Pat Robertson gives NASA a Bible lesson: God didn’t put life on ‘barren rocks’ in space

originally posted by: dominicus

originally posted by: olaru12
www.rawstory.com...

Rev Pat Robertson on Wednesday called on NASA to stop spending time and money exploring other planets because he said that God’s only “experiment” with life was on Earth.

“Folks, I want to tell you something,” Robertson told viewers of The 700 Club. “They talk about life on other planets. In my opinion, there’s nothing but gaseous balls and barren rocks up in space. That’s all that’s there.”

“This planet is where God has got an experiment in what he wants to have accomplished,” he continued. “But somehow, people want to spend a lot of money to go to Mars! I don’t want to think that Mars is someplace I want to visit, and it would take a lot of money to get there!”

I'm sure that there are many Christians that follow and feel the same way Rev. Pat does. Is this just another attempt by Christians to deny and limit scientific research?

Perhaps Rev. Pats opposition to space exploration isn't really about the money spent but more in tune with fear based ideas that if in fact extraterrestrial life is found; it could throw the whole KJV of the Bible into question.

Perhaps it's just me, but I find it extremely arrogant that a mortal can presume to know the mind of GOD.

This Guy is a Fundie and the fundies are dying out. I am a Christian Mystic and Absolutely adore Science, Mars, Exploration, the possibility of ALien life, changing this world for the better, freedom of belief systems.

The Old version of Fundie-based Bible belt Christianity is dying a slow death and the only CHristians that will remain will be the Mystics and this is by design, The Mystics are about Love, Truth, Unity, Oneness, being legit examples of what CHrist was about and these small minded Fundies are dying....


Robertson is irrelevant

Right Wing Christian Fundamentalism is not dying out. That's just wishful thinking on your part; in fact they are gaining in numbers.

Check it out...

www.religion-online.org...

originally posted by: ngchunter

originally posted by: JadeStar

originally posted by: ngchunter

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: rupertg
I'm just hoping Ted Cruz (chairman of NASA's senate subcommittee) doesn't give Pat Robertson a second career at NASA.

It could happen. Ted is about as far right Christian as you can get.

www.ontheissues.org...

Here's what Ted Cruz is actually proposing for NASA. More space exploration. I'm sorry, which president directed NASA's administrator to focus on "muslim outreach" to "make them feel better about their accomplishments?"

I know you know this but many people don't know that the majority of bright stars have Arabic names:

Aldebaran, Betelgeuse, Algol, Deneb, Fomalhaut, Keid, Mizar, Rigel, ec.

I don't want to get into a political debate on a space forum but don't you think it makes sense to remind Muslims of the legacy ancient Arabic astronomers who dutifully charted the skies during their golden era where science and rationality rather than than extremism was the aspiration of Islamic world?

I don't think that should be NASA's job at all.

Nor do I. It seems more like a job for the State Department, but it certainly would make sense use NASA materials as part of it. NASA as you probably know creates great classroom materials for science, math and even English teachers which are used in schools across the US.

Would it not make sense to kinda remix them into in such an education package for kids in the Islamic world? Poor schools there are looking for resources so they'd jump at a chance to have curriculum developed by the world's leading space agency but tailored to their cultural historical legacy to astronomy.

NASA needs to be focused squarely on space exploration. If we're going to fight terrorists (oh sorry, "extremists") we should do it be quickly and thoroughly eliminating them and then leaving the area, that's the military's job

Because that worked so well in the past?

Look, if it's not Abu Nidal (70s), it's Islamic Jihad (80s), Al Qaeda (90-00s), ISIS/ISIL (today).

If military solutions were the solution to eliminating terrorism don't you think we'd be there by now?

If you attack the root causes for why people join these groups you undermine them and eventually they will crumble as religious hatred and extremism gives way to rationality and prosperity.

We did not tear down the Berlin wall by going into a hot war with Russia, or locking up anyone who might be a Communist in this country.

The Berlin Wall came down as a result of the rejection of a failed system by young people who aspired to have things available in the west and through a heavy investment in getting information and entertainment behind the Iron Curtain by things like Voice of America and MTV.

The war was one of ideas and kids in general want to be free to have their own ideas, they don't like anyone telling them what to do. They also want choices and options. Which is why our plan in the Cold War worked. It could work again in this case.

There were few options for teens behind the iron curtain.

And ISIS only gives these kids one deadly option.

It's up to us to give them a better set of ideas and options they will choose over death for a hollow goal based on a false history (which they probably are suspicious of because they're kids and they tend to question anyone telling them what to do). People have a fundamental will to live but when they have nothing to lose and no other options suicide or martyrdom can seem like a pretty good one.

ISIS is using history to recruit, we must use history to thwart their efforts at this basic level and the problem will be taken care of within their society.

Kill a terrorist, their family mourns them, they become a martyr and you breed a new generation to avenge their death.

Educate people with few good options, that there is a better way and it existed within their own past cultural history and you undermine the whole historical premise which groups like ISIS use to recruit them.

ISIS and groups like them are teaching these kids an extremely skewed history. They are selective in what they teach. They keep them ignorant of the golden era of Arab intellectualism because that would undermine their cause so yeah, it's kind of a good idea to make these kids aware of a greater history than the bloodbaths ISIS selectively pulls to fuel them into joining their groups in some Islamic passion play.

There's a war on for the minds of these willing footsoldiers. We can either let ISIS win it and have to spend billions of dollars building military hardware to respond to the next terrorist group created (money and resources which could better be spent exploring space I might add), or we can spend a few million here and there to fight ISIS where it counts, at the recruitment level when these kids are at an impressionable age.

Terrorism is a symptom of a problem (ignorance) not the problem itself.

Eliminate the ignorance, you eliminate 90% of the terrorism.

The Great Scientist Pat Robertson. And despite all the Christians that will post in this threat saying he doesn't represent them and that they aren't all stupid. He has millions upon millions of viewers, followers and fans.

Did you guys see the recent poll that said 57% of Republicans want to make Christianity the official religion of the USA? LOL

THIS is why we can't do this.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: dominicus

originally posted by: olaru12
www.rawstory.com...

Rev Pat Robertson on Wednesday called on NASA to stop spending time and money exploring other planets because he said that God’s only “experiment” with life was on Earth.

“Folks, I want to tell you something,” Robertson told viewers of The 700 Club. “They talk about life on other planets. In my opinion, there’s nothing but gaseous balls and barren rocks up in space. That’s all that’s there.”

“This planet is where God has got an experiment in what he wants to have accomplished,” he continued. “But somehow, people want to spend a lot of money to go to Mars! I don’t want to think that Mars is someplace I want to visit, and it would take a lot of money to get there!”

I'm sure that there are many Christians that follow and feel the same way Rev. Pat does. Is this just another attempt by Christians to deny and limit scientific research?

Perhaps Rev. Pats opposition to space exploration isn't really about the money spent but more in tune with fear based ideas that if in fact extraterrestrial life is found; it could throw the whole KJV of the Bible into question.

Perhaps it's just me, but I find it extremely arrogant that a mortal can presume to know the mind of GOD.

This Guy is a Fundie and the fundies are dying out. I am a Christian Mystic and Absolutely adore Science, Mars, Exploration, the possibility of ALien life, changing this world for the better, freedom of belief systems.

The Old version of Fundie-based Bible belt Christianity is dying a slow death and the only CHristians that will remain will be the Mystics and this is by design, The Mystics are about Love, Truth, Unity, Oneness, being legit examples of what CHrist was about and these small minded Fundies are dying....


Robertson is irrelevant

Right Wing Christian Fundamentalism is not dying out. That's just wishful thinking on your part; in fact they are gaining in numbers.

Check it out...

www.religion-online.org...

I think you both are measuring two different things but both of you are essentially correct.

Christianity's numbers in general are declining. Not just in the USA but worldwide. The numbers of people who count themselves as church going Christians has fallen a lot over the last 50 years.

But at the same time, Christianity in America has become more fundamentalist, meaning those who count themselves as Christians are more likely to go the fundamentalist route so their numbers may be growing but it is within the context of a larger overall decline of the numbers of people who are active Christians in the US.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: JadeStar

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: JadeStar
Can someone please tell me how:

1) Pat Robertson is still relevant?
2) Pat Robertson is relevant to Space Exploration?

:

Rev. Pat is still relevant because he has a huge following and is a spokesperson for Fundamentalist Christians in America.
His program 700club claims to have 85 million viewers. That's relevant both politically and culturally.

us.wow.com...

But how is it relevant to Space Exploration?

I guess it makes the argument for better STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education funding in the USA.

Rev. Pat has the ability to call on his followers and swing elections. The right wing could ostensibly cut all funding for any scientific research including NASA. Tax dollars fund NASA.... That's relevant ....

This is why we can't have nice things anymore.

NASA's only gets .5% of the budget and a small portion goes to searching for ET. It is embarrassing as a nation. I am sure if we dedicated half of what we spend on war we would have already found ET and would be colonizing other worlds at this point. I am sure Pat is fine with the defense budget.

We live on a world where people like Pat has followers and people like Ted Cruz is on a committee that deals with science. It's no wonder things are so screwed up.

...and to think this guy thought he could be a serious presidential candidate in '88.

That article olaru12 posted, is from 1992. WE need modern day numbers, I'll see if I can find them.

I have some Christian Mystic vids on my youtube channel with meditations and instructions and you'd be surprised how many christians figure out that their weekly Church sessions and Fundy leaders are in the wrong, and that really we are all one humanity, united, in this together, trying to figure it all out. THere's a really big trend right now for people seeking out CHristian mysticism.

Plus look at Humanity and where its going. People want the absolute truth and the fundies don't have it.

a reply to: dominicus

You Wouldn't Believe How Fast American's Are Losing Their Religion Article

The spokespeople of the religious right have noticed this trend as well, but it's clear they have very little idea what to do about it. In a column from 2005, Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, declared that "theological liberalism" is at fault for Christianity's decline, and that the only thing they need to do to reverse it is to make "a bold commitment to biblical authority." Far from it, the evidence is clear that churches clinging to antiquated dogma are part of the problem, as young people turn away from their strident decrees about gays and women.

The Fundies are just moving abroad, according to the article, to basically set up shop in Cultures where people are still in 2nd/3rd world countries and aren't hip to Internet and Independent thinking. The People in the West, 1st world countries are hip that Fundies are wrong, so they are indeed dying out.

Its a trend everywhere. Fundie mass media replaced by indy decentralized journalism. Fundie Power companies will get replaced by solar and Tesla home batteries coming out in 6 months. Fundie centralized currency brought about decentralized crypto-currencies......everything is becoming decentralized, open, true, indenpendent. It just takes decades to see the changes really go into effect.

Only the Mystics will be left

originally posted by: JadeStar
If military solutions were the solution to eliminating terrorism don't you think we'd be there by now?

Nope. We play games trying to set up one warlord against another instead of actually decimating the target and leaving it to rot like we should. We're still trying to reason with people who can't be reasoned with. They do not fear us, nor should they the way we handle it. Half assed responses and backing off when we should be applying more pressure. We make deals with the muslim brotherhood and other terror connected groups, so it's no shock there are still terrorists. Hell, I bet you the only reason ISIS exists is because we armed them. Whether that is intentional or unintentional mismanagement is for the reader to decide.

We're getting off-topic here so I'll just leave it at this, no I'm not surprised, and I think those in charge are complicit in keeping the terrorists going, whether because they think there is "validity" to their "grievances" or because they're simply hugely incompetent. NASA should have absolutely nothing to do with educating the Islamic world and it should be considered a huge scandal that the president was using NASA for that purpose as far as I'm concerned.

All fundamentalism, including other exoteric levels of religion all reach a dead end: what do I do next?

Maybe they can become decent human beings but they never develop any inward sight, power or real love Because they reject the basic teachings of Jesus and the others in other religions the basic mystic lore that would be a beginning...

They forget Jesus said: The Kingdom of God is within you
Not some outward physical kingdom of wealth and pomp.


There are three levels of faith:

Lore of Certainty: books, traditions, teachings, Belief, Faith, dogma, and religious law

The Eye of Certainty: The Beginning of Gnosis....Inner experiences and glimpses of subtler reality entailing often psychic experiences, intimations of the future of ones guidance, and lofty experiences of the sublime which come and go.

The Truth of Certainty

Jesus in the desert, Muhammad in the cave, Moses on Mount Sinai….Buddha at the lotus tree…. The final destination of union with the divine where the soul becomes one with God in eternity. Or you realize that there is ONLY in reality the soul of God!

Different Traditians have different words for the same thing:
Enlightenment is the basic term here in English understanding. In Zen it’s called Kensho or satori, in Traditional Buddhism and Vedanta they refer to it as Nirvana, Sufis refer to it as the Perfect or Complete human( Insanul Kamil.

Most religious people, fundamentalist particularly included, only reach the Lore of Certainty level and at best a taste of the Eye of Certainty

The Truth of Certainty is the goal of all religious and spiritual endeavors

The crown jewel of the path

a reply to: olaru12

I do wish that people who profess to belief in God, would stop this over familiar, assumptive, hubris ridden rubbish. It gives the rest of Christendom a bad name, and colours all against us, without even having the merest basis in scripture or good sense.

When we investigate the space we can reach, we are effectively looking at the teeth of the mechanism which drives creation, the fullness of Gods construction. Understanding better, how the planets came to be, how many there are, what they are made of, what lessons we might learn from spending time on them if possible, these are all laudable aims. Belief through ignorance is easy. Belief through wisdom is the harder path, and the worthier for it.

I am a believer, but I never shy away from an opportunity to learn something about the universe and its majestic contents, and I find Rev. Robertson's attitude to such matters to be anathema to my core as a person. Christians who bumble around with flat earth theory, and believe that there is nothing to be gained by the exploration of our solar system, and indeed the wholeness of the universe, were it to become possible, suffer, in my estimation, from either a terminal lack of imagination, or an overdose of fear of the unknown. These are not traits which will come to any good long term, and they are NOT the mark of a good Christian.

Genesis only talks about our tiny blue dot. If god wanted us to be interested in space exploration he would have talked about all the other planets and lifeforms he made.

^I'm sure that's the rationale for many believers.

originally posted by: Lucid Lunacy
Genesis only talks about our tiny blue dot. If god wanted us to be interested in space exploration he would have talked about all the other planets and lifeforms he made.

^I'm sure that's the rationale for many believers.

Kinda like he talked about cars, airplanes, internet, ect...

Can't pick and choose your "god approved" technology. Take it all, or shun it all. Otherwise, you are being a hypocrite.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: dominicus

originally posted by: olaru12
www.rawstory.com...

Rev Pat Robertson on Wednesday called on NASA to stop spending time and money exploring other planets because he said that God’s only “experiment” with life was on Earth.

“Folks, I want to tell you something,” Robertson told viewers of The 700 Club. “They talk about life on other planets. In my opinion, there’s nothing but gaseous balls and barren rocks up in space. That’s all that’s there.”

“This planet is where God has got an experiment in what he wants to have accomplished,” he continued. “But somehow, people want to spend a lot of money to go to Mars! I don’t want to think that Mars is someplace I want to visit, and it would take a lot of money to get there!”

I'm sure that there are many Christians that follow and feel the same way Rev. Pat does. Is this just another attempt by Christians to deny and limit scientific research?

Perhaps Rev. Pats opposition to space exploration isn't really about the money spent but more in tune with fear based ideas that if in fact extraterrestrial life is found; it could throw the whole KJV of the Bible into question.

Perhaps it's just me, but I find it extremely arrogant that a mortal can presume to know the mind of GOD.

This Guy is a Fundie and the fundies are dying out. I am a Christian Mystic and Absolutely adore Science, Mars, Exploration, the possibility of ALien life, changing this world for the better, freedom of belief systems.

The Old version of Fundie-based Bible belt Christianity is dying a slow death and the only CHristians that will remain will be the Mystics and this is by design, The Mystics are about Love, Truth, Unity, Oneness, being legit examples of what CHrist was about and these small minded Fundies are dying....


Robertson is irrelevant

Right Wing Christian Fundamentalism is not dying out. That's just wishful thinking on your part; in fact they are gaining in numbers.

Check it out...

www.religion-online.org...

Atheism/agnostics are the fastest growing religion. Maybe the percent of Christians who are fundies is increasing. Science is winning just not as fast as we would hope.

I think the issue of life is irrelevant, why would we not explore the wonder God created?

Pat is a good guy with human failings. There are preachers out there that are engineers and scientists as well. Jesus and science go together is a certainity
a reply to: JadeStar

Since the Bible itself contradicts Robertson's opinion, I will have to disagree. The "heavens" are crawling with all kinds of living beings according to the Bible. This is consistent with God's creation on earth which is teeming with life.

You can look at Ezekiel 1 or Rev. 4:6 , or all the other talk in the Bible about the angelic host that lives in the "heavens" and the heavenly realms. So if you believe in heaven, or even the Garden of Eden you believe in a realm, with living beings that is not on earth.

nuff said.

a reply to: SevenThunders

Well no. Not 'nuff said'

You just suggested the 'heavens' and Heaven are the same thing scripturally.

When Genesis spoke of the 'heavens' it was surely talking about something physical pertaining to our Universe. Whereas Heaven in which angels exist in is a metaphysical realm.

Or are you saying Biblical angels exist physically somewhere in our Universe?

Pat Robertson speaks for Pat Robertson (and maybe most of his followers), but not for all Christians, so please do not call this a "Christian attempt to deny and limit scientific research".

This guy has set himself up (and others by association, which isn't fair) to be ridiculed the moment a microbe is found in existence on one of these places, simply for the hubris of thinking he knows every move of God.

a reply to: ProfessorChaos

so please do not call this a "Christian attempt to deny and limit scientific research".

Yet... obviously religion does oppose scientific research. More specifically religious people sway votes in favor of opposition towards scientific research that would clearly benefit society.