What would aliens think of religion?
Discuss religious, spiritual, and theological issues concerning Christianity, Judaism, Islam, or any other religion.
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What would aliens think of religion?Imagine looking into human society from the point of view of an intelligent alien. Please no arguments over what you classify as intelligent or if aliens exist, this is hypothetical, so assume we can communicate with them.
Imagine this alien had come from a society where everything was based on scientific facts that could be proven and demonstrated, therefore they believed in evolution and the big bang theory etc etc. And there were no religions in their society.
1) how would you explain religions to them when they have no concept of the idea?
People thousands of years ago claimed to have spoken to god. God is an all powerful entity that noone can prove the existance of. They then wrote down in books what this 'god' told them including how they created the universe and everything within it. These books also included rules about how to live our lives. These books have been edited and translated many time, yet we still follow them today even though there is scientific evidence for events such as the big bang and processes such as evolution and no scientific evidence for god.
2) how could you make the idea of being religious not seem rediculous? I don't see how you could.Last edited by Clare~Bear; 22-05-2012 at 21:52. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?First of all, I'll ask the intelligent alien - "How do you think the first Alien was made?"
Then, if the Alien was to mention a higher power, then I'm sure that they could relate to human's ideology (Religion). If they believe that they were just there already, without a higher power creating them somehow, then I'm sure that they'll be quite astounded at the fact that humans believe in different higher powers (gods).Last edited by Instincts_2012; 22-05-2012 at 21:53. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?The idea of religion is ridiculous, there's no two-ways about it. The only reason that religion doesn't seem as far-fetched as it would to the alien's society you have described is because we've all grown up around it whether we partake in any worship or not so we've been desensitized around it.
Last edited by chernid; 23-05-2012 at 21:34. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?If the aliens had no religion and they saw a civilisation with religion then religious practises would be seen as alien to them... just like we are to them. Then we wouldn't know whether we are the aliens or not. Then proceed to explode.
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?I'd be shocked, given the current trend for worshipping beings that are either invisible or dead.(Original post by PandyAndy)
It wouldn't shock me if some people started to worship them as gods.
OP:
1) All people have an innate desire to believe in a being that created life, the universe and everything, called God. Humans are also fond of stories and, naturally people tell stories about God. Unfortunately, these stories are often considered to be true by those who hear them and, as a result, we get religion. For the sake of posterity, most of the stories are documented in storybooks (eg Bible / Quran).
2) No.Last edited by electriic_ink; 22-05-2012 at 22:13. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?Never know,they might be seen as some sort of second coming.(Original post by electriic_ink)
I'd be shocked, given the current trend for worshipping beings that are either invisible or dead.
OP:
1) All people have an innate desire to believe in a being that created life, the universe and everything, called God. Humans are also fond of stories and, naturally people tell stories about God. Unfortunately, these stories are often considered to be true by those who hear them and, as a result, we get religion. For the sake of posterity, most of the stories are documented in storybooks (eg Bible / Quran).
2) No.
Any money there'd be a verse in the Qur'an or Bible suddenly found that predicted the invasion/visit. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?I would say something like:(Original post by Clare~Bear)
Imagine looking into human society from the point of view of an intelligent alien. Please no arguments over what you classify as intelligent or if aliens exist, this is hypothetical, so assume we can communicate with them.
Imagine this alien had come from a society where everything was based on scientific facts that could be proven and demonstrated, therefore they believed in evolution and the big bang theory etc etc. And there were no religions in their society.
1) how would you explain religions to them when they have no concept of the idea?
People thousands of years ago claimed to have spoken to god. God is an all powerful entity that noone can prove the existance of. They then wrote down in books what this 'god' told them including how they created the universe and everything within it. These books also included rules about how to live our lives. These books have been edited and translated many time, yet we still follow them today even though there is scientific evidence for events such as the big bang and processes such as evolution and no scientific evidence for god.
2) how could you make the idea of being religious not seem rediculous? I don't see how you could.
Many thousands of years ago an alien being appeared to a group of humans and claimed that it created the universe and everything in it and is unlimited by time and space. That it has a special interest in everything that goes on in the universe but established natural laws which the universe generally follows. He then proceeded to demonstrate his power by breaking the laws of nature in a number of ways and enabling other humans to do so too by invoking his name. After thus proving his superiority over humans and nature, he gave them a set of rules to live by with the promise of eternal bliss for those that keep to the rules.
Since the aliens have no concept of religion they also come with no baggage. Therefore, the only questions they need answer are the following:
1) How reliable is the testimony of the events in question?
2) Is it possible that the events were not breaches of natural law at all?
If the testimony is reliable and the impossible was performed then where does the ridicule come from? From the conclusion? That's not logic at work if it is... -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?There's no evidence of the Big Bang, it's a theory.(Original post by Clare~Bear)
Imagine looking into human society from the point of view of an intelligent alien. Please no arguments over what you classify as intelligent or if aliens exist, this is hypothetical, so assume we can communicate with them.
Imagine this alien had come from a society where everything was based on scientific facts that could be proven and demonstrated, therefore they believed in evolution and the big bang theory etc etc. And there were no religions in their society.
1) how would you explain religions to them when they have no concept of the idea?
People thousands of years ago claimed to have spoken to god. God is an all powerful entity that noone can prove the existance of. They then wrote down in books what this 'god' told them including how they created the universe and everything within it. These books also included rules about how to live our lives. These books have been edited and translated many time, yet we still follow them today even though there is scientific evidence for events such as the big bang and processes such as evolution and no scientific evidence for god.
2) how could you make the idea of being religious not seem rediculous? I don't see how you could.
Also, God spoke to certain people back then due to the fact that, back then, God's world was younger and the paths of the people were being set out. Nowadays, we have experienced God in the past and are, I don't know, doing the test?
But, if Aliens did exist, they would probably laugh, or they may too believe in God? Idk
Just because Aliens exist (if they do) doesn't mean God doesn't.
If Aliens did exist they would've been here by now.
2) How to make it non-rediculous? Maybe because the birth of the universe and the expanse is so great? also, there is no need whatsoever for any laws of physics, so why have them? Inteligentely designed. I'm not saying that God is a man with a beard (haha no), but an inteligent energy, the inteligent source of everything. Also, Humans know less than 1% of all that there is to know, yet we act as if we know everything and know answers. We know, realistically, nothing. Therefore, if Aliens did come here, they would see it logical that we were religious. Make sense? I'm religious, but if Aliens did come here they would probably laugh at us, that is saying if the Aliens were athiests and if religion was wrong, hypothetically. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?Then we'd have people going around saying their God anally probed them.(Original post by PandyAndy)
It wouldn't shock me if some people started to worship them as gods. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?I read the first paragrapy and, I'm a Christian not Muslim so correct me, but I very easily interpretated that as being a description of either those who have died or some form of angels? Also, the concept of aliens has existed for thousands and thousands of years (see sculptures found in South America) so it's not surprising that the concept of Aliens has found its way into a book less than 2000 years old.(Original post by eco2bottle)
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=qur...ient=firefox-a
You may find the above interesting. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?This is very random. Ignoring the fact that we implicitly assume they wouldn't have their own mythos or gods or beliefs. I've never understood why a lot of people seem to immediately think aliens would be some sort of consciousness nothing like humans. If they can think, have emotions and the other cognitive faculties we have, why would they not have the capacity to have faith or beliefs. Or even their own Gods. Maybe everyone on earth got it wrong.
Anyway, this is all just conjecture. I'm not so sure hypotheticals will get us far in the debate on religion. -
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?I think they wouldn't take it seriously. They would understand and appreciate the evolution of religious beliefs in anthropological terms, but I doubt they would actually be swayed by the merits of the stories themselves, or take them as literal fact. A society that has developed space travel must have "evolved" culturally to look for evidential and rational based approaches to life.
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?Probably not...?(Original post by eco2bottle)
Are you stalking me?
Oh wait, IVF man. Weird coincidence.
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Re: What would aliens think of religion?I think if they have a conscious mind they most probably have some form of religion themselves. Not saying atheists don't have a conscious i am saying religion is a by product of a conscious mind.
