Fundamentalists (whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant) will have a collective nervous collapse. Members of the ancient Churches have no excuse as this was discussed by the Fathers who never came to a consensus. Catholic thinkers were writing about the possibility of life elsewhere in the 19th c. Giordano Bruno was NOT burned for suggesting that other worlds were inhabited, but rather for denying the Trinity, Incarnation, and Real Presence. I can't speak for Jews or Muslims, but I do know that Hindus and Buddhists presume a multitude of worlds and universes. If some Catholic theologians and CS Lewis were correct, belief in the Incarnation means we must assume that we are the lowest, meanest, and most needy of created intelligences. After all, God always goes for the loosers.
Losers. "God always goes for the losers." I'd say Christians are the winners--of Eternal Life. I see no problem with other forms of intelligent life in the universe as a practicing Catholic. Jesus said He had other flocks we don't know about. He also said that He had other things to tell us, but we couldn't bear it now. Like what? Oh, perhaps that all will not be saved, including people we care about, are related to, or love. That would wreck most people's day, and perhaps their lives in a certain respect. "Why couldn't my sister be saved?" would be my constant complaint. But there is something that will be revealed... something mysterious going on. I trust Him that whatever it is, we will be able to bear it THEN, whatever it is that He couldn't tell us now.
Where did Lewis say we must be the "lowest, meaniest, and most needy of created intelligences"? If he said it (and he may have), I disagree. Seems awfully pessimistic view of humanity. There are great people, there are awful people, and most people have good and bad aspects--our task during this life is to amplify the good in our own hearts and soul and squash the worst. It's not optional. One cannot take a pass. One can do it now, or later (called: Purgatory). Why procrastinate?
When we were kids (or, I guess when I was a kid and you were an infant) would we ever have thought that credible government-related sources would say out loud that there are extra-terrestrial non-human "intelligences" building space craft, and the terrestrial governments have them in their possession, and it would elicit absolutely no public response whatever? I mean, is this in the news cycle? At all? Why isn't the whole world freaking out about this? Remember when Stargate was all, "We can't reveal this to the public bcs it would cause mass panic all over the world..." Did we ever think it would actually cause nothing more than mass shrugging?
Every movie and show we've ever watched said that if they could just get the information to the press, it would all be ok. People would see what was going on and respond, and the cloak and dagger game of the bad actors would be moot.
True about the fundamentalists. The Bible is essentially the salvation history of the human race. God created the heavens and the earth. The Bible doesn't tell us what God placed on other planets, and I'm sure there is a good reason for that.
Trump said the government knows what is/was going on with the New Jersey “drones” and he promised to disclose that information within two days of taking office. I put it on my calendar. Still waiting unless I missed something.
Fundamentalists (whether Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant) will have a collective nervous collapse. Members of the ancient Churches have no excuse as this was discussed by the Fathers who never came to a consensus. Catholic thinkers were writing about the possibility of life elsewhere in the 19th c. Giordano Bruno was NOT burned for suggesting that other worlds were inhabited, but rather for denying the Trinity, Incarnation, and Real Presence. I can't speak for Jews or Muslims, but I do know that Hindus and Buddhists presume a multitude of worlds and universes. If some Catholic theologians and CS Lewis were correct, belief in the Incarnation means we must assume that we are the lowest, meanest, and most needy of created intelligences. After all, God always goes for the loosers.
Losers. "God always goes for the losers." I'd say Christians are the winners--of Eternal Life. I see no problem with other forms of intelligent life in the universe as a practicing Catholic. Jesus said He had other flocks we don't know about. He also said that He had other things to tell us, but we couldn't bear it now. Like what? Oh, perhaps that all will not be saved, including people we care about, are related to, or love. That would wreck most people's day, and perhaps their lives in a certain respect. "Why couldn't my sister be saved?" would be my constant complaint. But there is something that will be revealed... something mysterious going on. I trust Him that whatever it is, we will be able to bear it THEN, whatever it is that He couldn't tell us now.
Where did Lewis say we must be the "lowest, meaniest, and most needy of created intelligences"? If he said it (and he may have), I disagree. Seems awfully pessimistic view of humanity. There are great people, there are awful people, and most people have good and bad aspects--our task during this life is to amplify the good in our own hearts and soul and squash the worst. It's not optional. One cannot take a pass. One can do it now, or later (called: Purgatory). Why procrastinate?
When we were kids (or, I guess when I was a kid and you were an infant) would we ever have thought that credible government-related sources would say out loud that there are extra-terrestrial non-human "intelligences" building space craft, and the terrestrial governments have them in their possession, and it would elicit absolutely no public response whatever? I mean, is this in the news cycle? At all? Why isn't the whole world freaking out about this? Remember when Stargate was all, "We can't reveal this to the public bcs it would cause mass panic all over the world..." Did we ever think it would actually cause nothing more than mass shrugging?
It's the wildest imaginable thing.
Every movie and show we've ever watched said that if they could just get the information to the press, it would all be ok. People would see what was going on and respond, and the cloak and dagger game of the bad actors would be moot.
WTF.
True about the fundamentalists. The Bible is essentially the salvation history of the human race. God created the heavens and the earth. The Bible doesn't tell us what God placed on other planets, and I'm sure there is a good reason for that.
We didn't even get told about the native non-human intelligences here on earth.
It will be interesting to see how all this unfolds.
Trump said the government knows what is/was going on with the New Jersey “drones” and he promised to disclose that information within two days of taking office. I put it on my calendar. Still waiting unless I missed something.
He basically said they must know what it is, because if it was an enemy they'd have taken it out, and they said it isn't ours.
His silence at this point speaks volumes.