If we discovered evidence of prior life in Mars

This is one of the most well thought out messages I've seen on this board. You win this thread and would like to personally thank you for your comments. To actually take something seriously adding own thoughts, history, and pop culture. Damn fine work.

 

Good answer.

At first, I imagined a Westboro Baptist member blowing his brains out after the discovery of sentient life on another planet, but then I realized that they'd double down on how awesome they are and twist it into some pro-earth, anti-gay alien agenda.

Man, I just saw a brain side-by-side comparison between us, dolphins, and a monkey, and the dolphin's brain is enormous. Imagine if we could truly communicate with them and other animals through neuroscience and computing. An average household dog or cat has an estimated capacity of a 4 yr old. Even if the dolphin possessed an IQ capacity of a teen, that'd be more than enough to hold a conversation.

The themes of many religions are purely human-centric. It can hold us back in our thinking now and then, but at the same time it can also open up the possibility of how great our individual potentials can be.

 

The way to Jesus is not through science, and so the path away from Jesus will not be through science. It's really that simple. Faith in extra terrestrial life is more likely to shake religious belief than proof of extra terrestrial life.

When you believe in an all-knowing and interfering supreme being, and you are a being with a mind that by definition cannot ever differ between: (1) The plan of an all-knowing and interfering supreme being and (2) random events... Then your bias will have 100% control of the direction of your beliefs.

I don't remember who's quote it is, but it says: the problem with theology is that it gives you the answer before the question.

 

Would you feel as special if God came down on Mars and died for Martian sins too? Kind of a big omission for the Prophets to leave out, though explaining that to someone living around 500 B.C. would require several bushes to be burnt.

I guess they've already been Raptured?

It's quite possible, but why does my brother get all the cool toys???

 

If there were a God, I think the answer to why he created man would be because there is no definition of reality without a shared perception of at least two independent observers.

The parochial view humans have of space and time still amazes me post Sagan. Billions of years, billions of light years and trillions of solar systems, light traveling 98,000 miles per second but still taking 4 years to get from the one closest star, any mass becoming infinitely heavy if it approaches the speed of light: and I get way lost at the thought of other dimensions. Considering the scale of all that, I don't thing God would have time to worry about me jacking off.

 

That's not really what I consider Bible cherry-picking. I think of cherry-picking as drawing out a single verse from a passage that helps whatever argument you want to make while ignoring the context of that verse, which is invariably a context that is talking about something wholly different. Cherry-picking is objectionable because you don't have a solid text that fleshes out the subject. But, I don't think your cherry-picking is very egregious because it does say the appropriate thing, even in context -- that the Earth was made to be inhabited.

So, the cherry-picking isn't the problem, it's more the logic you employ that sees some contradiction between the habitation of the Earth and the habitation of other planets. That's all. So, I'd want to see some other Scripture that makes an exclusionary claim.

So, you're right (so far as I know) -- the Bible does not address the question of extra-terrestrial life. We might think it'd be useful, but it's not there. That doesn't mean it doesn't exist, only that the Bible doesn't say one way or the other.

The Bible does make out like mankind is special. So, if I wanted to pursue it, I'd go with the 'made in his likeness' angle. If there are sentient aliens out there, are they made in his likeness too? If they are, did Jesus die for their sins too? If not, are we to supposed to be stewards of them like we are for terrestrial animals?

Sentience doesn't mean made in God's likeness. The angels are not said to be made in His likeness. So, I don't see that it's a problem in the end. Mankind can still be special (Biblically) even if we find others who are smarter than us.

 

Does the bible have a concept of the "supreme creation" of God? Some Muslims believe this, not sure how prevalent it is. See "ashraful makhluqat" which means God's supreme creation in the universe. I don't think it is mentioned in the Quran but the concept exists for some.

 

Ok.I’m born and raised catholic but never paid much attention in Sunday school. But explain to me how Indians fit into the equation? So are they not saved; through no fault of their own?

Its always been a curiosity of mine but I was always embarrassed to ask a priest when I used to attend mass.

 

I don't think there's any firm consensus doctrinally. I've heard an argument (with Scriptural support) that those who love God but don't know about Jesus can still be saved. That seems kinda wishy-washy to me. But, if you wanted to be legalistic about it, that puts the pre-Columbian Indians and all gentiles in the world pre-Christ in a bad spot. I also see plenty of Christians just punt altogether and say we don't know who is saved and who isn't (which is also Scriptural).

More broadly though, there's a spectrum of doctine on fault. Baptists say you must choose to follow Jesus. So, if you're damned, it's your own fault for choosing poorly. On the other end (where I have the most experience), some conservative denominations will say God chooses who will be saved and who won't (or, more technically, all men are called, but all are dead in sin and don't have the capacity to accept, except by the intervention of the Holy Spirit). In that mindset, there isn't much practical distinction between an Indian who has never even heard of Jesus, and an apostate who grew up in the church -- in both cases, the Holy Spirit did not provide the person with the capacity to accept Jesus and be saved. I think the Catholic position is closer to the Baptist, that everyone is called and you have free will to accept or reject.

Disclaimer: I'm not a Christian, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

 

Thanks for the response. Would rep if i could. These inequalities always bothered me when I was what you could call a practicing catholic.

 

Special ed?

 

What makes man special if you have aliens that make us look like fishes?

 

The doctrine Juan mentions is called "General Revelation". And, as you can imagine, it's a contentious and thorny subject full of holes.

 

Wouldn't change my opinion about much. I think with the sheer size of the universe there has to be other life out there. That doesn't necessarily mean intelligent, carbon-based life.

As for religion, I don't see how religion can't co-exist with alternate worlds and even evolution. God created us in his image. Ok, so maybe he created some other culture from the images in his dreams. Maybe he sleeps a reallllllllly long time, and 1 day is really like 100 million in our eyes.

Maybe all of the crap we worship is BS, there is a God, but we made up all this extra crap and now he has just given up and has moved on to other worlds.

As long as Will Smith is around, I feel safe.

 

God is all knowing and all powerful which means he can make time to worry about you jacking off and he KNOWS when you are jacking off.