Maybe the two are mutually exclusive?

Or one is the cause of the other, as some say. I know some christians are quite eager to convert any alien life we come across. There's a reply in here somewhere about that..

Why did the pope so eagerly accept the possibility of alien life? Was it an effort to appear modern and relevant? Or saying that just because there is alien life it doesn't mean there is no need for religion..

Don't know but I know a few Christians who believe there is life otherwise, either created by god or just as parts of other universes. Also know a buddhist with a strong belief and obsession with them

with planets billions of years older than ours in this galaxy alone? absofrackinlutey. hubble's found a fair few in the 'habital zone' already..

There are many so called 'UFO religions'. Scientology is probably the most famous. Raelism and the Aetherius Society are others. Then there is the Heavens Gate cult, 38 members of which committed mass suicide in the belief that their souls would be picked up by a giant spaceship hiding behind the comet Hale-Bopp as it passed earth in 1997.

That being said does anyone believe the government to be hiding the existence of aliens?

It's estimated there is up to 400 billion stars in the milkyway galaxy alone and nearly every star has planets around it some of which could support life, and that's just one galaxy out of billions or trillions more, the possibility of just earth being the only planet in the entire universe which supports so called intelligent life is pretty slim,weather we get to know the real truth is quite slim too

'hiding' isn't the right term.. I think it's a long and drawn out indoctrination process. Perhaps leading to a truth which may be very frightening and possibly cause the collapse of human civilization as we know it.

It could happen!