Atheists more likely to believe in aliens

Posted on by

ACCORDING to a recent poll conducted by Survata, a US consumer research firm, 55 percent of atheists and agnostics surveyed said that they believe in alien life, as compared to only 32 percent of Christians.

This essentially means that non-believers are — at least according to this study — 76 percent more likely than Christians to believe that life exists outside of planet Earth.

Of the religious groups surveyed, Christians were the least likely (32 percent) to answer affirmatively when asked, ”Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life?”

Thirty-six percent of Hindus, 37 percent of Jews and 44 percent of Muslims also answered “yes.”

http://survata.com/blog/science-or-sacrilege-atheists-and-agnostics-are-76-more-likely-than-christians-to-believe-in-the-existence-of-extraterrestrial-life/

49 thoughts on “Atheists more likely to believe in aliens”

    • aha! ~ a new voice in the wilderness!
      Can YOU define “alive” (ie Life) Paul.
      (Not related to that other trouble-maker, are you? 🙂 )

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • Why would anybody think we are alone here? This Universe we living in is host of many intelligent creatures. It doesn’t mean we have to meet them or cohabit with them directly, but there are living forms everywhere. The universe was created for that very reason, to have an environment to evolve consciousness.
        As to the other question, it depends what you consider trouble maker.

        Like

    • Bryan and all,
      I dont think it surprising that ‘atheists’ are more likely than Christians to accept the probability of extra-terrestrial life. (Oh, and I find the use of the term ‘aliens’ to be rather dicey. It seems to have the implication of something or some creatures that are more or less supernatural. It’s a bit like debating whether there really are UFOs or not.)

      You see, the Biblical interpretation that is followed by a great many Fundamentalists and Evangelicals depicts a total cosmos created by the God just a few millenia ago, and which is presumed to be getting destroyed and replaced with a new heaven and a new earth just any time in the near future. The intriguing thing to my mind is that for these Christians, that destruction and renewal will be occurring because of the presumed and seemingly insignificant misbehaviour of the first man and woman.

      It can easily be presumed on that traditional Christian basis that the whole of this Cosmos was created specifically and solely as a part of a total environment for mankind. And curiously enough that mankind proves to be totally responsible for its survival. If those who are saved eventually simply ‘go to heaven’, and the rejects dumped in a ‘hell’, then it would appear that the rest of the Cosmos (whether original or newly recreated) ‘out there’ will have little or no purpose then.

      On the other hand atheists and secularists are more likely to ‘believe in’ and envisage an inconceivably huge Cosmos that must have existed in one form or another from a very very long or even infinite history. They can thus allow for all sorts of other forms of life to spring up all over the place, and forms they would be that are not confined purely to (or reliant on) this tiny insignificant little speck in the universe we call Planet Earth. And further that could well continue to go on long after this earth gets destroyed in a few billion (or million?) years of our time.

      Rian (just my dissenting 20 cents worth.)

      Like

      Reply ↓

  2. Typically muddled religious (lack of) thinking.

    (a).. The odds, rationally speaking (forgive the foul language!) , are HUGE that extra-terrestrial life exists.
    (if anyone wants to define ‘Life’ I’ll work out the precise numbers and take bets.)

    (b)… Unless anyone can come up with an address, phone number and tax-file-number for god, his kid, his ex-missus and any of the …um, ‘heavenly multitudes’ (which ought to be easy in this electronic-spying age!) then I’ll stand by my assertion that all of the foregoing are, by definition, ETs.

    Now, Bryan, what about running down a poll about ‘polls’………… ?

    ps, Did the pollsters explain exactly what “believe IN alien life” means to their obviously braindead respondents?
    ( and since the topic was ETs, shouldn’t said respondents actually ‘believe’ OUT alien life?? ) 😯

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • unless you calculate the “chances” of life sprining from nowhere and then the calculations it was able to continue. Very low odds indeed.

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • Define “Life”, Alexie ~ and I’ll keep my end of the offer.

        ….and btw, “life springing from nowhere is not something I’d ever aver, since it’s a classic religious assertion (see: Creationism/Genesis).

        Like

      • Actually, your argument is shot to bits by the realities.
        There have been a number of mass extinctions (though, admittedly, long before god created the earth/life ~and the stars ~ from nothing), and on each occasion ‘life’ has sprung back more vigorously and in greater variety than ever before.
        Far from long odds that ‘life’ could continue, the opposite is the fact: ‘life’ is irrepressible: it MUST exist.*
        Odds-on by a factor approaching infinity.

        But, as stated, I can set you precise odds as soon as we get an acceptably definition of what ‘life’ actually is.

        ….Give your connections, why don’t you ask the one who brought it into being? 😉

        *Y’might also ask him/her/it about the existence of the billions forms of life which he/she/they/it DIDN’T create.

        BillyBob would certainly be interested in his origins. 🙂

        Like

      • I’ve been trying to define ‘life’ for decades and still haven’t managed a universally-acceptable solution.

        That’s why I ask those who, through their persistent ‘pearls of great wisdom’, suggest they know.

        For myself, I’m a fairly devoted admirer of Diogenes.

        …..on the upside, one of Monica’s recent posts has inspired (provoked?) in me a grasp of that other (should-be) unmentionable intangible :- ‘love’.
        Finding the words to express it (in a manner that covers the myriad applications) is difficult though. And controversial, if realistic; eg it has nothing to do with ‘spiritualism’.
        I’ll let the braincells work on it for a while longer….and if that doesn’t work I’ll ask BillyBob. 😉

        Like

      • ?????? “Life is created. QED”
        Are you asserting that God came out of retirement after the events described in Genesis?
        ….which would, obviously abrogate the validity of Genesis in today’s world.

        The suggestion might make some sort of sense; PC and the Feminists wouldn’t allow even god to give poor old Eve a hiding for succumbing to temptation; in fact, they’d probably have HIM prosecuted by Worksafe!

        As for QED, all I can say is that NO ‘proofs’ have been demonstrandum -ed.

        ” If wishes were fishes, the sea would be full.” probably explains why christians use the ‘fish’ symbol.

        Like

  3. Actually the Bible itself entertains the idea of aliens. For example, it says that Enoch was translated without seeing death and God took him away. Then there is Elijah who was also translated. Of Moses it says that death reigned until Moses, which makes him the first person that was resurrected and ended up in heaven.
    Then there are the angels and demons who are aliens by definition. And to make things worse, the Book of Job which recognises angels as a class of beings, also recognises another class of alien beings called the sons of God. These might be representative of their particular alien lifeform as was our son of God u want more? Most Christians believe that the whole universe was created on the week of earth’s creation. but a verse in Job 38:7 tells us that the sons of God were already shouting for joy as the earth was being created. This implies life existing elsewhere in the universe. You want more? The book of revelation tells us of Jesus in heaven being assisted by 24 elders. Where did these come from? The gospels tell us that at the death of Jesus graves were opened and some saints were resurrected. In another place we are told that when Jesus rose to heaven he took death captive. The language given there imply a triumphal march to heaven similar to ones the Roman Emperors had, where samples of the conquered nations were taken with the connquerror to the capital. In the same manner Jesus took 24 resurrected saints with him to heaven.
    Thus it is easy to prove from the Bible not only that there is other intelligent life forms in the universe but humans as well. The fact that only 37% of Christians believe this, indicates that 63% are not reading their Bibles but getting their beliefs from else where.

    Like

    Reply ↓

    • Lol, you are hilarious davinci!

      “The fact that only 37% of Christians believe this, indicates that 63% are not reading their Bibles but getting their beliefs from else where.”

      Are you an alien? 😯

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • “So what are angels and demons then?”

        You’ve got to be joking davinci!

        They are spirit beings, just like God is. Or do you think He’s an alien too?

        Do you belong to a cult? You’ve never told us what religious denomination you belong to, have you? And here you self-rightiously condemn the rest of us who interpret the Bible correctly.

        Like

    • I do believe in angels, but I don’t believe an angel is the equivalent of an alien in the way atheists may think of aliens.

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • Well there y’go. (“I think we are surrounded by angels.”)

        ….and here I thought it was the dogs I was tripping over.

        Like

      • Bryan, so what are angels if you believe in them? Are they of this earth or not? Are they intelligent beings or not? And again I ask you, what of Enoch, Moses and Elijah? These are prime examples that not only does intelligent life exist elsewhere in the universe but also human beings as well!

        Like

    • A very interesting point of view. I applaud. I do agree that the interpretation of the book we now call the bible differs greatly. I even learned the Hebrew language to better understand it, because as I know from experience, every translation carries the stamp of the translator. One interesting point is the first mention of god in Genesis one; that name is plural and not singular. As for the Hebrew language, the written form have changed greatly over the millenniums and no guarantee can be offered that the documents translated are the original in meaning. One other flaw with translating is that literal translations are usually meaningless. One needs to know the culture and master the language extremely well to get the spirit of what is written or said. I lived in sen different speaking countries during my lifetime and learned the languages well as well as I learned the cultures of these countries. When I read some of the translations from other people I wondered how they arrived at what they understood. Some were so distant from the original that is was almost a untruth.
      To believe the present Universe is some 5 thousand years old sounds naive to me. I am not relying on fossils or carbon dating, but on purpose of physical life forms. We are here to experience what we already are spiritually. To know is only one part of being. To EXPERIENCE it is the complete once purpose. Because to experience is no longer a theory, but total knowing. Beingness.
      The so called Big Bang was the first explosion of consciousness, the absolute joy of experiencing oneself.
      Did not Jesus say I and the father are one? Did he not say also what I do you will also and greater? So why are we waiting for god somewhere, some time when we are it. We are the many brethren Jesus announced in the gospels himself. If so I and the father are one also. And so is everyone else.
      Just food for thought. The bible is an interesting book. It warns us “the letter kills but spirit gives life.”

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • “Look, if you can’t see the difference”

        More to the point if you can’t identify or explain the difference who’s going to help you?

        Like

      • Really you’re too busy? Instead of giving one simple answer to the question you’ll give four cutesy responses without answers because you’re too busy.

        Is that really what you do when you’re busy mess around and quadruple your workload instead of just getting straight to the point ?

        As I said before “I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer when you don’t know. Save us both some time.

        Like

      • Debating ? Really ? Why not a discussion why does this have to be a debate. Actually it’s not even that really it’s me asking questions and you avoiding them because you’re so “busy”.

        Fortunately though our High Court had to consider what religion is, here’s what they came up with.
        (a) belief in a supernatural being, thing or principle and (b) acceptance of canons of conduct in order to give effect to that belief

        Doesn’t seem a million miles away fromt that definition of superstition now does it ?

        Like

      • Probably a good thing what with you being “Too busy to play games”. And that’s another good thing why if you weren’t too busy to play games I’d think this whole lil exchange was just you yanking my chain.

        Seems you want me to do all the leg work that you’re “too busy” for, but if I do that then you’ll be all miffed with the last word thing.

        Do you have some little chalk board at home where you are scoring this? If so I hope you’re miles ahead by now.

        Like

      • You do like having the last word don’t you “Bubba” ? Nothing’s changed. QED. And please feel free to actually do some work yourself. If you can really be bothered to learn something new. Good luck.

        Like

      • But seriously what is the difference between a superstition and religion?

        How is having a St Christopher on your dashboard to guarantee you a safe journey any different to having a rabbits’ foot or four leaf clover or a Wiccan charm for safe travel?

        Or the difference between having Saint Cajetan and a horseshoe on the wall for good luck ?

        Like

    • Bryan, – this is just off the top of my head. …
      In my experience – having known a lot of atheists in my time, I have found very roughly that they can be divided into two groups or types for the most part. You have the ones who are athiests by default as it were, in one corner, and those who are somewhat more systematic or scientific in the other.

      Those of the first kind have rarely thought much during their lives about religion or a god. They often just cant be bothered, and might well get ‘grabbed’ by the odd supertitions and crank ideas. While on the other hand, many of the latter variety have thought a lot about the matter, and associate their lack of religion or belief with a considered rejection of anything that could be described as superstitious or supernatural. These are the atheists who might join with groups of skeptics, and will exert great efforts to expose frauds and scams. their virtues might include dedication and devotion to what they see as truth.

      A further consideration is that atheists feel no constraints or restrictions imposed from any higher authority. No divine being restrains them by laws and disapproval, nor does any holy book tell them what they can or cant do, or what they must believe. And so if some of their number harbour a sneaking feeling about ‘Luck’ or ‘Fate’ or whatever, they feel quite entitled to indulge it, and with a clear conscience.

      Rian.

      Like

      Reply ↓

Leave a comment