lpetrich

To me, this is not worth losing sleep over, since IMO there is too much evidence that Xianity is an Earthling invention. Let's imagine a similar scenario:

* They recognize a single god, creator and ruler of the Universe.
* They have discovered that this entity has delivered its final revelation to an Earthling named Mohammed, and that this revelation has been perfectly preserved by Earthlings ever since.
* That is why they have decided to visit the Earth, so they can study the Koran, that uncorrupted revelation.
* And on Earth, the spot they most want to visit is Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Is that possibility worth losing sleep over?

[ September 01, 2002: Message edited by: lpetrich ]</p>

strubenuff

I think it would have little or no effect on most religions. If anything, it would probably reaffirm most people's religious views.

Kenny

No, but if it happended, what would your conclusions be?

lpetrich

I'd consider it something a remarkable oddity, just like I'd consider it a remarkable oddity if they wanted to make the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

Kenny

Would you convert to Islam or would you seek for alternative explanations (such as, for some unknown reason, the aliens are decieving us)?

[ September 01, 2002: Message edited by: Kenny ]</p>

crocodile deathroll

The Theory of Evolution should of made a differance, it was big jolt to some but surprisingly the fundamentalists religions are more millitant than ever.

A shame

Mr. Toodles

I dont think it will mater much. Lets just look at cristianity for a second. They said that the earth is the center of the universe, not so. They said that the earth was only several thousands of years old(or am i wrong about this?), that was wrong. All i am saying is that religios "truths" have been disproved before and it has not mattered. They were either ignored or incorperated as part of gods plan. When you look to an all powerful being for anwsers to everything what is going to change your mind?

DutchAtheist

Toodles: on the matter of a young earth, some of them still maintain a belief in a 6000 year old earth.

What if they are all atheists? Will there be cries from fundy-central for a war against the 'heathen beasts'?

I think it is most likely that they (the aliens) will view religion with incomprehension. Of course we have never encountered life from other planets, but what is to say that if such life exists, that we will be able to communicate completely abstract concepts like faith to them? Especially since we don't all agree on an exact definition between ourselves.

Probably a few alien worshipping cults will start up...

Infinity Lover

What if there was this book, supposedly written by God, with supernatural poetic garble, infested with illogicalities...

...hold on.

Religion can't even harm religion.

Good luck aliens. <img src="graemlins/notworthy.gif" border="0" alt="[Not Worthy]" />

Straight Hate

Is there not a passage in the bible that states not one, but two races were created? I can see all sorts of bending of the bible to account for an alien race. Like most of you, I don't think there would be one single reaction - some would drop their theism, others would cling to a more fundamentalist view, other still would adopt the new discovery into their spiritual beliefs... Some would see the arival of aliens as the second coming and start worshipping them... Kind of makes me wish we would be visited - our religious wackyness is starting to stagnate!