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14-05-2008, 01:29 PM
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Posts: 354
| | | 'God' and little green men
After it took the church 500 years to finally agree with the science that the earth orbits the sun (not vice versa), the vatican is getting a headstart on the possibility science proving there is life elsewhere in the universe.
Must be a tough job trying to get a fictional work to fit with the advancements of science.  Quote:
VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican's chief astronomer says that believing in aliens does not contradict faith in God.
The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, says that the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.
In an interview published Tuesday by Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes says that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures.
The interview was headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother." Funes said that ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom.
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14-05-2008, 01:43 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Siu Lam - Near Gold Coast
Posts: 1,107
| | Basically the chances of life as we know it, existing in the vast gaseous regions of space. The Drake equation in my opinion, is the most plausible calculation that exists scientifically.
The late Dr Carl Sagan explains the drake equation below. | |
14-05-2008, 02:06 PM
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Posts: 354
| | | The Drake Equation only estimates the number of technological civilizations that may exist in our galaxy. When expanded to the universe, the chance of life somewhere, sometime, seems highly possible.
But it's nice little pre-emptive move of the vatican's astronomer get this out now, so it can say (when life is confirmed) "Hey we were right!" | |
14-05-2008, 02:17 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Mid-Levels, Hong Kong Age: 30
Posts: 607
| | Quote:
Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax  But it's nice little pre-emptive move of the vatican's astronomer get this out now, so it can say (when life is confirmed) "Hey we were right!" | Faith has always been about pre-emptive strikes 
Another interesting article this morning on Einstein's letter which pretty much clarified his view on the subject of religion: Belief in God 'childish,' Jews not chosen people: Einstein letter
" The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish."
- Albert Einstein | |
14-05-2008, 02:33 PM
|  | Resident Peacekeeper | | Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Pokfulam Age: 40
Posts: 10,428
| | | A few thousand years from new, people will be praying to the Hobbits or the likes of Potter.
Hmmm ... Pot heads? | |
14-05-2008, 02:54 PM
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Posts: 186
| | | What I have never understood is this.
Why is that space aliens never come down to earth and connect to brilliant people like Carl Sagan (dead now of course) or some other brilliant scientist?
Why do these always meet some backwoods toothless hillbilly somewhere in rural America who looks he is just off the set of "Deliverance"?
This issue has perplexed me since my youth! If there is intelligent life in outer space how smart can they be given who they take for space ship rides?
Just wondering. | |
14-05-2008, 03:14 PM
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Posts: 354
| | And why all the probing?  | |
14-05-2008, 03:37 PM
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Posts: 10,428
| | | Well, would you rather they connect with the dumb and stupid or find out that they like to eat humans .... and meet Sagan? | |
14-05-2008, 04:00 PM
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Posts: 354
| | | It's a cookbook!
(And no, I only saw it in re-runs!) | |
14-05-2008, 04:30 PM
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| | Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyhook | Alas Sagan yanked the video, because you did not ask nicely.
Safer to just utoob sagan+drake
The best Sagan tribute was this-done in the pedantic style he was much loved for. | | Tools | Search | | | | | Rate This Thread | | | All times are GMT +8. The time now is 03:55 PM. | |
