Quote - I always thought the garden was a metaphor for the animal kingdom.  Also, as an early important use of language, the powers given to language is fascinating.  It's telling that Adam did not get to  name himself, but was instructed to name the animals when given dominion over them.

"In the beginning was the word and the word was god."

 

There may have been animals running around but until someone named them they didn't exist.

I know, sounds crazy, but we don't have to theorize about 4000 years ago there are enough present day examples. 

Germs didn't exist until someone began speaking about them. Aliens that don't believe in Jesus didn't exist until several people decided to go on for several pages about them. One might not believe that these aliens exist but they certainly exist as the subject of this thread and that's only due to the creative nature of the word.

 

Quote -  We've become seperate from the animals, but haven't united amongst ourselves.  I believe that some form of common belief system may be necessary to leaving the planet

 

 Au contraire, we are very united, once again, around words, specifically the language we speak. This one aspect is what has let us build a civilization. 

 

Quote - Perhaps the turning away from psychedelics coincides with the development of the bicameral mind.  Using cranial capacity to determine that the brain has not changed in 50,000 years seems a bit suspect.  For example, autism rates are on the rise.  Is that being reflected in cranial changes?

 

I'm not sure I'm following you there. Terence MacKenna's concept (that I played with earlier) was that the human brain's development was influenced by low doses of psychedelic plants over many generations. I'm not sure how the autism rate plays in this subject. It may, I just don't know much about autism. 

 

Quote - I hate to sound all Trekkie, but

Oh, c'mon, take a look at where you are. We're disembodied voices in a cybernetic labyrinth the size of the planet discussing the religious beliefs of aliens and the possible consequences (or lack of) based on whether we believe in them or not. 

Maybe there are no aliens.Perhaps alien is just the wrong word and until we get the word right we won't be able to really see them and know that they exist.