What if we hear from ET?

[TricksterWolf]

Say that tomorrow we detect radio signals from space. It's a television program from another world, with beings that are clearly alien to our own. What happens to faith? Three main questions:

1) Would we need to analyze their culture (to see if they are ethical by our standards) before determining if they have souls, or would we assume they have souls by default?

2) Would our religions (like Jesus' love) apply to them? Conditionally or fully?

3) Would your religious beliefs change? (Any statement to the effect that "I am completely unable to believe that God made alien beings" will be considered a YES to this question.)

Trickster

 

[Pinp]

Say that tomorrow we detect radio signals from space. It's a television program from another world, with beings that are clearly alien to our own. What happens to faith?

I think I'll allow the Talking Jackey to field these questions:

would we assume they have souls by default?

"no, they're just demons"​

Would our religions (like Jesus' love) apply to them? Conditionally or fully

"No, they're just demons"
​

Would your religious beliefs change? (Any statement to the effect that "I am completely unable to believe that God made alien beings" will be considered a YES to this question.)

"No, they're just demons, next question?"​

​

 

[JesusWalks78]

Wait to see what the Pope said, if he decrees that they are from God we should welcome them and do our best to bring them into the true church and to the light and love of God.

If the Pope said they were not from God, I would just personally leave it in the hands of Gdub.

 

[Arnold_Philips]

I don't think our myths apply to aliens. I always thought it funny that god would've made this tiny little forgettable planet and then create the rest of the universe for naught.

But I guess it's "For God so loved the world..."

It just seems petty to me to employ your whole being to such a negligible place.

 

[cerad]

Say that tomorrow we detect radio signals from space. It's a television program from another world, with beings that are clearly alien to our own. What happens to faith? Two main questions:

1) Would we need to analyze their culture (to see if they are ethical by our standards) before determining if they have souls, or would we assume they have souls by default?

2) Would our religions (like Jesus' love) apply to them? Conditionally or fully?

3) Would your religious beliefs change? (Any statement to the effect that "I am completely unable to believe that God made alien beings" will be considered a YES to this question.)

Trickster

Isn't that three questions? Or is this an example of alien math?

And what the heck does ethics have to do with souls?

 

[OdwinOddball]

First contact if it ever happens will either signal the final days of religous belief if the aliens do not share any of our superstitions, or the death of Atheism if they were turned out to believe in one of our mythologies.

 

[TricksterWolf]

Isn't that three questions? Or is this an example of alien math?

And what the heck does ethics have to do with souls?

I can't add.

I didn't really know where to put this. I wanted responses from Christians and non-Christians, which limits where I can place it.

Trickster

 

[TricksterWolf]

First contact if it ever happens will either signal the final days of religous belief if the aliens do not share any of our superstitions, or the death of Atheism if they were turned out to believe in one of our mythologies.

No offense to atheism, but that would be so cool!

I hope they're Zoroastrian and molest their children. That would cause maximum confusion down here.

Trickster

 

[TricksterWolf]

I think I'll allow the Talking Jackey to field these questions:

"no, they're just demons"​

​

"No, they're just demons"
​

​

"No, they're just demons, next question?"​

​

Talking jackey is usually facetious. Do you mean this seriously or are you kidding?

Trickster

 

[Zaac]

I don't think our myths apply to aliens. I always thought it funny that god would've made this tiny little forgettable planet and then create the rest of the universe for naught.

It just seems petty to me to employ your whole being to such a negligible place.

Perhaps He made it so big and our existance so small with nothing else out there just to show us how great He is?

 

[DivineRAiN]

1) Would we need to analyze their culture (to see if they are ethical by our standards) before determining if they have souls, or would we assume they have souls by default?

how can we really determine if they have souls or not?

2) Would our religions (like Jesus' love) apply to them? Conditionally or fully?

no, I don't believe so

3) Would your religious beliefs change? (Any statement to the effect that "I am completely unable to believe that God made alien beings" will be considered a YES to this question.)

no. I already think they exist.. and I have wondered about some scriptures that talk about "angels" coming from the sky in chariots or whatever, if what they really saw were ET's.

 

[MoonlessNight]

1) Would we need to analyze their culture (to see if they are ethical by our standards) before determining if they have souls, or would we assume they have souls by default?

I would at least treat them as though they had souls, using if nothing else Turing's sort of argument that since they seem to have them it is polite to act as though they do, even if it can't be determined. I find it extremely unlikely (though perhaps possible) than a highly intelligent race of beings would be without a rational soul. (I hope you don't mind that I essentially changed the question to: do they have immortal/rational souls?)

2) Would our religions (like Jesus' love) apply to them? Conditionally or fully?

I think the most interesting question would be whether original sin applied to them. It's not an easy question to answer and I think that it would take a great deal of study into scripture, and Christian tradition, along with rational dialogue and a look into the alien's culture. I would think that Christianity would apply to them in some form, but without actually encountering an alien I don't think I can say for sure. What I mean is, this is a question that requires observations that can only be made upon actually encountering aliens.

3) Would your religious beliefs change? (Any statement to the effect that "I am completely unable to believe that God made alien beings" will be considered a YES to this question.)

Probably not, but again, it would really depend on the nature of the aliens. If it ended up in a situation like when the Portuguese arrived to India (partially) to proselytize and found some Catholics already there, then I imagine my strength would be strengthened a great deal. I'm not really sure what would have to happen about them for me to lose faith, though I'm not going to rule out the possibility of such a thing happening.

 

[Rochir]

What if ET was ... gay?

 

[DailyBlessings]

I don't think our myths apply to aliens. I always thought it funny that god would've made this tiny little forgettable planet and then create the rest of the universe for naught.
But I guess it's "For God so loved the world..."
It just seems petty to me to employ your whole being to such a negligible place.

Well, size isn't everything. Perhaps he came here for the waters.

 

[trunks2k]

Well, size isn't everything.

That's what they all say. Liars.

 

[Arnold_Philips]

Perhaps He made it so big and our existance so small with nothing else out there just to show us how great He is?

That is one interpretation.

 

[TricksterWolf]

1) Would we need to analyze their culture (to see if they are ethical by our standards) before determining if they have souls, or would we assume they have souls by default?

how can we really determine if they have souls or not?

2) Would our religions (like Jesus' love) apply to them? Conditionally or fully?

no, I don't believe so

3) Would your religious beliefs change? (Any statement to the effect that "I am completely unable to believe that God made alien beings" will be considered a YES to this question.)

no. I already think they exist.. and I have wondered about some scriptures that talk about "angels" coming from the sky in chariots or whatever, if what they really saw were ET's.

So you believe there are other sapient beings, but they are not entitled to salvation? What happens when they die?

Trickster

 

[TricksterWolf]

Probably not, but again, it would really depend on the nature of the aliens. If it ended up in a situation like when the Portuguese arrived to India (partially) to proselytize and found some Catholics already there, then I imagine my strength would be strengthened a great deal. I'm not really sure what would have to happen about them for me to lose faith, though I'm not going to rule out the possibility of such a thing happening.

How could they be Catholic, though? Would they have their own version of Jesus, do you think, or rely on ours?

I once read a sci-fi story about humans who had traveled FTL to another planet and waited for the light of Jesus to reach them from Earth. It was an interesting story (but also a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the irony of religious prejudice).

Trickster

 

[MoonlessNight]

How could they be Catholic, though? Would they have their own version of Jesus, do you think, or rely on ours?

I once read a sci-fi story about humans who had traveled FTL to another planet and waited for the light of Jesus to reach them from Earth. It was an interesting story (but also a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the irony of religious prejudice).

Trickster

You are right in that the situation could not be the same, in India of course the community was the result of the Saint Thomas the Apostle, who had brought the Gospel to India long before it crossed the minds of the Portuguese.

That is why I said that my strength would be incredibly strengthened; if they did have a religion already set up that mirrored Christianity, how would that be possible without God?

More realistically though I would be interested to know what religion, if any, that they had. I think it would be interesting if, for instance, they had prophecies of a need a savior, even if they didn't know that it would be Jesus.

If you ask me even if aliens had a religion at all it would be astounding, and if it was monotheistic that would be even more amazing.

 

[Konkurrent]

What if ET was ... gay?

Well then it would be our Christian duty to forcibly straighten each and every one of them, obviously!

I mean we couldn't simply let them live the way they had for (presumably) thousands or millions of years - no way. Our religion clearly is absolutely infallible and must be legislated, not only on this planet but throughout God's universe!

If we don't force it down their green alien throats who will?

(Note, this post has not been sarcasm-subtitled for the irony-impaired)