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Should Space Aliens Play God? Yes it is a serious question.

OK, you're a powerful and clever alien hovering over the earth. You have the ability to switch off the need for God, belief in him and all evidence of previous belief. Do you do it and if so why?

Tags: Alien, Aliens, Belief, Evidence, Genocide, God, Human, Rights, Spaceship, false, More…hope.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stuart Jeremy Oxley on November 14, 2011 at 2:55pm

I believe in stopping genocide caused by something that doesn't exist. I respect your point of view though, even if I sound a bit blunt. Sorry about that but I have a small kitten trying to chew off my big toe...OW!

Permalink Reply by Pete Yo on November 18, 2011 at 11:14pm

Re-write---switch off the need for A God, And/Or belief in Them and all evidence of previous beliefs… Hmm Tall order given mankind’s long relationship with the supernatural etc. It would be a great experiment to start over without and that seems to be what would be required if all beliefs/needs/evidence were erased. I couldn’t start them from where they are presently….too much resulted from connections …but. Looking to early mankind is instructive for they had little in the way of society without some form of belief adding significantly to their cohesion and structure. Seems they may be left adrift so there is some need for a substitute to start with and what form that would come in seems a greater question. It would be great to see reason and knowledge lead the development. Where reason of today would fit in a beginning is somewhat difficult to assess for like it or not some of the developments along those lines came from the earlier times and all the baggage that was part of that i.e. supernatural and the like. It is also interesting to try to find a point where there was NO supreme being and rather a paradox if I chose to set this in motion…being I am somewhat of a supreme being myself so maybe the result would be that I eliminate myself in the process….Hmmm..LOL Peace

Permalink Reply by Stuart Jeremy Oxley on November 19, 2011 at 7:44pm

Exactly, we have civilization because the gods we created became more demanding and threatening as they evolved causing greater numbers of people to fear them and appease them. Just look at the psychopathic father/christian god; do a bit of scrumping and you get kicked out into the wilderness. Have you seen 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here'?
Then, he gets all pissy with everyone except Noah and his lot, and it's straight to Genocide. There must have been thousands of babies alive then, what did they ever do? And all the kittens and puppies, why'd they have to drown? Maybe they all peed in the church font (or the ancient churches equivalent).

After various other atrocities he sends someone else to die for our sins, which he created in the first place, except he comes back to life three days later and goes back to live in heaven, and that was his only son. Don't they have child protection services in heaven?

Also, Regarding your supreme being remark, I'm actually the bestist, soopreemyist, person in the whole biggest and bestist universe and if you don't worship me, I shall stamp my feet and cry until the earth is covered by water and.... wait, somebody already did that I think... oooh I know plagues... Oh right... Moses. Sh*t!!!

Permalink Reply by Pete Yo on November 19, 2011 at 10:56pm

LoL don’t like the God of Abraham huh? Nor do I. I have not seen 'I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here' so tell me more or where….. I will say that you do have a passion to point out issues with the Christian god. I don’t mean to offend and I am hoping to offer a bit of constructive criticism as well as agreement. I want to add however that critiquing bad religious stuff is better served by rational discourse.

Not so much that you aren’t rational (hell I don’t know you) but if you attack the supernatural (specifically Christianity in this case) though just rationality, and not through its bullshit historical contributions it may strengthen your position.

It is easy to dismiss the activities in the bible (In this forum we already know it is crap) for they lack credibility. However it is also good to let go…..If you do dismiss for reasons of credibility then these stories are just that.

I understand your dislike for the stories, as such, for they do lack decency among other things and present awful examples, if they are used as such, especially if they are acted on etc. Acts rooted in them, by people with that crap intertwined in their belief(s) as if they were real (or at least from a divine source) have resulted in terrible developments and consequences and I would certainly say that is a rational contention.

Still they are to me bad stories and do not provide historical information as such, i.e. the Noah story and resurrections and miracles and on and on, but certainly they provide some with what they need for beliefs etc. I’m not a believer and I do not like the fact of this form of belief existing, but it does, and your post seems to attack the dogma and poor thinking contained therein (which are fine for examples for showing poor standards to say the least) through the stories as if they are historical, not just bad form. This is somewhat of a mistake I would think for it almost buys into to the historical aspect, not that you do in fact, but your conversation has accusations that may benefit from more clarity in this aspect. Offensive acts and topics often strikes emotions so stay cool, No offense intended, I think I get the just of what you’re saying and I am with ya…..Peace

Oh and thanks to Alice for the mention....

Permalink Reply by Pete Yo on November 18, 2011 at 11:30pm

BUT! for someone to have that ability implies some form of belief in some form of being greater than ourselves....Anselm's definition of GOD...and even my existence as such makes explicit some form of supreme being. You have found a God. Still as a simpler question it is interesting to consider the whole topic as a possibility that this alien may be able to remove all doubt....where would that take us?
Peace

Permalink Reply by Alice on November 19, 2011 at 6:15pm

Pete - I like your endings :)

Permalink Reply by Jonah on November 20, 2011 at 6:30pm

Maybe instead of turning off the need for a god, the alien can turn on the critical thinking switch that naturally will burn out the god light...

Permalink Reply by Stuart Jeremy Oxley on November 21, 2011 at 3:38am

Good answer!

Permalink Reply by Alice on November 20, 2011 at 8:38pm

http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/reviews/4980/why-we-believe-gods-a-co...

Turns out this might have some answers for us... :)

Permalink Reply by Stuart Jeremy Oxley on November 21, 2011 at 3:37am

I'll add it to my amazon wishlist.

Permalink Reply by Stephen McMahon on November 21, 2011 at 9:24am

Alice, Thanks so much for the link to Thompson & Aukofer's book. Looks/sounds like THE perfect primer for a friend who's just starting to reason/logic her way out of the god delusion.

Am buying her a copy today.

BTW, another short little primer-type book for deconstructing the god-myth:

http://www.gilad.co.uk/the-wandering-who/

May I also suggest author Gilad Atzmon's superb CD, "Exile" for listening whilst reading "The Wandering Who":

http://www.amazon.com/Exile-Gilad-Atzmon/dp/B00008ZZ7Y?Subscription...

The two works are truly a media synergy and if experienced simultaneously will certainly yield a ... uhhhh ... how do I put this, here, amongst non-spiritualists?

A metaphysical experience?

(ducking)

Permalink Reply by Alice on November 21, 2011 at 5:15pm

Out of this world? LOL :)