Back in college, I had a professor that held some unusual theories on aliens. The course I had this instructor for was, I believe, Philosophy of Science 305, or some such number. Anyway, I had been warned ahead of time about this professor’s bizarre teaching style and firmly held beliefs. And, for the first part of the semester I began to doubt the validity of the warnings, because, I found no reason to question his intellectual sanity. But, out of nowhere he started one day to ramble on about some government conspiracy to hide the fact they had indeed contacted aliens, and much of the technology we had acquired since the 1950’s could be attributed to this ‘hush hush’ relationship we had with otherworldly creatures. As a result, although I have no problem with a belief in aliens (which I will elaborate on later in this article), the basis upon which he made such claims was I felt in conflict with his other logical conclusions (such as his arguments for the existence of God, his Platonic commitment and so forth). The reason I bring all of this up is simple. There is a debate in Christianity today as to whether belief in aliens and life on other planets is somehow inconsistent with the Bible. So, let us explore this subject and see if we cannot come to some agreement as to how we should deal with all of this.
In the secular world, I will not deny that it is quite popular to ‘use’ the issue of aliens as either a substitute for religion or as a way of ‘disproving’ it. The late Carl Sagan, made famous by his ‘billions upon billions’ of stars, was a staunch atheist. But, he was still human. He had a longing, a deeply seated desire, as we all have, to look for something outside of this world for fulfillment, purpose, and most likely salvation. The search for alien life offered him a perfect opportunity to seek these things out without the aid of religion. Assuming that the physical universe is ‘all there is’, Sagan found that if there was intelligent life in the universe, maybe they have the answers to the questions that haunt us as a species. Ultimately, his belief in alien life was supported, not necessarily by any strong evidence, but a hope that one day the dreams of humanity that birthed, he felt, the mythology of religion would find its fulfillment in a real answer; a more highly advanced civilization.
Another irreligious motivation for believing in aliens is found in the explanation of the supernatural. I frequent a message forum on the web where individuals who are fans of a particular famous author (I will not say who the author is) come together and discuss various topics, whether associated with this person or not. One fan in particular has stated on many occasions her theory that the miraculous events of Jesus’ life that are beyond explanation are evidence that Jesus was indeed an alien. Now, this may seem absurd to us here, but for those who do not believe in the supernatural, it is necessary to appeal to these types of arguments. How else explain His ‘ascension’, as into a spacecraft? Or, healing the sick, with advanced technology? So, there are reasons for believing that aliens exist that run counter to our faith.
Now, we all know that the supernatural must exist. For example, if advancements in technology were increasing our ability to disregard religion all together, then we would have been able to reason out how it is our minds effect our bodies, how it is love changes a life, or how life begins in the first place. But, we have not even come close. We can split an atom, but we cannot mend a heart. We can perform vivisection on the brain, but we cannot even ‘see’ the mind. We can create the conditions for life in a test tube, but we haven’t even begun to understand what life is. The search for aliens if it is for reasons of disproving or substituting Christianity will never prevail. Jesus will always be the capstone, not the captain of a space ship.
However, I believe that a healthy interest in other planets is not necessarily contrary to the Word of God. Whether life exists on other planets is an interesting subject, but it needn’t be one that must be solved. I think that Robert Frost put it best when he said, “We may as well go patiently on with our lives and look elsewhere than to sun and moon and stars for the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.� The Bible said God so loved the world, but did He also love the universe? If He does, then is it any concern of ours? We have enough in our hands with our world. We should not be preoccupied with interstellar things, and oftentimes not even terrestrial things. Our eyes should be on things above, and that does not mean the upper atmosphere. For, Jesus’ ascension into heaven was not into outer space, but outer self, or better yet, outer death. There is where we should put our hope, and boldly go where many souls have gone before.
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Comments
Commenting on the E.T. artical. CS Lewis wrote a science trilegy "Out of the Silent Planet" It is a great set of books that deals with the whole question of Christianity and the existance of life on other planets. A very good read.
Erick Kern
Spring City, PA, USA
Posted by: Rev. Erick J. Kern, Jr | April 6, 2006 09:08 AM
For more information on aliens or ohter questions you should go to www.answersingenesis.org It is a great site, they are affiliated with icr.org (institute for creation research).
Posted by: Travis | April 11, 2006 08:36 PM
WOW..... THIS WEB SITE EMPLOYS ROCKET SCIENTISTS!!!
AH... EXCUSE ME, BUT WHY ARE YOU WASTING CHRISTIAN MENS TIME BABBLING ABOUT WORLDLY FASCINATIONS THAT ARE NON FACTORS FOR GOD FEARING CHRISTIANS?
ALIENS????
WHAT'S THE SUBJECT MATTER NEXT WEEK...... ASTROLOGY??? dah? DON'T YOU PEOPLE KNOW ANYMORE THAN THIS PRE-PUBESCENT STAR TREK BABBLE?
PUT THE BABY BOTTLE DOWN AND TRY GETTING INTO THE MEAT OF THE WORD!!!! TALKING ABOUT ALIENS IS GETTING YOU NO WHERE---OH WAIT MAYBE IT IS... WELL IT'LL BE TOASTY.
Posted by: Anonymous | April 13, 2006 08:08 PM
How can one believe in Aliens when the Bible clearly states what was created and finished on the 6th day?
Are we not made in the image of God? What could be more significant that what God has put here on this earth.
The earth was created for man for God's glory.
Posted by: Jaime | April 16, 2006 04:38 PM
God can make aliens. The world can be infinitely huge. God's love is for us all. Other species of creature, as aliens would not be humans, would be made differently and have different relationships with God. Maybe they are not fallen. Maybe some are.
Posted by: William | April 28, 2006 01:52 AM
God's word says for us to go into the world to spread the gospel to those who are lost. He does not tell us to go out of this world to spread the gospel. If there are creations somewhere in this universe other than this world, God certainly knows it, and since He does not tell us about it then I believe it is not of our concern.
Posted by: tom sanders | October 15, 2006 09:41 AM
Travis, your comments are in concurrence with a disinterest in studying God's entire creation. Others, with whom you do not empathize, are engaged in an active search for increased insight. I realize that you are active in your own study of the Word, but please do not predispose others to an association of immorality in searching for truth, in light of the Lord. By suggesting that an inquiry of the extent of God's creation should be suppressed, this is what you do.
Posted by: Nick Sterling | February 14, 2008 11:16 PM
Jesus Christ was God's only begotten son, and he was placed on earth. If there are unearthly beings out there, we certainly do not have communication with them. They would be unable to acquire the Gospel. God would need to still be communicating with them directly. The Bible is not still being written and information is not being added to it (or shouldn't, at least!). I'm don't imagine God would leave any of his creations in naivity about the Truth.
We are approaching the end times (this is evident through all current world events in the news), so saying there are extraterrestrial beings out there who are unknowledgeable about Jesus and the Gospel is illogical. God is a fair, just God and it wouldn't be fair for us to have the opportunity to be saved by grace and his other creations to be living without God's Word, grace, and blessings.
Posted by: Brittany | February 27, 2008 07:24 PM
But define world? Does he mean this physical planet or does he mean the world we're aware of (which has been expanding, once it was one land, then several lands, then a landmass...)? I think that maybe he means the latter.
Posted by: Neith | June 3, 2008 06:39 AM
I find your style of presenting the various hypothesis interesting as they are indeed humourous.
I was trying to see if there can be any explanation to the existence or the lack of of aliens regarding Christianity and this website helped a load.
In referring to the anoynomous' comment that we, man, are made after the very image of God Himself, so there couldn't possibly be anymore brilliant and intelligent life than us, I think this is extremely logical.
Despite some of the hypothesis that God's power is extremely great so He could have created other lifeforms in other galaxies and they could have been in a better relationship with God as compared to us sinful humans, I still find it very difficult to think that God Himself could have done that.
We take the words in the Bible as God's words Himself and according to His word, He loved us a lot, more than we could have ever imagined. He modelled our making after Himself. He came to our world to die for us. All these things we accept as true. And if we view the Bible that highly since it's true through and through, then why couldn't we respect the fact that there is no mention of any other form of intelligent life which God created?
I don't think God is someone to hide things from us and some can even agree that He is a living whose spirit always live around us. He gives us revelations whenever we need His guidance. I just can't bring myself to believe that there could be something which He hasn't already told us about. Unlike some of the authorities in our world, God is a tranparent God who doesn't hold back things from us, including His love.
I've glady come to the conclusion that aliens simply do not exist, in spite of the numerous attempts by over-zealous scientists and atheists to provide evidences for their existence.
But the topic of extra-terrestrial life makes for a good fictional fantasy read though.
Posted by: inez | June 3, 2008 04:02 PM