The sum of us: Rugby league hero Steve Mortimer proud of his son's gay union

[yokahontas]

As an intelligent person I have to agree. I mean, Star Trek, Star Wars, lost in space, alien, aliens, alien3, alien resurrection, Blake's 7, dr who, my favourite Martian, do I need to go on?

I always liked Alf. I don't like cats, so an alien life form that eats the bloody things is alright by me!

 

[Top End Eagle]

I always liked Alf. I don't like cats, so an alien life form that eats the bloody things is alright by me!

I don't like cats because dogs don't trust them. Forget religion. You can live a full and prosperous life by those words.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

This is getting like the "Is there a God" thread of I don't know how many years ago.

It's got me buggered how so many of you are so ****ing pious, don't you know there's only one God and his name's Cliffy Lyons!!

 

[Technical Coach]

I think there's probably as much chance of 'little green men' type aliens as there is that God exists. We created those in our own image the same way man created God in his own image.

But is there a pretty fair probability there is some type of life somewhere else in the universe? Yup. Who knows what, where etc, but there's not the tiniest bit of cognitive dissonance in both being an atheist and believing/understanding there's still a lot that science has yet to discover and/or explain.

So basically what you saying is you have "Faith" in science---can the two even mix lol.

 

[Killer03]

This is getting like the "Is there a God" thread of I don't know how many years ago.

It's got me buggered how so many of you are so ****ing pious, don't you know there's only one God and his name's Cliffy Lyons!!

Is that why so many people call Jamie Lyon, Jamie Lyons? Because he is the son God?

 

[Technical Coach]

Just three things.

1) Your blade of grass example is not a "mentality" (whatever that is) it is
an expression of proportion.

2) If you believe there is as an equal probability of the existence of a God then I am arguing with someone who doesn't understand the meaning of probability.

3) It is not simply a senseless debate, billions of dollars are being spend by Nasa, and other agencies searching for both basic life and intelligent life..

1)Mentality-the capacity for intelligent thought.(Google it)

2)The extent to which an event is likely to occur. Hmm just as much chance of God or Jesus returning as the likelihood of an Alien invasion or response----so close to call the 000.1% swing of a higher probability one way or another is not worth debating right now.

3)I said pointless debate, wasted money and resources of skilled intelligent talent being spent on seeking Alien life would be better invested in research and development to find cures for illness and disease and other issues much closer to home.

4)You keep thinking I'm intelligent i keep proving you wrong so since you are obviously the more intelligent person between the two of us you have nothing to gain, just wasting your valuable time with me---an intelligent person would be able to work this out quick smart.

Yes flow on benefits will happen from any research into other areas so it is not all wasted but the vast majority in my opinion is----if they want to contact us they will, if not we have our own problems to deal with.( i know i know it is not just about "Intelligent forms of life")

 

[yokahontas]

So basically what you saying is you have "Faith" in science---can the two even mix lol.

That's not what I said at all actually. I'll reserve judgement until I see actual evidence of alien life, which is what scientific thinking is based on, not blind faith. You think it might be out there, a scientist will go looking for it to prove it's out there, a theist will tell you to just believe it is because that's what you've been told.

You're welcome to whatever beliefs and views you hold; some of us have a background of personal experience as well as study that tends towards evidence against a benevolent God rather than for. Each to their own.

My background is more towards the history and psychology stuff, not pure science anyway, but what that tells me is that oral histories are notoriously unreliable, that (like others have mentioned) religious texts were at least partly written to drive societal behaviour in their time (e.g. burying of dead bodies was mentioned, prohibitions against eating certain foods is another one - phrased as 'God says so' but realistically to drive behaviours around sanitation and hygiene), and that there are basic commonalities between all major religions (the do unto others stuff etc) - if you study it, it's even possible to pinpoint at which points in world history one group became dominant over another, brought their religious tradition in with them but cribbed the bits they liked from the locals (or took on certain aspects to make the religious takeover more palatable to the natives). That's why I refer to Christianity as the western cultural mythology. All cultures have them, that just happens to have been the dominant one in the time and location I was - utterly randomly - born into.

 

[Technical Coach]

That's not what I said at all actually. I'll reserve judgement until I see actual evidence of alien life, which is what scientific thinking is based on, not blind faith. You think it might be out there, a scientist will go looking for it to prove it's out there, a theist will tell you to just believe it is because that's what you've been told.

You're welcome to whatever beliefs and views you hold; some of us have a background of personal experience as well as study that tends towards evidence against a benevolent God rather than for. Each to their own.

My background is more towards the history and psychology stuff, not pure science anyway, but what that tells me is that oral histories are notoriously unreliable, that (like others have mentioned) religious texts were at least partly written to drive societal behaviour in their time (e.g. burying of dead bodies was mentioned, prohibitions against eating certain foods is another one - phrased as 'God says so' but realistically to drive behaviours around sanitation and hygiene), and that there are basic commonalities between all major religions (the do unto others stuff etc) - if you study it, it's even possible to pinpoint at which points in world history one group became dominant over another, brought their religious tradition in with them but cribbed the bits they liked from the locals (or took on certain aspects to make the religious takeover more palatable to the natives). That's why I refer to Christianity as the western cultural mythology. All cultures have them, that just happens to have been the dominant one in the time and location I was - utterly randomly - born into.

So you are reserving judgment until you see facts so what is the basis of supporting science(people in general not you personally) to waste such large resources and money on the minute possibility there is even "Intelligent life"

 

[Technical Coach]

That's not what I said at all actually. I'll reserve judgement until I see actual evidence of alien life, which is what scientific thinking is based on, not blind faith. You think it might be out there, a scientist will go looking for it to prove it's out there, a theist will tell you to just believe it is because that's what you've been told.

You're welcome to whatever beliefs and views you hold; some of us have a background of personal experience as well as study that tends towards evidence against a benevolent God rather than for. Each to their own.

My background is more towards the history and psychology stuff, not pure science anyway, but what that tells me is that oral histories are notoriously unreliable, that (like others have mentioned) religious texts were at least partly written to drive societal behaviour in their time (e.g. burying of dead bodies was mentioned, prohibitions against eating certain foods is another one - phrased as 'God says so' but realistically to drive behaviours around sanitation and hygiene), and that there are basic commonalities between all major religions (the do unto others stuff etc) - if you study it, it's even possible to pinpoint at which points in world history one group became dominant over another, brought their religious tradition in with them but cribbed the bits they liked from the locals (or took on certain aspects to make the religious takeover more palatable to the natives). That's why I refer to Christianity as the western cultural mythology. All cultures have them, that just happens to have been the dominant one in the time and location I was - utterly randomly - born into.

By the way i know i am welcome to my beliefs-----why do people mention that when discussing or debating a topic "you are entitled to your opinion" like it needs to be said.

 

[Technical Coach]

That's not what I said at all actually. I'll reserve judgement until I see actual evidence of alien life, which is what scientific thinking is based on, not blind faith. You think it might be out there, a scientist will go looking for it to prove it's out there, a theist will tell you to just believe it is because that's what you've been told.

You're welcome to whatever beliefs and views you hold; some of us have a background of personal experience as well as study that tends towards evidence against a benevolent God rather than for. Each to their own.

My background is more towards the history and psychology stuff, not pure science anyway, but what that tells me is that oral histories are notoriously unreliable, that (like others have mentioned) religious texts were at least partly written to drive societal behaviour in their time (e.g. burying of dead bodies was mentioned, prohibitions against eating certain foods is another one - phrased as 'God says so' but realistically to drive behaviours around sanitation and hygiene), and that there are basic commonalities between all major religions (the do unto others stuff etc) - if you study it, it's even possible to pinpoint at which points in world history one group became dominant over another, brought their religious tradition in with them but cribbed the bits they liked from the locals (or took on certain aspects to make the religious takeover more palatable to the natives). That's why I refer to Christianity as the western cultural mythology. All cultures have them, that just happens to have been the dominant one in the time and location I was - utterly randomly - born into.

Scientific theories are also notoriously unreliable but improved upon with replacements that are or "appear" more complete and reliable.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Proof of life in our galaxy only requires you to look into the mirror to confirm it is possible. Therefore it is not a stretch of the imagination to at least consider the possibility that it may happen somewhere else in the universe, how ever small the probability.

Proof of the existence of a "God" (pick anyone of the many that have been worshipped over history) ???? I'm yet to see any. Unless of course you claim looking in the mirror is all the proof you need.

 

[sheridanstand78]

Wow I turn my back on this debate for a week and now its all about whether aliens exist.

I thought the thread was about a feel good story of a sporting legend supporting his boy. Seems like ages ago that this was actually discussed.

I have enjoyed the banter with people on this thread. I think we have been mostly fair in our exchanges and its true that some people have their opinions which they are entitled to.

I think the moral of this story is about accepting people for whom they are and rejecting homophobia and ignorance.

 

[Technical Coach]

https://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-ames-reproduces-the-building-blocks-of-life-in-laboratory

I think there is more chance of life in the universe, the small place that we know of, than there is of TC being a technical coach. Jesus was a good bloke and an historical reality. But he wouldn't have thought he knew it all. The arrogance of some of the posters here astounds me.

Double done on this site until after origin 2. It's out of control. There were plenty of ancient Greeks who thought they knew it all with regard to their religion.

Like the first bloke who buried a dead body and the entire clan didn't get disease from its festering corpse who had no idea of germs and no ducking way of seeing them went 'yeah that's what the magical beings who live amongst us want us to do'.

Get educated.

Tophead why don't you do yourself a favour along with many others in this thread and read my replies again in the original context they were delivered not the supplanted BS dumbed down interpretations to create amusement and conflict.

1)The original quote from me is “'I've always found it very interesting(and also worrying) that many Atheists believe in the existence of Aliens without cold hard facts either”, not "Alien life" forms.(Alien life is life that does not originate from Earth,---- “Alien” is a relatively complex form of life---you know the green cartoon characters that you have posted all over your walls since you appear to be a big fan.

2)I only disagreed that the probability is “extremely high” we don't have cold hard indisputable evidence to have an “extremely high” probability about “Alien life”(i guess we can extrapolate from what we know and theorize to generate a high probability which is fine) I still call it “low” based on lack of evidence, but better than “extremely low” in reference to my original comment that I was referring to in “Aliens” existing---- is about as likely as seeing Jesus or God on Earth.


From Wiki “These as-yet-hypothetical life forms range from simple bacteria-like organisms to beings with civilizations far more advanced than humanity. Although many scientists expect extraterrestrial life to exist, there is no unambiguous evidence for its existence so far.

Once the evidence amasses itself then the probability rises----i believe and have never once stated that I don't believe we will find “Alien life” just “Aliens” but that in both instances I still feel it is low to extremely low with what we know so far. (there is a possibility but i would not be using the terms "extremely high" in any way shape or form)


My comparison with religion/Jesus was meant to illustrate how easily humans can believe in anything based off zero to basically zero facts or intelligent thought, either side of the debate. Humans have been believing in Aliens way before there was any intelligent basis to form that belief.

 

[Technical Coach]

Proof of life in our galaxy only requires you to look into the mirror to confirm it is possible. Therefore it is not a stretch of the imagination to at least consider the possibility that it may happen somewhere else in the universe, how ever small the probability.

Proof of the existence of a "God" (pick anyone of the many that have been worshipped over history) ???? I'm yet to see any. Unless of course you claim looking in the mirror is all the proof you need.

Did i state there is an absolute proof of a God.(i clearly stated it is faith based earlier in the thread)

And your first point backs up my original view that to use the term "high probability" is taking it too far---it is still small.(i never stated there is zero possibility)

 

[Ralphie]

I don't like cats because dogs don't trust them. Forget religion. You can live a full and prosperous life by those words.

I don't trust cats either, oh wait........Rex will accuse me of being homophobic for that statement.

New sentence......I like dogs.

 

[Chip and Chase]

Did i state there is an absolute proof of a God.(i clearly stated it is faith based earlier in the thread)

And your first point backs up my original view that to use the term "high probability" is taking it too far---it is still small.(i never stated there is zero possibility)

The chance of there being life somewhere else in the vast universe may well be very low but it is still many, many of orders of magnitude higher than the chance of there being a God (whichever one you choose of the many available). To equate the two is outlandish.

I also dispute your claim that "many atheists believe in the existence of aliens" - what percentage is "many" just out of interest ?? I'm an atheist and I don't believe that aliens exist, nor do any of my many atheist friends. I agree that we would all acknowledge that there is a statistical chance that alien life forms exist, but that is streets away from actually believing they do. Trying to discredit the atheist viewpoint by making outlandish claims that they all believe in little green men is ridiculous.

 

[yokahontas]

The chance of there being life somewhere else in the vast universe may well be very low but it is still many, many of orders of magnitude higher than the chance of there being a God (whichever one you choose of the many available). To equate the two is outlandish.

I also dispute your claim that "many atheists believe in the existence of aliens" - what percentage is "many" just out of interest ?? I'm an atheist and I don't believe that aliens exist, nor do any of my many atheist friends. I agree that we would all acknowledge that there is a statistical chance that alien life forms exist, but that is streets away from actually believing they do. Trying to discredit the atheist viewpoint by making outlandish claims that they all believe in little green men is ridiculous.

Summed it up. From what I've seen, the rabid alien abduction types actually have a lot in common with the under-educated, blindly faithful religious types you tend to see proliferating in parts of the USA. It's the same flavour of zealotry, whether it's believing you have the right to picket funerals, or that little green men stole you away and poked things up your bot-bot for funsies.

 

[Budgie]

Well let's face it, life really doesn't make any sense. Cant blame anyone for theorising. It's only when they're convinced they're 100% right and everyone else is wrong that I get my hackles up.
NB. Not including scientists here.

 

[lsz]

So where do we stand on gay aliens?

 

[Budgie]

So where do we stand on gay aliens?

We try not to stand on them as they might get squashed.