Intelligent aliens "no matter how many tentacles it has - has a soul"

R0ot

From http://www.breakingnews.ie/world/intelligent-aliens-would-be-gods-children-474059.html

According to the Pope’s astronomer, any intelligent aliens living elsewhere in the universe should be considered God’s children – no matter what they look like.

Brother Guy Consolmagno, who speaks at the British Science Festival at Aston University, Birmingham, tomorrow, said: “Going back to the Middle Ages, the definition of a soul is to have intelligence, free will, freedom to love or not to love, freedom to make decisions...

“Any entity – no matter how many tentacles it has – has a soul.”

Should there ever be a Vatican mission to outer space, Brother Consolmagno might be just the person to lead it.

He admits to being a science fiction fan, which got him into astronomy, and says he would be willing to baptise an alien, but “only if they asked”.

Brother Consolmagno, whose appearance at the British Science Festival is unrelated to Pope Benedict XVI’s state visit, said: “I’d be delighted if we found life elsewhere and delighted if we found intelligent life elsewhere..

“God is bigger than just humanity. God is also the god of angels.”

But he did not think machines would ever become comparable to humans.

“A computer has as much chance of being intelligent as a steam engine,” he said.

On physicist Professor Steven Hawking, who has claimed there is no need for a god to explain the origin of the universe, Brother Consolmagno said: “The whole idea of what creation means is not a case of who wound up the clock and sets it going, it’s the fact there’s a clock to be wound up in the first place.

“A god that started things up would be a pagan god. The god I believe in is outside space and time.”

He criticised American “creationists” who believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, saying they were turning God “once again, into the pagan god of thunder and lightning”.

The Catholic Church has a long history of interest in astronomy, dating back to 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII wanted to reform the calendar to settle the date of Easter.

Its attitude towards science has changed dramatically since the 17th century astronomer Galileo Galilei was convicted of heresy over his claim that the Sun, not Earth, was the centre of the universe.

Does this remind anyone of the South Park episode with Marklar?

"Pope finds aliens
Aliens say 'no thanks we are fine, don't need a savior, we live forever'
Pope goes.... ' Ah... you'll burn in hell! '
Aliens: That's nice bye bye now. " :pac:

orourkeda

Does it matter how many testicles it has as opposed to tentackes?

Fremen

What if it's ginger?

Logical Fallacy

Then why doesn't he talk about them in the Bible? Or does each planet get it's own Bible?

"A reading from the Prophet ARMZACLAKCLAK.........."

DrumSteve

sounds like a decent sort to be honest.he wouldnt baptise them unless they asked so whats the problem?

Besides christians believe God created everything... so why wouldnt he have created these aliens? that'd make them his kids alright.

prinz

DrumSteve wrote: »

sounds like a decent sort to be honest.he wouldnt baptise them unless they asked so whats the problem?

It came from a Catholic = automatically evil (apparently).

Sean Quagmire

I'm liking the media attack Religion is carrying out the last while, its providing some great entertainment! I love hearing their explanations to the most unexplainable things. Somehow it always comes back to 'ermm it was god who made it like this'.

F*ckin nutbars!!

Rented Mule

Fremen wrote: »

What if it's ginger?

We know where you live.

Rabble Rabble

Sean Quagmire wrote: »

I'm liking the media attack Religion is carrying out the last while, its providing some great entertainment! I love hearing their explanations to the most unexplainable things. Somehow it always comes back to 'ermm it was god who made it like this'.

F*ckin nutbars!!

Seemed he explained it quite well.

Captain Darling

Satan is in my asshole.

R0ot

Fremen wrote: »

What if it's ginger?

Burn it. :pac:

Captain Darling

Rented Mule wrote: »

We know where you live.

Quick!! To the ginger mobile!!!

CreepingDeath

wrote:

“Going back to the Middle Ages, the definition of a soul is to have intelligence, free will, freedom to love or not to love, freedom to make decisions...

Love is only an evolutionary tool to force us to bond as male & females, then stay together to raise children. Standard behaviour for most mammals.

There's no guarantee aliens are going to be mammals.

They could be lizard people who lay eggs and abandon them to fend for themselves. There's no evolutionary requirement for love or empathy there.

Or they could've outgrown emotions/conditioned themselves not to feel emotions like we do. In which case, they'd be very cold hearted and calculating, much like an accountant or clamper.

FreudianSlippers

It's entirely possible that any alien advanced enough to contact us today (ignoring the fact that they may already be extinct if communicating through conventional means by our standards) has evolved past the belief in a soul.

dvpower

OisinT wrote: »

It's entirely possible that any alien advanced enough to contact us today (ignoring the fact that they may already be extinct if communicating through conventional means by our standards) has evolved past the belief in a soul.

Probably wouldn't even need shoes.

FreudianSlippers

dvpower wrote: »

Probably wouldn't even need shoes.

pfft shoes for their tentacles?

Edit: accidentally wrote testicles at first. lol

Duggy747

Nobody expects the Intergallactic Space Inquisition! :pac:

PeterIanStaker

I think an advanced civilisation from another world would ignore this backward little planet where people listen to an 82 year old virgin in a dress.

FreudianSlippers

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

I think an advanced civilisation from another world would ignore this backward little planet where people listen to an 82 year old virgin in a dress.

Virgin... lol... yeah right.

bleg

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Love is only an evolutionary tool to force us to bond as male & females, then stay together to raise children. Standard behaviour for most mammals.

There's no guarantee aliens are going to be mammals.

They could be lizard people who lay eggs and abandon them to fend for themselves. There's no evolutionary requirement for love or empathy there.

Or they could've outgrown emotions/conditioned themselves not to feel emotions like we do. In which case, they'd be very cold hearted and calculating, much like an accountant or clamper.

Vulcans!!

PeterIanStaker

OisinT wrote: »

Virgin... lol... yeah right.

hmm yea should've thought about that. Lets say he's never had consensual sex with someone overage so.