Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Categories: The Science of Think by Chris on 4/13/2011 4:46 PM | Comments (1)

  The focus here at "The Science of Think" is the search for what is verifiably true and/or philosophically relevant done so in a civil manner. I welcome other ideas that compete because I believe the best ideas win in the end.

  In 1938 the actor and orator Orson Welles faked a radio broadcast of War of the Worlds. He made it realistic enough that a large portion of the eastern seaboard were terrified believing that hostile aliens from another world had landed on earth. It was a hoax done in the spirit of entertainment using the high technology of the day (A.M. radio) and in a format never before experienced by Americans. That is part of what made it so believable.

  I am not a degreed psychologist. I do have several decades as a counselor and spiritual leader and have worked with many people in their personal lives over the years. Nor do I believe a litany of degrees and letters post “proper name” necessarily gives one any common sense. In working with people and reading as much as I can on a continual basis I’ve learned that most of the problems people have are all very similar. There are reasons for that. My favorite resource book is the Bible. Some hold little value in the Bible as a meaningful text. I’m good with it if that’s what they choose. The Bible is a philosophical, religious, historical, economic, business and medical manual all rolled into one. There is a lot there if you learn how to read it. Of course there are many other resources I use as well.

  Recently my son emailed a youtube link to a video filled with clips of atmospheric phenomenon the commentators (most of them talking heads from news programs) continually referred to as U.F.O.s. The acronym means unidentified flying objects. Firstly, unidentified means we simply do not know what they are. Secondly not all of them were actually flying. Most were falling, some were not. Thirdly, they are just objects or at least appear to be. Some looked like nothing but lights. U.F.O. does not mean “hostile alien space craft from another dimension come to eat our brains” but that’s where most of our minds go when we hear the word U.F.O. Isn’t that right?

For years I’ve said this privately and never publicly therefore I will say it publicly now.

Controversial? I hope so.

  One of the facts of human psychology that makes movies like “The DaVinci Code” and other like story lines work is both the fear and fascination with the unknown. It is the possibility of something fantastic that is bigger, better and outside of ourselves and can come into our lives to create nirvana, or utopia or paradise, at least that’s what we hope and think. Ever wonder what it is in all of us that instinctively realizes, recognizes, and desires that? What is it about human nature that believes we must dissect, analyze, understand, and therefore control everything before believing in anything? In addition, if we are always the ones in control isn’t that just an alternative way of saying we are God? That is in fact what many in the world believe and is the basis for what we theologians call atheism and agnosticism.

  Science and religion are separate like oil and water, they do not mix. See my blog post here. There are many many people in the scientific communities who hold the belief that if they can just find any kind of life, even the simplest single celled basic life at all on another planet it will be the death of God, definitive proof he does not exist. That’s just plain foolish. My next question would be, “how do we know he didn’t create it there as well?” The truth is we don’t and neither do they. The most intelligent thing anyone can say, especially ethical scientists is that “we do not know”.

  The search for extra terrestrials is the search for God. We want to believe in something bigger and better outside ourselves to give meaning to the mess we are in down here. God created men and gave us free will so we could choose to love him in return or not. A thing called sin separated us from God and our nature became twisted and evil leaving us empty inside. I’m sure you know the story about Eden. It’s this void inside of every man that creates a hunger driving us to search. Some men substitute and fill the void with science, sex, drugs, alcohol, money, pride and the list goes on but they are all substitutes. Popular culture wants to believe little skinny creatures with pear shaped heads have the answer, if we could just make contact!

  People once believed the world was flat. Some people believe a very large primate roams the American Northwest yet not a single shred of verifiable evidence has ever been found. It takes faith to believe in something for which there is no evidence. Therefore are the “Bigfooters” a religious cult or scientific researchers wasting our grant money and theirs? People were once told that whales spoke French at the bottom of the sea. That sounds ridiculous now doesn’t it?

  God cannot be scientifically proven or disproven, but then again, he doesn’t have to because it’s not a scientific question. It’s a personal philosophical and religious question. Within that realm the only power science has is the power you give it.

  So, do I believe in alien life elsewhere in the Universe? I’m indifferent. I have no problem if there is and no problem if there isn’t. People talk about it being an “awful waste of space” meaning; it’s so big there HAS to be more life out there. That is a statement of hope for which there is insufficient scientific evidence. That is a faith based statement for what science calls the origin of the species, again for which there is no scientific proof for how life actually began. Even the brightest scientific minds when asked point blank will admit there is no conclusive proof. The scientific method requires observation and recording to establish a scientific fact. No one was there to observe a puddle of amino acids, or whatever, suddenly turn into something "alive."

  But, consider this, why couldn’t a loving eternal God, who calls himself a Father to us create a universe that is ever expanding just as he is so that eventually we can populate the stars as his sons and daughters? Maybe he’s saying to us, “I love you THIS MUCH”. Imagine what kind of propulsion systems we can create with his help.

  God’s Son according to the Bible paid for sin. He died for mankind on earth and rose again once and only once. He will not do it again. If life exists somewhere else it is not in rebellion against God because there would be no forgiveness available to them. God would have chained or destoryed them long ago as he has the devil and his angels. One thing is for sure in my mind, if extra terrestrials do exist I am really looking forward to meeting them.

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