Alien Question for Atheists

[SaStrike]

An interesting question, is, which religion structure on earth is suited for universal guidance such that it applies for all times, in all places, in all circumstances, and even different planets with beings similar to us.

islam

[polymath257]

Then I would assume their mode of consciousness was much like our own, complete with a tendency to project ‘out there’ products of consciousness that are actually
‘on board’.

You wouldn't find it a staggering coincidence that their story would be the same as ours? IE: the "son of God" becoming one of them, bringing a new faith (which is the same one we have), dying a horrible death for their sins, rising from the dead, the concept of the trinity as the father, son, and holy spirit, the belief in salvation, etc etc?

Not really. Death and resurrection of deities is pretty common in human religions. And triumvirates abound also.

[Mystic]

Catholic_Lady, they do have a point. If there is a inclination to redeem ourselves through believing a savior dies for our sins among humans (and for the sake of argument, assume it's not true), and trinity exists among many religions , and if we are divided on philosophies and religion, why would it be improbable that the same type of philosophy exists among aliens or religion exists, they find themselves imperfect, they find themselves in need of guidance, and find themselves in need of being redeemed so a great portion of Aliens incline to the religion of Alien version of Christianity.

If I find a version of Islam ie. guides, chosen families, holy books, it would not verify it's true, because there is false Prophets and true Prophets, and so I would have to see if they have a miracle proof in form of a divine book before I say yes you follow a true Prophet to those who have similar religions as mine.

[Succubus]

...No, I'm thinking God would have taken form as one of their own species on their own planet, and had a different name, and didn't die on a cross...

And there go the goalposts! From the OP:

...the predominant religion in their planet is very compatible with Christianity...

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the keystone of Christianity If the alien Jesus didn't die on the cross, their religion is in no way compatible with your particular flavour of Christianity.

[CapnAwesome]

So I started this thread as an off shoot from Tiberius' thread which is a question for Christians.

The scenario on the other thread is this: 

Peaceful aliens (i.e. intelligent non-humans from another planet, let's say outside of our solar system) make first contact. After getting to know them, the subject of religion comes up. They have a concept of religion, but none of their religions are compatible with Christianity. On top of this, their species made all the advancements that humans did (e.g. invention of writing, the wheel, agriculture, etc.) millennia before we did.

My question is, how would you react, especially with regard to their intelligence, and that their religions are incompatible with Christianity. Would it make you doubt Christianity, or that humans are "special" and made in God's image? 

https://atheistforums.org/thread-55158.html


So I wanted to ask you guys. If it was the other way around, how would you react to it? The other way around as in, we made contact with these intelligent beings and found out that the predominant religion in their planet is very compatible with Christianity, like it's basically the same thing. They talk about God having lived as one of them, they talk about the trinity, salvation, Heaven and Hell, etc. Would it make you doubt your position as atheists, or would it make you more open to exploring Christianity?

For sure. I'd be so extremely surprised that it would be a coincidence that couldn't be brushed off.

I'd be extremely surprised if aliens capable of traveling the galaxy were religious at all.

[Simon Moon]

So I started this thread as an off shoot from Tiberius' thread which is a question for Christians.

The scenario on the other thread is this: 

Peaceful aliens (i.e. intelligent non-humans from another planet, let's say outside of our solar system) make first contact. After getting to know them, the subject of religion comes up. They have a concept of religion, but none of their religions are compatible with Christianity. On top of this, their species made all the advancements that humans did (e.g. invention of writing, the wheel, agriculture, etc.) millennia before we did.

My question is, how would you react, especially with regard to their intelligence, and that their religions are incompatible with Christianity. Would it make you doubt Christianity, or that humans are "special" and made in God's image? 

https://atheistforums.org/thread-55158.html


So I wanted to ask you guys. If it was the other way around, how would you react to it? The other way around as in, we made contact with these intelligent beings and found out that the predominant religion in their planet is very compatible with Christianity, like it's basically the same thing. They talk about God having lived as one of them, they talk about the trinity, salvation, Heaven and Hell, etc. Would it make you doubt your position as atheists, or would it make you more open to exploring Christianity?

What an incompetent god.

So, on one planet, he created beings, set up a situation in paradise that would assure that we would fail (put the tree of knowledge of good and evil where the fallible beings could access it), condemn us for eternity for our failure (that he would have seen coming), then appear as himself/his son, to be sacrificed to himself, to act as a loophole for rules he created. Thus comeming hundreds of billions of his created beings to eternal torment.

Then, instead of learning from his failure, he does the same thing on another planet. Thus condemning billions of other beings to eternal torment.

What a loser.

If I left a loaded gun in a room full of 8 year olds, and one of them got shot, I think I would learn from my mistake. Your hypothetical posits a god to incompetent to correct his mistakes.

[CapnAwesome]

I guess the "evidence" in this case would be the crazy coincidence that an alien species from another solar system has the same predominant religion as us. Would that not give you pause at all?

Yes it would. But then this, by definition, is only another religion with what sounds like nothing more that testimony as evidence. There are other religions on earth that have the "god walking among them", "god resurrecting" story which I don't believe either. 

In the end, if testimony were enough for me there is a good chance that I'd be a believer now.

Except the testimony we are getting is shit. It's all full of holes and mostly super stupid.

You see, I'd give the chances of an alien civilization having a Christian religion or something very similar to it a 0 percent chance. After all, Christianity didn't spontaneously form on multiple places on this planet! So the idea that it would be on a different one is such a crazy idea.

The chances against it, to me, seem so astronomical that I'd have to give it very serious thought.

[brewer]

Yes it would. But then this, by definition, is only another religion with what sounds like nothing more that testimony as evidence. There are other religions on earth that have the "god walking among them", "god resurrecting" story which I don't believe either. 

In the end, if testimony were enough for me there is a good chance that I'd be a believer now.

Except the testimony we are getting is shit. It's all full of holes and mostly super stupid.

You see, I'd give the chances of an alien civilization having a Christian religion or something very similar to it a 0 percent chance. After all, Christianity didn't spontaneously form on multiple places on this planet! So the idea that it would be on a different one is such a crazy idea.

The chances against it, to me, seem so astronomical that I'd have to give it very serious thought.

It might be interesting enough to look at the past alien culture/intellect/group behavior that created the aliens need for a religion. Did they also need something external to themselves to explain things that go bump in the night?

[CapnAwesome]

Except the testimony we are getting is shit. It's all full of holes and mostly super stupid.

You see, I'd give the chances of an alien civilization having a Christian religion or something very similar to it a 0 percent chance. After all, Christianity didn't spontaneously form on multiple places on this planet! So the idea that it would be on a different one is such a crazy idea.

The chances against it, to me, seem so astronomical that I'd have to give it very serious thought.

It might be interesting enough to look at the past alien culture/intellect/group behavior that created the aliens need for a religion. Did they also need something external to themselves to explain things that go bump in the night?

Well it depends on the levels of similarity. If they are simply monotheists, that means nothing. Lots of monotheists on earth.

If aliens were preaching a tri-god with a father, son, holy spirit, a son who was murdered to redeem sins and had similar laws to Christianity I'd be so blown away that I would have to really look into Christianity and this alien religion to a very serious degree.

I've always said I have a low burden of proof for God. I just need God to say something to me, or give a weather report that more than one person hears.

But such a cosmic coincidence might be good enough. Again, its just mind bogglingly unlikely.

[I_am_not_mafia]

What would be even more amazing than the aliens have a christian like religion would be if they looked exactly like humans. It's a standard trope in sci-fi which we all take for granted but the chances of that happening are negligible.