May 16, 2008
Vatican's Chief Astronomer -Advanced Extraterrestrial Life Not An Accident
The
Vatican's chief astronomer says there is no conflict between believing
in God and in the possibility of extraterrestrial civilizations perhaps
more evolved than humans."In my opinion this possibility exists," said the Reverend José Gabriel Funes, head of the Vatican Observatory and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict XVI, referring to life on other planets.
"How can we exclude that life has developed elsewhere," he said in an
interview with the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, published in
its Tuesday-Wednesday edition. The large number of galaxies with their
own planets makes this possible, he noted.
Asked if he was referring to beings similar to humans or even more evolved than humans, he said: "Certainly, in a universe this big you can't exclude this hypothesis."
In the interview headlined, "The extraterrestrial is my brother," Funes said he saw no conflict between belief in such beings and faith in God.
"Just as there is a multiplicity of creatures on earth, there can be other beings, even intelligent, created by God. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can't put limits on God's creative freedom. Why can't we speak of a 'brother extraterrestrial'? It would still be part of creation."
Funes, who runs the observatory that is based south of Rome and in Arizona, held out the possibility that the human race might actually be the "lost sheep" of the universe. There could be other beings "who remained in full friendship with their creator," he said.
Funes commentary is a giant step away from the historical record that includes the Inquisition, which condemned Galileo in the 17th century for insisting that the Earth revolved around the Sun. The Roman Catholic Church did not rehabilitate him until 1992.
Funes said he believed as an astronomer that the most likely explanation for the start of the universe was "the big bang," the theory that it sprang into existence from dense matter billions of years ago. But he said this was not in conflict with faith in God as creator. "God is the creator," he said. "There is a sense to creation. We are not children of an accident."
He added: "As an astronomer, I continue to believe that God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the product of something casual but children of a good father who has a project of love in mind for us."
Posted by Casey Kazan.
Related Galaxy posts:
The METI Controversy: Is Detection by Alien Life a Threat to the Human Species?
Detecting Extraterrestrial Life -The "Man vs. Machine" Space-Exploration DebateBabelfish -Universal Translator Will Allow ET to Speak English
The 1.5 Gigayear Technology Gap
Advanced Civilizations in the Universe -A Galaxy Insight
The "Hubble Effect" -A Galaxy Insight
Stanley Kubrick & the Mythology of Extraterrestrial Life -A Galaxy Insight
"The Great Silence" -A Galaxy Insight
James Cameron & Arthur C Clarke on 2001 A Space Odyssey
MIT Asks: How Would Extraterrestrial Astronomers Study Earth?
Harvard-Smithsonian Scientists Zero In On Key Sign of Habitable Worlds
Source link:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/vat.php
Asked if he was referring to beings similar to humans or even more evolved than humans, he said: "Certainly, in a universe this big you can't exclude this hypothesis."
In the interview headlined, "The extraterrestrial is my brother," Funes said he saw no conflict between belief in such beings and faith in God.
"Just as there is a multiplicity of creatures on earth, there can be other beings, even intelligent, created by God. This is not in contrast with our faith because we can't put limits on God's creative freedom. Why can't we speak of a 'brother extraterrestrial'? It would still be part of creation."
Funes, who runs the observatory that is based south of Rome and in Arizona, held out the possibility that the human race might actually be the "lost sheep" of the universe. There could be other beings "who remained in full friendship with their creator," he said.
Funes commentary is a giant step away from the historical record that includes the Inquisition, which condemned Galileo in the 17th century for insisting that the Earth revolved around the Sun. The Roman Catholic Church did not rehabilitate him until 1992.
Funes said he believed as an astronomer that the most likely explanation for the start of the universe was "the big bang," the theory that it sprang into existence from dense matter billions of years ago. But he said this was not in conflict with faith in God as creator. "God is the creator," he said. "There is a sense to creation. We are not children of an accident."
He added: "As an astronomer, I continue to believe that God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the product of something casual but children of a good father who has a project of love in mind for us."
Posted by Casey Kazan.
Related Galaxy posts:
The METI Controversy: Is Detection by Alien Life a Threat to the Human Species?
Detecting Extraterrestrial Life -The "Man vs. Machine" Space-Exploration DebateBabelfish -Universal Translator Will Allow ET to Speak English
The 1.5 Gigayear Technology Gap
Advanced Civilizations in the Universe -A Galaxy Insight
The "Hubble Effect" -A Galaxy Insight
Stanley Kubrick & the Mythology of Extraterrestrial Life -A Galaxy Insight
"The Great Silence" -A Galaxy Insight
James Cameron & Arthur C Clarke on 2001 A Space Odyssey
MIT Asks: How Would Extraterrestrial Astronomers Study Earth?
Harvard-Smithsonian Scientists Zero In On Key Sign of Habitable Worlds
Source link:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/vat.php
Comments
Well, there was in the Bible the 2Pedro 3,13, it was always a little branch to me but..... .
Amusing. For every step that those who sought knowledge and were
condemned, perhaps even put to death for seeking it, and then were
proven right by reality, the great superstitions have tried to reconcile
their silly faiths with our reality by admitting the world is round
long after it has become embarrassingly obvious that such is the case.
