Would the discovery of EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE completely debunk the bible and religion? (page 2)

Vidiot

Regular mainstream religions would deal.

Fundamentalists, however, would completely lose their shit (for a variety of different reasons), much the same way they'd freak out if the "chickensaurus" people succeed.

No it wouldn't. Religion and the Bible have been debunked over and over again by the natural sciences, historical records, logic and plain old common sense. Finding extraterrestrial life wouldn't make a difference to anyone who holds faith in higher regard than reason.

Sadly.

Island Man

I think it would. Instantly. In fact, I hope one day soon that we somehow encounter extraterrestrial life because I think there would be a wholesale REJECTION of the bible and any/all religious institutions.

How do you figure that? There is nothing in the bible denying the existence of extra terrestrial life so why would such a discovery pose such a huge problem for religion? By contrast, Genesis does implicitly deny the evolution of different species and yet the discovery of evolution didn't result in a wholesale rejection of the bible and any/all religious institutions, did it?

If religious people can turn a blind eye to the far more troublesome, anti-biblical reality of evolution, what makes you think they will be phased by the discovery of ET life. They will just spin it by saying the ET life is part of God's creation that was made as part of the heavens and that simply isn't mentioned in the bible - just as a lot of other things aren't mentioned in the bible. They would say the bible doesn't mention ET life because it simply isn't relevant to the theme of the bible and that the bible is focusing on issues pertaining to earth and man's salvation.

As a matter of fact, the Seventh Day Adventists believe in the existence of other "unfallen" worlds - other planets inhabited by intelligent beings. It is not something they speak about much, but it is in their literature.

GLTirebiter

Would the discovery of EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE completely debunk the bible and religion?

Not according to the Pope's astronomer. From the Huffington Post article:

“God is reason. If you reject reason, you are rejecting God,” Consolmagno said.

I'd even wager that the "big" religions (Catholics, Orthodox, etc.) already have a contingency plan worked out & locked up in a safe somewhere.

Top secret contingency plan? That would be to keep doing as they have always done. It would be the same as converting the first century gentiles. The same Vatican astronomer said that he would baptize E.T., upon her request.

Phizzy

The problem for the JW religion to explain would be their claim that the Devil is "confined to the vicinity of the Earth"

The Devil would kick up no end, because his seeking to mislead those on Earth would have no relevance. Those on the other Planet/s have either been faithful to Big J or not, but to confine the test to the Earth would not be in line with Big J supposedly being a god of justice.

prologos

"Extraterrestrial" having the root "Earth" (really "water"*) in it, implies organic or material-based Life. Religions are full of stories of un-earthly, spiritual life, and in the bible too, encounters with strange forms of such life are storied. so, reality being stranger than such fiction, it's confirmation to exist should not faze the religionists.

* The Earth is misnamed, for most of the surface the area we live on is water. A planet named "H2O"

datto

I guess it would not lose it's position for ET discovery.

The bible is too powerful. Not spiritually powerful but powerful in the sense that many new stories or new interpretations could be made up out of it. And it might end up as a biblical prophecy... just my crazy thoughts...

Heaven

Last week, the Kepler mission discovered another Earth-like planet, Kepler 452b, which is being deemed "Earth's bigger, older cousin" located about 1,400 light years from Earth in the habitable zone of a star similar to ours (aka a yellow dwarf). This brings the total number of confirmed planets to 1,030. Last year was Kepler 186f, 490 light years from Earth and very close in size to our planet in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star/sun. See the Kepler 452b briefing here:

Kepler 452b Briefing Materials

We now know that Earth-like planets located in the 'habitable zone' of stars do exist. The Earth is not a unique planet. We don't know yet if any of these harbour life but at least we know there is more than 1 Class-M planet in the universe so it is very possible there is or was life on these planets. I wish I could be alive when they find out. THAT would be so exciting.