Is there a God - or isn't there?

[Colin]

I think that using radio to search is flawed.  Why ? because the known (?) universe is B I G and the amount of power needed to communicate reliably across the distances involved would be equally massive and, using present technology, would take a very L O N G time to reach a destination. 

 

Not only that, but we have no means of knowing how any message (?) should be encoded, which frequency should be used to transmit it, or, indeed, if anyone would be listening at the other end.

 

Sure, we could take a guess at any of the above but, who knows how an alien race might think (?) , or more to the point, what they want for dinner ?

[Colin]

Who is piloting the ufos.

Ask on Youtube...  Plenty of "clickbait" there.

[George.]

The physicist, Enrico Fermi asked a simple question in the early 1950s. With something over 100 billion stars in our gallaxy (the Milky Way), the probability of advanced civilisations throughout the galaxy should be pretty damn high. But there is nothing. No evidence whatsoever. The Fermi Paradox.

Does the Fermi Paradox take into consideration where we are in the universe, in relation to time?

 

The universe began about 13.8 billion year ago. Planet Earth started approximately 4.5 billion year ago. Mankind (Homo Erectus) didn't begin until about 1.5 million years ago when he emigrated out of Africa. That means our planet is three thousand time older than we are and the universe is more than nine thousand times older than us. If it was a relatively complicated job to get man started in the first place on Earth, it will probably not be any easier anywhere else. 

 

That suggests there is possibly a very good chance that aliens will eventually appear on hi wee planet sometime in the future, on other planets going round other suns. Man may well pollute his planet to death but there is a future across the rest of this universe, and every other universe that there may be.

 

If we ever do come across any aliens, will they claim that there's a god too?

Edited October 16, 2018 by George.

[Ghostrider]

Any attempts at detecting/quantifing 'aliens' or 'UFO's' aren't really much more likely than attempts at detecting/quantifying 'God', and are somewhat bedevilled by the same issues.

 

Humans are restricted to what our senses detect, and what we've (usually accidentally) created machines to detect, and we tend to only expect 'aliens' to exist, if they exist, arguaby arrogantly, in a form which is detectable by our senses and/or our machines. By the very nature of what 'aliens' could well be, there is no reason to believe they will play by such rules, and human imagination (insanity?) can be given free reign on the subject.

 

'Aliens' may well already be here 'living' among us, equally likely there could well be multiple varieties of 'aliens' already here all living parallel 'lives' in parallel 'worlds', none of which are known or detectable to any variety of 'alien' but their own.

 

The concept of things being in this world we cannot detect isn't rare, electricity only manifests itself to our senses in certain ways in certain very specific conditions. We've developed machines over time which are more sensitive to it, but are we aware of and able to detect its every aspect, probably not. Radiation is omni-present all around us, we never knew it was there until somebody accidentally created machinery sensitive to it. How much more is here we're oblivious to and will remain so until it too is accidentally 'discovered', maybe there's nothing more, but equally likely there coud be countless similar 'discoveries' waiting to be made, and there's no reason why one or multiple 'aliens' may not be among them. We just don't know it as they're made from a substance we know nothing of as yet, and which we can't see, hear, smell, taste or feel, and we've not accidentally created a machine that is either sensitive to the unknown substance they are constructed from, or vice versa, a machine which emits a force that the substance they are constructed from reacts to in a way that makes it detectable to human senses.

[John Allan]

The earth is on the backside end of the Milky Way Galaxy which contains around 200-400 billion stars (which is a lot).  Though the Milky Way itself is a pretty insignificant galaxy (though both are very nice treats). In comparison, the observable universe alone has around 300 sextillion stars (which is really loads). But, there is far more "space" than there is physical objects and the distances between them are astronomical.

 

While the above numbers may make the possibility of life being found in the right conditions on theory, the Universe is expanding at an amazing speed and this is speeding up. Unless the human race develops a mechanism very soon that can take advantage of something like superluminal communication (the only known theory of sending a signal faster than the speed of light, it's basically time travel), then contacting any life in the Universe and still being here when the response comes back is extremely low.

 

I guess the only hope is that another life form with this technology has already done that and we are the receiver. Though as noted, this part of the Galaxy is a bit of a backwater and our sun is extremely small, so it might not be note worthy enough for another life form to send messages our way.

[Urabug]

Nothing  comes to an end,it changes from one thing into another.

 

When i die my body will decay but there will always be the remains which will amalgamate into the earth and eventually move around from place to place but never can be completely destroyed.

 

If we travel into space and reach a wall there must be something on the other side .

 

There is no end that we can logically understand .

 

everything is made from something else.

 

Is it possible that all the" bits" that make me could come together and reincarnate me, well I have serious doubts on that one !

 

There is an awful lot we do not understand and never will.

 

Some people say the body dies and the spirit goes on, I say the spirit dies and its the body that goes on.

Edited October 16, 2018 by Urabug

[John Allan]

Absolutely. Interesting response to the question "Are we really made of stardust?" is here http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/are-we-really-made-of-stardust.html

 

Nothing  comes to an end,it changes from one thing into another.

 

When i die my body will decay but there will always be the remains which will amalgamate into the earth and eventually move around from place to place but never can be completely destroyed.

 

If we travel into space and reach a wall there must be something on the other side .

 

There is no end that we can logically understand .

 

everything is made from something else.

 

Is it possible that all the" bits" that make me could come together and reincarnate me, well I have serious doubts on that one !

 

There is an awful lot we do not understand and never will.

 

Some people say the body dies and the spirit goes on, I say the spirit dies and its the body that goes on.

[CrashBox]

The earth is on the backside end of the Milky Way Galaxy which contains around 200-400 billion stars (which is a lot).  Though the Milky Way itself is a pretty insignificant galaxy (though both are very nice treats). In comparison, the observable universe alone has around 300 sextillion stars (which is really loads). But, there is far more "space" than there is physical objects and the distances between them are astronomical.

 

While the above numbers may make the possibility of life being found in the right conditions on theory, the Universe is expanding at an amazing speed and this is speeding up. Unless the human race develops a mechanism very soon that can take advantage of something like superluminal communication (the only known theory of sending a signal faster than the speed of light, it's basically time travel), then contacting any life in the Universe and still being here when the response comes back is extremely low.

 

I guess the only hope is that another life form with this technology has already done that and we are the receiver. Though as noted, this part of the Galaxy is a bit of a backwater and our sun is extremely small, so it might not be note worthy enough for another life form to send messages our way.

 

I was only interested in our backyard rather than the entire city, so to speak, but I'll draw your attention to this YouTube TED Talk video 

which should give a little food for thought, regarding the rest of the visible universe. The last five minutes or so is certainly an eye-opener. 

[Ghostrider]

Some people say the body dies and the spirit goes on, I say the spirit dies and its the body that goes on.

 

I tend to see it that the body and spirit become largely detached from each other, but both continue. The body as you say decays and dissapates in to the surroundings, the spirit, if you accept it is quantified as 'the effect of the body having lived', cannot ever 'die'. You cannot undo what has been done, you cannot us-say what has been said etc - The body having lived has by default of doing so irrevocably changed the future, even it was only in some miniscule manner, and that's permanent.

Edited October 16, 2018 by Ghostrider

[George.]

I tend to see it that the body and spirit become largely detached from each other, but both continue. 

To accept the spirit like that is very similar to believing that we have a soul. Only believers are spiritually alive - or so they say.

 

James 2:26

Edited October 17, 2018 by George.

[John Allan]

Good link. I read his book of the same name as the youtube video, it's pretty thought provoking. In the book he goes through each of the main theories and gives the pros and cons of each. 

 

 

The earth is on the backside end of the Milky Way Galaxy which contains around 200-400 billion stars (which is a lot).  Though the Milky Way itself is a pretty insignificant galaxy (though both are very nice treats). In comparison, the observable universe alone has around 300 sextillion stars (which is really loads). But, there is far more "space" than there is physical objects and the distances between them are astronomical.

 

While the above numbers may make the possibility of life being found in the right conditions on theory, the Universe is expanding at an amazing speed and this is speeding up. Unless the human race develops a mechanism very soon that can take advantage of something like superluminal communication (the only known theory of sending a signal faster than the speed of light, it's basically time travel), then contacting any life in the Universe and still being here when the response comes back is extremely low.

 

I guess the only hope is that another life form with this technology has already done that and we are the receiver. Though as noted, this part of the Galaxy is a bit of a backwater and our sun is extremely small, so it might not be note worthy enough for another life form to send messages our way.

 

I was only interested in our backyard rather than the entire city, so to speak, but I'll draw your attention to this YouTube TED Talk video 

which should give a little food for thought, regarding the rest of the visible universe. The last five minutes or so is certainly an eye-opener. 

 

[Urabug]

Afraid until I see concrete proof by many eminent scientists that Spiritualism actually does exist I will remain pessimistic on the subject.

 

The main reason for the demise of the church is the advancements in science which makes much of what is in the bible pure nonsense.

 

Years ago the congregation did not have this info and was brainwashed with whatever was preached to them.

 

Time has moved on and today we want proof not fallacy.

 

So if Christianity is to survive then our Saviour needs to reinsert his presence and convince me .

 

Having said all that I hold no "grudge" against anyone who has a faith and a Christian believe, and goes to church regularly .That is there personal  choice and good luck to them.

[Ghostrider]

 

I tend to see it that the body and spirit become largely detached from each other, but both continue. 

To accept the spirit like that is very similar to believing that we have a soul. Only believers are spiritually alive - or so they say.

 

James 2:26

 

 

Another 'get out of jail' card utilised by 'religions' - Hi-jacking existing natural phenomena for their own purposes.

 

Call it 'spirit', 'soul' or whatever, you can't get away from it that by being conceived any form of 'life', be it animal, plant or whatever, changes the future from that moment forward, the ripple effect, and when that 'life' ceases to be a 'life' any longer, the influence and impact it has had on everything else cannot be erased. The ripple effect will not and cannot reversed just because its initiator changes form.

 

I don't think the above is what 'believers' have in mind when they talk of 'spirit' and 'soul', but I wouldn't really know as I've never managed to get my head around just what it is they are talking about when they speak of 'spirit' and 'soul', so its up to a 'believer' to confirm or deny it.

 

However, it is the only thing I can comprehend and quantify that seems to fit within the general definitions of 'spirit' and 'soul'.

[George.]

Afraid until I see concrete proof by many eminent scientists that Spiritualism actually does exist I will remain pessimistic on the subject.

 

Spiritualism is a belief system. No more and no less.

Edited October 17, 2018 by George.

[Guest PJS1979]

100 percent no, just like the tooth fairy, santa claus and all other fairytales, god is pure fantasy, it never ceases to amaze me how folk can be so naive to believe in any gods.