What Effect

[chrisgel]

If any would the discovery of intelligent life on another planet in our Solar System have on religion on this planet?

[jim360]

It depends. Some people might be puzzled, to other it seems bizarrely not to matter: "They have their version of the same God we have." Which, frankly, is just an attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable.

For Abrahamic religions in particular, as "God created Man in His own image." Which makes us special. And if there are aliens then we are not special. Actually, we aren't necessarily "special" on this own planet, if it comes to that.

[chrisgel]

Jim - //to other it seems bizarrely not to matter//.
This is the bit I'm struggling with. I was chatting with a RC friend on Sunday about the current Mars mission and he said "Wouldn't it be exciting if they found remains of an ancient civilisation there?"
I asked him what that would do to his religious beliefs and he said it wouldn't alter them one jot.

[neodarwinian]

I am sure the religious would come up with a rationalization for this event. Not a good rationalization, but a rationalization none the less!

[boxtops]

Depends if they wanted to impose a religion from their planet, on ours?

[jomifl]

It would strengthen their faith as it would be further 'proof' of the existence of a divine creator. That's how religion works everything that happens can be interpreted so as to support their faith.

[naomi24]

The Greek philosopher, Epicurus, was convinced that life exists on other planets, so the concept was not unknown in ancient times, and all three Abrahamic religions could, if necessary, produce some sort of evidence to claim they already knew it existed.

Actually, if life does exist on other planets, I've often wondered if Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, et al, have to go through an action replay of their lives on earth - just to spread the message, you know. If that is, indeed, the case, there’s no doubt poor old Jesus draws the short straw every time. :o/

[Svejk]

And keyplus. He can blame 9/11 on them.

[modeller]

It's impossible in our solar system but if it was, it would overturn the biblical concept of us being unique . FIf there was intelligent life in our solar system then it would almost certainly point to life in the billions of solar systems in our Milky Way galaxy and in the countless galaxies in the universe.

[wildwood]

It all depends on what you understand 'intelligent life' to be. At the moment the supposedly most intelligent life on Earth is poisoning its environment.

I feel that simpler animals like, say ants, are more intelligent. They regulate their population to suit the environment and each one belongs to one of several castes with one simple task. They need to co-operate with other in the group because they can not survive singly. Ants will be here long after the humans have died out.

[sandyRoe]

When Jesu walked he covered this point. In my Father's house there are many mansions, he said. This can be nothing other than an indication that we are not alone in the cosmos.

[Khandro]

If a higher power created the universe, the life on another planet would be a part of that creation; if the inhabitants had a religion it would be an acknowledgement of that same power, there would be no contradiction.

[rowanwitch]

none at all they'd say oh its gods design and carry on regardless

[jomifl]

Khandro, it is not very likely that the inhabitants of another planet would have a religion. Even on Earth I doubt whether those inhabitants having religious belief amount to more than a billionth of the total.

[naomi24]

Khandro, how do you work that one out? The alleged creator of the universe, according to the three Abrahamic religions, isn’t universally accepted on earth, so why would you assume that one perceived power would be universally accepted on any other planet?

[Octavius]

"What Effect - If any would the discovery of intelligent life on another planet in our Solar System have on religion on this planet?"

Difficult to say really, but lets say it depends which brand of religion that intelligent life follwed. If none, then they would be welcome with open arms, if any of the established religions in the world today, then us earthlings (religious and not) would probably travel there to persuade and convert and beat it out of them.

[ludwig]

Sandy and Khandro's contributions confirm what others have said above. It wouldn't change anything. The discovery would just be used as affirmation that there is a god.

Scripture would be quoted to indicate that god has been telling us about this all along, but we hadn't necessarily seen it.

If the aliens were edible, we'd probably eat them. Scripture would be quoted to indicate that god says it's ok to eat the aliens.

[mibn2cweus]

Intelligent life in our Solar System? If Earth is any indication I suspect your odds of finding a planet of beings with an over-active imagination is far more likely.

[Octavius]

Maybe Ludwig, unless those aliens were divideth at the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud.

[mikey4444]

It should kill it stone dead of course. But all religions is based on the illogical belief in irrational circumstances, so most of them will still carry on regardless. Some of them, perhaps the nuttier ones, like Scientology, will make up a new chapter in their canon, just to bring their drivel up to date.