anyone watch the Scientology doc?

[slag]

Where did the minds of the humans come from?

[slag]

Where did the elements for spontaneous generation come from?

[Riccardo]

So you are saying there aren't any aliens?

We are alone in the universe?

[Riccardo]

A magic trick?

Ask the wheelchair guy for crissakes - I'm on your side

[TerpEagle]

We are alone in the universe?

I'm not sure what point you're trying to make.

I didn't claim that aliens exist or do not exist. I think there is a very good chance that intelligent life exists on planets other than ours. Is there evidence to support this? Not that I'm aware of so I could be wrong. Either way, I'm not pinning my belief system on this lack of knowledge.

The hypothesis of life existing outside our planet is, however, theoretically testable even if we're not yet technologically capable.

I think that an omnipresent and omnipotent being that exists outside of time and space (and just IS so fails to answer your question of who/what made it) is less likely than the existence of intelligent life on other planets.

Again, no evidence exists but I really don't see how that hypothesis is ever a testable one since in many cases belief in said being by definition relies on blind faith.

So, while little green men or the Big Bad in the Sky are both highly unlikely sources of human existence, the little green men are technically more plausible - and look at the ridiculous religion based on that concept.

[slag]

I'm not one of those guys who thinks someone literally lived in a whale, or the Earth is only 4000 years old, etc ... but, as I've posted before, when the guy in the wheelchair got done with his tv show in which he contended he proved God did not exist ... I said out loud when it was over: "Ok, where did that come from?"

[TerpEagle]

Where did the minds of the humans come from?

I don't know and that's the rational answer.

[slag]

Ok, but you seem to be lumping everyone together and there are a lot of people who believe in "some ubiquitous omniscience" and follow the traditions of a religion but view supernatural stories as allegories.

[TerpEagle]

Ok, but you seem to be lumping everyone together and there are a lot of people who believe in "some ubiquitous omniscience" and follow the traditions of a religion but view supernatural stories as allegories.

Wouldn't belief in "some ubiquitous omnipotence*" be considered viewing the supernatural as reality?

Note *:
I incorrectly typed "ubiquitous omnipresence" before which is simply repeating either word. I meant "ubiquitous omnipotence", i.e. another term of a diety that is all-power and exists in all things. That was a typing error on my part. I correctly use the term omnipotent later.

If that changes your argument let me know but I'm going to assume you got my intended reference for now.

[Riccardo]

Just that you never answered slag's question as to where aliens came from

assuming the do exist. If they don't, then conventional earthly religion seems much more plausible

[Riccardo]

Same here

And I believe in evolution but get stuck on the spontaneous generation of life aspect, at least from the earth's perspective ( if we got seeded with life from a different planet that's a different story). The notion that minute concentrations of a few amino acids in salt water formed into discrete life forms after millions of years seems pretty implausible to me.

[Drama Queen]

You know what they say about assumptions...

[Overbrook]

Everybody knows...........

assuming the do exist. If they don't, then conventional earthly religion seems much more plausible

They come from their mommy's tummy.

[TerpEagle]

assuming the do exist. If they don't, then conventional earthly religion seems much more plausible

That question and its premise proves the silliness of the idea.

Where do humans come from? From Creator X. Where does Creator X come from? Creator Y. Where does Creator Y come from? Well, duh Creator Z. Where does Creator Z come from? ETC.

This line of thought ends with 3 possible answers.

1) There is no answer and the loop goes on forever.

2) "Creator Z is THE CREATOR and just exists." (In which case, I say go back to scenario 1)

3) "I don't know." (Which again is the most rational answer)

When you say earthly religion, you mean divine creation is more plausible if aliens definitively don't exist?

If so, the existence of aliens has nothing to do with the plausibility of divine creation. Just because the idea that aliens may have put us here is more plausible than a being that was never created putting us here doesn't mean it's very likely.

The most plausible scenario is that we're here through evolutionary development of basic matter that creates the universe. That doesn't require the existence of any intelligent life or directed creation.

To try to understand the beginning of existence (as we perceive it) is absurd. Belief in magic (or Xenu or whatever) is just a coping mechanism in the face of that absurdity.

[Drama Queen]

hahaha