Post by auntym on Nov 7, 2014 13:33:33 GMT -6
www.baxterbulletin.com/story/opinion/2014/11/06/danny-tyree-sharing-pew-little-green-men/18602235/
Sharing the pew with little green men
by Danny Tyree:
November 6, 2014
Unless you've been hiding under an asteroid, you've probably heard about Religion and Extraterrestrial Life: How Will We Deal With It?, the new book by David Weintraub, professor of astronomy at Vanderbilt University.
Weintraub's book shares space on the shelves with a volume by two Vatican astronomers, "Would You Baptize An Extraterrestrial?" If this catches on, we'll probably also see "Mitch Albom's The Five Um, Er ... People??? You Meet In Heaven" and "50 Shades of Gray, Pulsating Masses."
With scientists discovering new potentially life-supporting planets right and left, Weintraub feels theologians should be proactive and plan now how to react to react to inevitable (?) contact with aliens.
The author makes a big deal out of the divide between the reactions of the Bible-thumping "literalists" and the more liberal, open-minded religions. The former are guided by the scripture that reads "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth — and then imposed this big honkin' zoning ordinance." Of course the latter have their own problems apart from flying saucers, like hanging onto clergy. ("Oh, you didn't realize we were speaking metaphorically when we said the parsonage came with utilities paid ...")
Weintraub is fascinated with the way certain religious people (particularly Roman Catholics) would handle the topics of Original Sin and redemption if some alien race not descended from Adam and Eve popped up. I don't know; rather than disillusioning people, it could actually push them to live better. ("You mean I really have Plagiarized Sin, or Cheap Knockoff Sin? Forget that! It's the strait and narrow for me from now on!")
I'm not sure what sort of sins aliens would commit, anyway. When you can replicate donkeys and wives with the press of a button, it's a little pointless to covet your neighbor's.
The Koran, Weintraub says, makes several mentions of other worlds — each with their own prophet and religious expectations. So the "72 virgins" thingie has variations. ("Of course I'm a virgin — I'm a cloud of electromagnetic particles. I'm trying to work my way up to passionate hand-holding.")
CONTINUE READING: www.baxterbulletin.com/story/opinion/2014/11/06/danny-tyree-sharing-pew-little-green-men/18602235/
Sharing the pew with little green men
by Danny Tyree:
November 6, 2014
Unless you've been hiding under an asteroid, you've probably heard about Religion and Extraterrestrial Life: How Will We Deal With It?, the new book by David Weintraub, professor of astronomy at Vanderbilt University.
Weintraub's book shares space on the shelves with a volume by two Vatican astronomers, "Would You Baptize An Extraterrestrial?" If this catches on, we'll probably also see "Mitch Albom's The Five Um, Er ... People??? You Meet In Heaven" and "50 Shades of Gray, Pulsating Masses."
With scientists discovering new potentially life-supporting planets right and left, Weintraub feels theologians should be proactive and plan now how to react to react to inevitable (?) contact with aliens.
The author makes a big deal out of the divide between the reactions of the Bible-thumping "literalists" and the more liberal, open-minded religions. The former are guided by the scripture that reads "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth — and then imposed this big honkin' zoning ordinance." Of course the latter have their own problems apart from flying saucers, like hanging onto clergy. ("Oh, you didn't realize we were speaking metaphorically when we said the parsonage came with utilities paid ...")
Weintraub is fascinated with the way certain religious people (particularly Roman Catholics) would handle the topics of Original Sin and redemption if some alien race not descended from Adam and Eve popped up. I don't know; rather than disillusioning people, it could actually push them to live better. ("You mean I really have Plagiarized Sin, or Cheap Knockoff Sin? Forget that! It's the strait and narrow for me from now on!")
I'm not sure what sort of sins aliens would commit, anyway. When you can replicate donkeys and wives with the press of a button, it's a little pointless to covet your neighbor's.
The Koran, Weintraub says, makes several mentions of other worlds — each with their own prophet and religious expectations. So the "72 virgins" thingie has variations. ("Of course I'm a virgin — I'm a cloud of electromagnetic particles. I'm trying to work my way up to passionate hand-holding.")
CONTINUE READING: www.baxterbulletin.com/story/opinion/2014/11/06/danny-tyree-sharing-pew-little-green-men/18602235/