"For that matter, when the upgrade was originally applied, I had my photo slide show on my profile as with the old layout. Now I don't. SOMETHING got tripped over!"
 |
The World's Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!
Angels and Aliens
I was having a conversation with a Mormon woman when it dawned on me that the belief in Joseph Smith's encounter with the "angel" sounds more like an "alien" encounter. I brought this to the woman's attention. I phrased my argument like this. Replace the words angel and alien with the word being and you completely remove religious entanglement. Her response was that this was ridiculous as aliens don't exist. I did not pursue any further "discussion" realizing the futility. While I am not fully confident in the "chariots of the gods" argument there is certainly more circumstantial evidence than the religious arguments.
PS What if the book given to J. Smith was an alien joke book?
PS What if the book given to J. Smith was an alien joke book?
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Jaume on -
It's common knowledge that L. Ron Hubbard had a drug addiction (and that's not a joke).
-
Permalink Reply by Sarah Doli on -
He is also the man that said that the way to make a fortune is to start a religion.... Happy coincidence? I think not.
-
Permalink Reply by Jaume on
-
Yep. And so many people bought it. How is that? Maybe they think, "He said it first, then he did it, and indeed he became insanely rich - proof enough that he's a true prophet!". How can you argue with that?
-
Permalink Reply by Фелч Гроган on
-
Permalink Reply by Mike on -
An alien joke? Lol! That would be funny. My personal view is that while some religious leaders may well have believed their own bunk, because they were delusional or hallucinating, Joseph Smith knew his stuff was bunk because he was purposely making it up. At least that's what I remember from a South Park episode!
Anyway, while I believe there probably is other life out there, I don't think we've been or are being visited by aliens. There is no real proof for it. The tall tales have changed over the years as the culture has changed.
As Carl Sagan writes in "The Demon-Haunted World", "The gods watch over us and guide our destinies, many human cultures teach; other entities, more malevolent, are responsible for the existence of evil. Both classes of beings, whether considered natural or supernatural, real or imaginary, serve human needs. Even if they're wholly fanciful, people feel better believing in them. So in an age when traditional religions have been under withering fire from science, is it not natural to wrap up the old gods and demons in scientific raiment and call them aliens?" Pg 115.
-
Permalink Reply by OutlawGirl on -
Except for creating ideas about the afterlife, there's no difference between the tall tales of E.T. encounters and religious myth.
-
Permalink Reply by Jaume on
-
Actually, many recent sects/religions are UFO-oriented.
-
Permalink Reply by Herk on -
People didn't start talking about aliens until their knowledge of the cosmos grew to allow for it. Although thinking that alien encounters could have been interpreted as religious encounters, it appears to me to be simple equivocation.
Like religious evidence, alien evidence seems to evaporate quickly. The Area 51 story reads much like the Joseph Smith story - there once was evidence but we don't have it now, or it's too secret to share.
-
Permalink Reply by Secular Forces 2013 on -
Mormons... sure no prob, I know a tidbit about that cult:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaH3I7vRcB0
may have to mute it to get it
strange radio show track from norml podcast (double wammy youtube)
CONNECT WITH ATHEIST NEXUS
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
Debra Stevenson replied to matthew greenberg's discussion Pope Francis says even Atheists go to Heaven"I wish the RCC would reform itself along with the main branch of the LDS church, the SDA's and the JW's ( they desperately need reform , none of the eighty something splinter groups can be called liberal in all actuality). …"
Tony Carroll commented on Steph S.'s group Birding, Birders and all things Birds"
Hawk Headed Parrott"
Jessica Berman commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends"I'm sorry I haven't posted at all; my mother was treated for ovarian cancer this past year, but I follow the discussions. Joan I'm glad treatment is going well. The ChemoBrain is a strange thing. The whole process was a whirlwind for…"
Richard C Brown commented on Hessenroots's group Useless Without Coffee"The coffee is good.My body says sleep.Huh."
Joan Denoo commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends"11:00 PM had my first bout of nausea; Rx took care of it. I feel wonderful. Absolutely no pain, I can't finish a sentence or remember words so Cary, Laura and Laurie did their best to understand what I am trying to convey. I usually get enough…"
John Hutcheson posted a blog postAre the media too giddy over the Pope?
With all the media attention the on the Pope, important stories are being missed, human rights violations, Monsanto protection act, Russia march to blasphemy laws, and of the big story this week did Harry Potter vanquish dementors?See More
© 2013 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: Richard Haynes.
