"Big Science only forbids some religions, like those with evidence. The wacky ones pass right by the censors.
Defining “religion” is hard, but to Big Science, it generally means matters of faith unconstrained by evidence. Materialists don’t take Christian evidences seriously, such as the empty tomb of Jesus; those can be explained away by various rescue devices. Some unconstrained beliefs, though, have no problem getting published in scientific journals and on science news websites. One of the most bizarre is SETI: the belief in intelligent space aliens. Recent articles take that belief to new extremes. Let’s go from mild cases to what could only be described as paranoid.
Are aliens trying to tell us something? Brightest burst of radio waves detected (The Conversation): Carole Mundell takes a step beyond observation, wondering what certain radio waves are “telling us.” That depends on whether they emanate from sentient beings. Even advocates of intelligent design apply the Design Filter in these cases, giving preference to natural or chance causes before inferring design. Mundell speaks mostly about possible physical causes for the mysterious bursts, but ponders: “Nobody knows what causes these powerful bursts, but some have even speculated that the signals could be transmitted by distant alien civilisations.” The word could is a faith word.
If we find ET, don’t talk to it, says the man who wants to find ET (The Conversation): In this article, astronomer Charley Lineweaver and his friend Stephen Hawking speculate about the moral and intellectual traits of space aliens they have never seen. Judging from his beliefs about evolution, Lineweaver thinks aliens would most likely have evolved millions of years beyond us and would probably be hostile. His alien religion requires a kind of genuflection. He notes that Hawking thinks humans should keep their head low; “in the spectrum between, paranoia and unjustifiable fear on one side, and reasonable caution on the other, where does keeping your head low fit in?” Lineweaver concludes, “even if there aren’t any advanced alien civilisations elsewhere in the universe, keeping your head down is probably a good exercise in humility.”
Aliens are everywhere, says Ivy League professor (Fox News): This one takes the cake for wildest speculation we have ever seen concerning space aliens. Columbia astrophysicist Caleb Scharf is floating the idea that aliens have evolved so far ahead of humans, they have transmogrified themselves into the laws of nature and even subatomic particles that surround us:
The expert says our universe is the remains of intelligent alien life which controls all aspects of the physical world — from gravity to the speed of light.
The theory helps to explain the great mysteries of the cosmos and also answers why we are yet to find intelligent life beyond our planet, Professor Caleb Scharf says.…
Are aliens trying to tell us something? Brightest burst of radio waves detected (The Conversation): Carole Mundell takes a step beyond observation, wondering what certain radio waves are “telling us.” That depends on whether they emanate from sentient beings. Even advocates of intelligent design apply the Design Filter in these cases, giving preference to natural or chance causes before inferring design. Mundell speaks mostly about possible physical causes for the mysterious bursts, but ponders: “Nobody knows what causes these powerful bursts, but some have even speculated that the signals could be transmitted by distant alien civilisations.” The word could is a faith word.
If we find ET, don’t talk to it, says the man who wants to find ET (The Conversation): In this article, astronomer Charley Lineweaver and his friend Stephen Hawking speculate about the moral and intellectual traits of space aliens they have never seen. Judging from his beliefs about evolution, Lineweaver thinks aliens would most likely have evolved millions of years beyond us and would probably be hostile. His alien religion requires a kind of genuflection. He notes that Hawking thinks humans should keep their head low; “in the spectrum between, paranoia and unjustifiable fear on one side, and reasonable caution on the other, where does keeping your head low fit in?” Lineweaver concludes, “even if there aren’t any advanced alien civilisations elsewhere in the universe, keeping your head down is probably a good exercise in humility.”Aliens are everywhere, says Ivy League professor (Fox News): This one takes the cake for wildest speculation we have ever seen concerning space aliens. Columbia astrophysicist Caleb Scharf is floating the idea that aliens have evolved so far ahead of humans, they have transmogrified themselves into the laws of nature and even subatomic particles that surround us:
The expert says our universe is the remains of intelligent alien life which controls all aspects of the physical world — from gravity to the speed of light.
The theory helps to explain the great mysteries of the cosmos and also answers why we are yet to find intelligent life beyond our planet, Professor Caleb Scharf says.…
“Perhaps hyper-advanced life isn’t just external. Perhaps it’s already all around”, he said.
“It is embedded in what we perceive to be physics itself.
“In other words, life might not just be in the equations. It might be the equations.”
The difference between Scharf’s alien-is-everything and the Christian doctrine of God’s omnipresence must be understood. To the Christian, God is the eternal first cause. Omnipresence is one of his attributes. To Scharf, material particles evolved into minds that took over. It’s the exact opposite: evolved materials turning themselves into masters of the universe. It’s the latest iteration of Satan’s old lie, “you shall be as gods. Genesis 3:5”
CEH