Catholic Belief And Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life

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Comments on Catholic Belief And Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life
Jesuits in fact and in fiction aproach the question of whether aliens might exist, and if they have souls. (Read the complete story)

"The BS nevr stops. If something does not fit into the human belief system, then act as though it does not exist."
(Sandy Nichols 11/10/2005 12:36:19 PM)

"Also read "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell. In 2019, humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet which will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes an eight-person scientific expedition of its own. What the Jesuits find is a world so beyond comprehension that it will lead them to question the meaning of being "human.""
(Rob 11/10/2005 7:52:11 PM)

"The Sparrow is an excellent book, and what I was thinking about all through this article. I would also recommend the follow-up, Children of God. Russell really does a good job of not only relating religion to this topic, but also in showing the dangers of meddling in another culture, and the blindness of arrogance."
(ArchieLeach 11/15/2005 12:34:21 PM)

"this was a wonderful story, who is this preist to publish a book saying what catholics believe about E.T. life, there is no teaching in the bible about this, this is just another way man is trying to change religion, isnt it flawed enough, hasnt time changed religious beliefs enough? no religion is what it used to be when they first started, additions and twists every which way, believe in god and worship him in your own way, god will love you and see how you do so and will grant you a seat in heaven."
( 11/16/2005 12:03:44 AM)

"Does Catholicism speculate the possibility that alien life-forms could be in fact demonic? If you think about it, it makes more sense. What would people be sooner to believe...God or Aliens? In this day of age, people lean more towards the "scientific" explanations. We, as Christians, must ponder all possibilities. Thank you!"
(Rich 11/18/2005 11:30:37 PM)

"Another story along this line is "the sparrow", written by Mary Doria Russell (who has written several other books about religion in a science fiction context). In "the sparrow" aliens are discovered, and a catholic priest is dispatched on an expedition. He discovers intelligent creatures locked in such a cruel life cycle as to make him doubt his faith. "
(Pete 11/21/2005 10:29:57 AM)

"The mind parasites by colin wilson...still good now after over 25 years!"
(Pam 11/21/2005 12:40:32 PM)

"I believe man has a duty to explore, but,,,, This is a diseased world, unclean is a better way to put it. It would amaze me if ET's came here, as I believe we are quarantined. The older races, have through intellect found God, if for no other reason , logic. It is logical that the super complexity of everything , can only be planned. To say green little men made it is also foolish, as who made them? AS the Christian Bible says, "be circumspect", meaning use your common sense. Men will reach out, and find many things, if any intelligent races are near by, they, in good sense will avoid us, sorry, one good thinking man/woman doesn't make the whole, or politics. Oh, one last answer, we , all of us, are behind our eyes, not our bodies, so look there to make any analogy of "in Gods image""
(Kyle 11/21/2005 5:50:29 PM)

""It is logical that the super complexity of everything , can only be planned." Who planned the planner? Or if the planner has always existed, then why not the universe or multiverse in some form or another could not have existed eternally? Which is simpler: a 1/0 or infinite dimensional infinite vacuum that randomly and infinitely spawns universes that have random number of dimensions and random physical laws, or some vacuum inhabiting thinking cloud that have certain goals of it's own? ------------------------------------------------ ps. somewhere might be a real discussion group for this and all the other discussions that might be started from here. Technovelgy should link a real discussion group for all topics that might arise here. "
(leviret 11/26/2005 5:00:51 PM)

"I've seen Brother Guy speak at some of the local sci-fi cons. He is reasonable, and a very enthusiastic speaker. I will have to check out the book."
(Random Chick 11/26/2005 10:50:18 PM)

"Anon asks "who is this priest"? He's the Vatican's official astronomer, so not only does he know what he's talking about scientifically, he's got the approval of the religious leader of 1/4 of the worlds population. Religion is a creation of man, in order to understand creation. It is his to change as he wills as man learns more accurate information about the universe and its creation. I was heartened to read that he also opens to artificial intelligence the potential for a soul. Spinrad's novel "Deus Ex" is a good read on this issue. While luddites cry out in fear of our future AI creations, at least some are seeing them as they properly are: our mental and spiritual children, whose actions wrt us will be highly dependent upon whether we love them as our children, or hate and fear them."
( 11/28/2005 8:58:59 AM)

"What would the Flying Spaghetti Monster think of all this?"
(Steve 11/28/2005 10:02:04 AM)

"a good companion to these books & discussions might be 'dmt: the spirit molecule' by Dr. Rick Strassman, involving first FDA-sanctioned psychadelic research in 20 years. he studies the effects of this incredible molecule (naturally occuring in the pineal gland) on patients and reports their wildly differing contacts with higher life, alternate dimensions. sounds hokey/new agey here but when you realize that your first squirt of DMT occured at 47 days in your mother's womb, - the same time your sex was determined - and your last squirt is released as you leave life, well, it makes compelling, provocative reading."
(diemythtruth 11/28/2005 10:21:58 AM)

"My favorite story about aliens & religion is still "Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein, as badly written as it was. Unlike Blish's "A Case of Conscience", there is a shining ray of hope behind all the darkness - the pesky humans don't just gobble up everything in their path! Some still try, of course - Heinlein was nothing if not rigorously honest. But the central characters in the book definitely make a difference, they're not just powerless dummies before a megalithic insanity of their own culture's creation. "Vive le France!""
(Jeff 11/28/2005 11:39:11 AM)

"Open www.stargate-chronicles.com for the TRUTH! I was the actual X-Files at Kennedy Space Center, 1958 to 1992 clark0003@hotmail.com"
(Clark C. McClelland, ScO 11/28/2005 3:20:57 PM)

"I find it interesting that the 'soul' this man is looking for is nothing more than the result of intelligent thinking, and so does not surprise that he includes intelligent computers in his possible soul containers. Where is 'spirit' in this? I don't mind, as I'm an agnostic. I just find it interesting. Why does he even bother to look for soul, if this is all it is? It must be only an aesthetic leap from his position to that of a straight evolutionist - just a matter of outlook. "
(stan 11/28/2005 7:09:26 PM)

"v. good point there stan."
(diemythtruth 11/29/2005 5:43:41 AM)

"Does anyone remember "You Shall Know Them" a book written by Vicors (?) in which a primitive tribe is found in New Guinea that appears to be a species of advanced anthropoids. The question was, as I remember it, are they advanced enough to be called "human," or could they be used as nonhuman slaves. The test was to determine if they had a concept of God. In Christian theology one of the proofs that God exists is that humans, no matter how primitive, have a concept of a "higher being.""
(Vic 11/29/2005 7:49:16 AM)

"When Jesus arose from death, his followers asked Him to stay with them. Jesus said that he had other flocks to tend. Somewhere out there are the other flocks. I hope that they have followed Jesus and God's word better than we have."
(Deborah Miller 11/29/2005 2:26:28 PM)

"I always thought that alien intelligence would exist with or without the concept of a Creator for them to worship. I think organized religion has done a poor job of unifying humanity. The moral teachings are what is important, so we can all live together in peace. God and the idea of Hell and punishment add incentive to be good, or else. This is the only thing that has saved mankind thus far and now the different religions worldwide hate each other and want to kill one another for their radical, extremist versions of their "faiths". When will this ridiculous situation get better. The standard Christian answer is when Jesus comes back and evil is vanquished. How about an answer for my lifetime? A tangible, achievable solution put forth by caring and conscientious leaders for true world peace and harmony. Perhaps aliens have found us already and find us so backward and violently barbaric that they leave us alone to mature on our own and not contaminate their advanced way of life."
( 11/29/2005 3:10:47 PM)

"Remembering past lives, where I was Ishmael, the first son of Abraham and as a three year old kid saw and spoke to the "Angels", who came in a Flying Saucer (the Sodoma and Gorrah deal). Abraham's face was that of Tim Conway! There were not three Angels, there were also four watching me so that I would not come too close to the craft and there were at least two more inside the craft. It had the design of the Swastika on the outside. When I asked the Head-Angel how it worked he beckoned me to the craft and pointed at these big metal spheres underneath. Then they all hopped in the craft (it was hovering) one by one and took off, from the sun that shone in my face it must have been two or three o'clock in the afternoon. When I remembered this event, I figured in two minutes out how it worked. Angels are not Spirits, they were men, a Spirit would not have needed a Flying Craft. Mohammed met also an "angel" who came in a Flying Craft with the Swastika painted on the outside. The Swastika is the Logo of the type of craft, it is not a holy sign and has nothing to do with the Creator. "
(Joseph 11/29/2005 9:02:22 PM)

"The concept of God by evn most christian standards is far little of what is actual. the mind cannot concieve the realism of the true realm of existance. God is REAl and i dont mean spirit. HE HAS A PHYSICALNESS about him albeit perfect it is physical. SO then, HEAVEN IS REAL AND PHYSICAL . so somewhere out there is a physical place called HEAVEN to us . A place where God LIVES. a place with angels and those who God chose to bring there after death. IF we knew where it was and life was long enough to actually fly there you could very well do so. But God has kept us in our finiteness to hide that from us which he doesn't want us to know. WE were created in his image so we should understand his physicalness. IT should not be so terrible to understand that also our GOD who created us in THEIR IMAGE had family who probably created life other places to worship them. AS we worship the GOD who created us. Nothing i am saying contradicts the bible it only mirrors the scriptures and adds to some things that are otherwise not moved on to understand such as the plurality he used in genesis saying he created us in their image (plural). which tells me there is more than just God there. Although we are to worship God HE could have family being a physical being as he is as well as spiritual. which is not to say we should worship them, they did nothing to create us. primarily they probably did create life in other places that worship them. so there can easily be other beings besides us and heaven even."
(Tim 11/30/2005 6:28:21 AM)

"I believe in life on other galaxy system. I believed this when I was seven yrs. old and made my communion I have been privy to much in the church. I am a devout catholic and many other catholics believe this also.When We have evolved enough and won't KILL everyone I'm sure God will let us know! We are not ready yet! The Virgo cluster may be where they are. It is a huge field of galaxies in the universe close to us. I am an Astronomer. God gave us this beautiful world and we are destroying it. Like I said before, when God wants us to know, we will find out. I and many other people believe in Spirits, good and bad! There are many "sensatives" in this world, ask one of them and they will tell you!!! GOODBYE, GO in God's love, He loves us very much!"
( 11/30/2005 3:52:55 PM)

""A tangible, achievable solution put forth by caring and conscientious leaders for true world peace and harmony." .............................. Seriously speaking, the only answer I can think of, is artificial intelligence in it's highest form - superintelligence. It is computer software. It could be called "thinking machine" at least metaforically if not literally, but that is just semantics. ......................... It is very possible that superintelligence would not need such high amounts of processing power and memory as is often calculated on the basis of brains number of neurons and axons. Maybe even a current home computer is enough for superintelligence. "
(leviret 11/30/2005 11:48:45 PM)

"Also read the "Space Trilogy" by C.S. Lewis ("Out of the Silent Planet," Perelandra" and "That Hideous Strength," although the first of the three is the most sci-fi of any of them. In Lewis's books, only the Earth has "fallen," and we are quarentined from the rest of the universe because of it."
(Pete Koziar 12/23/2005 8:35:14 AM)

"Does anyone have a copy of or link to the official Roman Catholic position on extraterrestrial life? My own copy of Blish's book has a reference (in the afterword, I think), to a Bull by Pius XII or some such. Anyone know more?"
(Richard 3/20/2007 11:58:21 PM)

"Никогда не спорь с идиотом – он опустит тебя до своего уровня, а потом выиграет, т.к. имеет опыт. "
(Fermulatka 1/28/2010 7:21:27 AM)

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