Why Did NASA Issue a $1.1 Million Grant to Study How Alien Life Could Impact Christianity?

[rug]

June 10, 2016
by Hemant Mehta

More than a year ago, the NASA Astrobiology Program gave a $1.108 million grant to the Center for Theological Inquiry.

And if that doesn’t make any sense to you, you’re not alone.

The project is intended to refresh and expand scholarly and public dialogue on this subject, which is of growing interest due to the discovery of thousands of extrasolar planets and the ongoing search for potentially habitable environments in our solar system and beyond. With this $1.108 million grant, CTI will oversee a resident team of visiting scholars in theology, the humanities, and social sciences that will conduct an interdisciplinary inquiry on the societal implications of astrobiology, the study of the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.

This inquiry will extend over two academic years from 2015 to 2017…
…

Announcing the NASA grant, CTI’s director William Storrar said, “The aim of this inquiry is to foster theology’s dialogue with astrobiology on its societal implications, enriched by the contribution of scholars in the humanities and social sciences. We are grateful to the NASA Astrobiology Program for making this pioneering conversation possible.”

To put that another way, NASA made a million-dollar donation to a religious group so that it could study how the discovery of extraterrestrial life would impact Christianity.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/6/10/why-did-nasa-issue-a-1-1-million-grant-to-study-how-alien-life-could-impact-christianity/

http://www.ctinquiry.org/news/2015/05/12/cti-receives-nasa-grant

Cool.

[niyad]

1. but. . . but. . . christians are sooooo persecuted here!

[tecelote]

2. Why Christianity and not other religions?

My fear is that aliens will discover the earth and see humans as a cancer upon it.

No God, or Gods, will be part of the equation. We are solely responsible for our actions.

[rug]

3. Hemant's headline is misleading.

The grant is not limited to Christianity, or indeed to religion.

With this $1.108 million grant, CTI will oversee a resident team of visiting scholars in theology, the humanities, and social sciences that will conduct an interdisciplinary inquiry on the societal implications of astrobiology, the study of the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.

It's essentially about the impact on human society of potential astrobiology, not theology.

Not to deflate the FFRF or Jerry Coyne.

[elehhhhna]

4. Just so happens all the stupid beliefs about Adam and eve etc. will be outed

And religious people will be upset. Bible doesn't claim dominion over all th planets or something. And the Mormons will mess their pants over this. They had a fit about the moon landing ffs.

[rug]

5. Actually, it would pose many interesting questions, few of which are religious.

But it's all academic.

[Fumesucker]

6. Does each alien race get their own Jesus in their image?

[AtheistCrusader]

7. It's actually a very compassionate and nice gesture.

Because when religion comes crashing down, and worldviews shatter, sometimes people kill themselves.

Knowing what percentage of the space program and its supply chain relies on people who are fragile to this sort of discovery, and how to moderate the announcement/message, and teach the people who will be making the announcement WHY it's important to moderate that message might save lives.