What would happen to religion/ faith if.........

[Eudaimonist]

I was messing around with words. I know what you mean when you said "rationalize" but to be rational about doctrine is sanity, it is not "making things up".

Something I wasn't talking about. You seem to be having a discussion with yourself.

would you rather that we put a gun to your head instead of using our own head?

I have no idea why you've written that. That is coming out of left field.

If an alien species were to try to convert me to their religion, I'd hope that they wouldn't put a gun to my head thinking that it is better that they convert me to their religion by any means necessary so that I wouldn't burn in their hell forever.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Noxot]

Something I wasn't talking about. You seem to be having a discussion with yourself.



I have no idea why you've written that. That is coming out of left field.

If an alien species were to try to convert me to their religion, I'd hope that they wouldn't put a gun to my head thinking that it is better that they convert me to their religion by any means necessary so that I wouldn't burn in their hell forever.


eudaimonia,

Mark

it must be one of those days. I was talking about Christians but this is too awkward to continue. i'm sure it's my fault. let's just pretend this conversation never happened mmmmkay?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

1. Confirmed proof of unintelligent life on a planet other than earth was discovered?

2. Confirmed proof of intelligent life, able to communicate with us was discovered on another planet?

If you were a Christian would this shake your faith, given the only life mentioned in the Bible was on earth?

Oh, I don't know. It would give me something to think deeply about. But, do you have any idea as to when the laws of physics might permit for this 'futurist' type of event to take place? If it won't happen in my lifetime, then there won't be much for me to contemplate other than to think about what I've already read in John Jefferson Davis' little essay devoted to this very topic in his book, The Frontiers of Science and Faith.

Also, there's a fun science fiction short-story by Arthur C. Clarke, titled The Star, which puts an intriguing and thoughtful little spin on the possibility of our "finding" evidences of other life (or death) elsewhere. It's a very short story, by the way.

http://www.uni.edu/morgans/astro/course/TheStar.pdf

2PhiloVoid

 

[The Hammer of Witches]

1. Confirmed proof of unintelligent life on a planet other than earth was discovered?

2. Confirmed proof of intelligent life, able to communicate with us was discovered on another planet?

If you were a Christian would this shake your faith, given the only life mentioned in the Bible was on earth?

Nothing would happen, God does not change. If he created life on another planet then he did. I doubt there is life anywhere else though. There are aliens in the Bible, Angels and Demons. Alien from this creation. Be on guard.

 

[HitchSlap]

Nothing would happen, God does not change. If he created life on another planet then he did. I doubt there is life anywhere else though. There are aliens in the Bible, Angels and Demons. Alien from this creation. Be on guard.

God doesn't change, only if you ignore OT god v. NT god.

 

[Noxot]

God doesn't change, only if you ignore OT god v. NT god.

it depends if you read it with this mind or not:

when he hides his face it means we don't know his real nature therefore we see wrath. Gods overflowing wrath is like looking directly at the sun, it damages your eyes but it does not mean that God was truly wrathful to you in the sense of the sinful human definition of wrath.

Isa 54:5-8 (YLT)
For thy Maker is thy husband, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, And thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, `God of all the earth,' He is called. For, as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Called thee hath Jehovah, Even a youthful wife when she is refused, said thy God. In a small moment I have forsaken thee, And in great mercies I do gather thee, In overflowing wrath I hid my face for a moment from thee, And in kindness age-during I have loved thee, Said thy Redeemer--Jehovah!

people should not pretend that they understand the words of the bible since inner humility which is a religious tradition for the right path of understanding is required in order to see what is hidden in plain sight. water and sunlight and ect all help plants regardless of their nature. snow covers things over in white. being religious requires that you have the ability to reason and properly contemplate the bible in the light of Jesus Christ.

Isa 55:8-12 (YLT)
For not My thoughts are your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways, --an affirmation of Jehovah, For high have the heavens been above the earth, So high have been My ways above your ways, And My thoughts above your thoughts. For, as come down doth the shower, And the snow from the heavens, And thither returneth not, But hath watered the earth, And hath caused it to yield, and to spring up, And hath given seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, So is My word that goeth out of My mouth, It turneth not back unto Me empty, But hath done that which I desired, And prosperously effected that for which I sent it. For with joy ye go forth, And with peace ye are brought in, The mountains and the hills Break forth before you with singing, And all trees of the field clap the hand.

 

[HitchSlap]

it depends if you read it with this mind or not:

when he hides his face it means we don't know his real nature therefore we see wrath. Gods overflowing wrath is like looking directly at the sun, it damages your eyes but it does not mean that God was truly wrathful to you in the sense of the sinful human definition of wrath.

Isa 54:5-8 (YLT)
For thy Maker is thy husband, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, And thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, `God of all the earth,' He is called. For, as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Called thee hath Jehovah, Even a youthful wife when she is refused, said thy God. In a small moment I have forsaken thee, And in great mercies I do gather thee, In overflowing wrath I hid my face for a moment from thee, And in kindness age-during I have loved thee, Said thy Redeemer--Jehovah!

people should not pretend that they understand the words of the bible since inner humility which is a religious tradition for the right path of understanding is required in order to see what is hidden in plain sight. water and sunlight and ect all help plants regardless of their nature. snow covers things over in white. being religious requires that you have the ability to reason and properly contemplate the bible in the light of Jesus Christ.

Isa 55:8-12 (YLT)
For not My thoughts are your thoughts, Nor your ways My ways, --an affirmation of Jehovah, For high have the heavens been above the earth, So high have been My ways above your ways, And My thoughts above your thoughts. For, as come down doth the shower, And the snow from the heavens, And thither returneth not, But hath watered the earth, And hath caused it to yield, and to spring up, And hath given seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, So is My word that goeth out of My mouth, It turneth not back unto Me empty, But hath done that which I desired, And prosperously effected that for which I sent it. For with joy ye go forth, And with peace ye are brought in, The mountains and the hills Break forth before you with singing, And all trees of the field clap the hand.

Perhaps you could clarify without the hyperbole and equivocation?

 

[Noxot]

Perhaps you could clarify without the hyperbole and equivocation?

well first of all God made the universe with his wisdom, so all things are a kind of natural language of Gods that describes both God and other parts of reality. secondly if a person has a certain kind of mindset when they read the bible, that will in up being the kind of lens that they will see the bible in. so lets say all you know how to interpret God with is how you interpret humans who are a mixture of good and evil. so then since that is all you know that is how you will interpret God. of course this might appear as foolishness to you because you don't think that spiritual wisdom is real or has any significance in understanding spiritual things.

 

[ViaCrucis]

1. Confirmed proof of unintelligent life on a planet other than earth was discovered?

2. Confirmed proof of intelligent life, able to communicate with us was discovered on another planet?

If you were a Christian would this shake your faith, given the only life mentioned in the Bible was on earth?

Shake my faith? No.

The Bible also only mentions human beings to roughly corresponding to the ancient known world. The discovery of people living in sub-saharan Africa and in the Americas didn't particularly do much to bother destroy anyone's faith five hundred years ago.

But I suppose it depends on how one thinks of the Bible. If one expects the Bible to be some sort of divine record or manual of/for everything then it probably would be a problem. But that's simply not how the vast majority of Christians treat the Bible.

The Bible, for example, has nothing to say about Norway.
Norway isn't exactly a problem for Christians.

I'd say that the confirmed existence of life--intelligent or otherwise--on other planets would be taken much the same way it would be by the non-religious. As a major breakthrough in human knowledge about our universe.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[jacks]

I think if we could communicate with intelligent life on another planet; the theological discussions would be even more interesting than the scientific ones.