Does the existence of ancient extraterrestrials affect the religious narrative?

[Jumi]

But like the aliens in the movie 'Signs', water may kill them. Show stopper right there.

The Vatican astronomer was quoted as saying that perhaps they won't need baptism and maybe we were the black sheep that did... who knows, perhaps he was thinking of this in advance.

On a sidenote I believe baptism means just the first step past uncertainty in mystic experiences. The immersion to water is a quite universal analogue, a symbolic experssion of what we often connect with the experiences.

 

[dianaiad]

Ok...



The thread itself is hypothetical, therefore I'm imparting no real judgment on you or your beliefs. So when I say "So you're willing to live a life of delusion?" I'm referencing the hypothetical scenario if such things did actually happen and if aliens can prove to you that their technology was actually the cause of Biblical events and it was provable you would still be "deluded" to think these aliens were still wrong?

What makes you think that finding this stuff out would require me to change my beliefs? Since, of course, we are discussing this hypothetically. In fact, again hypothetically, it just might turn out that the arrival of such aliens would actually prove someone right--in which case they would not be living a life of delusion, and in fact, never had been.

Now me, I MIGHT end up getting disgusted with the whole thing and say to my God...'well, if THAT'S how you did it all, you might have given us a little warning....'

 

[Jumi]

I think a lot of folks would have their worldviews challenged heavily if they believed that ancient ETs had interacted with us and that created the religions. My view is that the mystical experiences seem to more than adequately explain many of the things non-mystics find strange in so-called sacred texts and could connect with superior technology. Of course we can't build a pyramid or statues with just mystical experiences, so there's always the off chance that they weren't made like we think they are...

 

[Jainarayan]

The Vatican astronomer was quoted as saying that perhaps they won't need baptism and maybe we were the black sheep that did... who knows, perhaps he was thinking of this in advance.

Yes, very possibly. I always pondered the spiritual states of extraterrestrials.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Maybe. However, more mundane explanations seem more compelling, than cosmic misunderstanding of a message promulgated by advanced alien civilazions.

Namely, that people didn’t have a clue of what was going on and made up their gods that explain things. Geographic separation will then explain theological separation.

Isnt that more likely?

Ciao

- viole

The agnostic in me says maybe but ultimately I don’t know

 

[Epic Beard Man]

What makes you think that finding this stuff out would require me to change my beliefs? Since, of course, we are discussing this hypothetically. In fact, again hypothetically, it just might turn out that the arrival of such aliens would actually prove someone right--in which case they would not be living a life of delusion, and in fact, never had been.

Now me, I MIGHT end up getting disgusted with the whole thing and say to my God...'well, if THAT'S how you did it all, you might have given us a little warning....'

Not necessarily a requirement to abandon your belief but I would assume if evidence is compelling enough, one would consider it to be reasonable to abandon something that was proven wrong.

 

[dianaiad]

Not necessarily a requirement to abandon your belief but I would assume if evidence is compelling enough, one would consider it to be reasonable to abandon something that was proven wrong.

Ah, but nobody has proven me wrong yet.

 

[Duke_Leto]

@Rival -- Sorry; I was tired. I thought you were seriously saying you were now a Mondasian, and you'd drop that faith for something else.

 

[Rival]

@Rival -- Sorry; I was tired. I thought you were seriously saying you were now a Mondasian, and you'd drop that faith for something else.

Yours is fictional no? So I could be a Mondasian

 

[Duke_Leto]

Yours is fictional no? So I could be a Mondasian

Zensunnism is, in Frank Herbert's Dune series, the religion followed by the inhabitants of the planet Arrakis, which the Duke Leto was appointed to govern. It's described as a syncreticism of Zen Buddhism and Sunni Islam. I'm agnostic, but I thought 'zensunni' would be a more interesting title. And the world should always be more interesting!

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Ah, but nobody has proven me wrong yet.

You're seemingly just as bad as the closed minded atheist. I believe in God. But I understand that humanity has been on this planet for approximately 200,000 years. I'm open to believe that there are other alien species out there considering how expansive the universe is. Just as diverse the human complexion is, I believe the universe is diverse with different forms of life.

 

[dianaiad]

You're seemingly just as bad as the closed minded atheist. I believe in God. But I understand that humanity has been on this planet for approximately 200,000 years. I'm open to believe that there are other alien species out there considering how expansive the universe is. Just as diverse the human complexion is, I believe the universe is diverse with different forms of life.

Now how in the name of all that is wonderful did you get the impression that I believed that there is no other life/intelligent life in the universe?

I do.

In fact, it's a part of my belief system. We are told rather specifically that God created 'worlds without number,' and that there are people on them. "People" being defined as intelligent beings. They do not necessarily look like us, though bipedalism seems to be a very efficient form of life.

Therefore, if an alien race did show up, and even if they claimed to have been responsible for the miracles reported in scripture, there'd be no reason for us to throw our religious beliefs completely out the window.

....and 200,000 years isn't all that long, if one considers the limits of the speed of light and how long it would take any alien species to get here.

Unless you are suggesting travel through wormholes or something?

 

[Quintessence]

1) Does this affect your faith in your religion?

Nope. My religion isn't faith-based, nor is it centered on a "holy text" or "holy apparitions" (whatever that means - I honestly have no idea what a "holy apparition" is).

Would it impact who I am and what I practice? Maybe, but probably not. Aliens are pretty irrelevant to a nature-based religious practice, especially one like mine that focuses on the local spirits of the land. My tradition would change quite significantly if I relocated geographically, but presuming I was even asked by said aliens to relocate to another planet, I would say "no thanks."

2) Do you continue believing in your faith?

Question not applicable: my religion is not faith-based and is not something "believed in." It is something I am and do.

 

[Native]

Well, if those creation stories are all similar, then they are all similar to any of them. For isntance, the one in the Bible.
Ergo, they are all similar. Alas, very wrong.
Ciao
- viole

An just because you don´t understand the biblical Story of Creation, all the other stories are wrong too?

I suggest you to study Comparative Religions and Mythology before you reject anything at all.

 

[Native]

Therefore, if an alien race did show up, and even if they claimed to have been responsible for the miracles reported in scripture, there'd be no reason for us to throw our religious beliefs completely out the window.

This is IMO indeed a contradiction of terms

I rather would say: If modern humans really understood the ancient Stories of Creation, they would reject the very thoughts of "Ancient Aliens".

 

[viole]

An just because you don´t understand the biblical Story of Creation, all the other stories are wrong too?

I suggest you to study Comparative Religions and Mythology before you reject anything at all.

The problem is that I undesrstand it. And it is lready wrong at page 1. Enough to save the time and read the rest.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Native]

The problem is that I undesrstand it. And it is lready wrong at page 1. Enough to save the time and read the rest.

You are just another one of the millions of victims of the Christian patriarchal conception and interpretation of the biblical Story of Creation.

But such patriarchal confusion and bad interpretations don´t govern the other numerous cultural Stories of Creation, so don´t judge them all by the Christian patriarchal misconceptions.

 

[wellwisher]

An ET explanation for religion is sort of like an atheist bridge and olive branch between atheism and theism. For the atheist, an alien explanation would give credibility to the ancient stories, while doing so in scientific way; alien evolution and technology.

This topic is about how this would impact the religious. The consensus atheist view is that such a discovery would place the theist on the bridge that the atheist can accept, but will they go there?

It has to do with the human religious instinct, and some atheists looking for a way back, while being under peer pressure. The alien explanation becomes the bridge between science and ancient faith. In my experience, similar parts of the brain and firmware can become engaged with this bridge.

 

[Native]

An ET explanation for religion is sort of like an atheist bridge and olive branch between atheism and theism. For the atheist, an alien explanation would give credibility to the ancient stories, while doing so in scientific way; alien evolution and technology.

This topic is about how this would impact the religious. The consensus atheist view is that such a discovery would place the theist on the bridge that the atheist can accept, but will they go there?

It has to do with the human religious instinct, and some atheists looking for a way back, while being under peer pressure. The alien explanation becomes the bridge between science and ancient faith. In my experience, similar parts of the brain and firmware can become engaged with this bridge.

Agreed in all points

 

[viole]

You are just another one of the millions of victims of the Christian patriarchal conception and interpretation of the biblical Story of Creation.

But such patriarchal confusion and bad interpretations don´t govern the other numerous cultural Stories of Creation, so don´t judge them all by the Christian patriarchal misconceptions.

So, no water before the stars. No planet before the stars. And you agree that our sun is a second generation star. And all living beings have a common ancestor.

Cool, but that will require such a level of reinterpretation of the narrative to make the rest totally unreliable. How on earth do I know the author is using figurative language or not? Could be that Jesus is figurative, too. Who can say?

Ciao

- viole