E.T., Phone Rome?
(NPR) 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."
The Church of Rome's views have shifted radically through the centuries since Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake as a heretic in 1600 for speculating, among other ideas, that other worlds could be inhabited.
Scientists have discovered hundreds of planets outside our solar system — including 32 new ones announced recently by the European Space Agency. Impey said the discovery of alien life may be only a few years away.
"If biology is not unique to the Earth, or life elsewhere differs bio-chemically from our version, or we ever make contact with an intelligent species in the vastness of space, the implications for our self-image will be profound," he said.
The Roman Catholic Church's relationship with science has come a long way since Galileo was tried as a heretic in 1633 and forced to recant his finding that the Earth revolves around the sun. Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.
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.
Earlier this year, the Vatican also sponsored a conference on evolution to mark the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species.
The event snubbed proponents of alternative theories, like creationism and intelligent design, which see a higher being rather than the undirected process of natural selection behind the evolution of species.
The Vatican Observatory has also been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of the world's best.
Keywords
Catholic Church, Observatory, Extra Terrestrials, Origins, Astrobiology, The Vatican, Science, Religion
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How nice of them. The Church of Rome has suppressed learning, literacy and science, has justified racism, jhas practiced then attempted to hide institutionalized child rape, promoted homophobia and sexism; sanctioned slavery and entrenched the divine right of kingship.
Odd, we've heard no apology for the burning alive of Giordano Bruno in 1600 for theorizing the earth revolved around the sun and the universe was infinite.
Antisemitism might never have existed but for the New Testament and Roman Catholics clung to antisemitism as official church doctrine until 1968. The Vatican actively helped the Nazis track and capture Jews. And after the war, Pope Pius XII helped prominent Nazi war criminals evade capture.
AIDS has killed more than 25 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and some 22.5 million Africans live with HIV. Accepting condom use even among married couples would mean renouncing the Catholic dogma of treating sex as a purely procreative function, a doctrine that the Church has held since 1869. Why is the Pope lecturing Africans on condoms anyway? Why do they bother to listen? If he knows anything about condoms, marriage or sex -- he shouldn't.
You're right, Skeptic - the Middle Ages were terrible & scientists used to be punished for progressive thought. Pope Pius XII has never struck me as the nicest guy (but then again, Catholic priests used to give Baptism Certificates to Jews in order to keep them from being killed). AIDS is truly a shame but lets not scapegoat Catholics for it. Or Freemasons, or the Illuminati.
I'm just glad that someone in the religious community is taking the initiative to embrace science - even if some think otherwise.
Another note - ever since the rise of patristic religious domination (beginning around 5,000 years ago) all the major faiths have been suspicious, if not outright hostile, to thought other than their own at one time or another. It's often about control and domination rather than cooperation and freedom. There have been great strides in religious/scientific cooperation (see the Golden Age of Islam) which are often followed by a desperate slide into anti-scientific fanaticism.
No one's hands are clean when it comes to over zealous persecution . Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. have all had their moments of shame. Religious conviction is so ingrained in common consciousness that it behooves us all when one or the other of the major players takes a stand on an issue, any issue, that sets it apart from the standard fare (aforementioned) fanaticism of fear and aggression.
I, for one, applaud the Catholic Church for her strides since Vatican II in many fields. Does the Church have more work to do? Yes. The Church needs to be at the forefront of culture and environment if she wishes to remain relevant.
I don't have to play the role of the "cultural Irenaeus", sniffing out heresy wherever I think I find it lurking. I prefer to look for commonality in belief, rather than deconstruction.
As you say, Skeptic - Pac tecum.
I mean "pax tecum". Not "pac". Forgive me.
Religion is so BCE. The celibacy thing is so...so...uh... in the words of Rasputin "Gay." Glad they've found their way into 20th century, yeah I said 20th.
There is an equation that suggests that other life existing within our own GALAXY is in the realm of millions of possibilities... The more we research the more we understand that life is far more likely to be common throughout the Universe and not unlikely. It only makes sense when you think about the vastness of it all. The Catholic church also happens to embrace earth science and have stated the Bible is a religious and not a scientific text and should be left at that.
I think we should draw a distinction between embracing theories obtained through science and embracing science.
How do you mean, Joszef?
Well... there is probably life out there.... As an experiment...... they planted life (human) on this planet. You have probably seen many on TV claim they were abducted.... and they were sexually violated... That was just the Aliens checking to see how the human experiment is going! So... there you have it... the secret is out!
Euripides - Eirene, philos.
By "patristic" do you mean belief systems that revere a male principal, or do you mean the traditional study of the history, literature and theology of ancient Christianity?
Faulty analogy. As far as I know neither Freemasons nor Illuminati prohibit the use of condoms.
I'm not Catholic-bashing, I'm blaming Benedict. Because the current occupant of the cathedra Petros refuses to permit condom use under any circumstances (even in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother) the spread of death by HIV/AIDS in Africa and in Latin America has been greatly accelerated . The Vatican refuses to recognize the moral difference between using a condom to prevent a deadly disease and using one to prevent conception. There's no excuse for such intransigence on matters of life and death; particularly when you realize that contraception was permitted to Catholics until 1869.
Euripides - Sorry for the rant. Yes, it's true that Holy Mother Church has come a long way since Holy Inquisitor Cardinal Bellarmine pronounced "To assert that the earth revolves around the sun is as erroneous as to claim that Jesus was not born of a virgin," as he set fire to Giordano Bruno. The Church still has such a long way to go...
The Church does in fact have a long way to go. I don't think we're so different, you & I.
Here's the thing I don't understand: How does condom use save the life of a mother? If you mean abortion, then I would have to say that the Church does in fact allow an abortion if the fetus (child) threatens the life of the mother. In that case the mother takes precedence. If condom use saves the life of the mother because it keeps her from getting AIDS - I'm all for it. The Church moves slowly and with her incremental speed comes the occasional folly coupled with the occasional good idea. I, for one, don't have a problem with condom use but then again, I fail to see how condoms will help us communicate better with extra-terrestrials. Unless of course we make them aluminum & disc shaped.
Euripides,
Just because one accepts a few scientific theories does not mean they embrace science. Until the church applies the scientific method to their core beliefs they are hardly embracing science.
The scientific method:
1. Ask a Question
2. Do Background Research
3. Construct a Hypothesis
4. Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
5. Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
6. Communicate Your Results
This is called the science of theology within the realm of religion. Is it not?
Definition of theology: the systematic study of the existence and nature of the divine and its relationship to and influence upon other beings.
Theologians use various forms of analysis and argument (philosophical, ethnographic, historical, spiritual and others) to help understand, explain, test, critique, defend or promote any of myriad religious topics. It might be undertaken to help the theologian
1. understand more truly his or her own religious tradition
2. understand more truly another religious tradition
3. make comparisons between religious traditions
4. defend or justify a religious tradition
5. facilitate reform of a particular tradition
6. assist in the propagation of a religious tradition
7. draw on the resources of a tradition to address some present situation or need
There are, of course, several disciplines within the context of theology such as dogmatic, mystical, moral, etc. My favorite being liberation theology.
How exactly, Joszef, is the scientific method NOT being applied. Is the scientific method applied to astrophysics? Philosophy? Psychology? Theoretical physics (aka Steven Hawking)?
Euripides,
I think you misunderstood my intentions. I am not arguing that the church is bad. I am simply stating the fact that the church does not embrace the scientific method. The church embraces faith in that which we can not prove. There is no scientific proof that Jesus was born of a virgin or that he rose from the dead. That there is no scientific proof should not bother the church, because the church asks for faith, not scientific verification.
I think it is cool that the church is accepting and even promoting some scientific ideas, but it hardly constitutes "embracing science".
We may agree on that, Joszef. Faith and proof aren't always the best of friends - sadly. Faith and reason, to me, are essential qualities.
You and your father are astute at physical science... so let me ask you: Is there verifiable proof within theoretical physics? Is there empirical evidence to support the various hypothesis within that discipline? I'm serious. I don't know. I guess I've always figures that most of it was speculative. What's your take?
On the subject of condoms...It seems to me, that the Catholic Church stands firmly on the idea that married love in love-making is the only ideal type of "love making". With committed, married love...one doesn't need a condom. Condoms are, generally for, everything else and perhaps a sign of it's own shortcomings...
Euripides,
I don't know. My background is in the biological sciences.
Oh. As I said, I'm not sure how it works either. My own father is pretty good with things such as quantum theory and whatnot. Maybe he knows. I'll see if I can find out and try & get back to you.
Observer - I don't know about your statement. They don't encourage birth control period, married or not. I hope this doesn't come across as disrespectful, but to me the reason is because they want more people to fill the pews and increase the coffers. If someone is in a committed married love as you state, and they want to plan when they have children, I find it rather intrusive that the church wants to enter the bedroom and tell them they shouldn't. I know it isn't like this with all Catholics, and this comes from an outsiders POV I acknowledge, but it has been my experience with those that I do know that it seems like sex is viewed as a dirty business and should only be done with the intention to procreate,it's a duty, and the pleasure of sex is kind of disregarded. Plus, this dirty nasty obligation is only to be shared with your spouse, not really seeing where they believe love has anything to do with it. In the age of AIDS, discouraging the use of condoms is just a deadly mistake, no matter what the reason.
Of course, this is not exclusive to Catholics, just like burning people at the stake wasn't either. I think this article is a good reflection on the Church, no religion is perfect or has an unblemished track record. It's a good forward step.
Although, Euripides, you listed religions and their moments of shame, what incident with the Buddhists were you thinking of? It's not that I doubt it, just wondering...
Kitty: The "Respectful Fist" Method was applied (no pun intended) when the Buddhist monks entered/ took control of China in 500 AD.
In centuries past, the heads of Tibetan Buddhist schools formed strategic alliances with Mongol warlords and reaped benefits from the warlords' victories.
The links between Zen Buddhism and samurai warrior culture were partly responsible for the shocking collusion of Zen and Japanese militarism in the 1930s and 1940s. For several years a virulent jingoism seized Japanese Zen, and teachings were twisted and corrupted to excuse killing. Zen institutions not only supported Japanese military aggression but raised money to manufacture war planes and weapons.
There's more but I don't want to spend too much time on the subject. Buddhists, like most other religions, oppose war. Sadly, it's often when religion becomes entwined with politics that it goes horribly wrong.
I don't blame Buddhism - it's a good religion. Just like I don't blame Catholicism - it's a good religion. They each have a light and a shadow side.
Rather than discourse on that I would recommend you peruse "Living Buddha, Living Christ", by Thich Nhat Hahn. If you haven't already.
Observer, I think you and Birch clearly are an example of a loving union. I feel like maybe I got too personal, I apologize. My intent is not to challenge your statement as much as it was just so contrary to my experiences with the Catholic people I lived with and grew up around. I guess it is my belief that if you and Birch wanted to wait to have children, your efforts to do so would be frowned upon. But, I should have put on the filter and kept my fingers still, I'm sorry. I hope you had a wonderful honeymoon and guess what, your marriage helped renew my belief that maybe true love really does exist, you are an inspiring couple! :)
Euripides, that is really interesting, this is not something I was aware of. I'll be looking to read more about this, I haven't encountered anything about it, although I've read more about Theravada Buddhism than Zen. I guess it isn't surprising, everything has the potential for corruption. I have read some of the Living Buddha, Living Christ book, I set it aside for another book I had to return and neglected to go back, but I think it's time to pick it up again, thanks.
Well, going to be off the net for a while, take care everyone...
"The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now."
- Thich Nhat Hahn
Have a good day.
I almost forgot to answer your question, Skeptic. I mean "patristic" as "in male dominated".
Euripides - Science asks questions that may not be answered; religion gives answers that may not be questioned.
Joszef_Pelikan -
You made an interesting point on the problem of parthenogenesis, or virgin birth. Among mammals, parthenogenesis can only produce female offspring for chromosomal reasons. Messiahs are mammals, therefore Jesus must have been a...
On the other hand, among turkeys the chromosomal situation is such that all products of parthenogenesis are males. It follows that if Jesus was a male, he would also have been a .... Never mind.
Skeptic: I think it follows that if if Theoretical Physics can be called science - then so can Theology. They both lie in theory. Oops - I don't mean they "lie" as in "not tell the truth", but, rather, "lie" as in "rest in".
I think that difference is in application: Theology can be useful and practical (wholly dependent on which theologian and system is being applied - see mystical theology) or it can be solely academic (see - dogmatic). The same holds true for theoretical physics. If either one of these disciplines are done gratuitously, it becomes mere mental gymnastics. And then - who cares?