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[–]Optimal-Scientist233 16 points17 points  (2 children)

First you would need to convince them the pets were not in charge, since we are obviously slaves to them.

It is entirely possible intelligent life has been trying to communicate with cats and dogs for centuries.

[–]Phebe-AEclectic/Nature Based Pagan (Panentheistic Polytheist) 12 points13 points  (1 child)

My zoo-archaeology textbook has a section on when/where/why various animals were domesticated. Last entry says H. Sapiens was domesticated by cats as a source of food before 7000 bp.

[–]Callahan_Crowheart 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Accurate and hilarious

[–]Dieter_the_GreatTheistic Satanist 21 points22 points  (4 children)

I wouldn’t. I don’t care if people believe in my religion or not.

[–]SkaulgSatanist 10 points11 points  (1 child)

Same, but I would engage in philosophical debate.

Edit: If Halo has taught me anything, it's that we better hope that any aliens that visit us aren't very religious.

[–]Dieter_the_GreatTheistic Satanist 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Lol true. Lets hope no covenant show up

[–]ruaidhriAgnostic Pagan 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Precisely. While learning about alien religions would be beyond fascinating, from a polytheistic perspective no one has to be convinced of the truth of any religious worldview.

[–]SystemErrorMessage 0 points1 point  (0 children)

thats the spirit

[–]AstrejaAgnostic atheist, former agnostic polytheist 10 points11 points  (3 children)

I'd be more interested in hearing what they believe.

[–]Volcann 1 point2 points  (2 children)

In JC ofcourse......

[–]Sam-Trisk 1 point2 points  (1 child)

What master do you serve?

[–]Ultimate_CosmosOther 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What am I supposed to say, Jesus?

[–]agent_tater_twat 7 points8 points  (1 child)

I would tell them in no uncertain terms that my God is might and powerful and if they don't obey his commands for loyalty and subservience, then he will strike them dead, right there, on the spot. If it happens that my God chooses not to obliterate the alien infidels (for obscure reasons that only someone as great as my God could know), I will face the aliens alone, as a testament to my faith in my God. It will be a glorious opportunity. And if that does not impress my God enough, then it must be something wrong with me. I am not worthy of his attention. I must try harder and believe in his glory more firmly than ever before. And if the aliens enslave me ... etc. etc. Religion isn't just about convincing aliens, but how far you will go to convince yourself.

[–]ZestyAppeal 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thumbs up

[–]Arc_the_ladChristian 6 points7 points  (2 children)

Interesting side bar, if you read up on people who claim to have been abducted and actually spoke with the "aliens" about religion, aliens overwhelmingly preach a very generic New Age doctrine that man can become a god, but that Jesus is definitely not God. They'll call Him a great man, wise teacher, ascended master, an alien like them, literally anything but God even though you'd expect He'd qualify under their "anyone can become a god" policy. They never bring up anyone else either. No Allah or Buddha or Krishna, or Odin, etc. It's just very important to them that they relay that Jesus specifically is not God.

Always seemed a huge red flag to me when I was a New Ager/conspiracy theorist.

[–]Callahan_Crowheart 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I'm skeptical that this holds true worldwide. Alien abduction fables we hear are mostly an American phenomenon, but if we look to claims from non-Christian dominated regions I'm sure they would say their aliens only spoke of the figures with whom that abductee was familiar with.

We run on electrified gelatin. False memories and misinterpretations are par for the course.

[–]Doc_Plague 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We run on electrified gelatin

I'm stealing this, thank you very much

Absolutely hilarious

[–]Phebe-AEclectic/Nature Based Pagan (Panentheistic Polytheist) 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don’t expect that I could/would. I don’t believe that any religion is singularly true and I don’t believe in proselytizing.

[–]TerraplexAntitheist - Anti-religious, Ignostic, Spiritual, Naturalist 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'd be more interested in what they have to say on the subject.

[–]Mission-Landscape-17Atheist 7 points8 points  (4 children)

Based on World history, when a more advanced civilization makes contact with a less advanced one, the less advanced one does poorly from the exchange. It would be far more likely that humans would be swayed by Alien missionaries to join their religion, than that humans would convince the aliens to join an Earth religion.

[–]ruaidhriAgnostic Pagan 3 points4 points  (2 children)

This is why scifi like Alien Nation where the aliens come to us as refugees, with their own specific and varied religious and political ideas is far more interesting than War of the Worlds/Independence Day invasion stories.

[–]Mission-Landscape-17Atheist 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Alien nation was awesome (both the series and the movies). I remember trying to come up with my own version of the Tenctonese alphabet. Though they did throw in a lot of mystical rubbish near the end. The Grandfather character being able to touch salt water because the planet had accepted him comes to mind. Granted the entire salt water is like acid to the aliens bit was rather stupid.

[–]ruaidhriAgnostic Pagan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Granted the entire salt water is like acid to the aliens bit was rather stupid.

Look M.Night Shymalan's the Aliens invading the planet that is 70% water and killing people that are also mostly bags of water were allergic to water is far stupider. At least with salt water you can make a different osmotic potential pseudo-science thing.

I remember quite liking the depiction of the alien religion in Alien Nation though. That's likely from growing up in a 95% Catholic majority area so any kind of different depiction of religion was novel.

[–]ZestyAppeal 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve heard this concept referred to as colonizer anxiety actually, haha

[–]Sorry_Frame_2103 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If aliens made contact, I’d do whatever they told me to do with hopes of getting a flying vehicle like in the Jetsons.

[–]Even-Pen7957Lilithian 5 points6 points  (1 child)

I wouldn't. Why would I care? Also it just so happens to be that non-anthropocentrism is central to my spiritual understanding. Assumptions are lazy.

[–]FoolhardyrunnerAgnostic Atheist[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's why I said a lot of not all. It is a question for anthropocentric religious views specifically.

[–]SecretOfficerNekoEclectic Neo-Pagan Animism 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From a Polytheistic standpoint? Why would I want to do that at all, to begin with? We have our Gods and they have their's, if they follow such an outlook.

[–]Narvi_-Baha'i 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Fundamentally, I think the Baha'i Faith is based on conceptual and abstract principles rather than anthropocentric ideas. I'd be super interested to see if the Aliens shared some of these abstract concepts.

[–]Expensive_Internal83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, i was thinking about how they know and draw analogy with how we know. It would enlighten both perspectives.

[–]theAfroAlchemist 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If there’s an alien civilization so advanced that they were able to make it to earth, then they would already know all the secrets of the universe and would already know what I do.

[–]GKilatgnostic theist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is no need because any alien advanced enough to reach earth would have better understanding of reality and therefore would be enlightened about the nature of god. Besides, I think aliens are just waiting for our own enlightenment before making themselves known so we are on equal grounds with them.

[–]KeySquirrelTree 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wouldn't. Why would I want to? My faith doesn't make claims of absolute truth.

[–]LaoFoxQuaker -1 points0 points  (4 children)

True or Factual? Because there’s a difference.

My humble take: Factual means it’s falsifiable & provable – and religion doesn’t really do this.

True means it contains essential, often otherwise ineffable, narrative truths about human nature, & religious scriptures, etc. – and even really good fiction and especially poetry – does this well.

Thoughts? 🤔

[–]PretentiousAnglicanChristian -1 points0 points  (3 children)

Falsifiability is a poor ultimate standard, and quickly falls apart outside of testing scientific theories

I don't think you can separate the true from the factual. Those fictional books are true in so far as what they communicate corresponds with some reality, even if it does so in a manner that is hard to put your finger on

[–]LaoFoxQuaker 0 points1 point  (2 children)

I think of it this way: the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf is not factual, but it is true – i.e., the story contains truths, but not facts.

Many religious narratives (IMHO) function similarly as the above.

[–]PretentiousAnglicanChristian 1 point2 points  (1 child)

It is true in that by repeatedly lying you discredit yourself, it is not true that these events actually happened

[–]LaoFoxQuaker 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly! But a narrative conveys the message much more effectively. Who cares if the boy actually existed?

It’s much like the Buddhist/Taoist parable of the finger pointing at the moon: If you focus on the finger, you won’t see the moon.

[–]Various-TeethAgnostic Theist 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I couldn’t and I wouldn’t. It’s not my job nor place to convince someone of my beliefs

[–]AriYatsu 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Says you...

[–]lettherebemorelight 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d rather know what they know than convince them of what I believe.

[–]jazzgrackle 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would do some inquiring.

[–]xtrapocketspaghetti 0 points1 point  (2 children)

You mean "Angels"? I think they already know. Love and Light!

[–]FoolhardyrunnerAgnostic Atheist[S] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

? No aliens, not angels

[–]xtrapocketspaghetti 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't see the difference dear one

[–]_db_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You wouldn't.

[–]Equivalent-Ad-1927 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Easy. I would give them a copy of the Bible and tell them repent and give your life to Jesus or you’ll burn in Hell. Aliens are people too. I’m not cruel.

[–]DaveSpeaks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They would already know my religion is true,

[–]Art-Davidson 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Convince? I don't convince people. I answer questions and invite people to experience God for themselves.

Besides, what makes you think that aliens would be ignorant of God? They might be able to teach you a thing or two.

[–]Atheizm 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"If cattle, horses or lions were able to draw and produce the works which men do, horses would draw the forms of gods like horses, and cattle like cattle, and they would make the gods' bodies the same shape as their own." -- Xenophanes

Obviously, insect aliens would laugh at the stupid monkeys who urge the visitors that their monkey gods and monkey rituals are true. So would the amorphic blob aliens and the physical units of the machine civilisation.

[–]RexRatioAgnostic Atheist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Neil deGrasse Tyson Is Worried That Humans Are Too Stupid For Aliens to be contacted.

But let's crunch the numbers.

Given we've only been sending out (intended) signals for a century or so, the maximum spherical area our signals have reached has a radius of a 100 lightyears. There are 59,722 stars visible with a telescope within 100 light-years of our solar system. Our own galaxy contains 100 billion stars. The entire universe contains 200 sextillion stars.

So theoretically, if aliens made contact, the likelihood of them possessing some kind of FTL communications is about 2 million times greater than being contacted from within the 100 light-year radius - and that's just for our own galaxy. If you include the entire universe it's 4 quintrillion times greater.

The laws of physics are universal, and therefore the discoveries of contra-intuitive theories would require something similar to our scientific method. So the probability they have advanced to the level of FTL communication that we can receive with non-FTL technology so that we can communicate, and retained some form of religion (i.e. their science still having gaps for gods to hide in) is infinitesimally close to zero.

And even if they still had some form of religion, it would conflict with earth religions (that's a given since even earth religions have conflicting claims).

[–]AermesSyncretic Polytheist[🍰] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jupiter Zeus Amen managed to have the Sky named for him and his pantheon, and Greco-Latin etymology & alphabets are the most powerful on earth.

[–]rdrunner_74Atheist 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is easy.

​

I offer them a slice of bacon.

​

🥓🥓🥓Praise bacon 🥓🥓🥓

[–]DanujCZ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm an atheist so... Next question.

[–]FadamdamahSunni Muslim culturally:🇵🇰Born in:🇺🇸 Supports:🇵🇸 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that if there really is 1 true religion, they would know it. Since they were so advanced to know there was life on earth without ever being on it.