how do religious people explain other planets?

[A-S M.]

what the title says

[Demogorgon]

The same way as everyone else, maybe?

[Dros]

God created them too!:lol:

[Dominicana_1965]

For 2000 years the Catholic Church has taught that we humans and all life on the planet are the unique product of God's creation. However, in the recent period more and more planetary systems have been discovered around stars, some that lie within the habitable zone. And the latest statements emanating from the Vatican indicate that they are getting ready for the possible discovery of life on other planets.
Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, has stated in an article under the title "Aliens Are My Brother", that intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space, but he added that this does not contradict belief in God. Apparently they do not rule out that life may even exist on Mars.
This in itself is something that many scientists have contemplated for some time, but Father Funes adds his own speculation. He raises the possibility that some aliens could even be free from original sin. Could that be because there are no apples on Mars for a Martian Eve to tempt Adam with? With no original sin on other planets, does that mean that there is no suffering and that everyone still lives in an extra-terrestrial Garden of Eden?
However, Father Funes does make an attempt to update the Church's thinking on science. He stated that the condemnation of Galileo in 1633 had been a mistake. The Church is also trying to catch up on Darwin and to show how modern they have become they are now preparing a conference to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.
How much the present Pope appreciates all this is another matter. Back in 1990 when he was known as Cardinal Ratzinger, and was in charge of Roman Catholic doctrine, he commented on the trial of Galileo in the 17th-Century, stating that the Catholic Church's condemnation of Galileo had been "rational and just".
Now, all that Galileo said was that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Father Funes has gone somewhat further than that. With Ratzinger around he had better watch his step.

http://www.marxist.com/vatican-hedges-its-bets.htm

[Kronos]

This is one of the more entertaining parts in arguing with religious people. Try to get them to explain the purpose of all the details of the universe. Usually, they respond "we cannot know God's reasons for this or that", but then where do the details which can be explained start, and where do they stop?

They might say "what concerns man, morally, is what we have the capacity to have knowledge of".

Again, where does "what concerns man" start and stop? Eventually you can work every little detail onto a schemata which would be "moral" by context, so that all details must be capable of being explained, or, none can be explained, in which case no speculation whatsoever can be made about the "reasons why God did this or that".

Essentially the religious explain things which are convenient, at the time, when they want to pretend to be intellectual. The easiest thing in the world to do is stump a religious person. For every attempt to explain anything, by a religious person, there are countless counter-arguments from countless other angles which would demolish them.

[Kwisatz Haderach]

"Why is the universe the way it is, and not something else?"

That is a question which applies to religious people and atheists alike. There is no good answer for it, really, except for the anthropic principle: "The universe is the way it is because if it weren't, humans would not exist to ask this question in the first place."

[Dros]

"Why is the universe the way it is, and not something else?"

That is a question which applies to religious people and atheists alike. There is no good answer for it, really, except for the anthropic principle: "The universe is the way it is because if it weren't, humans would not exist to ask this question in the first place."

You start with a silly question and you get a silly answer.

The universe isn't the way it is for a reason. It is this way because this is how energy and matter behave, not so that humans can exist. Humans exist because this is the way matter and energy behave. Not the other way around.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

It depends on what type of godsucker you ask.

[Holden Caulfield]

they don't they say God did it all and leave it at that...

questioning this divine theory will result in eternal damnation in hell which is apparently somewhere downwards from our feet,

[F9]

God had nothing to do so he created some balls to play with.:lol:
The common answer you will hear is HE ONLY KNOWS!:lol:

Fuserg9:star:

[Killfacer]

edric that was the biggest non answer iv ever had the misfortune of reading.

[Kwisatz Haderach]

The universe isn't the way it is for a reason. It is this way because this is how energy and matter behave, not so that humans can exist. Humans exist because this is the way matter and energy behave. Not the other way around.
That's the same thing I said, except in different words. Humans exist because the universe is the way it is. Therefore, if the universe were different - if matter and energy behaved differently - humans would not exist and could not ask questions about the universe.


edric that was the biggest non answer iv ever had the misfortune of reading.
Was it? Then please read the biggest non-article on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle

You may also wish to register a complaint with these guys:

http://www.anthropic-principle.com/

[Peacekeeper]

For 2000 years the Catholic Church has taught that we humans and all life on the planet are the unique product of God's creation. However, in the recent period more and more planetary systems have been discovered around stars, some that lie within the habitable zone. And the latest statements emanating from the Vatican indicate that they are getting ready for the possible discovery of life on other planets.
Father Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory near Rome, has stated in an article under the title "Aliens Are My Brother", that intelligent beings created by God could exist in outer space, but he added that this does not contradict belief in God. Apparently they do not rule out that life may even exist on Mars.

This put a hilarious picture into my head of the Catholic Church forming something like "The Covenant" from the Halo series, and the Pope making speeches about "the Great Journey." :lol:

[A-S M.]

I just realise how stupid my question actually is, "religious people" and "explain" in the same sentence :laugh:

[pusher robot]

You start with a silly question and you get a silly answer.

The universe isn't the way it is for a reason. It is this way because this is how energy and matter behave, not so that humans can exist. Humans exist because this is the way matter and energy behave. Not the other way around.

But why do they behave that way? Why is there matter or energy at all?

[Bud Struggle]

God created them too!:lol:

Nailed it.

It's like asking Communists what's their fetish with the color red?

[Dros]

But why do they behave that way? Why is there matter or energy at all?

My point is, that's the wrong question.


It's like asking Communists what's their fetish with the color red?
:D

Wouldn't you like to know?

[Peacekeeper]

My point is, that's the wrong question.

The question is actually, "What is 6 times 7?"
Just a little tribute for anyone who read book five of the Hitchhiker trilogy. :cool:

[Dean]

Nailed it.

It's like asking Communists what's their fetish with the color red?

The blood of the proletariat spilled in revolution.

[Bud Struggle]

The blood of the proletariat spilled in revolution.

There was another Blood Flag, you know:

Blutfahne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blutfahne)

(Not to make a comparison--just an interesting story.)

[Chapter 24]

The question is actually, "What is 6 times 7?"
Just a little tribute for anyone who read book five of the Hitchhiker trilogy. :cool:

You're awesome just for bringing that series up!! :laugh:

:thumbup:Props!

[Vahanian]

god got bored? lol:D