1/12    Hypothetical question. Suppose that an alien being visits earth
        and greets everyone. How would this affect religion? Would
        religious people claim that it is Jesus Christ/Mohamed/Allah
        reborn? Or would they ditch their religion because they realize
        they're not the only beings in the universe?
        \_ There already is a religion like this, it's called the
           Heaven's Gate. Apparently you'll need to become a web designer,
           shave your head, get castrated, and commit suicide in a
           San Diego suburb.
           \_ More sodans should follow this career path.
        \_ I would answer but I'd just be ridiculed.
        \_ Why would other beings in the universe prompt people to ditch
           religion?  This is stupid.
        \_ Which of the above religions claim that earth species are the only
           beings in the universe?
           \_ suppose it happened, then it would beg a lot of new questions
              and ultimately question the completeness of religions. For
              example people could claim that the powerful supernatural
              events in the Bible/Koran were really caused by outer
              beings. Another example would be how reincarnation works--
              why we don't reincarnate into alien beings and vice
              versa.
               \_ Can you explain how, from a theological point of view, meeting
                  a new race of intelligent beings is different from discovering
                  a new race of intelligent creatures on Earth, such as a new
                  primate?  So they would be from another planet.  So what?
              \_ Which of the above religions knows ANYTHING about earth, or
                 species?
              \_ You meant "raise...questions", not "beg".
                 If people's beliefs don't exclude aliens, why do you think
                 this would change anything?
              \_ If an alian visits earth, what then implies that we don't
                 reincarnate into alien and vice versa?
        \_ What religion is the alien? If the alien professes belief in
           Christianity, for instance, then what?
        \_ It would depend on how the religions handled it.  Clearly, most
           religions would have difficulty brining an intelligent species
           on another planet into their canon; they'd have to resort to even
           more transparent rationalization than they do now, e.g. "Adam and
           Eve are how life began on Earth, God did something completely
           different on Planet X and didn't bother to tell us about it."
           Of course, most religious people are "read-only", but such things
           have an effect over time.  -tom
        \_ SATAN IS TRYING TO TRICK YOU!