Atheist Forum

How do you think the discovery of life on such worlds as Mars, Europa, Titan etc. would impact upon the religious community?

Denial...oh, and possibly trying to redefine "life" so it isn't what the scientists found.

They're still arguing on what they found on the mars sample and I dont think they've sent the probe to Europa yet so if/when they find definitive evidence for life I'll reserve my judgement.

But there's nothing wrong with speculating.

The fanatics will either deny it or try to incorperate it into the their holy text somehow.

But I feel the majority of believers will not care.

I don't see why religious comunities would be worried. As far as I know, the bible does not really leave Earth as a setting and definatly does not denny alien life. I know there is a Hindu text which welcomes the idea. Indeed, it would work to Creationists advantage, more complex life making for higher improbability factor and all.

I guess they would use the same excuse for the dinosour fossils.
"The devil put it there to confuse us"

I laugh my arse off everytime I hear that excuse.

I have no doubt they would deny it and use pathetic excuses like they always do.

It would work to Evolutions advantage more, seeing as it would finally prove that Earth wasn't somehow designed to support life.

Hi.
You are very optimistic about the chances to work out scientific discoveries in favor of atheists.
If they will they have a smidoct answer for everything.
I discussed once the problem of creation with a fundamentalist and asked him how does he explain that according to the Bible God created earth some 6000 years ago whereas science prooves without any doubt that the earth exists for billion of years?
The guy was trained for such type of questions and aswered me in the following way:Let's say that we found a tree old as the earth
ans when we cut the tree we found bilions of annual rings which indicate on regular trees it's age. O.K.?
Now ,he said you as scientist will declare that you have prooved above all doubt that the earth really exists for billion of years.
And what will you say ,I asked?
I he said will affirm for all to hear thad God created that tree on the day he created the earth anput from the begininb the number of rings you see today.
Capisce? These are the kind of answers you are going to get from fundamemtalist God

I would love for you to show me a tree with a billion rings.

The problem is that all of the theories are not perfectly sound. They have loopholes and what-ifs. You and I maybe completely wrong as to how the universe and life came into existence. So why mock Christians when you can not even be CERTAIN as to how this came to be.

Ok, stop right there. You are making the massive definition error that is usually made by fundies. Namely:

"If you believe Evolution, you must be an atheist".

Evolution has nothing to do with atheism. I know a few atheists who don't believe Evolution! I know a LOAD of theists who believe Evolution!

So for you to say that a scientific discovery that benefits Evolution somehow works in the favour of atheists is to ignore the entire premise of science. Science is true nomatter what beliefs you hold.

I've heard this claim many times in the past.

Usually it goes:

"Evolution was created by Atheists in order to diprove God"

They don't realize the fact that the majority of Scientists are believers and the minority of all Scientists believe in creation.