First, name one atheist who denies the existence of any of the planets in the solar system (Pluto's status notwithstanding).
How can an atheist believe in Roman gods?
Second, what makes you think atheists are 'science deniers'?
Atheists are science deniers because they don't believe in Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, or Pluto.
Atheists are some of the biggest supporters of all things scientific.
LOL.
Let's just say I agree to disagree.
Atheists are the biggest supporters of all things pseudoscientific.
Third, you're equivocating the Roman Gods with the local planets.
Obviously.
Mercury, the planet, is Mercury, the deity.
I know. I rest my case.
The Ancient Romans identified the planets in the sky with their various gods, and we continue to call them by those names.
Duh. Thank you Captain Obvious. How long did it take you to figure that out?
That doesn't mean the planet Mercury is literally a deity.
Mercury is a Roman deity the last time I checked.
All the planets are Roman deities but you don't believe in Roman deities so according to you planets don't exist.
Let's agree that the planet Mercury is indeed a deity.
The whole world agrees that Mercury is a deity.
Look it up.
What does this mean about deities? It means they're innate hunks of rock and gas broiling in the Sun's heat, obeying wholly natural laws, coming into existence for entirely natural reasons, and trundling to an inevitable, natural demise.
So? Your point is?
Just because Roman planetary gods are corruptible doesn't mean extraterrestrials with genetic engineering are mortal.
"For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods." -- Psalm 96:4
"God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods." -- Psalm 82:1
"And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham [Saturn];" -- Zephaniah 1:5
"But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven [Venus], and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem:" -- Jeremiah 44:17
"And the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall be defiled as the place of Tophet [Saturn], because of all the houses whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods." -- Jeremiah 19:13
"And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth." -- Jeremiah 8:2
"And he brought me unto the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces towards the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east." -- Ezekiel 8:16
"And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth [Venus] the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh [Saturn] the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile" -- II Kings 23:13
"For he [Manasseh] built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal [Saturn], and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. -- II Kings 21:3
"And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal [Saturn]." --II Kings 17:16
"Then said Elijah unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's [Saturn's] prophets [are] four hundred and fifty men." -- I Kings 18:22
"Because they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth [Venus] the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh [Saturn] the god of the Moabites, and Milcom [Saturn] the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father." -- I Kings 11:33
"Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh [Saturn], the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech [Saturn], the abomination of the children of Ammon." -- I Kings 11:7
"Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh [Saturn] thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess." -- Judges 11:24
"And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal [Saturn] and Ashtaroth [Venus]." -- Judges 2:13
"But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day." -- Deuteronomy 4:20
"And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided under the whole heaven." -- Deuteronomy 4:19
"Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh [Saturn]:" -- Numbers 21:29
