Xander;234551 said:
Would the discovery of Alien Life in the Universe change your own beliefs? Would it hurt the Bible and other major books?
I'd answer that question with a very generalized, slightly lengthy rant... which now follows.
First, a very nitpicky semantics point: I think the 'discovery of alien life' wouldn't be the real crisis point - it is pretty much a foregone conclusion (based on the Drake equation, in whatever way you form it) that there IS intelligent life out there. The fun will begin if a) contact is possible between said aliens and us terrans and
if someone actually bothers to establish contact.
I think there will be a lot of changes if there is contact. The biggest changes will be in the way we percieve authority... Governments will seem rather silly and some form of 'world government' or at least 'Earth diplomatic corps' will have to come up.
The time-emboldened concepts of property, territory, tribalism, nationalism, 'homo sapien sapien focussed' food and evolution pyramids... it will all be shaken to the core.
Science may or may not take a giant leap forward. There will be great upheaval in the way we percieve the universe - if these aliens have a working Grand Unified Theory or some such, or at least if they have valid refuting/ supporting evidence for our theories, there will be much fun. Biology, anthropology, sociology - most sciences concerned with the biosphere will have to be rewritten.
Astrology will die a much overdue death (one can hope)..
To speak of your original quesiton, I think whole new religions will spring up if there is enough cultural exchange - there will be vast periods of social trauma to deal with, because essentially the ETs will potentially bring with them an entire new set of philosophies, beliefs and practices.
Finally, conspiracy theorists and imagineers of every kind will have a field day...
Man, what a thrill just to imagine it... what I would give to live it.
sky_walker - SFF fan to the core