Vatican says aliens could exist

Originally posted by snowinscotland
Do you think we could evolve out of what we were when we sinned originally? I mean, there have been a few changes in the genes probably since Adam, so we are not really the same already...

I do not believe in original sin. But if I were Catholic, I would have to accept that 1) original sin is a character of the soul, 2) the soul is the substance of the human person, 3) Genetics do not form the ontological identity of the person, the soul does, and therefore, 4) human evolution does not affect the condition of original sin.

But I would also have to recognise that as a validly baptised Christian, I no longer have original sin.

So you are saying that Aliens cannot possibly have original sin, because they have no soul, like animals.

I think I understand that.

But then previously you said that humans are in the animal class?

Originally posted by snowinscotland
So you are saying that Aliens cannot possibly have original sin, because they have no soul, like animals.

I think I understand that.

But then previously you said that humans are in the animal class?

Animals might have souls. I do not know if the Catholic Church has dogmatically declared on the subject. Some theologians, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, understood that all living materials possessed a soul - the principle that directed it toward life. This soul, though, would be of a different species to man.

Man has a rational soul. The intellect is a power that belongs to his soul and translates sensory experiences into a form intelligible to the soul. It belongs exclusively to mankind. This power, firstly, allows free will, which is a necessary condition for sin to occur. So if something has no soul, it cannot have any sin. And even if animals and aliens had a rational soul, they could not have original sin because this belongs uniquely to descendents of Adam who have inherited the condition.

Originally posted by snowinscotland
Vatican says aliens could exist
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Since when is the director of the Vatican Observatory "the Vatican" ?

Originally posted by ivanhoe
Since when is the director of the Vatican Observatory "the Vatican" ?

Simon Says!

Just hilarious.

Originally posted by Conrau K
As I explained before, the original sin passes generationally, and so no non-human could possible contract original sin.

Come on, you don't really believe original sin passes via an actual biological mechanism, do you?

If you really do, do you also believe that original sin could be eradicated via genetic engineering?

Originally posted by ivanhoe
Since when is the director of the Vatican Observatory "the Vatican" ?

Wasn't there a thread a few years ago when the former head of the Vatican Observatory was fired for theological reasons and you and Lucifershammer argued that that was proper because the head of the Vatican Observatory was an "official" Vatican post?

EDIT: http://www.timeforchess.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=50441&page=1

It was mostly Palynka asserting and LH arguing that the head of the vtican Observatory must have proper theological views because he is employed by the RCC.

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Come on, you don't really believe original sin passes via an actual biological mechanism, do you?

If you really do, do you also believe that original sin could be eradicated via genetic engineering?

No I think that was my misunderstanding; because I was curious as to how humans have the 'original sin' problem, but even if aliens were as or more intelligent, curious, adventurous, 'sinful' than us they didn't have adam as a forebear and could thus be exempt....

Originally posted by snowinscotland
No I think that was my misunderstanding; because I was curious as to how humans have the 'original sin' problem, but even if aliens were as or more intelligent, curious, adventurous, 'sinful' than us they didn't have adam as a forebear and could thus be exempt....

If aliens weren't "blessed" with original sin, then they wouldn't need Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Presumably they'd still be eligible for salvation though in RCC doctrine through God's grace.

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Come on, you don't really believe original sin passes via an actual biological mechanism, do you?

If you really do, do you also believe that original sin could be eradicated via genetic engineering?

I never mentioned any biological mechanism, only that original sin is transmitted between generations.