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#328946 - 05/15/08 02:21 AM
Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Kurt Lackwood's Fluffer
Registered: 01/18/06
Posts: 1283
Loc: SoCal
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I think there's a pretty good chance there's a snowball somewhere in Hell right now.  Quote:
VATICAN CITY - Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.
The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.
"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation."
In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.
The interview, headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother," covered a variety of topics including the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the theological implications of the existence of alien life.
Funes said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion, touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.
The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter.
But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."
Funes urged the church and the scientific community to leave behind divisions caused by Galileo's persecution 400 years ago, saying the incident has "caused wounds."
In 1633 the astronomer was tried as a heretic and forced to recant his theory that the Earth revolved around the sun. Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.
"The church has somehow recognized its mistakes," he said. "Maybe it could have done it better, but now it's time to heal those wounds and this can be done through calm dialogue and collaboration."
Pope John Paul declared in 1992 that the ruling against Galileo was an error resulting from "tragic mutual incomprehension."
The Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of the world's best.
The observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, is based in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town in the hills outside Rome where the pope has a summer residence. It also conducts research at an observatory at the University of Arizona, in Tucson.
source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_re_eu/vatican_aliens
_________________________
I'd rather be ignorant than stupid.
Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge which is easily correctable through education.
Stupidity implies an inability to learn.
Therefore; ignorance is temporary, stupidity is forever!
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#328947 - 05/15/08 04:37 AM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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In other news, the Vatican has an observatory. Centuries of Popes spin in their graves.
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#328948 - 05/15/08 12:53 PM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Kurt Lackwood's Fluffer
Registered: 01/18/06
Posts: 1283
Loc: SoCal
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My family is full of "Born-Agains" who vehemently believe the world was created in 6 days (kind of like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat).
I sent this article out in a mass email to them and haven't heard a word back.
I can't wait until the Vatican acknowledges evolution as "Gods long term plan to arrive at modern humanity."
_________________________
I'd rather be ignorant than stupid.
Ignorance implies a lack of knowledge which is easily correctable through education.
Stupidity implies an inability to learn.
Therefore; ignorance is temporary, stupidity is forever!
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#328950 - 05/15/08 01:19 PM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Porn Jesus
Registered: 01/30/08
Posts: 7598
Loc: a site known for its tolerance...
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Carlin did a whole bit on how UFologists are constantly ridiculed, yet believing in an invisible man up in the sky is above any kind of mockery. When you think about it, it's kind of hard for an institution that believes what the Catholic church does to call into question the existence of life in the cosmos.
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#328953 - 05/15/08 08:49 PM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Porn Jesus
Registered: 04/14/06
Posts: 14755
Loc: Busy downloading [LEGALLY!]
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Quote:
It's okay to believe in Aliens but not abortions.
I'm pro-choice, but I don't get the comparison.
If the Church were still pro-death penalty, like a some Catholic Supreme Court Justices, and this was the matter under discussion I could see allusion to hypocracy.
Or in this case, if they were saying we should kill any bateria we find on Europa, or displace any lifeforms we find, etc.
While I don't care for their birth control and abortion policies, I don't see this stance incompatible to the possibility of life on another planet.
And, yes, if it came up, I think it's safe to say they're against aborting ET.
Wait til ET builds a church and paints Jesus with a third eye and 4 nipples ...
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#328954 - 05/15/08 09:25 PM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Porn Jesus
Registered: 03/22/06
Posts: 6557
Loc: 2004 - the glory days
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I can't say I'm surprised that a drug abusing lesbian and the Catholic church don't see eye to eye on most issues.
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#328957 - 05/18/08 03:42 AM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Porn Jesus
Registered: 08/03/03
Posts: 5849
Loc: TX, USA
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Quote:
The Galileo/Pope Urban thing was a long, long time ago people.
And the entire Galileo thing is incredibly distorted, this by the anti-creationists.
Galileo was never made to recant any theory. Galileo was made to add a preface to a book stating that it was a theory and not a fact *until he could prove it*, which he couldn't.
(the Jesuits were teaching Galileo's theories in schools the entire time this was going on; Galileo's books and ideas certainly weren't banned)
What really got Galileo in trouble was being an incredible prick, claiming discoveries and inventions that weren't his, etc. The pope was a childhood friend that Galileo repeatedly insulted until the pope finally relented and allowed Galileo to be punished, with strict limits imposed. Galileo was never tortured (though he was shown a torture chamber and its tools) and his "jail" was a five-room suite in the Bishop's palace, with servants.
There is an excellent book called The Sleepwalkers (I can't remember which author) that goes over this: the author went back to the original records and translated them himself. What stands out is that an incredibly brilliant guy who has the phenomal luck of having a friend become pope makes every effort to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and that he had papal protection throughout (ie, Galileo's enemies were allowed to threaten him but not harm him in any way).
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#328958 - 05/18/08 06:46 AM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Quote:
There is an excellent book called The Sleepwalkers (I can't remember which author) that goes over this: the author went back to the original records and translated them himself. What stands out is that an incredibly brilliant guy who has the phenomal luck of having a friend become pope makes every effort to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and that he had papal protection throughout (ie, Galileo's enemies were allowed to threaten him but not harm him in any way).
Is this it? Google books
If so, I want to order it.
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#328959 - 05/18/08 07:41 AM
Re: Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens
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Porn Jesus
Registered: 04/14/06
Posts: 14755
Loc: Busy downloading [LEGALLY!]
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Quote:
What really got Galileo in trouble was being an incredible prick, claiming discoveries and inventions that weren't his, etc. The pope was a childhood friend that Galileo repeatedly insulted until the pope finally relented and allowed Galileo to be punished, with strict limits imposed. Galileo was never tortured (though he was shown a torture chamber and its tools) and his "jail" was a five-room suite in the Bishop's palace, with servants.
I think that was the Pope who said that the Bible teaches how to go to Heaven and not how the Heaven's go.
The church did ban Copernicus for a time, though they warmed to it under Galileo and Tycho Brahe.
Certainly there were those who did not like Galileo's theories at all and those who justifiably wanted proof since, with the Inquisition controlling publishing, anything approved for printing could be assumed to have the Church's endorsement.
His theory of the tides which they wanted taken out the Dialogue was in fact wrong. He also refused to include the theories of Brahe, a version of Copernicus the church liked better.
I thought what got him in trouble with his friend, Pope Urban, were rumors that he put quotes from from him in the mouth of the character "simpleton", thus insulting and embarrassing him.
Though some in the church might have taught his theories, in the end the Church did ban the Dialogue for 200+ years and "officially" banned all his books - though I don't think they took it as seriously as it sounds..
Certainly there were those in the Church who took this ban and others as the Church's opposition to those theories.
Personally I am pleased with the Church's welcoming of Science and the scientific method. And, I have no problem with them requiring proof before full endorsement of a theory - that's good Science.
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