Consider this possibility:
At some point in the future, we discover intelligent life on another planet, but the planet contains TWO forms of intelligent life. (For example, in appearance one resembles our marsupials, and the other is similar to our bats.)
They exist peaceably with minimal interaction because they live on different portions of the planet & are active at different times of day. Each species has achieved its own kind of language, culture, technological advances, & religion:
~The marsupials are polytheistic, believe in reincarnation & consider the bats as simply a different form of sentient life.
~The bats are monotheistic, do NOT believe in life after death, & consider the marsupials to be a lower form of life.
Would sending a missionary expedition to this planet be worthwhile? Why or why not?
If you were a missionary, what would you believe your mission to be? To whom would you go first? What would your message be? Please give reasons for your answers.
2007-12-09 16:16:16 · 11 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
LADY REBECCA: Thanks for the short-story reference. I made this one up, but it's good to know that there's some other people with similar ideas.
2007-12-09 16:39:02 · update #1
These two species have been living in peace with each other for maybe thousands of years. It's not our place to send anybody in and force our planets beliefs on them, whatever that belief may be. It's not our place or our right. Who says the belief the missionary would be imposing is correct?They may not even see us as a friendly race and the missionaries would be killed on sight...
2007-12-09 16:21:45 · answer #1 · answered by Sara 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Missionary expeditions would be a textbook violation of the Prime Directive. I would alert Starfleet if any such missions were begun.
Also, any true religion, if such a thing exists, should transcend the narrow viewpoints of any single species. Thus, it would only make sense that a collaborative, open-minded approach with their species would get us closest to the truth.
2007-12-09 19:04:59 · answer #2 · answered by Surely Funke 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What Zwink said - a star from me too!
Edit - Sara - it never stopped missionaries in the past!
Edit - There is an excellent short story called "The Streets of Ashkelon" that addresses this very idea. It's ending is profound .
2007-12-09 16:19:45 · answer #3 · answered by LadyRebecca 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most people don't bother to connect with the life on this planet, so the idea that they'd bother on another planet is unlikely.
I don't believe in Missionaries - all they do is destroy indigenous cultures. They should stay home and leave everyone alone.
2007-12-09 16:28:49 · answer #4 · answered by Morgaine 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why must I be a believer...
I know I would like to ask the life forms some questions, before I attempted to force my own belief structures on them.
After understanding their culture I would explain where I come from and what my culture is all about.
Then I would offer to stay with them and allow one of them to return here to better understand each others worlds.
2007-12-09 16:23:19 · answer #5 · answered by halsru 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Why would you want to ruin a perfectly good planet with poisonous religion? Truth be told, I'm sure intelligent alien life avoids us like the plague because of earth's religion and violence. I know I would if I could get off this rock.
2007-12-09 16:30:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
we would first have to evaluate how we feel about the other life forms and whether or not they were lesser beings, but i think the harder hitting question would be what does this mean to christians, who believe that God set them apart as unique beings with souls. what would these other beings be then?
2007-12-09 16:22:56 · answer #7 · answered by notzimmer 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No need for missionaries there. God's plan of redemption was for mankind. No preaching needed for marsupalicious bats.
If this is another planet, then God would have a plan for that planet already.
2007-12-09 16:30:33 · answer #8 · answered by I have a bear spot 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The idea or experiment overall is stupid,
Yeshua Mashiach is the only God and salvation. If you are baptized and filled with the holy ghost, he has promised eternal life.
There are NO such things as ALIENS!
People are so ignorant, they believe anything now a days.
Revelation 22:18
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away form the words of the book of this prophecy, Yahvah (God) shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book,
Psalms 34:9 Oh fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.
[No Want = No HELL] http://www.cccla.org/
2007-12-09 16:26:28 · answer #9 · answered by lilbad_thang 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋
I would take a posture of non-interference.
Kinda like my pals... Spock and McCoy
2007-12-09 16:21:01 · answer #10 · answered by asgodintended 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋