I’m sorry if this type of discussion has been done to death, but what do you think would happen?
Would they accept that the aliens have souls, can go to an afterlife, etc?
Would they look to religious texts for proof/verification of aliens? For example, they might maintain that the Earth was special and created especially for Man, but at some point Man left earth and changed into other things on other planets.
Would any religions throw up their hands and say “we were wrong, man wasn’t specially created by God. Show’s over folks, time to go home…”
Would the world become more or less religious in retaliation to the discovery?
I had a devout catholic coworker who really hoped against all hope that alien life would never be discovered because he thought it would be the end of religion entirely. I thought that was weird, because as an atheist, I don’t think it would end religion at all. But it certainly would pose problems for those who literally believe God created the Earth specially, created man specially… as opposed to other world with other intelligent life. Doesn’t seem to add up. But people have suspended their disbelief to accept religion in many many ways, and I suspect most would continue to do so in the event of the discovery of aliens.
Every time something new in science is discovered, religion moves the goalposts to create new gaps.
If aliens were discovered, they were obviously created and part of God’s plan, you know. But they don’t know about Jesus, so we have to go ruin their society. I mean, convert them.
The existence of other sapient races on Earth ( Neanderthals, “hobbits,” etc) doesn’t seem to have greatly damaged world religions. Perhaps you’d see something like the religion from Warhammer 40k - mankind is the chosen species of God, and meant to be his shepherd over the stars as well as the earth. All other races are either his lesser creations or demonic creatures to be ruled or destroyed.
I believe the official stance of the Catholic Church is basically “We’ll work out the details once we meet them.” We must presume that God has His own plans for them, which might include guidance based on our expeeriences.
In certain limited ways Christian Europe’s initial acquaintances with the Americas might be a model of what could happen in the original poster’s scenario.
I doubt it would be a problem for any of the major religions. Maybe small groups within the religion. I don’t think religion is as anti science as many would like to believe. Most believers I know of accept religion as a message more than absolute facts.
What if the Alien’s said that people on earth made up all the stories and they could prove their beliefs were not true? That God was nothing like their belief, or that God didn’t want humans to have a religion because it was their idea and didn’t like the divisions it caused among humans?
When I was a kid, I was taught by Seventh Day Adventists that UFOs were piloted by aliens who were the creations of Satan or outright demons, because humans were created in God’s image, therefore aliens had to be Satanic.
Because he was an idiot? I’m sure he was a perfectly fine person in other ways, but the discovery of aliens doesn’t have to end religion in general or Catholicism in particular any more than the discovery of atomic fission did.
I’m sure the current main religions will chug on, but the map will be changed significantly.
Many more atheists, plus many people will do something akin to worshiping the ETs.
I very much believe in alien intelligent life, a universe full of life at all levels and the universe as a alive sentiate being herself, but also know some take it as the end of their religion.
It does to me very much fit into the story of the Bible and there is no conflict IMHO between alien life and spirituality and the biblical scriptures. Though some have interpreted the bible as alien life is impossible.
I think part of the reason is they take creation, excluding what we see as living such as plants, animals, people, and excluding spirit beings such as angels, is taken as non living parts of creation (rocks, etc) So everything that we see physically that is not a plant/animal has no life. At least I seem to recall such a reason given to me a long time ago.
They also take the very special and sacred relationship between God and man(kind), and hold that up as God’s perfect creation, somehow that’s as far as God wants to go as He achieved what He desired in us - a free willed being capable of f’n up things, which to them is a free willed being capable of choosing to be with God forever (or not). This one goes along the lines if there is intelligent alien life that disproved the sacred relationship between God and man, but since the sacred relationship must exist alien life can not exist.
The other aspect it fear. If we were to make contact these beings would have their own beliefs and perhaps a different view of God and what would that mean to religious beliefs if their ‘religious beliefs’ if they have any are fundamentally different from ours, or what if they were exactly in line with a particular earth religion. Pastors generally don’t like people to ponder these questions as it tends to erode their power base, so by setting a no alien rule for a church you tend to hinder the flow of free though and discussion of people wondering other views of God.
I feel confident that Christianity, at least, will find some way to stretch biblical references to include aliens. Original Sin encompasses all worlds, Jesus died for all, not just the Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, etc.
This will make it necessary to spread The Word to save them from Eternal Damnation. Load up that rocket ship with bibles, prayer beads and magic underwear!
