I stumbled upon an interesting survey conducted in 2008 called The Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey. It examined the following:
Would either the Christian religion or selected non-Christian religions confront a crisis or even collapse when confronted with confirmation that extraterrestrial intelligent life (ETIL) exists?
According to the survey authors, they identified three questions as most important.
1. Official confirmation of the discovery of a civilization of intelligent beings living on another planet would so undercut my beliefs that my beliefs would face a crisis. 80%+ disagreed or strongly disagreed that their personal beliefs would be affected.
2. The next question asked whether the respondents particular religious tradition would be "undercut" so that it "would face a crisis." Again, the vast majority disagreed or strongly disagreed, although there was more variety among different religious groups. For example, about 95% of Mormons disagreed but only about 68% of Catholics, indicating that more Catholics think finding an alien civilization would pose a religious problem than do Mormons. Mormons are fine with aliens.
3. The last of the three focus questions asked whether religious traditions in general would experience a crisis. Many more people agreed with this proposition.
The main report in pdf format can be found here.
This survey is pretty revealing. Most religious people dismiss the idea that the discovery of an alien civilization would pose a problem for their own religious beliefs or those of the religious tradition they belong to. But they aren't sure when it comes to religions in general. In other words, they tend to look at things much more rationally when their own personal beliefs are not in question.
The discovery of an alien civilization on another planet would likely be a world-changing event. Depending on the circumstances, and all sorts of variables, it is almost a certainty that such an event would pose religious difficulties. The confidence that people displayed in the stability of their own religious belief systems seems based on little more than blind faith.
The confidence that people displayed in the stability of their own religious belief systems seems based on little more than blind faith.
ReplyDeleteWell, isn't that what religion is always based on? You know, the whole, "matter of faith vs. matter of science" dichotomy?
Now that we have some understanding how inconceivably vast the cosmos is, and how literally impossible it will be for any of us to go star trekkin through the universe discovering new life forms on other planets (or visa versa ), I think the question itself is "far fetched."
I don't doubt there is other "life, Jim, but not as we know it," out there, but I also think if there is a Creator "He" did a great job of keeping his experiments isolated from one another.
"Well, isn't that what religion is always based on? You know, the whole, "matter of faith vs. matter of science" dichotomy?"
ReplyDeleteTrue, but many people won't admit that.
"how literally impossible it will be for any of us to go star trekkin through the universe discovering new life forms on other planets (or visa versa ), I think the question itself is "far fetched.""
Who knows what scientific advancements will occur in the future? Flying from one side of the earth to another used to be a just a fantasy too. And of course there could be an alien race that finds us, rather than vice versa.
Well, I'm not saying it's impossible, but as I get older I am stunned that civilized mankind is a phenomenon about, say, 10,000 years old. Measured against geological time that's next to nothing, and against the presumed age of the universe it's less than nothing.
ReplyDeleteThat we've evolved to be smart enough to figure out the broad contours of the universe with some degree of mathematical insight, and to toy with things like string theory, says a lot for our species. Our intelligence is the only thing that gives us the possibility of having a "divine spark," IMO.
Otherwise I think we're just really smart primates. That conclusion also makes me wonder why life developed on earth at all. I mean, what's the point? Why don't inanimate elements and molecules get the job done? Why is life, much less the intelligent kind, something that developed?
While I remain very deeply agnostic, the main thing I appreciate about religious faith is the potential for good it arms people with (though I freely admit it has the potential for evil in equal measure). I do like the idea of faith as an informing and guiding principle for positive human conduct, even if it's something I can't uncritically embrace myself.
Too many "deep thoughts" past 1 AM. I'm going to bed.