Space Travel and Religion

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Pogrom

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This is a bit of a weird topic. It occurred to me when I was re-reading Dune, by Frank Herbert. There is a bit in the beginning where he makes reference to a radical re-interpretation of all the major world religions triggered by mankind's colonisation of space.

I hope it doesn't turn ugly. I just want to know some people's opinions.

Question 1
What if intelligent life was discovered somewhere out in space? How would that affect your personal religious beliefs?

Question 2
What if humans started colonising other planets. Would that change your religion in any way, shape or form?
 
Religion would change but not very much.

Although nearly it's nearly indisputed cientifically that the the Universe wasn't created a few thousand years ago like the Bible suggests, there are still people who believe it.

Maybe we just might get something in the lines of the Orange Christian Bible.
 
Sprafa said:
Religion would change but not very much.

Although nearly it's nearly indisputed cientifically that the the Universe wasn't created a few thousand years ago like the Bible suggests, there are still people who believe it.

Maybe we just might get something in the lines of the Orange Christian Bible.
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But I just couldn't help thinking that the descriptions of the end of the world would lose all relevance for people born and raised on a ship. Or another world for that matter.
 
Pogrom said:
But I just couldn't help thinking that the descriptions of the end of the world would lose all relevance for people born and raised on a ship. Or another world for that matter.
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well, what if they're like the Covenant and wage a Jihad agaisnt the infidels ?

You never know, they might believe more in their religion than we ever did.
 
Sprafa said:
well, what if they're like the Covenant and wage a Jihad agaisnt the infidels ?

You never know, they might believe more in their religion than we ever did.
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But it would still force a reinterpretation of religious texts.

I believe the most general statement of location mentioned in religious texts is "the world".

Nothing referring to the universe iirc.
 
It wouldn't affect me personally as I don't follow a religion.

However, I think it would have to have some affect on most religions, especially if we met an alien species. I mean there would be an awful lot to re-examine if we all of a sudden found that there was another sentient species.

And imagine if they had their own religions? We think that religions don't get along very well now, just think if we had two completely alien religions come together. (Though I sincerely doubt an alien species would have anything like an identifiable religion.)
 
religion has nothing to do with the universe, it was created in a time where humanity was bleak because of the contrast in culture's and barbaric thinkings, for example.. the lack of compasion shown by the Romans and their elitist attitude.

Religion is all in the human mind.

However like in the X files, the truth is out there. But it is also in here ,our very fabric of being.

I do think religious cultist's will find it hard to latch onto the idea that we are not the be all and end all of the universe, and the earth is most likely only one of an unpresidented many with the same / similar conditions.
 
I dont have a religion..so...

not being an expert on religion, the location can be a matter of discussion or more importantly a matter of translation.

I browsed the koran when i was younger, but the large amounts of cannabis that also followed in my youth, make the whole book and other large portions of that time, simply just vanish, but there are the Merkavah litt. where the starting point aint earth, but kosmos. Others write of the birth of the one christians call God, (Sophias offspring, jaldabaoth) and etc etc.
Theres a little 4 every1 out there, hey just check out Scientology hehe :rolleyes:
 
It would effect religious people alot. Me, myself am not religious, i could'nt give a rats ass how the world got here but it does'nt mean i don't believe there's not another lifeform other than us earthians. ;)

I mean what are the chances of us being the only lifeform in the universe?. Its hard to explain why i think another lifeform exsists and i don't think they have big long heads with massive oval shaped eyes either. I believe they look just like us and are too trying to discover if another lifeform exsists off there planet. They are trying to discover us in other words.

Or another way. Maybe god did exsist once and made us..no one knows so dont even start an arguement about religion with me but for now i'll say he exsisted, and created earth and the rest of the universe knowing that eventually we would evolve enough and become so intelligent that the aliens would be ourselfs and it would be us earthians living on other planets making baby's and over thousands of years the planet's would fill up to have a 6 billion population like earth has now after a long time. :p

Edit/ If you think deep about it (if you think another lifeform exsists), it makes you wonder if they have technology we have...maybe they are just discovering how to make a fire, maybe they have been around as long as we have and are evolving as fast as we do and think the same we do. Maybe they are miles ahead of us..maybe they have been to earth. I wonder if they have games like we have and have laws and stuff....

If you've watched a film called K-PAX its quite believeable, this stuff just facinates (sp?) me.
 
I think it will just lead to new religions rather than changes in the existing ones. Just like our beliefs in nature gods were replaced by mono-theistic beliefs when we gained knowledge and experience. Gain more knowledge, and it will be replaced by more nuanced beliefs.

Because, after all, current religions will be gone at some period in time too according to statistics that show every religion disappears one day. That will also be the fate of Christianity and Islam.
 
Think i saw a tv prog with Hawkins, saying somn about the infinite ammount of galaxies and bla bla. And if you where to make a rough math of the chances of a species coming to life in on other systems, the possibilities where somewhere near 100 million civ´s i think it was, since the universe was created to the point where it did not. But the chances that 2 existet at the same time, where slim to non.
(i agree its a stupid theory, but it makes u wonder, Hey people do win the lottery every week, and the chances there are....)
 
RRunner said:
(i agree its a stupid theory, but it makes u wonder, Hey people do win the lottery every week, and the chances there are....)
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Why do you say it's a stupid theory? If you really think about the true vastness and age of the universe it seems highly unlikely that two species would ever have the chance to meet in time or space.
 
Neutrino said:
Why do you say it's a stupid theory? If you really think about the true vastness and age of the universe it seems highly unlikely that two species would ever have the chance to meet in time or space.
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yes...but we r talking chances here, so the chances that "the other civ" is really close or really fare away are about the same no?

That the chances that they r more tech advanced then us or on ameba stage, or already here, about the same.

Thats why...no other reason, we r talking chances from the get go. And since we havent even discovered another species, we might aswell be the only ones... big bang, steady state theory...on and on and on and on and on and on.....
 
I would think its pretty safe to say that with all the new evidence for extra solar planets in temperate zones + extremely hardy bacterial life forms that can survive hibernating in a frozen vacuum that the chances for life existing somewhere else in the universe is almost even odds.

Back in 1996 when NASA announced they had found evidence for 'life' on mars in a martian rock the world was shocked for several months until they realised it might not be life. What interested me most about this discovery is that the rock in question was a martian meteorite that was discovered in the frozen wastes of the Arctic right here on earth. This intrigued me as to how such a rock could find its way to earth so after a little bit of reading into the subject I found that both the earth and mars exchange around 100 tons of rock each year due to debris in space from past asteroid impacts on both mars and earth.

With both the spirit and oppertunity nasa rovers discovering strong evidence for past Oceans on mars whats to say life didnt start on mars in the first place and was eventually brought here by asteroid debris exchane? What if life started elsewhere in the universe and was brought here to the solar system by the same methods?
 
Pogrom said:
This is a bit of a weird topic. It occurred to me when I was re-reading Dune, by Frank Herbert. There is a bit in the beginning where he makes reference to a radical re-interpretation of all the major world religions triggered by mankind's colonisation of space.

I hope it doesn't turn ugly. I just want to know some people's opinions.

Question 1
What if intelligent life was discovered somewhere out in space? How would that affect your personal religious beliefs?

Question 2
What if humans started colonising other planets. Would that change your religion in any way, shape or form?
Click to expand...

I've always felt that if we did meet intelligent beings most religious doctrine would crumble or be radically changed ...hard to convince people that they are the chosen ones if they all of the sudden discover there are worlds just as heavily populated as their own ...at least I hope so ...I'd give any chance to do away with some religions
 
Also, would the aliens have to alter thier religeon to take us into account...

I'm sure that here on earth the hardline Chritian fundamentalists would just deny/ignore it no matter how much evidence there was. It seems like almost any interpreation of the bible implies that God only created life on Earth and no elsewhere (except heaven/hell)
 
CptStern said:
I've always felt that if we did meet intelligent beings most religious doctrine would crumble or be radically changed ...hard to convince people that they are the chosen ones if they all of the sudden discover there are worlds just as heavily populated as their own ...at least I hope so ...I'd give any chance to do away with some religions
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Not so, after all the Jews are Gods "Chosen people" yet there are billions of other people on this planet.

If we met aliens it would be cool, and if anything I think I would learn more about my faith. It wouldn't change, I would simply see the bigger picture...However, I don't think we are gonna meet aliens in my life time...perhaps never. Largely because I don't think "extra terrestrial" life exists.
 
Farrowlesparrow said:
Not so, after all the Jews are Gods "Chosen people" yet there are billions of other people on this planet.

If we met aliens it would be cool, and if anything I think I would learn more about my faith. It wouldn't change, I would simply see the bigger picture...However, I don't think we are gonna meet aliens in my life time...perhaps never. Largely because I don't think "extra terrestrial" life exists.
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extra terrestrial is defined as "Originating, located, or occurring outside Earth or its atmosphere"

so by that definition we've already found life outside of the earth ...microbes, proteins etc ...but I agree, I dont think aliens will visit us any time soon ...we're on the outer rim of the milky way which is home to billions of planets the chances of an alien race visiting our remote little corner is next to nill ...the universe is just too massive.

I agree that there are many people with religious faith that wont change their minds ...I was referring more to the fundamentalists
 
well, what if they're like the Covenant and wage a Jihad agaisnt the infidels ?
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Wort-Wort-Wort-Wort!

Course, what if those wierd grey alien skinned things that keep randomly having stories of coming here to earth, were Demons?

I mean, I heard somewhere that Demons have to ask Gods permission to even bother coming here to the earth. Would'nt that be Ironic if God was giving them permission now?

Or...what if God lost?

Think about it. Why did Satan tempt Adam and Eve? Because Demons, and even Satan, being an Angle, cannot reproduce. If he got a man and woman to sin and goto hell, well, now he's got something to use.

There yah go.
 
Pogrom said:
This is a bit of a weird topic. It occurred to me when I was re-reading Dune, by Frank Herbert. There is a bit in the beginning where he makes reference to a radical re-interpretation of all the major world religions triggered by mankind's colonisation of space.

I hope it doesn't turn ugly. I just want to know some people's opinions.

Question 1
What if intelligent life was discovered somewhere out in space? How would that affect your personal religious beliefs?

Question 2
What if humans started colonising other planets. Would that change your religion in any way, shape or form?
Click to expand...
1. I don't know, but certainly not negatively.
2. I don't think so.

I agree that there are many people with religious faith that wont change their minds ...I was referring more to the fundamentalists
Click to expand...
What's a fundamenalist? I think I am one, but it depends on your definition of the word.
 
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