issues about aliens and extraterrestrials are allowed to be discussed.
If this is my legacy, so be it lol
I was raised Roman Catholic, but I am open to many different ideas in spiritual life. I think this could be a constructive thread. Because I do not have objective evidence of certain things, I suspect that we are limited to the five basic senses, and that there are alternative realms of existence and reality that we are not aware of and can never become aware of. Today, we are able to use technology to augment our reality, and discover more of what we would never have learned without it. However, I surmise that much like a fish is in a fish bowl, humans, too, are limited in their perception. Do the fish even know they're in a fish bowl? Clearly, when a bird flies into a window, it did not know the window was there. There are limits to our perceptions, as human beings, so I do not feel justified to give a definite answer on such spiritual matters.
I am a bit superstitious about things, and like most intelligent people, hopefully, have an open mind on such matters. I do not believe religion and science are mutually exclusive. However, what happens outside of our realm of existence, and when we die, I can't claim to know with one hundred percent certainty. A true believer in religion might say otherwise. However, my science mind tells me something more is afoot.
On this basis, I suspect that because there is some truth to most mythology, there is likely a basis of fact in most religion. Now, when we look at some of these issues, this is an article that changed my perspective on life shortly after the death of a loved one in August 2012. This was an article from Newsweek Magazine (and therefore, it is on The Daily Beast, which is the online version of the paper):
Heaven is Real: A Doctor's Experience with the Afterlife This story is quite compelling, if not a bit creepy, and contains quite a dramatic recollection of events of a neurosurgeon who was clinically dead for a relatively long period of time and came back to life. Of course, since that article was published, he has started his own website, published a book, and become filthy rich from this story, so his credibility rating could, indeed, be downgraded since the initial publication. And it has indeed been called into question by debunkers.
Now, by turning to the afterlife (or perhaps there is nothing there, as some would argue), I bring up a point that such a place may simply lead to a new realm of existence, or, as in numerous belief systems, reincarnation. What we know about tissue is that the bone is made out of mitochondrial DNA, while the regular tissue and muscle in our bodies is purely atomic. Because we know that matter does not disappear in the universe, we must be aware that we, ourselves, are complex organisms, yet on the sub-atomic level, are made out of countless particles of matter, potentially from all over the universe. Even the petroleum that we use from the earth is remnant material from huge mammoths long since gone; absent any sunlight, and given the right set of variables, this petroleum has formed over the course of many millions of years.
The reason I argue that science and religion are not mutually exclusive is that until we know what the catalyst was for the creation of the universe, we can not rule out the existence of a higher power. It is also impossible to prove a negative in science. So you cannot disprove the existence of anything. Science seeks evidence of what can be observed, while faith seeks observation of what may often lack evidence. Also, we cannot explain certain patterns in nature, such as the
origin of symmetry. For example, the idea that humans have bilateral symmetry is quite amazing.
There is much to be learned, so I do not consider myself to be an expert on the subject. I can say, with absolute certainty, that our way of life, today, will be seen as entirely barbaric to future generations. As for life existing in other places in the universe, there are many theories, none of which can be ruled out until we traverse the galaxy properly, like in Star Trek (the original and not the JJ Abrams version).
To sum up my beliefs, I discount nothing, and try to be an ethical and moral person, and try to show decency to friends and family. In this area, we all fall short of our expectations, and the expectations of others, from time to time, and some more than others. Because I do not know with one hundred percent certainty the meaning of life, the most logical decision would be to make the most out of life, and leave a lasting impression for future loved ones and generations.
Now, this can be done, and has been done. I think that is a start in creating a better world for our children and grandchildren. With that being said, I do not have any children. Some people say their perspective in life changes drastically when they do. How can we understand this, the greatest mystery of all? We could ponder about the question of the origin of life and its meaning forever.
On the subject of extraterrestrials visiting our world, I believe that the Bible and holy books are relics that should be used when seeking moral wisdom or guidance, but while also using critical thinking. It should not be used as a 100% instruction manual (if this were the case, we may be bartering with pack mules and so forth). These holy books are dated, their translations greatly obscured, and, over the centuries, quite altered. This is not to say that their relevance, importance, or even testament to fact or faith is invalid. It is simply stating my belief that over time, things get lost in translation, especially when we are talking about thousands of years.
So with that being said, scientists, anthropologists, and so forth, do view the Bible and other holy books from a historical perspective, for reference in corroborating historic events. This is a logical use of science. Even atheists, who are tolerant, and sane individuals, should be understanding of why these books have value to people of great faith. Unfortunately, as is the case even with a book such as Harry Potter, people seem to draw drastically different conclusions at the conclusion of their readings. When these holy scriptures take on a dominant role in a person's life, it can lead them to a pious life of serving others, impart some level of wisdom or ethics in their thinking, provide nothing of value at all, or drive someone to an extremist cause.
Thus, humans are quite mortal, I am afraid, and I suspect many of these questions can only be answered with a further understanding of our past, as well as our present, and hopefully, our future on this planet. One issue of interest to me is the evolutionary process, and how it has changed drastically in the last several thousand years. Humans were essentially hunting with primitive weapons and communicating like animals no less than a few thousand years ago. However, since the Industrial Revolution, humans are now capable of growing new appendages and body parts, performing enormous number crunching, and are even capable of leaving the planet.
With that being said, it is hard to say how this has happened, but I propose that the technology we are developing today is part of the evolutionary process and that this process has accelerated. Why or how this phenomenon may be happening is unknown; we simply do not have any other situation to base it off of, other than, perhaps, the dinosaurs, which also dominated the earth.
However, we are the first species, apparently, to have true reason, and to even be able to contemplate our own existence, and be aware of our own mortality. This is the strongest argument of a non-religious person. They would argue that because we have reached this level of evolutionary progress, we need to "invent" an afterlife for survival. I do not know how true such a statement that is, and I don't think anyone TRULY KNOWS with one hundred percent certainty.
The larger question posed by @
Pauli , about life outside of earth, is most perplexing, primarily because this galaxy is unimaginably enormous. Ancient philosophers and monks have sat in total solitude trying to unravel these mysteries. Research scientists, astronomers, astronauts, physics professors, and biologists have spent countless hours debating such a matter.
I conclude that "I know that I know nothing."