Scenario: If scientists found out that aliens started life on earth, how would that effect the Catholic Faith?

[tonyrey]

I am simply asking the question because we have a few militant atheists in our midst!

After five years on this forum I’m prepared for anything!

Of course not! But it seems rather an odd question to a person who doesn’t follow science fiction.

In philosophy/theology there are no odd questions, only potentially boring ones.

I agree. I’m not against science fiction but find it more boring than philosophy.

In any case If God has created other biological beings who have intelligence like we do it would be good to know how the Catholic church would respond.

Given that “catholic” means “all-embracing” we would remember what Christ said:

“I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

There is an interesting book entitled Your God is Too Small…

 

[Memaw]

I find your post very disrespectful and uncharitable.

If and when I do “start practising the Catholic faith”, I hope it isn’t anything like yours, because any honest person who isn’t threatened by questions pertaining to their faith would have just answered no it doesn’t contradict the faith or yes it does. A person not interested in the topic would not have posted at all. I never once called your faith a fiction or a fairytale.

In fact I never once stated that I believed in aliens.

I wonder if you follow your faith as faithfully as you think you do.

One things for sure there is nothing of any real value to learn from you personally.

I was referring to Star-trek as fiction, not your faith! I do believe your the one that is being “disrespectful and uncharitable”. Did I say you believed in aliens??? You asked me a question about Star-Trek and I simply responded. God Bless, Memaw

 

[Ignatius]

Ignatius;12641646:

ChainBreaker;12640887:

I have have no idea. Its a hypothetical scenario.

A valid hypothesis must have a rational explanation.

Why do I need to explain how scientists found other intelligent life in a hypothetical scenario?

It’s part of the methode of discovery, the reason the hypothetical methode was discovered. It’s part of the “Scientific Methode”.
In using hypotheses to discover information, any valid hypothesis has to have a rational explanation.

 

[ChainBreaker]

It’s part of the methode of discovery, the reason the hypothetical methode was discovered. It’s part of the “Scientific Methode”.
In using hypotheses to discover information, any valid hypothesis has to have a rational explanation.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypotheticals

Hypotheticals are situations, statements or questions about something imaginary rather than something real. Hypotheticals deal with the concept of “what if?”’. Grammatically, the term is a noun formed from an adjective, and the word is pluralized because it refers to the members of a class of hypothetical things.[citation needed]

Hypotheticals are very important because they provide a means for understanding what we would do if the world was different. Although this may assist our understanding of risk, and help us plan and create a new and better future, hypotheticals also help us understand the past, and why things happened or how things work. For example, in seeking to understand why a war started we could ask: “What if the parties had talked more first? Would they have worked out a better way of solving their problems? Could war have been averted?” Hypotheticals about the past are challenging to consider, as it is not possible to enter the past to change things according to our hypotheticals and determine what then may have occurred.

 

[Bahman]

reruns

They would say that God put them there to test your faith.

 

[ChainBreaker]

It’s part of the methode of discovery, the reason the hypothetical methode was discovered. It’s part of the “Scientific Methode”.
In using hypotheses to discover information, any valid hypothesis has to have a rational explanation.

Its irrelevant how they discovered the information. The point of the hypothetical is to evaluate how the Catholic Church would respond to that situation so that i can have a better understanding of its limitations in so far as what the church can say is true in the face of such a reality.

 

[ChainBreaker]

I was referring to Star-trek as fiction, not your faith! I do believe your the one that is being “disrespectful and uncharitable”. Did I say you believed in aliens??? You asked me a question about Star-Trek and I simply responded. God Bless, Memaw

Are you finished?

Good.

 

[Della]

They would say that God put them there to test your faith.

Would we? I’ll put your mind at rest. The answer is no, we wouldn’t say that. What Catholics say is “What is true is true and nothing that is true can be contrary to God who is truth.”

Speculations about the origins of human life can be entertaining, but imaginging some alien race started our species is strictly in the realm of fiction–a fiction no one can prove and for which there is no evidence. When there is proof or evidence, then we’ll consider it worth bothering about.

 

[ChainBreaker]

For that matter why would an extraterrestrial explanation be more problematic to Catholicism than a naturalistic chemical explanation of abiogenesis?

Thats an interesting point!

 

[georget]

Would we? I’ll put your mind at rest. The answer is no, we wouldn’t say that. What Catholics say is “What is true is true and nothing that is true can be contrary to God who is truth.”

Speculations about the origins of human life can be entertaining, but imaginging some alien race started our species is strictly in the realm of fiction–a fiction no one can prove and for which there is no evidence. When there is proof or evidence, then we’ll consider it worth bothering about.

YES!

 

[Della]

Its irrelevant how they discovered the information. The point of the hypothetical is to evaluate how the Catholic Church would respond to that situation so that i can have a better understanding of its limitations in so far as what the church can say is true in the face of such a reality.

Unless there is proof/evidence it’s a moot point. One which the Church is not obligated to consider until then.

 

[ChainBreaker]

Would we? I’ll put your mind at rest. The answer is no, we wouldn’t say that. What Catholics say is “What is true is true and nothing that is true can be contrary to God who is truth.”

Speculations about the origins of human life can be entertaining, but imaginging some alien race started our species is strictly in the realm of fiction–a fiction no one can prove and for which there is no evidence. When there is proof or evidence, then we’ll consider it worth bothering about.

Well some Catholics and people in general feel differently about the importance of such a question because they want to know how the church would respond, so i wouldn’t presume the question has no value just because it has no value to you.

You are behaving as if you are threatened by the question. You didn’t have to post here if you have no interest in topic.

 

[ChainBreaker]

Unless there is proof/evidence it’s a moot point. One which the Church is not obligated to consider until then.

It’s a moot point for you. So post some where else.

Not being obligated is not a cause to be uncharitable towards peoples concerns.

 

[davidv]

It’s a moot point for you. So post some where else.

Not being obligated is not a cause to be uncharitable towards peoples concerns.

What truth changes to falsity, or vice versa, if your hypothetical came to be?

I say nothing, therefore the Catholic faith remains unaffected, since it based on the Truth.

 

[ChainBreaker]

What truth changes to falsity, or vice versa, if your hypothetical came to be?

I say nothing, therefore the Catholic faith remains unaffected, since it based on the Truth.

According to your faith the catholic church represents the ultimate truth. But I don’t know if that belief is true. Therefore i cannot presume that no possible event or scenario would contradict what the church teaches as true. I have a right to test that truth.

What i have learned from those Catholics who were charitable and secure enough in their faith to respond with useful information is that it really doesn’t matter who or what manufactured the biology necessary for human life so long as God is ultimately the creator of the universe and the human soul.

That to me is useful information when approaching a particular faith as possibly true.

It really does not matter to me whether aliens actually exist or not.

I would like to know if they do exist but that is not a question i would ask the Catholic church…

 

[davidv]

According to your faith the catholic church represents the ultimate truth. But I don’t know if that belief is true. Therefore i cannot presume that no possible event or scenario would contradict what the church teaches as true. I have a right to test that truth.

What i have learned from those Catholics who were charitable and secure enough in their faith to respond with useful information is that it really doesn’t matter who or what manufactured the biology necessary for human life so long as God is ultimately the creator of the universe and the human soul.

It really does not matter to me whether aliens actually exist or not.

That to me is useful information when approaching a particular faith as possibly true.

How does your hypothetical test the truth? It is beginning to appear that there a number of unidentified assuptions that are impeding meaningful dialog.

How was my post not useful, or uncharitable?

 

[ChainBreaker]

How does your hypothetical test the truth?

It tested whether or not the Catholic Church can in principle accept the possibility that aliens started life on earth. From what i can see a few people who posted here have behaved in such a way as to suggest that they were threatened by the question because instead of answering it directly they began instead to beat around the bush and criticize the value of the question. It would have been better for them not to post at all.

Obviously this has left me a bit frustrated because it is precisely that kind of behavior that impedes meaningful dialogue.

It is beginning to appear that there a number of unidentified assuptions that are impeding meaningful dialog.

Well its quite simple. Does the Possibility conflict with church teaching or does it not.

No unidentified assumptions. No circular arguments based on faith. Just a question for which i was hoping for an informative answer.

You said the church is the truth and nothing but the truth. Which is great for you in terms of faith, but it is not informative to me.

 

[davidv]

It tested whether or not the Catholic Church can in principle accept the possibility that aliens started life on earth. From what i can see a few people who posted here have behaved in such a way as to suggest that they were threatened by the question and instead of answering it directly began instead to beat around the bush and criticize the value of the question. It would have been better for them not to post at all.

Obviously this has left me a bit frustrated because it is precisely that kind of behavior that impedes meaningful dialogue.

Well its quite simple. Does the Possibility conflict with church teaching or does it not.

No unidentified assumptions. No circular arguments based on faith. Just a question.

If God is the cause of the aliens, there is no conflict. The only conflict is with current scientific thinking.

 

[Della]

Well some Catholics and people in general feel differently about the importance of such a question because they want to know how the church would respond, so i wouldn’t presume the question has no value just because it has no value to you.

I’m curious as to how the Church would respond too. But, the Church isn’t going to respond because there is nothing to respond to but someone’s imagination not a scientific hypothesis put forward by any scientific entity. Unless and until it is, the Church will say nothing about it.

You are behaving as if you are threatened by the question.

Or maybe you really believe this? I can’t think why when I have written nothing from which anyone could get that impression.

You didn’t have to post here if you have no interest in topic.

If I had no interest I wouldn’t post.

It’s a moot point for you. So post some where else.

It is a moot point because, once again, the Church will not consider such a hypothesis unless it is made by the scientific community, and it would have to have some bearing on Church teaching. Otherwise, the Church could care less. And I’ll post wherever and whenever I please.

Not being obligated is not a cause to be uncharitable towards peoples concerns.

Who has been uncharitable? Quotations please.

 

[Memaw]

Well some Catholics and people in general feel differently about the importance of such a question because they want to know how the church would respond, so i wouldn’t presume the question has no value just because it has no value to you.

You are behaving as if you are threatened by the question. You didn’t have to post here if you have no interest in topic.

You didn’t have to start this thread if you didn’t want others opinions! It isn’t necessary to be so rude! God Bless, Memaw