Vatican astronomer on alien life

[Sinclair]

There's a snippet from "Intelligent Life in the Universe" by Brother Guy Consolmagno S.J., the Vatican Astronomer, in the latest Harper's. I'm not typing out the whole thing, but there are a few paragra[js that are especially good, and that my mother (the religious one) liked.

"Having a soul has nothing to do with how many arms or legs, or tentacles, you have. Any creature capable of being self-aware, and being aware of others, and who is free to make choices to love or not to love based on that awareness, fills the criteria of having a soul. Would that include little green men from Arcturus?
Any creature of this universe, created and loved by the same God who created and loves us, would be subject not only to the same laws of of physics and chemistry as we are but also to the same rules of right and wrong. What else is there, except the superficial accidents of the gas they breathe or the number of genders they have, that makes them essentially any different from us? Would they deserve to be called alien?"

[Sulla the Dictator]

Thats gay. :p

Whats the advantage of Christ taking a human form if aliens get in on heaven?

Petr doesn't even want black people there (He believes in a segregated afterlife), hows he going to react to alien life forms?

[Petr]

Petr doesn't even want black people there (He believes in a segregated afterlife)
LIAR.


Petr

[Ahknaton]

Any creature of this universe, created and loved by the same God who created and loves us, would be subject not only to the same laws of of physics and chemistry as we are but also to the same rules of right and wrong.This sounds like nonsense. Why would rules of human morality apply to a totally different species, e.g. an insectoid hive-mind-like race? Surely they would have completely different notions of individuality and group vs individual rights? You can't advocate a morality that is at odds with your nature.

I would also imagine that an alien species with a different number of genders to humans would have a completely different concept of sexual morality.

[Vindex]

That reminds me of South Park, when the 700club christians built the space ship to go christianize planet Marklar.

[Jimbo Gomez]

I've seen Petr say that even negroes can manage to get into heaven (something I agree with). You have been posting here for ages Sulla, I would be surprised had you not read posts of his which state that as well as I have.

[infoterror]

"Having a soul has nothing to do with how many arms or legs, or tentacles, you have. Any creature capable of being self-aware, and being aware of others, and who is free to make choices to love or not to love based on that awareness, fills the criteria of having a soul. Would that include little green men from Arcturus?
Any creature of this universe, created and loved by the same God who created and loves us, would be subject not only to the same laws of of physics and chemistry as we are but also to the same rules of right and wrong. What else is there, except the superficial accidents of the gas they breathe or the number of genders they have, that makes them essentially any different from us? Would they deserve to be called alien?"

Does this apply to AIs as well?

[Sulla the Dictator]

LIAR.


Petr

Didn't you tell me that God said that as there are nations on Earth, there will be nations in heaven? And that intermingling nations (Which you take to mean peoples) is no different than Babel, an offense to God?