Hypothetical Question involving Religion and Extraterrestrial Life

 
Sandtrap
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Right. This seems serious enough but not quite serious to fit in serious. So I'll roll the dice and see what I get here.

More specifically this question is related to the christian faith aspect of religion. The bible is a human-centric creation, placing humans at the heart of everything, the world was made for them by god to do as they please and so on and so forth.

Now, let's say that by chance, we make first contact. There's an actual starship hanging up in the skies and a species obviously not from this world show up out and about.

Now, I ask, how do you suppose the christain faith would handle this?

Because there is nothing in the bible whatsoever that could likely even be remotely attributed to describing or hinting at a xenobiological life form, therefore rendering the idea of alien life forms to christians as not possible. But, let's give some benifit of the doubt here, and say that the christian population is accepting to these strangers from a strange land.

And they try to say, I dunno, convince said aliens of the christian faith.

My two questions are,

1. Does it not seem a little rickety that the bible is so human-centric and neglects the possibility of other life forms beyond our planet?

2. What do you suppose would happen if said aliens called it a load of bullshit?

Genuine questions here people.


 
Jono
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Goodness gracious, great balls of lightning!
Aliens are probably looking at Earth right now, laughing their asses off at humanity.

They probably have their own reality TV shows about us.


Korra | Mythic Inconceivable!
 
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uhhh...

- korrie
Aliens are probably looking at Earth right now, laughing their asses off at humanity.

They probably have their own reality TV shows about us.
Now where have I heard that before?


A Cheese Potato | Legendary Invincible!
 
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Well if they call it bullshit we can set up fedora trade routes


Girl of Mystery | Mythic Unfrigginbelievable!
 
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2. What do you suppose would happen if said aliens called it a load of bullshit?
They'd be correct and the Christians would cry


 
Sandtrap
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Well if they call it bullshit we can set up fedora trade routes

Think about it though. How would any religious faith in general handle being rejected by a xenobiological life forms and tangible, real visitors to our planet?

What would they use to refute themselves since there is no religion on the planet that even mentions the possibility of extraterrestrial life?


Oh | Elite Four Invincible!
 
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Would try be treated like any other animal on Earth?

Humans are still number one, but aliens can exist.


1. I imagine it's because everything took place on Earth, and the idea of aliens wasn't even thought of long ago.

2. Not really sure. Die hard Christians just call the aliens a fun assortment of names, but the aliens don't really care.


Batch | Mythic Inconceivable!
 
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Of course the Bible is human centric, it was created by humans who didn't understand how small we are, or were too ignorant to.

If another species came to us and called it a load of dump, we'd have two things, a lot of confused and angry religious people (I'm assuming theyd turn down religion in general) or a lot of people clinging to it and disregarding facts.

*sips tea*


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Well if they call it bullshit we can set up fedora trade routes

Think about it though. How would any religious faith in general handle being rejected by a xenobiological life forms and tangible, real visitors to our planet?

What would they use to refute themselves since there is no religion on the planet that even mentions the possibility of extraterrestrial life?
I don't think I can really say anything on that, since I already have my own reasons to not have faith in a religion. So I'm kind of biased to just agree with the aliens.

*tips intergalactic fedora*


The Lord Slide Rule | Legendary Invincible!
 
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My stupidity is self evident.
I'm pretty sure Roman Catholicism is open to the idea of extraterrestrials, not sure how they justify the complete absence of the idea from the Bible though. Whereas you've got certain protestant sects(the crazier ones) that would swear up and down they're actually demons.

If the aliens said it was bullshit some would probably just treat them as lost souls, like they do the rest of us that don't buy it.


 
Sandtrap
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Humans are still number one, but aliens can exist.

Key question here, how could we be number one if an interstellar species shows up on our doorstep boasting technology a hell of a long ways farther along than ours?



The Lord Slide Rule | Legendary Invincible!
 
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My stupidity is self evident.
Well if they call it bullshit we can set up fedora trade routes
What would they use to refute themselves since there is no religion on the planet that even mentions the possibility of extraterrestrial life?

If I'm not mistaken the Vedic religions leave the possibility open.


 
Isara
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There was a pseudo-scientific  document that lists all possible contacts with extraterrestrial life with some brief analysis of concerns, benefits and downsides. It was very interesting to read, but I only remember finding it as a source in Wikipedia like a year ago or more.


Girl of Mystery | Mythic Unfrigginbelievable!
 
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Humans are still number one, but aliens can exist.

Key question here, how could we be number one if an interstellar species shows up on our doorstep boasting technology a hell of a long ways farther along than ours?
We kill them just like in every alien invasion movie and steal their shit.


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theaetherone.deviantart.com https://www.instagram.com/aetherone/

Long live NoNolesNeckin.

Ya fuckin' ganderneck.
Well if they call it bullshit we can set up fedora trade routes
What would they use to refute themselves since there is no religion on the planet that even mentions the possibility of extraterrestrial life?

If I'm not mistaken the Vedic religions leave the possibility open.
Not exactly sure about Hinduism but, from what I understand, Buddhism would be rather accepting when it comes to extraterrestrials.


BC | Legendary Inconceivable!
 
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Oh, hey.
Aliens wouldn't be able to say religion isn't true...?

Their in the same position as us, we don't know what happens when we die.

So that's kind of a flawed question.


The Lord Slide Rule | Legendary Invincible!
 
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My stupidity is self evident.
Well if they call it bullshit we can set up fedora trade routes
What would they use to refute themselves since there is no religion on the planet that even mentions the possibility of extraterrestrial life?

If I'm not mistaken the Vedic religions leave the possibility open.
Not exactly sure about Hinduism but, from what I understand, Buddhism would be rather accepting when it comes to extraterrestrials.
I'll have to see if I can find the source again but I think Hinduism leaves it open.


Girl of Mystery | Mythic Unfrigginbelievable!
 
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Aliens wouldn't be able to say religion isn't true...?

Their in the same position as us, we don't know what happens when we die.

So that's kind of a flawed question.
How do hypotheticals work?



Tyger | Elite Four Inconceivable!
 
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What makes you assume aliens wouldn't have some form of religion on their planet?


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If I'm not here, I'm doing photography. Or I'm asleep. Or in lockdown. One of those three, anyway.

The current titlebar/avatar setup is just normal.
What could be worse is if they say "Your God is false, bow down to the Great Lord and Master Czulth", and proceed to vaporize Earth for being heathens.

But I guess if it did happen it kinda throws religion out the window regarding a few things, such as the creation story (though not many take it literally, to pick and choose out of your holy book what is to be believed and what is just stories seems a bit retarded to me), or they'd have to come up with another chapter in the holy books to encompass extra-terrestrials somehow.

However it went about I think it would leave a lot of religious people doubtful of their belief, and quite a few others angry.
Last Edit: March 04, 2015, 05:22:25 PM by SuperIrish


 
Sandtrap
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What makes you assume aliens wouldn't have some form of religion on their planet?

I never mentioned that. And I never assumed they wouldn't. I was just asking a question about what you think our religions would do if their religion was directly opposed by a greater force beyond our planet. Because let's face it, extra terrestrial life forms would pose the most threat to the ideologies people adhere to because primarily they'd be more advanced then our species.


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Feet first into fun!
Just because it isn't mentioned doesn't mean it can't exsist.

If aliens call it bullshit I feel like the same thing would happen when a human calls it bullshit. The overly aggressive extremists would go ape shit and the sensable ones would shrug it off.


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They'd probably try to fit what they see into the sense of the Bible, which isn;'t hard considering how ambiguous it is


Assassin 11D7 | Mythic Inconceivable!
 
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"flaming nipple chops"-Your host, the man they call Ghost.

To say, 'nothing is true', is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say, 'everything is permitted', is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.
I'm pretty sure Roman Catholicism is open to the idea of extraterrestrials, not sure how they justify the complete absence of the idea from the Bible though.
There's the Nephilim, which are mentioned maybe once and everyone just shrugs their shoulders at what the hell they were supposed to be, so they'd probably say they're that.


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I neither fear, nor despise.
Well the show "Ancient Aliens" has probably tried desperately to relate Christian events like Moses getting the Ten Commandments.........to aliens somehow.