Tuesday, June 10, 2008

"The extraterrestrial is my brother"

The Catholic Church says we may have alien friends. This came out about a month ago, but I'm posting it now in case you missed it. I've since read Vatican officials have made a similar remarks before, but apparently a lot of people hadn't heard them because this interview was big news for many. A highlight:

Aliens could be out there, and believing that the universe may contain
extraterrestrial life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief
astronomer says....Mr Funes mused that aliens would not have been visited by
Jesus, because his "incarnation was a unique and unrepeatable event". However, "I am sure that they too, in some way, would have the possibility to benefit
from God's mercy".

9 comments:

Mr. Pony said...

Despite the nutsy-koo-koo headline, I think the really bold statement here is ". . . we cannot put limits on God's creative freedom". Seems to me that a lot of Christian theology is defined by what their god can't do (or at least, his increasingly bizarre choices that seem to be unhelpful to all concerned--which beg to be seen as limitations).

It seems he can't just manufacture whatever benefit he reaps from us being nice. And apparently the Jesus Visitation was a "unique and unrepeatable event." Wouldn't a creature with the power they're describing be able to send individually tailored Jesii Probes all over the universe?

Fugu said...

Ho boy.

FYI--I added a necessary and descriptive label to this post. For future searches, you see.

And if christians and catholics have learned anything (...) it's to preemptively cover their bases by giving the standard press release--and truly only option--of "we have re-translated our Infallible Book, and have found no inconsistencies between our religion and [insert completely contradictory evidence against religion, here]."

Fugu said...

"Vatican's chief astronomer" <-- often has lunch with Leavenworth's expert inmate on ethics, the inventor of cold fusion, and the researcher who discovered that magnetic bracelets cure cancer.

Fugu said...

I mean, fuck. FUCK!!!

So, wow: The Vatican is now admitting to: Billions of galaxies, each with billions and billions of stars, each with the possibility of life unique from our own. Great!

Oh, but wait! They are still so:
1. Arrogant
2. Self-centered
3. Egocentric
4. And close minded

to say that:
A) Our infinitely tiny planet is still the center of this unimaginably fucking humongous universe, and
B) Is the only place important enough for this Jesus guy decided to visit, and
C) Of all these trillions of possible extraterrestrial civilizations, their One And Only religion is completely and perfectly the only answer?

How can any rational human being get so close, yet utterly fail at drawing a completely obvious and unavoidable conclusion?

Fugu said...

It's an incredible skill, when you think about it! Like driving towards a cliff with blinders on at 200mph, then just before you sail over the edge you instantly stop the car, and calmly walk away while eating a BANANA. I do wish Mr Funes would try this little experiment.



Nothing makes me vomit more in my mouth, than this shit.

Must now get off interweb to lower blood pressure. >_#


(blown pupil)

Mr. Pony said...

It helps that there's a lot of money in being able to think this way. It's asking a lot of religious leaders to stop the practice of stringing up disbelief by the ding-dong. As much as I try not to blame the faithful, I'm starting to blame the faithful.

odori said...

I actually thought the reverend astronomer was being pleasantly opened-minded.

Perhaps I just have really low expectations of some religious leaders, but I'm excited when they doesn't insist on a literal interpretation of their sacred text. So it struck me as great that Mr. Funes could reconcile his faith with the possibility life exists elsewhere else in the universe.

At the same time, I agree with fugu that it's grossly self-centered to think their god would only send his son to Earth. Like Mr. Pony says, if their god is so powerful, Jesus probes would be everywhere!

Fugu said...

The interweb (at least Neocon) understands!

Mr. Pony said...

That's a good point, Odori. I think, though, that I (and fugu, I'm guessing) get impatient with folks doing this thing that seems like rational thought, only to stop so very short of actually exercising reason that the whole thing is revealed as a complicated sham.

That's right, other planets, he says. Billions upon billions of space brothers and sisters. All created by a loving, creative god. What's this? Jesus, you say? Oh, my, no. No, Jesus only came HERE. To US. The divine revelation was given to only Earth's Humanity. We, the CHURCH, the original recipient of this divine revelation, relinquish none of our unique relevance with this press release, and certainly none of our authority. WE ARE STILL THE CHURCH.

I mean, maybe he said that bit about the uniqueness of the Jesus Visitation so as not to lose his job. But what kind of corporation keeps that kind of stranglehold on its employees? Answer? All of them: When the speech of such employees threaten profits and growth.

So I (and fugu, I'm guessing) say to you, Catholic Church: Booo, Catholic Church! Your central premise is flawed, and you know it, and this makes you a bunch of jerks! Booo, jerks!