I had a discussion with a fellow classmate recently on the potential impact that exoplanet discoveries will pose to the major religions of the world. The finding of chemical signitures of life, namely oxygen, methane coupled with a planet laying within the habitable zone (HZ) poses serious questions to those who believe in one of the worlds many faiths. Almost every religion has a creation story that is geocentric in the sence that god created this planet and its inhabitants exclusively.
The Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Islam and Christianity all believe the Genesis account of the bilble, where god creates the "heavens and the Earth, and it was good".
I know that all believers are not literalist in biblical interpretation. However, the United States is unique in its strong fundemental christian population. Fundmentalist preach a doctrine that the bible is written and to be interpreted as the literal, unadulterated word of god. This segment has a huge following, especially in the south. Fundamentalist deny evolution, and any other scientific theory that counters thier narrow belief of bible literalism.
I suspect when, and I do mean when, life is discovered elsewhere, the literist will shout from the steeple, "DONT BELIEVE IT!! Satan is once again confusing the masses and send you hell!!", just like he did with those sinister dinosaur fossils its an old, tiring american cultural characeristic that has outlived scientific advancement.
The irony of the literalist, science is great as long as it advances medicine, its rare to have a nutjob refuse medical intervention and the advances scientific research has given to healing the clogged arteries, cancer ridded of the faithful. They simply refuse to open their minds, their eyes and sadly thier hearts to the blessings of science.
