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Vatican looks to heavens for signs of alien life
Associated Press ^ | 11/10/2009 | ARIEL DAVID

Posted on 11/10/2009 5:12:50 PM PST by Alex Murphy

VATICAN CITY — E.T. phone Rome. Four hundred years after it locked up Galileo for challenging the view that the Earth was the center of the universe, the Vatican has called in experts to study the possibility of extraterrestrial alien life and its implication for the Catholic Church.

"The questions of life's origins and of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe are very suitable and deserve serious consideration," said the Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, an astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory.

Funes, a Jesuit priest, presented the results Tuesday of a five-day conference that gathered astronomers, physicists, biologists and other experts to discuss the budding field of astrobiology — the study of the origin of life and its existence elsewhere in the cosmos.

Funes said the possibility of alien life raises "many philosophical and theological implications" but added that the gathering was mainly focused on the scientific perspective and how different disciplines can be used to explore the issue.

Chris Impey, an astronomy professor at the University of Arizona, said it was appropriate that the Vatican would host such a meeting.

"Both science and religion posit life as a special outcome of a vast and mostly inhospitable universe," he told a news conference Tuesday. "There is a rich middle ground for dialogue between the practitioners of astrobiology and those who seek to understand the meaning of our existence in a biological universe."

Thirty scientists, including non-Catholics, from the U.S., France, Britain, Switzerland, Italy and Chile attended the conference, called to explore among other issues "whether sentient life forms exist on other worlds."

Funes set the stage for the conference a year ago when he discussed the possibility of alien life in an interview given prominence in the Vatican's daily newspaper.

The Church of Rome's views have shifted radically

(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Science; Theology
KEYWORDS: duplicate
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Today top clergy, including Funes, openly endorse scientific ideas like the Big Bang theory as a reasonable explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter.

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1 posted on 11/10/2009 5:12:52 PM PST by Alex Murphy
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To: Alex Murphy

Why would anyone trust the AP’s understanding of ANYTHING?


2 posted on 11/10/2009 5:14:39 PM PST by vladimir998 (Some public school grads actually believe BIGETOUS is a word)
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To: Alex Murphy

Thanks for the advice Mr. Gobechev . . . any words of wisdom on how to keep your country from imploding and ceasing to exist?


3 posted on 11/10/2009 5:15:00 PM PST by TheVitaminPress
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To: Alex Murphy

Well, at least we will have thought about it and we won’t embrace the human-looking reptile “visitors” as they seek to eat humanity.


4 posted on 11/10/2009 5:15:43 PM PST by StAthanasiustheGreat (Vocatus Atque Non Vocatus Deus Aderit)
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To: Alex Murphy
Four hundred years after it locked up Galileo for challenging the view that the Earth was the center of the universe...

That wasn't the reason... but don't let historical inaccuracies ruin a perfectly good article.

5 posted on 11/10/2009 5:16:19 PM PST by pgyanke (You have no "rights" that require an involuntary burden on another person. Period. - MrB)
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To: TheVitaminPress

?


6 posted on 11/10/2009 5:19:41 PM PST by doc1019 (Obama, not so much.)
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To: doc1019

I accidentally posted that comment here . . . it was supposed to go somewhere else. :(


7 posted on 11/10/2009 5:20:52 PM PST by TheVitaminPress
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To: TheVitaminPress

“Thanks for the advice Mr. Gobechev...”

That was about as good a comeback as I’ve seen... on this thread.

:)


8 posted on 11/10/2009 5:22:28 PM PST by PetroniusMaximus
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To: TheVitaminPress

LOL! Done that a time or two … ;-)


9 posted on 11/10/2009 5:22:46 PM PST by doc1019 (Obama, not so much.)
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To: TheVitaminPress

“I accidentally posted that comment here . . . it was supposed to go somewhere else. :(”

Friends don’t let friends drink and post!


10 posted on 11/10/2009 5:23:22 PM PST by PetroniusMaximus
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To: PetroniusMaximus

LOL, I seem to remember google promising some tool/process that would prohibit a user from sending “drunk emails” . . . perhaps such a technology could be implemented by Free Republic.


11 posted on 11/10/2009 5:26:26 PM PST by TheVitaminPress
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To: TheVitaminPress

“Thanks for the advice, Gorby”...I thought you were talking about that thingy on his forehead. /s


12 posted on 11/10/2009 5:29:01 PM PST by Jane Long (Clean out Congress...give 'em term limits and their own dose of "government" healthcare.)
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To: Alex Murphy
The Church of Rome's views have shifted radically

Understatement of the Millenium (all of the last one and this one so far).

13 posted on 11/10/2009 5:37:19 PM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Vayetze' Yitzchaq lasuach basadeh lifnot `arev; vayissa' `einayv vayar' vehinneh, gemallim ba'im.)
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To: Alex Murphy
Today top clergy, including Funes, openly endorse scientific ideas like the Big Bang theory as a reasonable explanation for the creation of the universe.

Today's top clergy endorse ideas like the Big Bang theory? Do they endorse the Big Bang theory?

14 posted on 11/10/2009 5:40:56 PM PST by MarkBsnr ( I would not believe in the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not move me to do so.)
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To: Alex Murphy

They should stop looking to the Heavens are start looking to GOD; He gave His Word directly to them, and we don’t need to “search space” for any answers to life!


15 posted on 11/10/2009 8:31:50 PM PST by JSDude1 (www.wethepeopleindiana.org (Tea Party Member-Proud), www.travishankins.com (R- IN 09 2010!))
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To: JSDude1
They should stop looking to the Heavens are start looking to GOD; He gave His Word directly to them

LOL! You know that for a fact? Or is this something you choose to believe, hope, imagine?

16 posted on 11/10/2009 10:38:35 PM PST by kosta50 (Don't look up, the truth is all around you)
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To: kosta50
You know that for a fact? Or is this something you choose to believe, hope, imagine?

Find out for yourself if you dare.

17 posted on 11/10/2009 11:56:31 PM PST by Bellflower (If you are left DO NOT take the mark of the beast and be damned forever.)
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To: JSDude1

But a lot of times, it takes learning about creation that HELPS leads us to the CREATOR.


18 posted on 11/11/2009 4:48:38 AM PST by Biggirl (Political Correctness KILLS! =^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^==^..^=)
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To: Alex Murphy; stylecouncilor
Brother Astronomer, Br Guy Consolmagno bump.
19 posted on 11/11/2009 6:52:03 AM PST by onedoug (SARAH!)
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To: Biggirl

Learning about creation isn’t the same as seeking ET, who’s very existence would be in contradiction to the Bible, IMO.

Christ would have to die 1+Million times on many different worlds if true; however I have my own theories about ET (backed up by research of others who have written about it from both a Christian and Secular POV): That “Aliens” are really demonic forces!~ beware.


20 posted on 11/11/2009 10:28:24 AM PST by JSDude1 (www.wethepeopleindiana.org (Tea Party Member-Proud), www.travishankins.com (R- IN 09 2010!))
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