Posted on 10/03/2011 10:13:52 AM PDT by EveningStar
The discovery of intelligent aliens would be mind-blowing in many respects, but it could present a special dilemma for the world's religions, theologians pondering interstellar travel concepts said Saturday.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
We used to have a lot of fun with that one in Philosophy class.
We do believe that the Earth was affected negatively by the Fall. Interesting question, how far out did the fallout reach?
What kind of a Bozo "theologian" is this guy?! Exactly how does that follow?
If you like dreaming about such things, consider C. S. Lewis' space trilogy, starting with "Out of the Silent Planet", which posits that the inhabitants of earth are uniquely fallen, spiritually cut off, and thus earth has become "the silent planet".
Just fantasy, to be sure, but at least as likely as Weidemann's "...ergo...".
That point about consciousness and quantum mechanics is really outstanding. Why would particles whose existence predated human consciousness be effected by it?
And yet, they are still looking at a giant goose egg in that department.
Since I’ve never believed God has fingers, toes and genitalia, I’ve always assumed “In His image” meant, “self-aware intelligence”.
In which case, aliens aren’t an issue.
Ahhh, but conversely, what if the little green men showed up one fine day, and said “Oh........humans. Yeah, WE created you”.
And they showed absolute irrefutable proof beyond the reason of any doubt whatsoever.
Then what happens?
(Just playing devil’s attorney)
A divine immaterial spiritual type of being does not need to follow laws of physical material entities. It could incarnate itself as much as it needed to whenever it needed to (sort of like a 4 dimensional object appearing in 3 dimensional space).
This points out a problem with Christianity and ETs.
Do the ETs have an eternal soul? If not, end of discussion.
If so, are they sinful? If not, end of discussion, they will spend eternity with God.
If so, did they ALSO have an Adam that sinned, and was it simultaneous with “our” Adam (”all creation” was cursed at that moment)?
Now, about salvation - in Christian belief, that is only achieved through believing on Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross, “once for all”. Did Jesus die on “our” cross for the sinful aliens, or did He have to go to each planet and do it over and over again?
Left out one - if they aren’t sinful, why are they suffering “all creation”’s curse for Adam’s sin?
Such, indeed, may happen in the last days, as great signs and wonders will be shown by the false prophets.
BFL.
It would help if people would read (and know) the bible.
When I read this, the following scripture immediately came to mind.
Jhn 10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine.
Jhn 10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jhn 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.
Why would this be a problem? Is God incapable of creating intelligent beings on other planets?
Because it would be in conflict with Genesis where the heavenly objects are there for "signs and seasons" not incubators for other life forms.
The question you ask is absurd in view of God's revealed Purpose. There are no "intelligent beings on other planets" because we know that Adam's fall brought "the entire creation" was subjected to futility under the penalty of sin (Ro 8); that Adam was given authority over all the Earth; and that Man was God's special creation.
Its not a function of whether God is capable of doing 'X', but whether 'X' is consistent with His Will.
Then we ask them "Who created YOU?"
Imagine what a world would look like if their Eve did not eat the apple.
There would be no democrats.....
“What would be REALLY mind-blowing is if they believed in God too. Liberal heads would explode!!!”
Or they come down, look around and say: “You have institutionalized the murder of your own unborn?!! Savages! Eat hot death ray.”
Freegards
I have been under the impression that these folks think they don’t need more evidence favoring their atheistic views.
I don’t recall anything that addresses other life forms or incubators for them. The bible addresses humans and the earth. You read a little too much into a collection of religious writings (old testament) that have been rewritten many times over by men, emperors and kings with their own agendas. It says that the heavenly objects are there for signs and seasons for man on earth and doesn’t preclude that God might have created other beings on other planets, intelligent or otherwise.
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