread over in the A&A forum a while back. He asked what it would take to convince people of God's existence. If memory servers, there where a couple of responses that stated that no miracle would convince them and other stated that there would always be a more plausible explanation.

Slav

gaynorvader wrote: »

Maybe I'm a bit mad then, because I'd accept that as proof, the coincidences would be too much. How much more evidence would you need? I believe if the above evidence were true, then it would satisfy the following definition of proof:

proof

   /pruf/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [proof] –noun 1. evidence sufficient to establish a thing as true, or to produce belief in its truth.

Surprisingly that story of Jason from planet Saraksh would seriously contradict Christianity. It would not support Christianity in any way.

Tellox

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Well I'm already a Christian, so I don't need any proof.

A horribly all too common scenario.

If ET life appeared and were aware of (and believing in) Christ as we know it, then yes, at that point I would probably start believing.

This is to of course assume that they're an advanced, scientific species. If they're around the same level as us, I'd disregard it entirely.

gramlab

They would almost be sure to have or have had some religion. If it matched up with one here on earth then I would have to give it serious consideration, as would most or all athiests.

However would the believer be so inclined to consider their position if it reflected another locally (earth) held belief other than their own, or would they all of a sudden adopt the athiest stance and require a proof of sorts?

Fanny Cradock

Tellox wrote: »

A horribly all too common scenario.

What?

ScumLord

gaynorvader wrote: »

Right, so if these aliens had a book they called the bsh'nak which contained many of the same stories as the Bible, believed in the Holy Trinity, believed that an alien called Jason came down and died on a cross to forgive their sins etc etc. But had no additional evidence than we have here on Earth, would you still not accept that as proof of God's existence?

The story could be very similar without being proof. All fish more or less look the same and all human society's have had very similar set ups. It's just nature taking it's course and it wouldn't be unlikely for animals to end up being similar even if their separated by light years because the environment dictates animal physicality and behavior.

That an alien race had similar stories wouldn't be proof as such (I'm assuming that our alien Jesus probably wouldn't be crucified and live the exact same life because his environment would be slightly different). Again, I don't think it would be surprising for an animal coming to terms with it's new found view of the world to come up with the same theory's we did.

However if two species from opposite ends of the universe did have similar views of God it would certainly throw a spanner in the works of what everybody thought. It would surely even get Christians to question Jesus's role. If the alien species has a Jesus that they consider the son of god, which one is the actual son of god? Or maybe god has had many children. If he did how many got sent here?

dlofnep

On earth alone, people can't even come to the same beliefs.. I would seriously doubt that life on other planets would have the same beliefs, although I would accept that belief in a higher power is probably not unique to earth.

It wouldn't validate a higher power however, just that intelligent life fears death and needs the comfort of an afterlife just like us.