Intelligent life in outer space?

[Gaber]

Originally Posted by Godmachine

I must say I am actually rather surprised at the results of this poll so far. I would have thought more people would be open to the idea of other intelligent life out there. I guess I was wrong.

I'm surprised (not) that people think of forms as Life. Life is, as I repeat myself, is a conscious Power that will and does manifest itself in every way shape and form it can discover as an expression of infinite possibility. Awarenes, as we experience it and are thus enabled to ask semantically skewed questions, is the individuation of that Power seeking to find itself consciously.

[Jacob18]

Originally Posted by Gaber

.I've seen some of those shows. I got the impression simply that some few pieces of art with Christian themes,as well as some few of many other cultures, included what might be interpreted as depictions of "flying saucers." And yes, there is someone who theorized that Jesus or other fgures of note might be aliens. Perhaps you protest too much? The way you put it, Jacob, makes me think of how some problems universal to everyone everywhere are often depicted by say Cosmopolitan as being specific to svelt, attractive women depicted in Hollywood/Paris styles. In fact, many on here seem to depict some problems as specific only to Catholics, or make them problems because they are Catholics, when in fact they are problems of a more universal nature. You get what I'm saying.

[jmcrae]

I don't consider it likely.

God created two intelligent persons, and they became our ancestors - Adam and Eve. The human race gradually spread out over the whole world by means of migration.

If there are children of Adam and Eve in outer space, they got there from here - but since there is nothing inhabitable for billions of miles (if at all) the chances of them having survived the journey or still being out there is next to nothing.

I don't consider it likely that God created two intelligent species, separately.

[itullian]

wow, a virtual tie.very interesting.i thought most religious folks would say no.

[sojo]

Late to the party, but I voted "yes." From what I know of God, and that is limited to scripture, my perception of creation, and a few moments of insight through prayer, there is no way he would just do this whole thing once. That doesn't match the God I've come to know, albeit, in my own little way. To me, He is a God of diversity, multitude, over-the-top and overflowing. I just feel it would be other intelligent forms of life out there with there own histories and experiences and journey back to the Father.

If and when we have any need or benefit from being formally introduced, I'm sure it will happen. It wouldn't rock my faith int he least if it should happen tomorrow, nor if it never does happen. Sure is fun to contemplate, though!

[Sample]

So much of the universe is hostile to life (even on our own Earth) that your question depends on the frame of reference.

In the early evolution of the cosmos (before stars could form) it seems unlikely that life as we know it could arise (because the elements we see as needed for life come from stars). Likewise, the far, far, far future won't be able to sustain any life as we know it because ultimately all radiation will be spread out, coldly and infinitely.

We are essentially in a Goldilocks "moment" right now.

I think there almost certainly is life elsewhere, however I have no idea if it is so-called intelligent life. That presumes humans are the pinnacle of intelligence. We may not be.

Suffice it to say that our oceans are going to boil and evaporate in a billion years or so as our Sun begins to die and expand. And not long after that the Andromeda galaxy is going to collide with our own Milky Way galaxy. It's not known yet if our solar system will remain intact after that. Unless we develop technology (nano-probes?) to seed the universe, our existence may one day be unknowable to so-called intelligent life forms.

So, as usual with science, we can certainly know what isn't likely (the past/far future) and what is plausible (the present). That's remarkable to me, and deeply satisfying in its own right.

[bearer]

I have no idea whether or not alien life exists. There is potential, but no discernible evidence. It's impossible to give a yes or no answer with any certainty.

Fr. José Funes of the Vatican Observatory, who advises the Pope on scientific matters, has come to a similar conclusion.

[Gaber]

Originally Posted by bearer

I have no idea whether or not alien life exists. There is potential, but no discernible evidence. It's impossible to give a yes or no answer with any certainty.

Fr. José Funes of the Vatican Observatory, who advises the Pope on scientific matters, has come to a similar conclusion.

Is it he or one of his colleges who won't discount the possibility of a geocentric universe?

[bearer]

Originally Posted by Gaber

Is it he or one of his colleges who won't discount the possibility of a geocentric universe?

I don't know. You tell me.

[wanstronian]

Originally Posted by jmcrae

I don't consider it likely.

God created two intelligent persons, and they became our ancestors - Adam and Eve. The human race gradually spread out over the whole world by means of migration.

Well of course, we know that this is absolutely not the case. Adam and Eve did not exist.

If there are children of Adam and Eve in outer space, they got there from here - but since there is nothing inhabitable for billions of miles (if at all) the chances of them having survived the journey or still being out there is next to nothing.

This follows logically from the premise in your first paragraph. However, given that this premise is utterly, demonstrably wrong, your conclusions are equally so.

I don't consider it likely that God created two intelligent species, separately.

No. He didn't even create one!




There are billions of galaxies in the known universe, each with billions of stars, many of which have planets. The likelihood that at least some of those planets are in the "Goldilocks zone" of their respective sun approaches 1. As life evolved here, it seems highly probable that it also evolved elsewhere. The maths is simple, the science is well-established.

Given the vast distances involved, we may never meet any alien life. But to assume it doesn't exist is to completely ignore everything we've learnt about the universe over the last few hundred years.

I vote a resounding YES.

[Gaber]

Originally Posted by wanstronian

Well of course, we know that this is absolutely not the case. Adam and Eve did not exist.

This follows logically from the premise in your first paragraph. However, given that this premise is utterly, demonstrably wrong, your conclusions are equally so.

No. He didn't even create one!

There are billions of galaxies in the known universe, each with billions of stars, many of which have planets. The likelihood that at least some of those planets are in the "Goldilocks zone" of their respective sun approaches 1. As life evolved here, it seems highly probable that it also evolved elsewhere. The maths is simple, the science is well-established.

Given the vast distances involved, we may never meet any alien life. But to assume it doesn't exist is to completely ignore everything we've learnt about the universe over the last few hundred years.

I vote a resounding YES.

I agree with all the points you make, and the irony of the double entedre of the response to creation. That is brilliant.

[jmcrae]

Originally Posted by wanstronian

Well of course, we know that this is absolutely not the case. Adam and Eve did not exist.

The chances of human beings evolving once is billions to one.

The chances of it happening twice on the same planet is agreed to be impossible. Therefore, there was one pair of first human beings, and if we want to call them "Adam and Eve" it's fine, because they aren't around to argue with us. But we are all biologically related to one another by means of our human DNA, which evolved only once - not twice, or more often than that.

Whether you call the force that intelligently drives evolution and selects superior traits to supercede inferior traits "God" or something else ("chance" or "natural selection" etc.) is immaterial.

[ThinkingSapien]

Originally Posted by jmcrae

Therefore, there was one pair of first human beings, and if we want to call them "Adam and Eve" it's fine, because they aren't around to argue with us.

Actually, evolution is partially defined by the change in allele frequency within a population. If you could find your "Adam" and "Eve" you would also find that they have relatives that are genetically similar to them and other members in their population with which they could have mated. By the standards we use today they would be in the same species. So we would have Adam, Eve, Steve, Bill, Jane, and more...

[Gaber]

Originally Posted by bearer

I don't know. You tell me.

Found it.

It was Guy Cosolmagno, head of the Vatican obsrvatory, in this article:

http://www.catholicintl.com/index.ph...ny-geocentrism

and it was that he wouln't deny geocentricity.

[jagger3320]

back when i used to damble with the occult a lot of things like outter spacial life unmentioned in the bible was cosindered interesting, but in genesis Eve probably thought it would be interesting to know what evil was..... curiosity killed the cat! lets hope its not an eternal death :\