Alien Disclosure & Religion

I'm not sure if this thread belongs in the "Conspiracies in Religions" thread or here. Moderators if you feel it's in the wrong spot my apologies.


I was reading a thread on this site approximately a year back about how the US government will never come clean about aliens and UFOs. At some point during the conversation, someone pointed out that one of the reasons is because if they did, it would blow the Christian faith out of the water.

Considering that the majority of the US population consider themselves "Christian" how would the acknowledgement of alien existence invalidate peoples belief in Christ?

A popular topic here, take a look around a bit and you will find it discussed more than a couple of times.

It all depends on who you are talking about, when you mention 'most people consider themselves Christian' I think that has to be clarified just a bit. That is the default answer, many people give it because it is what is expected. If you are talking about people who actually practice then I think we are more diverse than that.

But if someone holds narrow views, or ones that have the arrogance to assume total knowledge, they are going to be in for a shock. Other religions though either already deal with the question of other life or at least support a openness to change that will work well for them when the Aliens finally arrive.

When we do have full contact with another Race we will have to waste a bunch of time convincing the serious Christians they are not demons sent by the anti-christ. And once again the 'End Times' clock will have to be reset.

I think that many feel that any contact with another Race will shatter some human myths. If they are more advanced than we are in any significant way then contact is bound to alter some things we thought were solid. No big deal for me, time for some new myths, but for some this means a terrifying descent into the unknown.


A.T
(-)

In the early 1960s, a study called The Brookings Report was conducted by the Brookings Institution. Researchers wanted to find out how the public at large would react to the official acknowledgment that there was one or more advanced alien civilizations in existence. The conclusion was that law and order would break down, age-old religious institutions would collapse, and that the government would lose control over the general population. That is why no official explanation or acknowledgment of extraterrestrials by the government has occurred or will occur.

So it isn't just that the old religons would end. The government would no longer be in charge. One must remember the purpose of government is largely to control the general public.

These are the reasons for the feds to oppose open disclosure.

Yet another is the collusion of certain covert agencies with the Greys for technology -- which includes the kidnapping of common civilians for medical experiments, breeding, etc. If that were ever publicly exposed, the governmental infrastructure would end because the current powers that be would no longer be trusted.

A civil war could also occur.

[edit on 30-6-2005 by Paul_Richard]

Check the link in my sig and then you would know why.

how are we so sure that government power would break and religious institutions would break? where is that connection? its one thing to say.... if government disclosed full information about the existence of ETEs then our government and religious powers would crack... yet another thing to give solid logical reasons why they would crack and how they would crack... a bit more detailed then that. can someone elaborate a little? i dont deny or condone anything here... im just trying to learn.

i know one things for sure... if we ever find out aliens are reall.. this is not going to disrupt my belief in Chirst as saviour at all.... NOT AT ALL! i infact do believe there are other biological entities out there. C.S. Lewis tackles this notion of how should a christian respond if we do find other life in his short essay titled "rocketry and religion". i highly recommend it.




[edit on 30-6-2005 by krossfyter]

I always laugh when I hear that. Who ever decided the christian faith (or any faith for that matter) would be destroyed by existance of aliens was not thinking clearly imo. God "by defintion" is an alien himself, I'm not talking about a bug eyed gray man. He is not of this world and yes I know he's everywhere too but for all intensive purposes he's celestial, therefore, he is an alien and so are angels. Show me in the bible where it says we were God's only project. Do you think he just spends a katrillion years up there twiddling his thumbs watching us? If you ask me, he's got plenty of other side projects if we arent a side project ourselves. There's also many accounts in the bible to lend evidence to the existance of aliens and/or at least UFO's.

In all honestly I think there would be a panic if aliens were introduced. It's like 'ol what's his name in MIB said. A person is intelligent, but people are wild, panicy, morons. Or something to that effect. To say though that the existance of an alien denounces christianity is just naive. That last comment wasnt directed at the author of this thread but rather the person/persons contributing the idea.

Originally posted by krossfyter
how are we so sure that government power would break and religious institutions would break? where is that connection? its one thing to say.... if government disclosed full information about the existence of ETEs then our government and religious powers would crack... yet another thing to give solid logical reasons why they would crack and how they would crack... a bit more detailed then that. can someone elaborate a little? i dont deny or condone anything here... im just trying to learn.

Proposed Studies on the Implications of Peaceful Space Activities for Human Affairs

Futurological Reflections on the Confrontation of Mankind with an Extraterrestrial Civilization

From the second site:

>

The impact of meeting another Culture will be on pretty much every level. But I do think this is one of those times where humanity is better than it's smart people believe. I think the nature and goals of the Race we meet certainly do matter, they modify the outcome, perhaps quite a bit. So that blanket statement that the conclusion is 'independent' of the other race is true only to a point.

How much of the chaos will be internalized cannot be estimated. Ok normally we project our feelings into the world via rash actions, but when necessary as a Race we have the ability to internalize the struggle. The more people who do that the less the visible struggles, riots, breakdown, etc.

People worry about the negatives we have investigated, and perhaps those will lead to our not getting along with a particular Race or three. But what if the first to openly visit have a natural affinity for us, perhaps they are very close to us physically. What if we just plain like them? There is quite a range of possibilities I think.

As planners on a government level you must consider worst case senarios. But humans have the ability to beat the odds, and we just keep on doing it.
But I do understand how 'they' feel, so I consider it important for the rest of 'us' to get ready as best we can. Not digging shelters or anything of the sort, more of accepting the basic ideas and considering what might follow.


A.T
(-)

Originally posted by Alexander Tau
The impact of meeting another Culture will be on pretty much every level. But I do think this is one of those times where humanity is better than it's smart people believe. I think the nature and goals of the Race we meet certainly do matter, they modify the outcome, perhaps quite a bit. So that blanket statement that the conclusion is 'independent' of the other race is true only to a point.

Yes, but the influence of the extraterrestrials would only serve to further a collapse of many social and religious institutions, not empower them.

For example, I think that it is highly unlikely that we are going to come across an extraterrestrial race of Christians, Jews, Muslims or Hindus. Any extraterrestrial race that has superior technology would be emulated in culture, philosophy and religion here -- at the expense of all the traditional religions.

So it works both ways. The downfall of the Terran institutions would happen independently of the extraterrestrials and also because of them.

thnx Paul_Richard... thats exactly what i needed.

sorry for the possible disruption.

Yep Paul your right. They don't exactly have to believe in a creator. In fact if they are a selfish race they would try to make us believe that they created us. By placing mistrust within the religious systems that whenever GOD appeared as a fireball or a sun, that it was their spaceships. If you take away all spiritual religions and replace it with the cold hard logic where does the hope come from? Science doesn't care about anything but facts. Beliefs and faith is what sets us apart. Now granted they might of adanved tremendously because they voided the religion path but they would be cold and very uncaring. With faith we have hope of the impossible. Like a person critically ill grabbing onto their life and making a complete turn around. I think that would scare the living hell out of any race that believed in nothing but themselves as gods.


-Aza

Thanks all for your input! It seems I've got some new reading material to explore now!

This is great stuff!

Yes, but the influence of the extraterrestrials would only serve to further a collapse of many social and religious institutions, not empower them.

For example, I think that it is highly unlikely that we are going to come across an extraterrestrial race of Christians, Jews, Muslims or Hindus. Any extraterrestrial race that has superior technology would be emulated in culture, philosophy and religion here -- at the expense of all the traditional religions.

I am sorry but I do not completely accept that idea. Based on what exactly, fear of the unknown? We do understand the fear of the unknown but that is not what this is about. To say that the overall impact of a completely unknown factor has to be negative is to me completely unsupported and no more than a guess.

Who is to say that the nature of our new Friends might not support certain elements of our existing culture? It seems to me that you are discussing a problem with 2 major unknowns: the nature of the Aliens, and the nature of the full human reaction. Since we have little to use as past references in comparision I do not see how anyone can make any real judgement that is not more than an educated guess.

Now as far as major religions go sure there would be major disruption. But to lump all religions together is just not right. Not all belief structures are static and rigid. I am quite certain that my Wiccan-inspired beliefs will survive quite nicely. And even in the major religions there are examples of openness that would help them survive, Islam comes to mind.

Great changes to be sure, the end of some religions, probably, but beyond that, maybe.



A.T
(-)

Originally posted by Alexander Tau

Yes, but the influence of the extraterrestrials would only serve to further a collapse of many social and religious institutions, not empower them.

For example, I think that it is highly unlikely that we are going to come across an extraterrestrial race of Christians, Jews, Muslims or Hindus. Any extraterrestrial race that has superior technology would be emulated in culture, philosophy and religion here -- at the expense of all the traditional religions.

I am sorry but I do not completely accept that idea. Based on what exactly, fear of the unknown?

Not at all. The institutions would collapse simply because people would strive to embrace the culture, philosophy and religion of the extraterrestrials.

Originally posted by Alexander Tau
Who is to say that the nature of our new Friends might not support certain elements of our existing culture?

That is possible but a space-faring race would have a space-faring culture which would be alien to the world's traditional religions

Additionally, people would generally ignore the government in favor of the more advanced civilization. Our current governments are generally opposed to that happening.

I remember the case when Whitley Strieber reported having been strapped down on an examination table on-board Zetan spacecraft. He cried out to God to help him. One of the aliens responded by saying, "Why do you call out to God? There is no one here but us."

That right there is a clear illustration of an alien value system which is not supportive, to say the least, of the monotheistic culture and religions on this world. By the way, the above scenario of alien indifference to God represents the norm, not the exception, among abductee cases.

The only exception to this rule is when we are the ones visiting and the planet where we are venturing contains a humanoid civilization that embraces only medieval technology, and therefore has not gone so far down the path of intellect and technology so as to become a Space Race; whereby, like the Zetans, they no longer value spirituality or "God" but represent the value system that Science is God.

Medieval civilizations, not the Space Races, have a much higher probability of having cultures that we would want to know. Well, at least some of us.



[edit on 1-7-2005 by Paul_Richard]

Originally posted by Azathoth
Yep Paul your right. They don't exactly have to believe in a creator. In fact if they are a selfish race they would try to make us believe that they created us. By placing mistrust within the religious systems that whenever GOD appeared as a fireball or a sun, that it was their spaceships. If you take away all spiritual religions and replace it with the cold hard logic where does the hope come from? Science doesn't care about anything but facts. Beliefs and faith is what sets us apart. Now granted they might of adanved tremendously because they voided the religion path but they would be cold and very uncaring. With faith we have hope of the impossible. Like a person critically ill grabbing onto their life and making a complete turn around. I think that would scare the living hell out of any race that believed in nothing but themselves as gods.


-Aza

You hit the nail on the head, as "cold and very uncaring" is exactly how the Zetan-Greys are described by abductees. The former have high intellect and advanced technology but are not on a spiritual path.

The upshot: their culture and religion suck.

[edit on 1-7-2005 by Paul_Richard]

I tend to agree with quite a few of you in that if the existence of e.t. life was publicly known, by and far, it wouldn't necessarily pose a major threat to religion as we know it. It would, of course, cause the major religions to reexamine their beliefs and possibly evolve to some extent, but 1) religions have constantly evolved over the years anyway, and 2) true believers will always be true believers (myself included). Besides, nobody can say with 100% acuracy what actually happens on the other side until we're gone, and then it's a little too late.

That being said, I personally don't think that we'll ever really see full disclosure from any major governments (in particular, the U.S.) anytime soon. Why? Put simply, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot. If, for example, the U.S. suddenly came out and said, "We've been in cahoots with aliens for years, but well...looks like they've pulled one over on us, so we thought you should know." people would be outraged, to say the least. Throw the bums out? Talk about an understatement. And seeing as how the number one goal of most politicians in America is to get re-elected, do you really think they'd slit their own throats, politically speaking, like that? No way.

Then again, as Dennis Miller used to say (before the Republican pod people sucked out his brain *grin*), that's just my opinion...I could be wrong.

We do have a precident. When whiteman came to the Americas [whiteman/alien] it didn't bode well for the indignous inhabitants due to the technological superiority of the invaders, not to mention the diseases brought by the aliens.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that when a race encounters a superior race; the weaker party seldom benefits. Frequently they are enslaved. I hope that this isn't a universal condition.

From a personal standpoint; when and if the space guys come it will surely freak me out so bad I wouldn't go to work until i figured WTF is going on.
Perhaps most people feel like me. This might cause some disruption. In fact I would expect chaos and maybe an opportunity to settle some old scores. Nah, most people would act like ladies and gentelmen, huh?

From the religious stand point, speaking as a Christian; wouldn't we ask ourselves "what would Jesus do"?

[edit on 2-7-2005 by whaaa]

[edit on 2-7-2005 by whaaa]

That being said, I personally don't think that we'll ever really see full disclosure from any major governments (in particular, the U.S.) anytime soon. Why? Put simply, they'd be shooting themselves in the foot. If

Ok, what if instead they said 'We have kept this a secret and as a result we have made America the most powerful nation this planet has ever seen. If we had not done so we would not have the vast lead in technology that we currently enjoy'.

Politics is all about presentation and if you think that the people we have now do not understand that I think you are dead wrong.

I do think it will take an external event to trigger Disclosure. Not from fear of the reaction of the populace but simply because it has worked this long so why change it? Then again I do not think they know nearly as much as people think they do about Aliens, so there is not as much to Disclose. I have never seen any signs of regular contact with any government.



A.T
(-)

Simply due the possibility humanity was planted by an Alien race or two and religion as I know it atleast changes dramatically and once disceminated throughout the world -well, watch out. Specifically the Muslim religion followers.

Dallas