On: Talking to God

[ThomPete]

I am still waiting for someone to tell me how they know the difference between what they call god and an advanced alien race tricking them into believing in them.

How would you know?

[billswift → ThomPete]

Why would you care? Either they are interesting or not and helpful or not. If neither, ignore them.

[Tichy → ThomPete]

I would also say: what does it matter? Is the assumption that we should obey all commands from god, but not from an alien race? Why?

Would a universe where everybody just does what god tells them even be worth living in?

Playing devil's advocate against myself: what if elementary particles are basically just entities doing exactly what god tells them - apparently interesting results can still occur.

[jurjenh → ThomPete]

I would guess that falls into the same category as Artur C Clarke's Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic

The point is essentially moot - what can you / are you going to do about it?

[ThomPete → jurjenh]

Stop believing in things that could might as well be an advanced alien race.

[DeusExMachina → ThomPete]

Or just use the "sherlock holmes" approach he mentions in the piece.

[lucifer → ThomPete]

That's the eternal question. According to the western religions, an entity (a certain Satan that should not be confused with yours truly :) rebelled against God precisely because he did not believe in the whole story and sought the "throne".

"And remember when Abraham said, `My Lord, show me how You gives life to the dead.' God said, `Do you not believe ?' Abraham said, `Yes, but I ask this that my heart may be at ease.' God answered, `Take four birds and make them attached to thee. Then put each of them on a hill; then call them; they will come to thee in haste.' And know that Allah Is Mighty and Wise." - 2:262

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I think the interesting twist in the meme that OP is seeding is to consider whether fairly advanced species send agents to emerging species to mind fuck them into oblivion. According to OP's vision, it is not merely possible, but absolutely necessary, for us to pursue destructive technology to the point that the fate of the species can be decided by any single individual in the collective.

[callahad → lucifer]

And that's what I found most interesting. How can you preserve free will and continue to exist after developing an effortless, universally-known means of condemning the entire species?

[donaq → callahad]

I do not think that is possible for the human race without some serious brainwashing. Either that or look out for the school/office shooting types and make sure they get constantly laid, for the good of all humanity.

[danteembermage → callahad]

Perhaps an iterative culling of the herd, destruction of the wicked kind of thing. Think of a farmer tending an olive grove, burning branches, transplanting here and grafting there. At some point you get left with a species that can decide among a myriad of interesting choices but all decide to avoid making that one.