This Week's Debate: "Interest in UFOs derives, perhaps, not so much from scientific curiosity as from unfulfilled religious needs.” -Carl Sagan

Is the world’s fascination with the possibility of UFOs and  more a religion or a natural intuitive sense that life is “out there” based on current scientific research and recent planet-search discoveries?

One of the world’s preeminent astrophysicists, Carl Sagan, believed that “the interest in unidentified flying objects derives, perhaps, not so much from scientific curiosity as from unfulfilled religious needs.”

What do you think?

Comments

[Justin]

that makes sense, UFOs are the curiousity of the unknown which is what religion tends to speak of, and with all the possibilities of life that we know nothing about of, and there is soo much out there that the bible speaks of nothing other then the life here. And the everlasting life would have to happen in space because distances are so vast, that to live out in the vast emptiness of space would be everlasting which religion speaks of. To see a UFO is like a religious experience probably since it deals with the unknown.

[Don]

Mr. Sagan may have been a good (great?) astronomer and public speaker, but, as an atheist, he knew nothing about religion. The Bible is a historically accurate book, proven so by every accepted test of mainstream historians. We don't need to wave our hands and look for other outlets for religious needs. God is here and willing and able to give us more than we could possibly ask for or accept.

[man]

The interest in UFOs are purely that they remain unidentified. We know that they are there, many have seen them, and yet they remain a mystery is what's causing curiosity. I don't know what religion he is talking about but (as a Christian) my religious have already been filled.

[ronald]

"Sagan, believed that “the interest in unidentified flying objects derives, perhaps, not so much from scientific curiosity as from unfulfilled religious needs.”"

Well...strictly logically speaking: Even if they visit us all the time, or even come out openly and say 'Hi!'...we will still die. So, the presence or absence of aliens makes no difference; we will still have all sorts of beliefs on what lies beyond death.
What Sagan actually himself believed, was that a lot of people who think aliens do exist are as gullible as those who belief in an invisible bearded man in the clouds.

Also, "unfulfilled religious needs" is a euphemism for 'frustrated people'. He wasn't being very philosophical, he was being condescending.

"To see a UFO is like a religious experience probably since it deals with the unknown."
Well that is a very valid observation.

[Kallex Wolf]

UFOs are probably not swamp gas, ball lightning, weather balloons, or the planet Venus on a clear night. I still sit waiting for solid physical proof of their existence but it is hard to have hard proof of a religious hallucination, if that's what they are. UFOs are as real as visions of religious figures, such as Jesus on a steamy bathroom window, but real they are to those who see them. In the end it really doesn't matter if they are real or not since no beings stepping out of an alien spacecraft will stop humans from the destruction of each other and the planet.

[Werner Rettig]

As far as I am concerned faith doesn't necessarily require religion. If our creator deems it necessary to use UFO's to keep an eye on us I am all for it. Our leaders definitely have to be watched.

[Werner Rettig]

As far as I am concerned faith doesn't necessarily require religion. If our creator deems it necessary to use UFO's to keep an eye on us I am all for it. Our leaders definitely have to be watched.

[Observer]

@Don Yes the Bible is spot on, you can go set your clocks by it people. I especially like the part in the Bible where it says the Earth is 6000 years old. Poor T-Rex must have been living on Mars pity he didn't realize. Those 4 billion year old rocks must be the Devil's handy work isn't it.

[Observer]

@Werner Rettig I agree, believing in God doesn't require Religion. In fact Religion is the root of all evil.

[Bruce]

Definitely!

[David]

@Observer1 Let's not be irrational here...we know that the fact that the McRib is not on the dollar menu and women are equal roots of all evil; that's a given. @Don But if you're a conventional God-fearing person, you probably believe God is infinite in more ways than one. And if God is infinite, I'd imagine he'd get pretty bored with one planet full of people in such a big universe. I'd venture that a God would prolly delve into other projects... knitting perhaps....or maybe other lifeforms.

[alin]

ufo are logical, god is blasphemy for intelligence.

[priti]

By nature humans are curious to know whatever is unknown to them. And the basic of all quest is who am I? From here have I come from.? Where shall I go from here ?All philosophies and religions are build around these basic questions. Carl Segan is very much correct if he say so.

[Observer]

@alin errr what ? God has a place unless you think that the Big Bang, cycles or whatever it is, was started by boll weevils.

@David Of course it's the root of all evil. Go look up a list of conflicts caused by religion. Almost every single major conflict has been influenced by religion. Of course people will argue that it is not religion but crazy people that cause wars. The problem is where they got their crazy ideas. I submit exhibit A the Evangelist and Exhibit B Muslims, case closed.

PS. Can someone get some more pebbles for the Palestinians they seem to have run out.

[Ivar Nielsen]

What Carl Sagan comment, says more about his own "unfulfilled religious/spiritual" needs than of the issue itself.

Some UFO´s are just "travelling earthly spirits". UFO´s are taking the shape and movements of modern images and symbols. Observing an UFO can in fact be a starting experience of a spiritual development.

On religion: Yes it has been course to many devilish wars and political unsettlements and almost extinction of indigenous people all over the world.

But when understood in an unorthodox, no literal and modern way, religion and mythology can be as good as modern scientifically knowledge – and even better in some cases. This count especially when it comes to the telling of the Story of Creation, when modernly understood, tell of the basically interaction of elements that is set in motion by cosmic light, as also read in the Bible.

And most world mythological/religious telling also gives specific information of the Creation Story which is very closely connected to our Milky Way Galaxy, where the story contradicts the modern cosmology by telling that our Solar System was created directly in the Milky Way centre and later on slung out from “the garden of Eden” where the “Tree of Life” is placed in the Milky Way centre, hence the “first humans and the expulsion from Eden” – which just tell from where all galactic and solar system creation has origin in our galaxy.

- Astrophysics and cosmologists still find that new stars are created in our Milky Way centre . . . in spite of their own “black hole sucking it all up and away”-hypothesis of the modern science. See for instants here: http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/37243

[Hernan]

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree."
Albert Einstein

[Augur]

Evolution is the development of the energy of the universe in such a way that it has an increasing ability to consciously control itself and the universe around it. It is a progressive change from the unconscious to the conscious. We are the universe trying to comprehend itself. Man is the corporeal manifestation of the universe trying to control its own destiny. Man is God in the process of coming into existence.

James Hart
Eugenic Manifesto

[Appraiser Now]

They don't need to wave our hands and look for other outlets for religious needs.God is here and willing and able to give their more than they could possibly ask for or accept.

[Marcio Gualtieri]

@Hernan

You're quoting Einstein out of context. That's the full quote:

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom."

He also states in his autobiography:

"When I was a fairly precocious young man I became thoroughly impressed with the futility of the hopes and strivings that chase most men restlessly through life. Moreover, I soon discovered the cruelty of that chase, which in those years was much more carefully covered up by hypocrisy and glittering words than is the case today. By the mere existence of his stomach everyone was condemned to participate in that chase. The stomach might well be satisfied by such participation, but not man insofar as he is a thinking and feeling being.

As the first way out there was religion, which is implanted into every child by way of the traditional education-machine. Thus I came - though the child of entirely irreligious (Jewish) parents - to a deep religiousness, which, however, reached an abrupt end at the age of twelve.

Through the reading of popular scientific books I soon reached the conviction that much in the stories of the Bible could not be true. The consequence was a positively fanatic orgy of freethinking coupled with the impression that youth is intentionally being deceived by the state through lies; it was a crushing impression."

The way you quoted him, gives the impression that he meant that science, arts and religion are "related" somehow or part of a entity that incorporates all three, which is not the case. What he said is that they serve the same purpose (to enable humans to escape from "a mere physical existence"), but that's where their similarities end. In the context you used the quote, you're implying that science, arts and religion are the same and therefore should agree with each other. Which may be your personal opinion, however that's not supported by Einstein's statement.

[wormhole]

perhaps...there are similarities in religious experiences and UFO abduction tales

[Local Position]

The Bible is a historically accurate book, proven so by every accepted test of mainstream historians.

[Business Directory Melbourne]

It is a progressive change from the unconscious to the conscious. We are the universe trying to comprehend itself.

[baseball hats]

Amazing pictures.thanks for your sharing.

[Max Furniture]

There is a good chance that intelligent life exists outside Earth, based simply on the Drake equation and the knowledge that we now have about exoplanets; it is likely that one day we will meet someone out there, but that doesn’t mean that they are already here. After all, back in the nineteenth century astronomers already began thinking that planets might not be exclusive to our solar system and now science has already identified more than four hundred of them orbiting systems as far as 23.000 light years away, still, there is no hard evidence, no screw

[J Hass Group]

When it comes to the UFO phenomena you really cannot dismiss any scenario since we have nothing substantial to go on except speculation.
UFOs have an annoying habit of being very chameleon-like and never showing a true face. Five hundred years ago when someone saw a UFO or a strange being associated with that UFO, it was a fairy or a demon or an angel. The being would even verbally confirm it and take the witness to an underground fairy kingdom, or heaven or hell.