Among the unexpected stories of 2023 was a renewed interest in all things extraterrestrial: images of alien corpses; to retired senior military officials who claim that secret government programs were launched to capture UFOs; to a strange encounter with Las Vegas police officers. Public interest in whether something exists is higher than ever. But what would the existence of extraterrestrial life mean for Christianity?
This is the question addressed in a brand new video, from the What would you say? series titled “What does the Bible say about extraterrestrials?”
Many people assume that if evidence of extraterrestrial life were discovered, it would be devastating to the Christian worldview. However, according to my colleague Shane Morris, this is not necessarily the case. In fact, according to Shane, “nothing in the Christian worldview excludes the possibility that God created life on other planets. » In this video, Shane offers three things to keep in mind. First, that “Despite science fiction hype and decades of research, there is currently no evidence of life on other planets.
(A) After decades of searching, listening and exploring the skies in search of this life, we have come back empty handed. So much so that physicists and astronomers have dubbed this void the Fermi Paradox, which refers to “the gap between the lack of conclusive evidence for advanced extraterrestrial life and the apparently high probability of its existence.” In other words, if life is going smoothly, “Where is everyone?”
(Peter) Ward and his co-author, Donald Brownlee, argue in Rare earth that life doesn’t happen that easily, and assuming that it does is the real mistake. At least a dozen special conditions found on our planet are likely necessary for intelligent life to exist, including a precise orbital distance from our star, heavy elements, liquid water, a moon, a magnetic field, not too much gravity, a close gas. giant, and having a star like our Sun, which, ultimately, is anything but “ordinary”.
Shane’s second point is that “even if intelligent life were found elsewhere in the universe, it would not necessarily pose a problem for Christianity.”
Before Star Trek Or Star Wars existed, CS Lewis wrote his space trilogy. In it, he imagined alien races who never fell into sin. And in a few essays, Lewis questioned whether the existence of actual extraterrestrials would threaten Christianity. According to Lewis, the Bible never says that God created the vast cosmos solely for humans. …
For Lewis, intelligent aliens created and loved by God were not a problem, nor would they contradict the Bible. In the same essay, he warns that the Bible is not intended to satisfy our curiosity about such things but rather to serve as an instruction manual for salvation. But he also warned that humans are in no position to tell God what he can and cannot do with his vast universe.
And finally, Shane states that “tThe Bible teaches that there is are other beings in the universe, but they are not what materialists expect and they do not always come in peace.
Some biblical scholars, such as the late Dr. Michael Heiser, have suggested that some alleged encounters with extraterrestrials may be the result of demonic activity and possession. After all, in 2 Corinthians 11:14, Paul warns that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
This means that Christians don’t need to believe every story of alien abductions or close encounters, but we also shouldn’t immediately dismiss them as jokes or conspiracy theories. Christianity teaches that we are not alone in the universe, that it is filled with intelligent entities, good and evil, and that all were created by God and remain under his power.
The existence of extraterrestrial life is still only speculation, but the Christian worldview leaves more room for mysteries than our secular, materialistic times. It offers a broader, deeper and more satisfying explanation of the universe.
It was Shane Morris answering the question: “What does the Bible say about aliens?” »
To view the full video and share it with others, visit what would you say.org. Or, you can search for the What would you say? channel on YouTube. Don’t forget to subscribe to be notified every time a new video is released.
This Breakpoint was co-written by Shane Morris. For more resources for living like a Christian in this cultural moment, visit breakpoint.org.
