First contact with aliens

*Tips cardassian helmet*

If people are getting psychic powers from it and banning the practice in a country is basically a declaration of war to them, then I'd imagine it would spread quite rapidly.

That depends entirely on their religion. Peace, love, and frisky alien babes? Double digit percentages. The will of the Wailing Ones? Probably some resistance

A shit ton.

>those that immigrate to alien worlds or ships to try to learn from them
>anyone mentally influenced
>anyone who thinks they'll get cool mind powers
>basically every middle-class buddhist/wiccan/shamanist

And then we get to how attractive to humans the doctrine is. As long as the aliens are chill, they can expect an easy 20% very quickly, and possibly a majority long-term.

Kind of a shitty thread, but it reminds me of a Poul Anderson story where humans come across an advanced alien society. We know that they're hiding some secrets from us and want to get them, so some humans decide to capture three aliens and interrogate them. They know that they have to keep them tightly under wraps because if the aliens discover that humans have kidnapped aliens in order to steal their technology they would obviously be upset.

They don't get anything from the aliens, but keep them under constant watch. Eventually the aliens say they've had enough and ritually murder one of themselves. The humans don't understand what happened, but soon they are boarded by aliens who don't seem too upset, just annoyed. When they release the surviving captives one of the humans realize exactly what happened

The aliens can communicate with the afterlife and when one of the aliens died he was able to communicate with the alien government. The death and temporary inconvenience aren't a big deal because they know that an afterlife awaits them. Finally the aliens look uncomfortable. The human asks why the aliens were so desperate to hide the existence of the soul and an afterlife? It's great news, humanity would be happy to know that they have immortal souls

The aliens tell us that we don't

If the alien religion was like that then I don't think many humans would convert at all, even if it was entirely benevolent.

I concur with this user. What's the point if the people don't have a chance to fight. There would be terrorism here or there, but as you said OP, they would bomb the shit out of any country that limits the spread of their religion. For all intents and purposes, the aliens could be see people not converting to someone limiting their religion, which means bombs away or mind flayed. I would say that Earth's microorganisms would probably kill the aliens before they killed everyone, but you, or someone else in this thread, would go "nope, super sci-fi medical stuff they have". I've got a feeling this is another one of those "I hate humanity and I need to make them feel weak!". I'm probably being sensitive though, since I'd had to deal with those disgusting "other-kin" today. God I hate anger management class.

You don't even have a helmet!

Does converting or practicing their religion grant the psionics and knowledge to develop the tech?

If so, probably most people. Plus with such a gap in technology, plus psionic abilities, we're pretty much "join or get fookin rekt mate" tier.

Thats a neat story.

>Not converting people to the beauty that is Horatio

I'm rereading it now. It's pretty effing dope. "The Martyr" by Poul Anderson. Here's a link I just found
bundy223.net/~andyb/prose/martyr.html

Aw yeah, an Endless Space thread.

How's 2? Worth picking up yet?

Yes, it is going to be released in a month too.
games2gether.com/endless-space-2/blog/519-release-date-announced-for-endless-space-2

Oh fug.

No I know, I just didn't know how it was shaping up one way or the other. It's a pity there's really only one good human faction, the last one's likely Vaulters.

I've never really been interested in Horatio, despite how cool they are conceptually, and all the races I liked in the original have gotten Minor Faction'd or just aren't gonna make it. (Sheredyn have a 0.00 percent chance of being the final major playable)

Makes you wonder whats preventing all those aliens to just all start killing themselves. Like if humanity discovered that there was an afterlife I wouldn't be surprised if everyone just starting ending their own life after being told and with proof that there is something eternal past this life.

> last one's likely Vaulters
>I haven't been paying attention to what Amplitude is doing
The last one is the Unfallen, a community made faction.

No, I haven't been paying attention whatsoever. Just how I've been operating for a while.

Unfallen sounds like a stupid name that's just gonna be another cultists, which I didn't much like either.

Oh well, UE, Lumeris and Vodyani are good enough.

Riftborn = #1

At least they have guaranteed access to titanium and hyperium.

>>Very advanced society
>>Are very religious
>Whatever you say user

>america is an advanced nation state is also very religious and was so until only recently
>britian was a very powerful and at the time technologically advanced, religious society whose religious ideas spurned on technological development.
>this fucking meme.
What inhibits technology is politics,

I've virtually seen nothing about it but i'm a bit worried.
Wasn't a big fan of endless legends

Well, the aliens still value their lives as a kind of childhood. The afterlife might be better, but they can do that whenever they want. Their regular life is only temporary.

>They'd get most atheists too
You clearly underestimate our level of autism.
Religious space people =/= proof of god.

Depends on what you mean by "psionics". Can they share their qualia with others? That'd be the fastest way to spread a religion I could think of.
>But Xintalios the Infinite is real! I can feel it!
>look, just
>(flash of psionic magic)
>here, now you can feel it too, see?

Funny thing is, the modern USA wasn't really all that turbo-religious autistic until the Red Scare and one of the presidents managed to convince the entirety of the US that if your neighbor wasn't a good ol' fashioned American Christian than they were probably a commie.

convert people to what?

The thing is, this would be trying to prove god exists. This is more of a Buddhist style belief system about how one should behave, and it gives directly observable results in the form of psychic powers.

It's hard to argue with a philosophy that lets you lift rocks with your mind.

>and it gives directly observable results in the form of psychic powers.
OP didn't specify their psionics originate from their faith like some sort of psychic cleric race.

>have psionic powers
>have afterlife
Who wouldn't join?

See

Alien zealots invade, convert or die, wat do?

>Can we fight them?

Lol no

>Can we in any way change what they want?

Nope

>Might we be able to hold out long enough for disease or something to destroy them?

Nopity nope no

>Well then I guess you already knew the answer to your question then, didn't you, OP?

Have you've been playing Stellaris recently?

If you've ask the question needed an answer you're understanding surely why they don't know how your even typing to them.

>If you've ask the question needed an answer you're understanding surely why they don't know how your even typing to them.

*Begins a project to study the Alpha Posters*

Aliens, of course. Don't you even gene-tailor your vassal empires?

Wait, what? Fanatic spiritualists *again*? Well shit they'll probably go to war with us for gene-tailoring our vassal empires.

Genetically engineering vassals? How does that work? Conquer someone, engineer them, then release as a vassal?

Right, I'm sorry. I meant conquered peoples.

Somebody's got to drag people kicking and screaming out of the stone age.

Too true, too true.

Take up the Blue Mushrooman's Burden and all that.

>Are they threatening us if we don't convert?
>No

This isn't conversion at sword point, per say. The way user words it, the alien Jehovah's Witnesses will shoot the government man trying to stop them from knocking on your door, but won't shoot you for slamming it in their face. Ironic that a religion that values collectivism would let you choose to believe, but there you have it.

>Say that to my face motherfucker

Uh yeah religion never influenced USA

>At least they have guaranteed access to titanium and hyperium.

and some of the best pops in the game
and +25% fids on up to three planets because that Hyperion cost is trivial
and crazy good ships
and some fun utility singularities

riftborn are fucking broken. really cool thematically and really fun, but totally broken

>Unfallen sounds like a stupid name that's just gonna be another cultists
nope, they are the pacifist diplomacy tree people, also fuck you cultists are cool. Gimmicky and dumb, but cool.

>pacifist diplomacy tree people
Give me back my amoebas. We were the greatest traders the galaxy ever saw.

>Give me back my amoebas. We were the greatest traders the galaxy ever saw.
I never played es1, but that sounds pretty rad. Good thing amplitude DLCs are historically great,

>They would get very few people who already have a "traditional" religion (Catholics, Muslims, Jews, etc)

The existence of aliens would shatter these religions though. Except Catholicism would is covering all the bases.

Fuck your amoeba nah they were cool Sowers and Automatons is where it's at. Unfeeling and curious robot races, take yer pick!

What is the exact name of that story, I want to read it

The Mormons would feel very smug and say they told you so

Never heard of this game, what is it

A space 4x game with one of the most efficient UIs in 4x.

Better question would be: If Cthulhu would awaken how many of you would begin worshipping him?

I wouldn't.

No matter how hopeless the situation might seem, the most important thing to do is not to break, not to give in to despair. The human spirit can triumph over anything: even the uncaring, amoral omnipotence of the collective Yog-Sothothery.

If enough of us endured long enough, the Beings From Out Of Space And Time would grow bored with our world and move on, and we could rebuild.

It's not really religion then, is it.

Nah, increasingly scientifically advanced societies lose their faith. Right now about 25% of the US population are atheists. A hundred years ago that number was much lower. It's silly to believe that a society that reaches the level of interstellar travel would hold superstitious beliefs.

>in before a novel written by humans is used to "disprove" this statement

Why worship him? He'll destroy us all anyway.

To be eaten first.

Aliens are just a new populace to convert, and it can't go worse than South America.

I would worship Azathoth because he is the creator.

The act of dying could be extremely unpleasant.

>25% claim
Just making shit up aren't you

Atheists often like to equate "Not Religious" with "Atheist" because it validates their world view despite it being factually incorrect.

Pew's got it at 3.1% Atheist, 4% Agnostic and 15.8% 'nothing in particular' within the 22.8% who answered 'none.'

pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/

>elongated head
NOPE!

*tips fedora*

See what I mean?

Err, was that taking the above link as trying to prove 's point? Because I was actually posting it to back up 25% guy is a moron. Most people who answer 'none' in my experience either don't give a shit or believe in a higher power but dislike organized religion.

Yes.

Riftborn best faction.

Almost all. Either in a syncretized form or as direct converts. People do not really cling to their believes that much.
If someone will kill you unless you believe in his imaginary best friend most will do so. If they are better off from doing so, even more.
How did you think the three Abrahamic religions spread so far? Or why Buddism is so spread out? With good speeches you can only get a handful.

Aren't mormons sorta Christians, tho? Just even more bonkers?
I think you mean Scientology. They are the guys with the aliens.

Na Mormons believe there is life out there, but don't go into more detail than that. Aliens exist but it doesn't affect your life so you don't really need to be worried about it

I do not believe the other religions deny aliens either.

>tips

>25% claim
>Just making shit up aren't you

nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/04/a-new-way-for-researchers-to-find-stealth-atheists.html

>Their results, Najle told Resnick, suggest about a quarter of the country, in fact, is atheist, and that “about 1 in 3 atheists in our country don’t feel comfortable disclosing their lack of belief.” If true, that would mean normal polling has vastly underestimated the number of atheists in the country.

>about a quarter of the country

>the former

Then im going to go ahead and say unnopposed?

Even non-believers are going to line up in droves for free super-powers.

you dont leave offspring if you die before you breed

39%
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_irreligion
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_the_United_States

20% are totally non religious, 32% don't believe in god,

Notably some religions, like Secular Humanism, don't have any belief in god, (Secular Humanism believes in good for all humanity) but still count as Religions, by modern census standards

>they have psychic powers
>they have advanced science
>they want us to hang out
Yeah I'm in let's go.

Most catholic i know, are not that religious, and i come from country that is consider almost fanatically catholic.
They will get alot muslims if space lolis will be involved.
Same story with jews if space gold will be a thing.

You're assuming a LOT about their religion with no info, dude.

"OUR SPACE GOD DOTH DECREE THAT ALL THOSE WITH THE COLOR BLUE IN THINE SELF BE ASPECTS OF THE SPACE DEVIL AND ARE TO BE BURNED TO DEATH OVER THE COURSE OF 50 YEARS!

Richard Dawkins: Well sign me up, boys!

...

Not really. Aliens would shatter religion the same way internet and computers have (i.e. almost nothing).

At worst, they would see them as deities sent by the gods or angels sent by God depending on religion.

Quite a Few
Well it all depends, does it count as "conversion" if you just pay lip-service to the religion to get access to post-scarcity-technology society?

more than 2/3 of the population in less than a generation if it's legit spiritualism and not just an ayy!bible

To be perfectly honest with earth in its current state of social awareness? Probably very few, since the information age we're all a bit too opinionated to be taken in by sweeping religious doctrines. It would have to be a lot more subtle than that, and approachable as fuck.
And for the love of god would REQUIRE results.

>does it count as "conversion" if you just pay lip-service to the religion to get access to post-scarcity-technology society?
it counted for the vikings

Isn't there a movie coming out soon with that exact premise?

>if space lolis will be involved.
if space lolis are involved they will get way more than just the Muslims

>The existence of aliens would shatter these religions though.
I've heard Mormonism is better prepared for aliens than other Abrahamic religions.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kolob

This thread is bait unless OP clearly defines what he means by "religious" and "try to convert", and what the context is.

To USfags and butthurt atheists, "religious" means a crazy person who unconditionally believes bullshit spewed by people they're told to trust unconditionally.

To the average Joe Schmuck, "religious" usually means someone who practices their faith, which is normally one of the big ones (I doubt Joe Schmuck considers wiccans religious; experiences says they consider them weird or crazy).

However, a lot of people venerated by religions were simply helpful people who promoted dealing with our personal, emotional problems, to seek to understand them, and generally trying to be better people. Sure, every religion had/has their assholes, but then every institution ever conceived had them.

Based on all that, it would be logical to assume that if you remove the bullshit from religion, you're left with a lot of positive messages and even more warnings. Consequently, an advanced society that focuses on spiritual development (which we perceive as religious at our current level of understanding) AND decided that lending a helping hand would be a good idea is, in all likelihood, a benevolent culture.

So now you have an entire society of reasonable, non-asshole, but still fallible people who decided to share their culture with us. This most likely includes the option (for those deemed compatible) of staying with them or moving to one of their worlds, which, considering their attitude, could already be home to several other species.

You can easily imagine that only the absolute retards and the xenophobes will stay on Earth. Past a certain point of personal development the body you inhabit becomes irrelevant to determining where you belong, and increasing emphasis is based on the identity we choose to have which in turn determines what group we enjoy being in the most (consider blood relations vs the friends you have).