Would proof of human survival (after death) as “ghosts” challenge religions? I cannot think of anything that would cause a more problems for devout believers, than to have scientific proof of the existence of ghosts:
-Judaism: ghosts may exist, but no contact since Saul’s dalliance with the “Witch of Endor”-with bad consequences for Saul (and his sons); bottom line: DO NOT seek out contact with ghosts-it will come back to haunt you
-Catholicism: no explicit tradition that ghosts exist; again, trying to contact the dead is NOT recommended.
-Protestant Christianity: belief varies-most do not accept possibility of ghosts
-Buddhism: no tradition rejecting ghosts-but they would seem to be irrelevant
-Hinduism: ?
-Animism: ghosts exist, and are to be feared
Either the evidence would be denied as part of “The Atheist Conspiracy”, or the evidence would be dismissed as part of “Satan’s Conspiracy.”
It might be a major boost for religion in general, if not specific doctrines, I think. Especially in the short run. After all, you’d have both proof of life after death and of intelligent beings that need no bodies. And it’s not like all religions are hostile to the idea of ghosts.
Any contradictions with their particular mythology could be handwaved away anyway. For example; why is that ghost not in Heaven or Hell ? Obviously it rejected God but wasn’t sinful enough to go to Hell. Or Earth IS Hell, or Limbo or Purgatory or whatever. If it contradicts a thousand or so years of tradition that’ll be conveniently ignored.
On the other hand, in the long run it could be a major blow to much of religion, since if you have enough evidence for proof, that would mean science had enough data to work with. Besides taking the mystery out of it, there’s the distinct possibility that science could learn to manipulate the phenomenon involved. If science and technology can produce a better afterlife or superior spirits that’s likely to make a lot of religions a little redundant.
Hijack: John Edward claims to talk to ghosts – but he never discusses, and nobody in his audience ever seems even to ask, what the afterlife is like. I’ve always wondered why not. Isn’t that the first thing you would want to ask?
Nope, all it would prove is the existence of “spectral energy”, “Full torso Vaporous Appiritions” “Focused, Non-Terminal Repeating Phantasms”, and “Class Five Full Roaming Vapors”
of course, if Mr. Stay Puft shows up, we’re all frakked…
If ghosts were real, all it would prove is the existence of ghosts, nothing more
Maybe, but no one would take it that way.
I think it would boost religion, just on the ‘proof of afterlife’ thing. I also think it would hurt science, at least in the eyes of non-scientists. All the years of denial & debunking would draw ridicule, and would hurt science’s effort to stop the spread of other superstitions. I think you’d probably see a lot of ‘Look! I was right, science doesn’t know anything, follow me!’ type stuff.
It’s not like not having such evidence has kept the science-haters from shouting that from the rooftops and gathering a following, anyway.
I don’t see how proof of life after death would challenge religion.
Well, I certainly think it would be challenging for theologians of various stripes to take this on. But daunting as that would be, it would be nothing compared to what atheists would have to contend with - nearly all of their worldview would have been proven wrong.
Atheism requires only a lack of belief in a deity. Atheists are perfectly free to believe in spirits, ghosts, tarot, magic, runes, etc. It’s not common, but there are atheists (as in “no god”) with strong belief in woo-woo New Agey crap.
Seems like every time I see one of those shows about ghosts on Discovery Channel or A&E it’s always the religious folks who believe in ghosts, claim to be haunted by them, and need to pray to get rid of them.
Would proof of ghosts challenge religion? Hell no. Priests seem to be doing a great business on exorcisms, from what I can tell by A Haunting and Paranormal State. It’s the religious who believe in, and see, all the ghosts and demons already! Of the religious, it seems specifically to be Christians who buy into it.
I have yet to see a single atheist on there say they had ghosts or demons.
In my experience, every person who believes in ghosts that I’ve ever seen is a Christian. Atheists by and large don’t, considering that most thoughtful atheists don’t think that there is any soul that survives death.
So all those ghost believers right now seem to have no problem integrating the two beliefs. Maybe it will be more of a problem for the theologians however.
The OP leaves out Judaism. From a Jewish perspective, proof of ghosts would have no official effect. However, it would strongly reinforce Jewish folklore. In Jewish folklore, some evil ghosts called dybbuks stick around the earth. Additionally, some of the righteous may stick around to serve as guardians.
was meant as a caution: “don’t mess with spirits”.
Saul was killed, and also his sons were killed-for having the temerity to do an end run behind the Lord!
“They’re not ghosts. They’re angels.”
No, it’s really just the old man who owns the abandoned amusement park.
And he would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids!
-Islam: Female ghosts must be fully enveloped in white sheets at all times.
Atheist here, and there is no problem as far as I can see. If there is substantial evidence, we atheists have no problem accepting new ideas-that is how we think for the most part, y’know.