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 ...
He could have had lots of daughters.
So...like that’s kind of heavy, man. It’s all like the time I looked in the mirror and thought maybe the dude on the other side was like maybe the real one and I was the one that was a reflection. Or like thinking maybe dreams are what’s real and what we call life is really the dream. I mean, if the Big Guy can do anything, then can he like make a rock so huge that he can’t move it? I know! Right? That’s what I’m saying! And then I’m thinking, like Dude! What if Adam and Eve were like monkeys and they evolved into us? Wouldn’t that like be the whole deal with creation and evolution? I know! So we could like sit around a fire and make s’mores while we check out a mirror, if you want. I’m up for like anything, Man...So.
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.
It has been fairly well understood that He was referencing the Gentiles as apposed to the people Israel. Sheep is sheep. Cows is cows. Ducks is ducks. People are people. Aliens are fallen angels or demons.
Oh, you mean like those guys in the so-called "Jesus Seminar"? Yeah, their opinions carry a lot of weight.
Good grief - another bunch of idiots pretending to be "thinkers".
Perfect!
If hard evidence of 3 billion year old early simple cell forms and hundreds of millions of years old fossils of water and land creatures here on earth and 6 million years worth of fossils of early humanoid life forms don’t shake the faith of those who believe various religious teachings, I doubt if anything xxtraterrestrial will cause a ripple.
I gave a “sermon” years ago(I’m not a pastor - so it was more like a talk) about God’s power. I had a guy print up a huge poster of that famous Hubble shot with all of the galaxies. I mentioned how in the Bible they would compare God’s power to creation, and “all of the stars in the heavens”. (Something like 9,000 stars in view on a clear night???)
And then compared it to the Hubble photo - with something like 2000 galaxies with millions of stars each. As my knowledge increases - the power of God becomes even more evident.
As far as ET’s? Who knows? Could be. I also have leanings that they are demonic. What I REALLY hope that we never find out the truth about is Bigfoot. Seriously. It makes it WAY more interesting to think of a “Bigfoot” out there somewhere as you’re telling stories to the kids around the campfire. Not so much fun if they find one and it then becomes a “North American Ape”.
Personally, I don't see an issue.
Even if one were to conclude that every being in the whole universe is under the curse of sin because of two people on this particular planet (and I'm not convinced you can make a compelling scriptural argument for that), Jesus died for all who have sinned (which would include them if they are under the "curse" as you claim).
That doesn't fit very well with the notion of a just God.
These ETs would be treated justly by God. They would not spend eternity being punished for someone else's sin. They would only be punished for their own (or be forgiven if they chose to repent).
So your claim that it is not an option for those who believe in the bible to accept intelligent life on other planets should it ever be discovered is, very obviously, just your opinion and certainly not true.
I'm still waiting for science to get the 5-day forecast right.
There are two ways to identify an idiot:
1. If they try to use the Bible to disprove science
2. If they try to use science to disprove God
Matthew 7: 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Clearly these are people who do not value what we have to offer them; swine also proverbially lacked appreciation of value.
G-d is beyond human understanding.Why couldn’t He have created life somewhere else in the universe?
I’d pay good money to see that!
Fairly well understood true.
But if we ask ourselves, if God did create intelligent creatures which the power of will (other than Man), would this not apply to them as well?
in other words, this question (does the proof of ET life (cognizant or otherwise) prove that God is not the author of Life?
The answer is (without having to appeal to the Bible) is Of course not. God created EVERYTHING in the Universe, and indeed he created time and space itself. Jesus Christ himself holds the universe together (for those of you looking for the “God” particle).
So although you may ASSUME Jesus meant ONLY the Gentiles, Here are some arguments against that
1) It was evidenced in the scriptures that God wants to save the Gentiles ALSO, and creation included the Gentiles. God chose Israel not be the only saved, but to be the medium for transmission of salvation.
2) Although Jews may have viewed the Gentiles as “other sheep” God does not draw a line between Jew and Gentile for his intention to save (numerous scriptures reference this) . So this would be the same Sheep.
In summary, it was a popular belief that guided the interpretation of this scripture, not simple reasoning from the other scriptures. We should interpret scripture in the light of scripture, not belief systems.
So, this scripture at LEAST is an open door (e.g not enough information to decide one way or another), it in fact does not rule out the possibility that “other sheep” are men, not on other continents, but other worlds.
This same debate came up after the “discovery” of the New World.
Yes, the “Men” in the New World were God’s creation too. Some people wanted it NOT to be so they could exploit the natives. This does not change the truth.
How is it just for God to punish an entire race, not descended from Adam, by having them live in this fallen universe, if they never fell themselves?
'All creation groans', the Bible says, due to our sin. And that entire creation will be restored when Christ returns. Death, the final enemy, will be defeated. So is your putative alien race currently suffering from death, or not? Will it continue to suffer death after Christ returns? Has Christ become incarnate in alien bodies and died for alien races as well?
This is not just my opinion, as you can find from a simple search on the subject; I've never seen an informed Christian consider this question and come down in favor of the possibility of alien life. The closest I can think of is CS Lewis who punted on the issue by referring to Augustine's response to a question about whether centaurs and satyrs and so forth had souls. That was a question, he said, that could best wait until their existence was verified.
But when we consider the effects of sin on the universe, and in the context of a perfectly just and holy God, this is a safe matter to come to judgment on. Just as we know there was no death before the Fall and will be no death in the perfectly restored creation, we can say with certainty that God is not condemning and punishing alien races by forcing them to live in a sin-cursed creation when they did not sin themselves.
There are many other factors to consider as well (that man alone is made in God's image, that man has dominion over all the creation, etc.), but I think this is sufficient.
[ Such, indeed, may happen in the last days, as great signs and wonders will be shown by the false prophets. ]
Search “Project Blue Beam” on the interwebs for some really crazy stuff that we may have that could create a false “end of days” scenario that could be exploited by unscroupulous men inthe government.
Nothing, would it? But, it is an opportunity for a little twit named Clara to thumb her nose and, in a petulant voice, intone, "Nyah, nyah, nyah."
There is an interesting Joke about this.
In the far flung future, science gets to the point where they *can* string together molecules one by one, using atoms from common materials, until they create a copy of replicate simple DNA based life.
One day, God himself appears before the scientist and asks him who does he think he is, copying life? The scientist says “I’m not copying life, I cam CREATING it!”.
So God challenges him to a competition. God himself reaches and grabs a handful of dirt, speaks a thundering word, and opens his hand. Instead of dirt, there is a beautiful striped caterpillar. God’s eyes twinkle, and he waves his hand and the caterpillar changes into a butterfly which takes to wing.
The scientist, taken back, says, well, I can’t do that, but I can create life. He bends over to scoop up a little dirt to put into his multi-billion dollar machinery, when God interrupts him andy says — “Hey, Use your OWN dirt!”.
Pretend problem.
Man does not put limitations on God.
The bible seems to me to be focused on earth. Even in the creation accounts, the mentioning of heavenly bodies (sun, moon, stars) are spoken of in relation to earth. Only God knows what He has done elsewhere in the universe. Some day this side of eternity, He may choose to reveal that to us. If not, that's His call.
Isn’t it amusing that libs assume the aliens would have the mindset of ..... a Liberal!!! Who saw THAT coming? Or, better still, who didn’t?
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.