Posted on 11/12/2009 6:21:42 PM PST by JoeProBono
Four hundred years after Renaissance philosopher Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake for his belief in the "plurality of worlds" (aliens), scientists and religious leaders gathered this week at a seemingly more open-minded Vatican for a conference on astrobiology (aliens).
The meeting focussed on current science, rather than the theological quandaries thrown up by the possibilty of other life forms beyond this planet. But that hasn't stopped debate spilling over outside the conference.
Yesterday I spoke to Paul Davies, a cosmologist from Arizona State University, just after he addressed the conference. In his view, the possibility of other civilisations - potentially more intelligent than our own - puts Christians “in a real bind”. Specifically, he says that nobody's satisfactorily addressed the question of whether aliens get saved. “The Catholic church offers a very species specific brand of salvation. Noone says that Jesus came to save the dolphins and certainly not little green men,” he said.
The possibility of extraterrestrial life does not pose the same problems for Eastern religions, which tend to be less Earth-centric, or Islam, which speaks explicitly of life beyond Earth, he said.
The Vatican does not have an official position on alien life forms, but a number of its scientists have spoken out on the issue. Father Jose Funes, director of the Vatican Observatory told the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, that the possibility of “brother extraterrestrials” was not incompatible with Catholic theology.
William Stroeger, an astrophysicist at the Vatican Observatory Research Group and a Jesuit priest, agreed: “There might be fundamentalists for whom the two things are incompatible but mainline congregations - Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists - would not have a problem with this,” he said.
Stroeger pointed out that the Catechism introduced after the second Vatican council states that there can be no conflict between science and religion. “If there’s a contradiction it means that we haven’t understood or interpreted one of them correctly,” he said.
This may be the case, but I agree with Davies that this isn't a trivial issue for theologists. Giggle factor aside, the question of whether Jesus would save aliens goes right to the heart of Christian beliefs. If you believe that "intelligent life" equals having a soul, then you have to ask where you'd draw the line. If scientists found dolphins on a distant planet, they would be mad with excitement at having found something so smart. But what would theologians make of them?
Stroeger conceded that the discovery of intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe would pose a challenge, but said that it would not be insurmountable. “There are some difficult issues to resolve, such as whether Jesus as saviour is the one who saves everyone in the Universe or if there are other equivalent salvation events that take place elsewhere in the Universe,” he said.
I was left feeling slightly mind-boggled at how you would even begin to answer such a question.
That predisposes that aliens needed saving. Maybe we humans were the only species in the universe that needed saving.
Of course, as long as they are legal.
No.
Are they stumping for James Cameron’s new movie?
I believe that fallen angels have already chosen and will pay accordingly.
I’m very skeptical that any of the better known, or at all known ‘critters’ are anything other than fallen angels.
Of course the "life beyond earth" is of an infidel nature and therefore must suffer the same fate as earth-bound infidels. An easy procedure -- most ET I've seen have real skinny necks.
“Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake for his belief in the ‘plurality of worlds’ (aliens)”
I coudn’t say what, exactly, Bruno was burned for, except that it was “heresy”. He did, I gather, believe in an infinite number populated worlds. He was also a heliocentrist and a pantheist. So he could have been burned for any number of moral failings.
John 10:16a I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen (or fold) . . .
Probably talking about Gentiles here, but could it mean more than that??
It’s the Asgard!
Jesus saves whomever needs saving and is truly willing to be saved. How’s that for a basic summary from the science-fiction generation?
Are you sure?? "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold." Could certainly cover the possibility.
Dances with Smurfs?
How about we find out if there really are aliens before we worry about the theological complications of there being aliens?
oh please.
If he saved Teddy Kennedy then he can save aliens.
Some people believe that the end of the Mayan calendar....December 21, 2012.....is the date that alien beings from another planet will return to Earth.
If that comes to pass, Christmas 2012 is going to be one Christmas we won’t soon forget.
It predisposes that aliens exist, that aliens have immortal souls, that aliens need saving, and that God’s plan of salvation for the aliens is the same as ours.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
