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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 5:53 am
(May 23, 2013 at 11:54 pm)NomenMihiNon Wrote: (May 23, 2013 at 7:47 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: I'm confused. How does the existence of extraterrestrial life conflict with belief in God?
I was thinking the same thing. Not all people who believe in a god are scriptural literalists. Hell, even the Catholic Church admits Adam and Eve were fictional. No wonder people think atheists are arrogant, if so many among us assume that being a theist automatically makes one an idiot who can't distinguish mythology from history...
I don't think most theists give much thought to the whole thing. They believe because they were raised to, and maybe they go to church once or twice a year and some know just enough of the Bible to hate gay people. Most of the theists we have here, in spite of some being obviously educated, are indeed idiots who cannot distinguish mythology from history and believe in indetectible angels and lightspeed genies.
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 1:04 pm
I mean if we encountered extra-terrestrial life, it could very well be vastly superior to our own civilization. That could easily conflict with many of the current world religions. Though I don't see how it could conflict with the stand-a-alone belief in a God
"I trust my own reason and my own capacities to think and educate myself and to reach greater levels of knowlege and status through learning and work. To me, wishing for a god is like wishing to be a slave, it is like declaring that one is too incompetent to handle one's own affairs." - the germans are coming
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 1:09 pm
(This post was last modified: May 24, 2013 at 1:10 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(May 23, 2013 at 8:12 pm)ideologue08 Wrote: Appeal to scripture to all questions. Then I don't care, you were speaking directly out of your ass.
Quote:I could talk more about the Jinn detection since I have detected one myself
What sort of instrumentation did you use..I'd like to replicate your experiment, detect me some fucking djinn. Wait..nevermind, you're lying through your teeth, so I guess I'm SOL. Sadface
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 3:37 pm
Another thing I thought of...scientifically literate theists (yes, they do exist) often use the "fine-tuning argument" that the laws of nature were specifically designed for the universe to eventually produce life. So the discovery of complex extraterrestrial lifeforms, intelligent or otherwise, would likely be seen by such people as further confirmation of this belief.
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 4:24 pm
(May 24, 2013 at 1:09 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Then I don't care. Wow masterclass of an argument, definitely wank-worthy *faps away*
(May 24, 2013 at 1:09 pm)Rhythm Wrote: you're lying through your teeth Too good ooooooooh I...I think I just came
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 4:31 pm
It probably wouldn't bother most, as there's no scripture I'm aware of that comes right out and says there aren't other sapient species 'out there'.
There are certain arguments that come up now that would be refuted, but they're awfully weak in the first place, along the lines of 'how do you explain no aliens, checkmate atheists!'.
They're more likely to be challenged by the theology of the aliens, or their lack of it. The Abrahamic ones would have to try to figure out if the aliens are fallen or not, I think.
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 5:25 pm
(This post was last modified: May 24, 2013 at 5:48 pm by Anomalocaris.)
(May 23, 2013 at 4:54 pm)Dutchy Wrote: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform on a other planet?
And i mean real lifeform, not micro organism.
Or better yet, what if we found intelligent lifeform that have civilazations?
Cause as far as i know there are not mentions of other life on other planets in the bible or quran (or is there?).
I wonder even if there is mention of any planets at all in bible or quran. As far as i know only earth, moon sun and stars.
Would the habitually lazy and idolent suddenly become energetic and diligent just because new life forms were found on another planet?
To adapt one's fundamental world view to new facts requires intellectual honesty, curiosity, and above all diligence. IMHO intellectual honesty and diligence ares traits whose absence is required for one to be a theist in an even moderately developed country in the 21st century. If finding ET wouldn't shake one out of laziness and indolence, why would it make a atheist out of an theist?
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 6:21 pm
(May 24, 2013 at 4:31 pm)Mister Agenda Wrote: They're more likely to be challenged by the theology of the aliens, or their lack of it. The Abrahamic ones would have to try to figure out if the aliens are fallen or not, I think. You are exactly right. I often pose this question about it to other Christians and it usually generates much debate. The question is this. If Klingons were real, would they need their own Klingon version of Christ to atone specifically for them or would we expect them to recognize a human savior?
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 6:27 pm
(This post was last modified: May 24, 2013 at 6:27 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(May 24, 2013 at 6:21 pm)ChadWooters Wrote: The question is this. If Klingons were real, would they need their own Klingon version of Christ to atone specifically for them or would we expect them to recognize a human savior?
No more than we need a "christ". Do we even expect human beings to recognize such a "savior"?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform
May 24, 2013 at 9:21 pm
(This post was last modified: May 24, 2013 at 9:32 pm by Terr.)
(May 23, 2013 at 4:54 pm)Dutchy Wrote: Would theists become atheists if we found lifeform on a other planet?
And i mean real lifeform, not micro organism.
Or better yet, what if we found intelligent lifeform that have civilazations?
No, they'd say, "god put them there".
(May 24, 2013 at 3:37 pm)NomenMihiNon Wrote: Another thing I thought of...scientifically literate theists (yes, they do exist) often use the "fine-tuning argument" that the laws of nature were specifically designed for the universe to eventually produce life. So the discovery of complex extraterrestrial lifeforms, intelligent or otherwise, would likely be seen by such people as further confirmation of this belief.
But in terms of the universe we have one sample, can't really test things out. Always hated the "fine-tuning argument", soo many untestable assumptions.
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