Intelligent Design Class to be taught at Cornell University

Lets try to make it clearer so we can see what you mean.Is it religious to beleive that the earthly life we can see and (in some cases) touch exists ? If so, why ?Is it religious to believe that something similar might exist - not does, but might - somewhere else in the universe ? If so, why ?

I don't think that my questions need rephrasing - they accurately express the issues I want you to address.The backbone of SETI is the idea that there may be other life, like us, somewhere lese in the universe. You have claimed that this is religious on grounds that would appear to apply equally well to earthly life (you claim that all possible origins for life are religious in nature and therefore the only non-religious position is that there is no other life elsewhere).Hence the request for clarification, and the form of that request.

The belief that there may be other life like us elsewhere is justifiable on scientific grounds. We exist, therefore the probability of life occurrign is non-zero, therefore in the absence of other evidence we must conclude that the probability of life existing elsewhere is non-zero. There's no religion there.

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"all possible origins of life are religious" doesn't make sense as it reads. Religion doesn't 'do' anything as such. It doesn't originate life.

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It is easy to claim that a statement does not make sense if you misread it. But lets assume that you actually think your readng is viable.

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This little portion of the thread is dealing with whether SETI is science. Either life arose naturalistically (religious belief currently) or as a result of intelligence (also a religious belief), then the foundation for SETI is religious not scientific

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You seme to have no problem with describing the possible origins of life as religious there. So why does it suddenly beccome difficult to understand now ?

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There is no evidence that life can arise naturalistically here or anywhere else. One is left with only a belief as to how it arose. You pays your money.

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But according to you, now, that is not a religious belief because you now claim that saying that it is would be saying that a religion created life.Now how about answering my questions ??