>> For example, some people are already writing off most major religions which are based essentially on an Earth-centric model, as never being able to recover from such a crippling body blow. (The Bible makes no mention of other planets or life on other planets.)
Crippling? The Bible doesn’t mention other planets. It doesn’t say there’s no life elsewhere, it doesn’t say there’s no intelligent life elsewhere ... it just doesn’t say anything. In order to be crippling, wouldn’t you have to disprove something that the Bible says, or contrarily prove something that the Bible says isn’t? You cannot simply prove something that the Bible doesn’t address, and then claim it disproves the Bible.
The Bible isn’t a complete guide to the universe — it is a need-to-know type document about the origins of life on Earth, rules for a Godly life, the pivotal story of Christ, and the nature of the divine.
It doesn’t address other planets — thus, Christianity doesn’t take a position on extraterrestrial life. If God can create the Universe, and place life on Earth, it would seem to follow that he could do the same thing elsewhere.
H
Well said. Glad to see someone is using their brain on here.
There’s a good deal of evidence indicating that Mars was inhabited before the flood. That causes considerably more angst amongst evolutionites than it does amongst Christians.