Do any of the main religions believe in alien lifeforms or have any mention of other beings except angels and demons or ufos?

[Morgan_s]

Do you know of any mentions or beliefs?

[Old_Geezer]

I'd figure most would not consider that to be part of their remit. They are trying to explain the existence of sentient beings here. Whether the same applies elsewhere in the universe or not isn't really a crucial issue. But I suspect most, particularly the older religions, will have assumed 'here' is all there is. Any evidence oto the contrary can be considered when the time comes.

[ll_billym]

They don't really know what they believe, the holy texts are just 'interpreted' to fit whatever the current leadership wants people to believe, this has been happening since antiquity.

So to answer your question - today the texts have not been 'interpreted' in such a way that alien lifeforms feature in them - there is no need to due to the fact that they are are not a concern of humanity at this time - but you can bet you life on it that if aliens were discovered tomorrow there would be references to their existence 'found' all over the Bible, Koran, etc. and they would be squeezed into the creation stories somehow.

[sandyRoe]

I think John 14:2 may hint at life on other planets.

[ll_billym]

John 14:2 - In my Father's (God's) house are many mansions.

Yes, it is exactly that sort of thing that will be used to show that the Bible definitely foretold of the existence of alien life. The believers will lap it up.

[naomi24]

Depends what you call the 'main religions'. Scientologists and Mormons believe in life on other planets.

There are references to space travel and flying vehicles in a great number of ancient texts, including the bible, but alien life does not form part of the doctrine of the three main Abrahamic religions.

[sandyRoe]

Good to find someone agreeing with me, II_billym

[ll_billym]

I did consider those two examples Naomi but didn't mention them as those religions were created after the possibility of alien life had entered the public conciousness, making it easy to write it into the books.

Would be interested in some examples of the references you speak about. I know you know a lot about those writings so am interested to know what you mean...

[Old_Geezer]

RE John 14:2 Well unless the claim is that Jesus was about to embark on a career as space traveller that seems unlikely to be a hint at alien beings. Apparently Jesus was about to go off to these "mansions" to prepare a place for his followers. Unless they all went off to Alpha Centauri, rather than some spiritual "abode" for the rest of eternity.

[naomi24]

Il_billym, There are so many accounts of ancient flying machines from all corners of the globe, but the example most readily available to all is in the bible - Ezekiel Chapter 1. Ezekiel says: 'And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness [was] about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.. and he goes on to say that the machine sounded like the 'rushing of great waters'.

(Can't help wondering what sort of omnipresent God comes whizzing to earth in a whirlwind from a northerly direction in a brilliant fire-spouting flying machine that arrives in a cloud and sounds like Niagara Falls in full flow!).

Among other notable examples are those described in great detail in ancient Indian literature - 'Vimanas' (flying machines of various shapes and sizes) - and flying 'cities' which orbited the earth, and had shuttle-craft commuting between them and the land.

The Book of Enoch (Noah's great-grandfather) describes space flight, the effect of relativity, the extremes of temperature in space, and the view of the earth from high above.

There is also mention of flying machines that were powered by mercury - the metal, not the planet. :o)

[wildwood]

Well, they must have cooks and dentists and wing clippers in heaven and these are unknown to us so yes, there are aliens out there.

-(WW now takes tongue out of cheek and continues to chew the choco bikkie)-

[keyplus90]

http://www.answering-...m/aliens_in_quran.htm

[naomi24]

Keyplus, there's a whole lot of drivel there for people to read, but I think you mean Muslims believe that there is life on other planets - just as other civilisations did long before the advent of Islam.

[flip_flop]

Didn't L Ron Hubbard, the inventor of Scientology, suggest the existence of Thetans, a lizard-like alien?

I love scientology: I love the fact that truly gullible idiots believe in a "religion" (for religion, read cult), invented 60 or so years ago by a science fiction writer - a writer who once said (paraphrasing) that the easiest way to get rich was to invent a religion.

Its such a shame AB doesn't have a scientologist - I'd love to be able to ask them how they believe in such rubbish (but then, I suppose, is believing in the absurdness of scientology any different in believing in a religion where a omnipotent omnipresent being sent his son to earth to die for our sins?).

[jomifl]

If you want to you can interpret the following how you like
1.Exodus 18:3
And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
Exodus 18:2-4 (in Context) Exodus 18 (Whole Chapter)
2.Deuteronomy 14:21
Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou shalt give it unto the stranger that is in thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto an alien: for thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
Deuteronomy 14:20-22 (in Context) Deuteronomy 14 (Whole Chapter)
3.Job 19:15
They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
Job 19:14-16 (in Context) Job 19 (Whole Chapter)
4.Psalm 69:8
I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.
Psalm 69:7-9 (in Context) Psalm 69 (Whole Chapter)
5.Isaiah 61:5
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
Isaiah 61:4-6 (in Context) Isaiah 61 (Whole Chapter)
6.Lamentations 5:2
Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
Lamentations 5:1-3 (in Context) Lamentations 5 (Whole Chapter)

[naomi24]

flip-flop, I don't think we've ever had a Scientologist here. That would be interesting.

Jom, my! You've been hard at it - so to speak. I'm not sure those aliens qualify though. :o)

[jomifl]

Naomi, I cannot claim much credit for biblical erudition as I just used the bible search website provided my one of our esteemed ABers. Until a more strict definition of 'alien' is provided in this thread I will be as cavalier with the meaning of the word as I am with my biblical quotations. After all they are there for anyone to use. There are so many other bibles too, what fun!

[naomi24]

Oh yes indeed, Jom! What fun - and what discoveries! ;o)

[beso]

Scientology has a lot of belivers and they certainly believe in aliens. We are aliens with part of our genome removed. We were then put in a volcano and erupted out onto the Earth.

All this "understanding" came from a C-grade professional science fiction writer yet nobody seems to spot the irony. I think Hubbard must have been a hypnotist.

Take a look at a moslem or jew rocking away while they repeat the incantations from their book and you definitely see the hypnosis going on.

[goodlife]

Well I heard,More than 2,000 atheists from around the world are gathering in Melbourne, Australia, to celebrate their lack of religious belief.
It isn't often that you get together with friends to celebrate what you lack. But the Global Atheist Convention isn't just any gathering. These aren't just run-of-the-mill atheists; these are devout atheists, filled with a lack of spirit.
They won't sing hymns of praise, and they won't hear inspirational messages. Oh, there are so many lacks to celebrate! The participants will be reminded of the dangers of a "fundamentalist" approach to atheism (don't ask me), and reminded that they must not show "missionary zeal" in their desire to share what they lack with others.
Sounds like a hell of a party. I'll miss it. Did you But I'll be sure to celebrate my lack of participation.

[bigbadmarty]

I've heard that before somewhere.......