I think it is cool they have found water on mars.

@Cobalt. Most of the time people have alterearer motives for everything they do, so why not goverments?

I think the REAL issue is going to be if we find life there.  It's one thing to find water in liquid form.  Religions don't care about that.  But if we suddenly say "Look, we've got an amoeba on mars!"  And since religion is a very significant part of people's lives, life on other planets is going to really screw up the currently held ideas.  (They'll probably claim it's false).

However, if we find evidence of larger organisms (ie animal bones) then the world is really screwed.  The chaos that'll ensue is going to bring the planet back to the "witch hunt" days, except we'll be looking for Aliens.

I read last week about a meteor that hit ground in canada a few years ago with organic matter in it.   I'll try to find a link.  
it was large enough that it was still frozen from the cold of space when it touched down and it landed in a region of arctic ice (or something)..
so the sample they have of it is still frozen and intact. which is rare (normally they burn up on re-entry)

--> if organic matter can come here from space,
then (a) there's life out there beyond earth and (b) the seed of life on earth was probably a similar meteor.

(ie: life came here from outer space)

that, IMO, is bigger than water on mars.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061204195843.htm <---link

Quote (Cobalt60 @ Dec. 08 2006, 8:23 am)

(ie: life came here from outer space)

I have allways beleived that

Meh.  Organic globulets just means organic chemicals can form elsewhere, which isn't something new.  

Flowing water, however, means that more complex organic molecules may have given rise to actual life.

I don't believe the Bible rules out life on other planets (show me how it does)... I believe it rules out intelligent life, but not any living organism...  In fact, if you're liberal in your application of the term 'extra-terrestrial life,' the Bible is chock full of descriptions of ETs.  Heh.

Organic matter doesn't necessarily equal life, organic matter makes the basis of life, but carbon by itself for instance is not alive, however it will take the taste out of my tap water.

Quote (Agent007 @ Dec. 07 2006, 7:43 pm)

I don't believe the Bible rules out life on other planets (show me how it does)... I believe it rules out intelligent life, but not any living organism...  In fact, if you're liberal in your application of the term 'extra-terrestrial life,' the Bible is chock full of descriptions of ETs.  Heh.

Wasn't referring to the bible or any other book specifically, but what do you think the results will be of finding micro-biotic life elsewhere?  The majority of Religions are human centric meaning they put humans as the center of the universe.  Life elsewhere suggests that humans may not have been the first or the best intelligent life in the universe.  That kind of doubt can put some of the more extreme people into a variety of states including depression, anger, and fear.  Whole sections of religious texts will have to be reinterpreted to account for this and alot of people won't be happy.  It will also cast doubt on the actual accuracy of any given faith especially with the advent of science and technology already wavering some.

If you've ever seen the movie "Contact" you'll know what I'm talking about.  I think that shows a very accurate depiction.

And please note that I do not say that the majority of people couldn't handle it.  Fact is, the majority of people can.  It's the minority extremists who make the most noise and actually DO something.  But they're extreme so that's one of the reasons they're motivated to do something, even if its negative.

I saw 'Contact,' but I don't remember much from it.

And obviously, I can't speak for any other religious beliefs but my own.  But in any case, I think that what sometimes bugs me is that people believe that the Bible is so unscientific, and that it's only a matter of time before it's proven conclusively wrong, and chaos erupts...  I don't believe that the Bible contradicts any conclusively proven science. (let's not get into what that may/may not include.  There's no point.  Just keep in mind this is all my opinion/belief.)

So speaking as a Bible student, my only point was that the Bible doesn't rule out unintelligent extraterestrial life.  It doesn't say or even hint that it exists, but there's nothing that says the only living things are on the Earth.  On the other hand, reasoning on some scriptures, I don't believe that there is any intelligent (i.e. higher lifeform not governed by instinct like an animal) life anywhere else.  (Of course, I'm ignoring intelligent 'spirit creatures' that the Bible describes.)

The discovery of a living microbe on some other planet would be exciting.  I think it would be amazing, but it wouldn't affect my beliefs/faith at all...  *shrug*