Will religion end on Mars?

economic times (India) ^ | 6/28/2008 | Mukul Sharma,

[Soliton]

For example, some people are already writing off most major religions which are based essentially on an Earth-centric model, as never being able to recover from such a crippling body blow. (The Bible makes no mention of other planets or life on other planets.)

[allmendream]

Yes, Bruno got burned at the stake for saying, not only that the earth was not the immovable center of the universe, but that other stars had other planets with life and that God would have to send an ‘alien Jesus’ to those planets for their spiritual redemption.

[messierhunter]

You’re assuming quite a bit about the eternal fate of said martians, if they even have a fate at all. Perhaps said aliens are the “sons of heaven” as some christians have believed and were never in need of salvation. We can speculate about it all we like, but we can not make any concrete statments. What is certain is that not every major interpretation of the bible holds that aliens would need salvation.

[mikrofon]

Other atheists: “From your lips to God’s ears...”

(oh, wait)

[delacoert]

I don't know who Muky is, but FReepers usually enjoy a thought provoking question

I can see how thought provoking it all is to you -- you don't really care enough to pay attention to who authors your posts.

The author of the drivel you cite (from the ever so important "India Times") is Mukul Sharma. Guru Muky may perhaps make a marvelous Martian mullah, but he's no great thinker, but I bet you fancy yourself a great comedian.

[Deut28]

The supernatural would be the obvious choice.

[SnakeDoctor]

>> That causes considerably more angst amongst evolutionites than it does amongst Christians.

That’s good enough news — though I’m not clear on why that would cause angst among evolutionists, or Christians.

H

[Eepsy]

Why? Do you think all the gentiles who died before the resurrection are burning in hell? Do you think God didn’t love the six year old eaten by a mountain lion somewhere in the Appalachias in 1205 AD, or the native woman in the Amazon jungle who died in childbirth yesterday? What if Helen Keller had died before she learned to communicate- would she have been doomed to Hellfire for all eternity?

I believe God is a merciful God. Just, yes- but a justice tempered with mercy. When you get into such speculative depths as we are treading now, sometimes all you can say is “God knows....”

[wendy1946]

Most people would call a five sided pyramid a mile and a half on an edge evidence of inhabitation.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“The Bible makes no mention of other planets”

oh...

[GloriaJane]

I checked your profile page.

I too am a child of a preacher. My late Mother, Reverend Collette Jane Barker was the Pastor of the United Fellowship Center in Galloway Ohio. But I came to a different belief then you. I believe in God, and I believe that I am his creation, and just as he created the heavens and the earth, he created me.

[dragnet2]

There’s a good deal of evidence indicating that Mars was inhabited before the flood. That causes considerably more angst amongst evolutionites than it does amongst Christians.

Could you post some details or sources for that?

Thanks!

[50sDad]

To them, such a discovery would only serve to affirm the Bible, not contradict it.

Bravo, my point exactly. There is no litmus paper test for God, nor will there ever be, because all we have to offer Him is our faith. I don't expect the Bible to show me how Uranium decays, and I don't ask a science book to teach me how to spiritually relate to God's forgiveness. And yet, if you let them, you can set both of them side by side on your shelf and a rich, meaninful life.

[RightWhale]

Most people are not seeing these features this way. The 21st century equivalent of canali aren’t there. It’s going to take a lot more than imagination to sell this one.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

  ... as seen on the web...

ANCIENT NAMES OF THE PLANETS EXPLAINED FROM THEIR PRIMITIVE ROOTS
Prophecies &c. corresponding with the names	URANUS		Texts where the word is used in this sense in the Hebrew Bible	Hebrew Roots
	Burman, Rahi, Rahini, failing, Arab. sense.	afraid	Isa 44:8	hhr
SATURN
Heb 4:1-9 Deut 12:10 Isa 11:10	Heb., Sabbatei, resting. or	rest	Gen 2:2	tb#
Isa 58:12 Eze 16:53	— Sabbath, dwelling	dwell	Deut 12:10
	— Sabbath, restoring	restoreth	Psa 23:3 Isa 58:12	b#
Exo 33:14	Arab., Zohal, hiding, sheltering	shadow	Judg 9:15	lc
Isa 58:12	— Refan, resting	slack	Josh 10:6
Mal 4:2 Deut 32:39	Copt., Refe, Refan, Remphan, restoring or	healeth	Exo 15:26	)pr
Isa 53:5	Egypt., Seb, as Sabbatei
Acts 1:6	Sansc., Aspujat, as Sabbatei
	— Sani, Arab. sense, hiding, defending	shield	1 Sam 17:7	hnc
	Persian, Kivon	Chiun	Amos 5:26	Nwyk
Psa 31:20 Isa 16:3	Scandinavian, Satur, hiding	protection	Deut 32:38	rts
Exo 34:7	Gr., Phainon, covering, hiding. (Arab. sense, rest.)	forgive	Gen 50:17	)n)
	— Kronos, quiet	cool	Prov 17:27	rq
Psa 17:8	Lat., Saturn, hiding, as Satur
JUPITER
Jer 23:6 Acts 3:14 Acts 7:52	Heb., Zedek, just, Isa 45:21 Heb., Zedek, true, Isa 41:26	righteous	Isa 53:11	qdc
Num 24:19 Deut 1:15	Arab., Al Moshtari, having dominion		Job 38:33	r+#m
	— Gad, good fortune
Micah 5:2	Copt., Picheus, glorious, Arab. sense. or
Jer 10:10 John 14:6	Egypt., Ammon, true	truth	Isa 65:16	Nm)
Col 1:15	Sansc., Brahaspati, originating Sansc., Brahaspati, revealing, as below	create	Gen 1:1	)rb
Eph 5:23	— Urishaspiti, chief, head	first	Exo 13:13	r+p
	Scand., Thor, who breaks or bruises; cut, Arab.	razor	Num 6:5	r(t
Psa 22:28 Acts 5:31	Gr., Pheton, or Phaeton, coming	came	Isa 41:5	)h)
	— Dis,* second. Chald., du, two
Exo 3:14 John 8:58	Lat., Jupiter, who is Lat., Jupiter, revealing, interpreting	Jah	Psa 68:4 Gen 40:8	hy rhp
MARS
Exo 12:22 Isa 63:2	Heb., Adom, red, bloodshedding	blood	Josh 20:3	Md
Rev 19:13	— Madim, made like blood, Arab. sense	wounded
	Arab., Melekh, as Melokh
	Pers., Azar, blood-flowing, Arab. sense	distress	Gen 35:3	hrc
Gen 3:15	Copt., Melokh, broken, bruised. or	wring	Lev 1:15	qlm
Isa 53:4,5 Zech 13:6	Egypt, Khons, wounded. (Hercules)	smitten	Isa 53:4	hkn
Matt 28:18	Sansc., Khonda, as Khons
	— Angareka, wounded	stricken	Isa 53:4	(gn
	— Mangala, the same
Isa 49:25	Scand., Tuisco, striving	strove	Gen 26:20	q#(
	— Tyr, Tys, as Mars
Heb 12:3	Gr., Pirois, bruising or	bruised	Isa 42:3	Ccr
	— Puroeis, fire colour
	— Ares, as Mars
	Lat., Mars, bruised or breaker	brakest	Psa 74:14
VENUS
Isa 60:19	Heb., Nogah, bright	shining	Isa 4:5	(gn
Song 6:10	— Hillel, very bright	Lucifer	Isa 14:12	llh
Rev 20:11 Rev 21:5	Arab., Al Zoharah, bright	shine	Dan 12:3	rhz
Isa 14:12	Copt., Surath, morning twilight	morning	Song 6:10	rx#
	— Athor, coming or bringing light	light	2 Sam 23:4	rw)
Isa 60:3	Egypt., Athyr, as Athor
Song 1:5 Song 6:10	Sansc., Sikra, dawn, twilight	dawning	Josh 6:15	rx#
	— Sivah, bright	brightness	Dan 2:31	wyz
Song 4:1-7	Scand., Freya or Frigga, fair, bright	glorified	Isa 60:9	r)p
	Gr., Heosphorous, Hesperus, beautiful	garnished	Job 26:13	rp#
Psa 97:11	— Phosphorus, light-bringer or beautiful
	— Aphrodite, who is fruitful
	— Hera, who bears
	Lat., Lucifer, light-bringer. Vesper, as Hesperus
Song 4:10 Eph 5:27	— Venus, lovely	grace	Prov 1:9	Nh
MERCURY
Job 23:6 Psa 24:8 Psa 98:9	Heb., Catab, powerful, strong Heb., Catab, who cometh	power cometh	Num 14:17 Psa 96:13	xk )b
John 14:3 Acts 1:11	— Cochab, coming as in a circle	star	Num 24:17	bkwk
Psa 2:8 Psa 72:8 Rev 19:15	Arab., Otared, coming	to have dominion	Num 24:19	hdr
Rev 1:7	Copt, Thaut, coming or	come	Deut 33:2	)h)
Psa 113:4	— Pi-ermes, that cometh	moveth	Gen 9:2	#md
Hab 2:3 Heb 10:37	Egypt., Thoth, as Thaut		Isa 6:1	Mr
2 Thess 2:1,8	Sansc., Bouta, or Budha, coming	coming	Mal 3:2	)b
Psa 110:2	Scand., Woden, coming	passed	Job 28:8	hh(
Rev 1:14	Gr., Stilbon, who is bright or	white	Dan 12:10	Nbl
	— Hermes, as Pi-ermes above
Mark 8:38 John 14:3 Jude 14 2Thess 2:8 Rev 22:20	Lat., Mercurius, strong, Arab. sense	Lord	Dan 2:47	)rm
	Lat., Mercurius, coming again, recurring, circling, Arab. sense

* The Greeks seem to have mistaken dis, the second planet, for Dis, the God.

[allmendream]

Yes, sure that is what that is. Sure looks like a little red x to me. Maybe that “face” on Mars was their Mt. Rushmore! LOL!

[3090VMXA]

A far deeper question for you would be if intelligent life was found and they had heard of a creator and a redeemer.

[NonValueAdded]

Perhaps that all-knowing God chose not to freak out His people talking of things a couple of millennium hence. Sheesh.

At least you capitalized it.

[NonValueAdded]

Hey, RW, I was hoping the very recent discovery that water once flowed on Mars would kinda vindicate old Percival, seeing as he was a very distant relative and all. Maybe not "man-made" but flowing water could have carved channels.

_{Yeah, grasping at straws LOL}

[Soliton]

At least you capitalized it.

I try to be respectful. I have been provoked, however. I believe that faith is good and science is good. I just don't like it when people deliberately lie to blur the line between the two.

[ravingnutter]

The Bible makes no mention of other planets or life on other planets.

Hnmmmmm...yes it does...

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.

And lest someone say that is the sky...

And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse "sky." Genesis 1:6-8.

It then goes on to talk about the moon, the sun and the stars:

14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:14-18.

Last time I checked, the moon and the sun were planets. And there are two other references to "worlds" in the Bible.

Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Hebrews 1:2

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:3