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Is there religion out there?

Started by fencerider, February 24, 2017, 01:09:18 AM

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fencerider

Yesterday Feb 22,2017 late in the afternoon/early evening NASA announced the discovery of a star system with 7 earth size planets.
Today Feb 23,2017 a radio talk show host decided to stimulate a conversation by asking a provacative question. I think it would be interesting for all of you to answer that question.

Do you want them ( meaning sentient beings of the 7 planets) to be religious?
"Do you believe in god?", is not a proper English sentence. Unless you believe that, "Do you believe in apple?", is a proper English sentence.

Hydra009

Quote from: fencerider on February 24, 2017, 01:09:18 AMDo you want them ( meaning sentient beings of the 7 planets) to be religious?
Depends on whether or not I'm planning to invade.

Mr.Obvious

I know it's a hypothetical, but I feel it depends on many different factors before I can give a satisfying answer.
Food for thought, though.
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

Baruch

if they have sentient life, then they will have culture.  That culture may or may not include religion.  So are you asking if I prefer they are Nazis (religious) or Stalinists (non-religious)?  Not a good question.  We don't want to let them know we are here ... reason ... cookbooks.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Mike Cl

Nope.  No religion.  At least that would be one less factor of non--logic for them.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

trdsf

Well, that's a hell of a leap to get all the way to sentience, but as a hypothetical -- I think alien religion would be a fascinating sociological study, but by the same token, I would like to think there's some species out there that isn't bogged down by such non-rational nonsense.

The main things I would like to know are:

  • Is their religion monolithic?  That is, do they all have the same fundamental beliefs with minor variances?  Or is it heterogenous as on Earth, with thousands of different sects?
  • If there are multiple religions, are they related to each other in the manner of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, or are they of separate origins?  And are they evenly mixed among the population, or are they regional?
  • Mono-, poly-, pan- or non-theistic?
  • How many dead religions do they have, the ones that aren't practiced anymore?
"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution." -- Barbara Jordan

Ro3bert

Well if there are I hope they don't decide to try to convert us to whatever "religion" they happen to practice. Especially if they fight over which one we should follow.

Unbeliever

Quote from: fencerider on February 24, 2017, 01:09:18 AM
Yesterday Feb 22,2017 late in the afternoon/early evening NASA announced the discovery of a star system with 7 earth size planets.
Today Feb 23,2017 a radio talk show host decided to stimulate a conversation by asking a provacative question. I think it would be interesting for all of you to answer that question.

Do you want them ( meaning sentient beings of the 7 planets) to be religious?
I'd rather they be religious, simply because then it's more likely they'll destroy themselves before they can manage to create the technology that would allow them to come destroy us.
God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

Unbeliever

#8
Quote from: Baruch on February 24, 2017, 07:06:04 AM
if they have sentient life, then they will have culture.  That culture may or may not include religion.  So are you asking if I prefer they are Nazis (religious) or Stalinists (non-religious)?  Not a good question.  We don't want to let them know we are here ... reason ... cookbooks.
For those who may have missed that reference, it comes from an old Twilight Zone, called "To Serve Man." It turned out to be a cookbook.


God Not Found
"There is a sucker born-again every minute." - C. Spellman

doorknob

I say there are too many other factors to consider before I decide if I WANT them to have a religion or not.

How advanced are they? Does their religion make them a potential threat? How intelligent are they? Are they on our level? If they are above us or more advanced than us it does concern me if they have a religion because it means that humans with not cast off religion so easily either.

So while yes it does concern me, I'm mostly indifferent as long as their brand of religion is harmless. If it's anything like any Abrahamic religions then I'd be terrified of them coming here and forcing it on us.

Over all though in a general sense I'd prefer they didn't.

Sorginak

I do not want them to be anything except what they are.

However, to expect an entirely different civilization on an entirely different planet to be culturally similar to us on Earth is rather far fetched.

Considering that people on our planet Earth cannot agree on a single god or religion in which to believe, it is also highly unlikely that any life on different planets believe in the same god(s)/religion(s).




Baruch

Quote from: Sorginak on February 24, 2017, 06:01:51 PM
I do not want them to be anything except what they are.

However, to expect an entirely different civilization on an entirely different planet to be culturally similar to us on Earth is rather far fetched.

Considering that people on our planet Earth cannot agree on a single god or religion in which to believe, it is also highly unlikely that any life on different planets believe in the same god(s)/religion(s).

Other species, on this planet or any other planet, are likely to be herbivore or carnivore.  How about "terror birds" civilization anyone?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanis

Bad Big Bird ... bad!
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

aitm

Evolution suggests a rather improbable lineage. While it can be seen in reverse and somewhat with an "aha" moment, it is still none-the-less rather as well, determined somewhat by the circumstances in which life is born and survives. So thinking that similar planets would produce similar sentient beings is nice and all, but the reality is that they could go off in directions so ...WAYYYYY out there, that we could not possibly guess at what kind of fucking whack-a-doo they might find to be reasonable let along religious.

Some of Star Treks "adventures" were amusing...the one with the people who "talked" using historical happenings as an entire description of an action and thus a reaction could seem somewhat possible until you think about it a bit longer. Chinese characters are somewhat close to this , but no where near what a infant would have to understand to become competent in such a culture as that.
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Baruch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCmwClf0F8g

It is a profound meditation on the meaning of language, and the meaning of sentient life.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Blackleaf

On one hand, I think it would be interesting to learn about alien religions. Mythology can be fun to talk about in hypothetical terms. I've even made up a few of my own religions for the video game I'm making. On the other hand, religion could make them irrational, obnoxious, or even dangerous. Actually, if they don't have religion, it's probably best if they stay far away from us, lest we infect them with our religions. Maybe that's why no intelligent life has contacted us yet.

However, I think it's highly likely that intelligent life would have developed several religions throughout its history, especially if they're social beings. Religion works because it offers a sense of belonging for those at the bottom, and a sense of power and control for those at the top. If they're not social beings, I doubt they're a space-faring species. I doubt a planet of hermits could invent any advanced tools, much less a space ship. If they're curious about the world around them, it's likely that they would have considered the possibility of supernatural forces prior to developing scientific explanations. I'd say it's practically inevitable.

But if they are more advanced than us, have they outgrown their religions? To a degree, maybe. Perhaps religions have been limited to a select few members with little power, or their religions adapted to their changing standards. I expect they'd still have some religions lingering on, refusing to die, preying on those who drew the short sticks in life or desire some grand meaning to their existence.
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--