Quackery. May as well toss in some Freudian penis analogy for rockets too.
An interest in the prospects of space aliens is definitely escapism, but most people interested in the scholarly fields of astrophysics and astronomy are rational enough to confront life without clinging to spiritual mysticism or superstition.
Metaphysical experience, ethics, and philosophy are topics of interest, but why should it be that the topic of space aliens must invade such tiresome and belabored subjects. What are they, Klingons?
While that is true as a percentage of the population, as for total number of religious people the US is in the top 5 just due to population size. [1]
Also, some US states are larger than entire countries and the percentages vary greatly by state. So depending on where you live in the United States it may feel like literally everyone is religious.
I live in a relatively liberal part of the country and I still feel the need to stay in the closet as an atheist for fear or being disowned by my community and family.
But back to the topic at hand, I think finding aliens would be definitive proof that at the very least the part about God creating earth as something unique and special is bogus.
In other words I think the origional poster is completely wrong. If you believe in God you should fear finding aliens. Philosophically many religious people have trouble reconciling with evolution, never mind another living creature on a planet other than our own.
An interest in the prospects of space aliens is definitely escapism, but most people interested in the scholarly fields of astrophysics and astronomy are rational enough to confront life without clinging to spiritual mysticism or superstition.
Metaphysical experience, ethics, and philosophy are topics of interest, but why should it be that the topic of space aliens must invade such tiresome and belabored subjects. What are they, Klingons?