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Faith, Force, and the Fringe: Exploring the Otherworldly Roots of Religion
A philosophical journey through worship, war, dimensions, and the stars — Part II of II
These possibilities are also highlighted by historical texts from both Jewish and Arabic traditions. Both the Bible and the Quran are filled with accounts of divine interloping in human affairs. Both Asad (1993) and Youvan (2024) view these stories not only as potent, sacred narratives but as reliable allegories for possible extraterrestrial and/or dimensional intervention in an attempt to to maintain celestial control over cycles of conflict.
This very brief investigation does not seek to deny actual faith but rather aims to enhance our perception of spirituality by considering its origins. Examining whether our spiritual impulses are genuinely human or created by external forces logically prompts deeper introspection on both the self-determination and genuineness of our experiences (Underhill, 2002; Alper, 2008; Walker et al., 2020). According to McNamara, Norenzayan, and Henrich (2014), supernatural beliefs have most often been used to maintain social structures and hierarchies —…
