Question to people who really believe ....

[UndertheOcean]

I mean have true absolute faith . What if Aliens land tomorrow and reveal that Religion on Earth was their creation in order to guide the evolution of human society.

How will that affect you psychologically ?

I have to admit , that would be cool if it happens . Fit for a Woody Allen movie.

[Towlie]

1. I can't speak for the theists, but as an atheist I'd want to declare war on the aliens.

[dmallind]

9. I'm not naturally belligerent, but those fuckers would deserve it in that case. NT

[Speck Tater]

2. Or, what if aliens landed and said...

Every one of the thousands of civilizations they have visited have different religions, but there is one religion that ALL planets have in common, and that religion is __________ (fill in the blank with a religion that is NOT your religion).

How would THAT make you feel?

[charlie]

4. Scientology?

Like I'd want to scream and poke my eyes out.

[Speck Tater]

6. Truly the stuff of nightmares and horror films. nt

[The_Commonist]

3. You don't expect...

...anyone who has "true absolute faith" to answer this question, do you?

And frankly, your scenario makes more sense to me than most religious dogma does...

[JerseygirlCT]

5. Well, first,

I think you have to realize that people don't believe in religions, per se, but rather that religion is a way to share and act on their belief.

If an alien had the standing to prove that our religions are inventions, that wouldn't much impact me, as I do think our religions are human-made. It wouldn't, as well, have much impact on my beliefs, as they are not to be proved or disproved - by aliens or anyone else - as they're beliefs, made on faith.

So I doubt I'd be giving some aliens the standing to challenge the beliefs I hold. And I just might say "thanks" for my religion, because it's a way for me to worship with others and strengthen my own beliefs. It's a positive force in my life, and therefore a good thing for me - whether a human or alien invention matters not.

[ZombieHorde]

7. My reaction would be; "Holy shit, aliens!" nt

[rug]

8. About the same thing you'd say at the Second Coming.

[ChadwickHenryWard]

10. Guide evolution of human society?

What is that supposed to mean? What exactly is religion supposedly doing for us as a society? What definite, unified goal is it moving us towards?

[Silent3]

11. I'm no fan of religious faith, but it's still kind of a silly hypothetical.

You could ask me what I'd do if someone took me up in a spacecraft and "proved" to me that the earth was flat, there were edges you could fall off of, and the whole things was held up by an endless stack of giant turtles.

If, for sake of argument, I respond as if I accept the premise, what could I do other than say, "Wow! Holy shit! Damn, was I wrong!", then puzzle long and hard over how lots of bad mistakes or an elaborate conspiracy could have covered up this "truth"?

A devout religious believer, rightly or wrongly, is likely take the possibility of your hypothetical scenario no more seriously, however, than I'd take seriously the possibility of a flat earth held up by turtles.

[dmallind]

12. Would be an illogical comparison

We have no evidence whatsoever of the truth of religious beliefs. You can of course say none is needed. That does not mean disproving them equates to an example where an already established and testable theory is being overturned. We have abundant evidence that the earth is not flat, and is not held up by turtles, so it should logically be WAY more surprising to have that established than to simply have a worldview for which there is no evidence at all disproven.

[Silent3]

13. But to a true believer...

...the distinction you're making about proof means very little. I'm not defending that viewpoint, I'm just describing it.

[struggle4progress]

14. "You are not making a gift of your possessions to the poor person. You are handing over to him what

is his. For, what has been given in common for the use of all, you have claimed for yourself. The world is given to all, and not only to the rich."

- St Ambrose

[Occam Bandage]

15. Probably the same thing you'd say if Jesus were to return to judge the living and the dead. nt