Political Crossfire Forums

Nathyn · Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 7711 Location: The Great Satan

I'm posting this topic in each different religious forum, but with regard to each religion.

I'd thought I could just post it in the general religious forum, but I wanted a specific answer from each Abrahamic religious group. I'm also writing a series of specific thought-provoking questions for each.

I don't just mean alien bacteria, but sentient life.

So, how would sentient extraterrestrial life affect Islam?

1. Would it affect your faith in your Islam?

2. How would Quranic history be understood? The Quran speaks relatively little of the creation of the universe, but it does say that the only sentient beings are humans, angels, and djinn. If sentient extraterrestrial life is discovered, should we automatically assume they are djinn?

3. Does the Quran apply to others outside of Earth? I.E., would aliens still need to convert to Islam? If aliens must convert to Islam, what does it say about Islam if they had lived for millenia without any knowledge of Muhammad?

4. What if aliens are unisexual or have unorthodox familial orientations? How should inter-special relations and marriage, and even moral judgements of alien relations be interpreted?

cap'n queasy · Joined: 15 May 2004 Posts: 34968

Space Jihad FTW.

Nathyn · Joined: 25 Sep 2005 Posts: 7711 Location: The Great Satan

cap'n queasy wrote: Space Jihad FTW.
ROFL.

emerald · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 7630 Location: uk

ummm.......i dont think there is anything in the quran about aliens or any life outside of earth....but i could be wrong

and if aliens were suddenly to come down on earth, then it would certainly be interesting...

Wizard From Oz · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 10536 Location: Kansas

Quote: ummm.......i dont think there is anything in the quran about aliens or any life outside of earth....but i could be wrong

and if aliens were suddenly to come down on earth, then it would certainly be interesti

Yeah the Catholic Church has kinda shrugged at the question as well. They kinda have the attitude we will deal with it when it happens. About the only cavet the Bible has is we cant know Gods great plan. If he put other intelligent life out there - He must have had his reasons

Richard Owl Mirror · Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 9002

While I can not speak how it would affect Islam, since I am not Muslim I can only offer some reading material on this topic.

Religion and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Is the Idea of Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life Compatible with [Conservative] Judaism & Christianity?

Bible Leaves No Room for Extraterrestrial Life
A creation scientist says it's hard to reconcile scripture and alien intelligence.

Extraterrestrial Life: Unbiblical

Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?
A Jesuit priest says the discovery of life elsewhere in the universe would pose no problem for religion

Wouldn't the discovery of life on other planets totally destroy the Bible?

Alien Ideas Christianity and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Bible leaves no room for extraterrestrial life

Theology after Contact ~ Religion and Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life

ALIENS IN THE QURAN

Extraterrestrials in Islam

The Quran and Extraterrestrial Life

Hopefully the above will spur further debate on this topic.

Tony Montana · Joined: 04 Aug 2006 Posts: 10 Location: Cambridge

People need to wake up and smell the coffee.
Religion is an artificial man-made creation. Nothing more. It is just an illusion.
I liken religion to a computer virus. Just like a computer virus it infects the host and eventually cripples its CPU (brain).
The power to reason and debate and think for yourself is lost forever.
Suffice to say I have adequate anti-virus protection installed in my brain.
It protects me from all those bible/koran bashers.

Religion has held back the progress of science over the last couple of thousand years. In fact, the Catholic Church probably held back scientific progress in Europe by "at least" 200-300 years. Just imagine where we would be now had these religious fanatics not burnt scientists at the stake.

Religious plebeians need to grow up and stop believing these medieval fairytales, myths, mumbo-jumbo rumours and finally come into the 21st century.

Tony Montana
Fundamentalist Atheist Scientist

John · Joined: 02 Jun 2004 Posts: 23737

Quote: Religion has held back the progress of science over the last couple of thousand years.

Science was started by theologians. You really should do your homework and see what the true results on science religion has had.

Saracen · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 16045 Location: On Earth

Nathyn wrote: I'm posting this topic in each different religious forum, but with regard to each religion.

I'd thought I could just post it in the general religious forum, but I wanted a specific answer from each Abrahamic religious group. I'm also writing a series of specific thought-provoking questions for each.

I don't just mean alien bacteria, but sentient life.

So, how would sentient extraterrestrial life affect Islam?

1. Would it affect your faith in your Islam?

It would strengthen it, for God has said in the Koran that He has created what we know and do not know.

Quote: 2. How would Quranic history be understood? The Quran speaks relatively little of the creation of the universe, but it does say that the only sentient beings are humans, angels, and djinn. If sentient extraterrestrial life is discovered, should we automatically assume they are djinn?

They are what they are, but Man is God's Chosen Creation.

Quote: 3. Does the Quran apply to others outside of Earth? I.E., would aliens still need to convert to Islam? If aliens must convert to Islam, what does it say about Islam if they had lived for millenia without any knowledge of Muhammad?

Depends... if they have a human conscience like human and djinn do, then yeah, I suppose so.

Quote: 4. What if aliens are unisexual or have unorthodox familial orientations? How should inter-special relations and marriage, and even moral judgements of alien relations be interpreted?

There are animals that have this. They were created that way. I don't think it should be a problem.

Afgan · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 460

Nathyn wrote: I'm posting this topic in each different religious forum, but with regard to each religion.

I'd thought I could just post it in the general religious forum, but I wanted a specific answer from each Abrahamic religious group. I'm also writing a series of specific thought-provoking questions for each.

I don't just mean alien bacteria, but sentient life.

So, how would sentient extraterrestrial life affect Islam?

1. Would it affect your faith in your Islam?

2. How would Quranic history be understood? The Quran speaks relatively little of the creation of the universe, but it does say that the only sentient beings are humans, angels, and djinn. If sentient extraterrestrial life is discovered, should we automatically assume they are djinn?

3. Does the Quran apply to others outside of Earth? I.E., would aliens still need to convert to Islam? If aliens must convert to Islam, what does it say about Islam if they had lived for millenia without any knowledge of Muhammad?

4. What if aliens are unisexual or have unorthodox familial orientations? How should inter-special relations and marriage, and even moral judgements of alien relations be interpreted?

Extraterrestrial life form, hadn't found their way to the planet Earth in 4.5 billion years. Therefore, there is no reason to believe in them.

Pointless exercise.

jeechoscopy · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 6:17 pm Post subject:

As Mohammad (peace be upon him) is the Prophet of all creatures of the universe, it's important to imagine a creature that we have not up to now, found or told in any religious prophases as clearly as angels and djin. Saracen explains the best if they are found. And personally, I believe in extraterrestrial life, because I believe Mohammad (peace be upon him) visited their earths when he was at his night journey.