Here are a few things that I’ve noticed lately:
- Government entities (like the Department of Defense) have declassified and released a bunch of files containing information about “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena.” This is the new term that has replaced the older term, UFO.
- Because of this, people (both on TV and in real life) are talking seriously about spaceships, aliens, and life on other planets far more than during any other time in my life.
- I have heard people speculate that this is going to cause a “crisis of faith” among Christians. They are saying that if it turns out there is credible evidence of life on other planets, for some reason, this will influence lots of people to defect from the Christian faith.
So, I figured I’d write an essay to explain why I am not worried about this at all.
THE BIBLE DOESN’T ADDRESS THIS
It seems to me that part of the problem here is that there are quite a few people who believe that the Bible takes a position that there is no life on other planets. Therefore, the worry is: if it were proven that some spacecraft landed on earth in the recent or distant past then the Bible would be disproven (or at least proven to contain an error.)
Worry no more, my friend. As best as I can tell, the Bible doesn’t take a position on this. I’ve never come across a verse that I thought was addressing alien spaceships or civilizations on other planets. So, if it turns out that there is no other intelligent life in the universe other than humans, that is fine; it does not contradict the Bible. If it turns out there is other intelligent life in the universe other than humans, that is fine; it does not contradict the Bible.
You can feel free to watch news reports about unusual radar sightings in the Pacific without worrying that you will discover something that ought to shake your faith in God.
WHAT ABOUT JESUS DYING ON THE CROSS FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD? WHAT IF THERE ARE OTHER WORLDS?
One idea is that if there is life on other planets, then who is their Savior? Did Jesus die on the cross for earthlings only? Or did He die for aliens as well? And if He did die for aliens, how would they know it? How can they turn to a God who didn’t personally go to their planet to save them?
Let me take these issues one step at a time:
A. First of all, it seems that it would take more than just “life on other planets” for this to matter; it would have to be intelligent life. In other words, if it is discovered that there were microbes on Mars at some point in history, or even if it were confirmed that there was plant and/or animal life in some distant galaxy, that would still be mostly unrelated to the atonement of Jesus Christ. Plants and animals don’t sin and don’t require atonement. So, the discovery of a previously unknown species on another planet ought to be as faith-shaking as finding an unknown species in Antarctica. And by that I mean, not faith-shaking at all.
B. Ok, but what if it is discovered that there is intelligent life somewhere else? What then? Well, I guess I should begin by pointing out that there is intelligent life elsewhere. Christians already know this to be true.
In Job 38:4-7, God says to Job, “Where were you when I established the earth?...What supports its foundation? Or who laid its cornerstone while the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”
Most scholars agree that the phrase “all the sons of God” is a reference to supernatural beings who exist outside of our world. Contemporary churches usually refer to them as angels, whether fallen or holy, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are intelligent beings who are technically alien to this planet. Scripture also refers to “heavenly creatures,” “seraphim,” “cherubim,” “demons,” and “evil spirits.” In the book of Daniel there are even “princes” of “kingdoms” that are not references to earthly royalty. So, if any evidence is ever found that shows highly intelligent non-earthly life visited this planet, it matches perfectly with the biblical view that there is a supernatural world out there containing beings we know hardly anything about.
C. But what if the other life forms aren’t angelic? What if there are human-like beings on other planets?My answer is that I will worry about that if it is proven to be true. However, so far, there is nothing that has convinced me that there are other beings like us (ie: non-angelic beings that are also not like animals or plants; in other words, special beings made in the image of God). But if one day it is discovered that there are, it seems to me there would only be a few options:
- These beings didn’t sin and don’t need to be saved.
- These beings did sin, and God chose not to save them.
- Jesus' death on the cross was sufficient for their sins as well as ours.
- Jesus went to their planets and sacrificed Himself for them, too.
Perhaps there are other options, but I can’t think of any. And of those four options it seems to me that 1 and 2 are unlikely. As far as 1 goes, we know that humans certainly sinned, and that many angels have fallen. So, it’s hard for me to imagine a race of beings who are able to make choices, and all of them made all the right choices! As for 2, I can’t imagine God not attempting to redeem creatures made in His image. If He did it for us, and His character is consistent, He’d have done it for these other hypothetical creatures, too.
So, that only leaves 3 and 4, and I don’t know which of them is more likely. I suppose if I had to guess, I’d go with option 4. However, I don’t have to guess, because there is no reason to assume that any of this has happened.
CONCLUSION
There is no proof that “made-in-God’s-image” life exists on other planets. However, the point that I am trying to make now is that even if there were, there is still no reason to doubt Christianity or the Bible. That is the main thing I’m trying to get across. No matter how many files the Pentagon releases, this whole discussion is simply no problem for the Christian faith.
So, that only leaves 3 and 4, and I don’t know which of them is more likely. I suppose if I had to guess, I’d go with option 4. However, I don’t have to guess, because there is no reason to assume that any of this has happened.
CONCLUSION
There is no proof that “made-in-God’s-image” life exists on other planets. However, the point that I am trying to make now is that even if there were, there is still no reason to doubt Christianity or the Bible. That is the main thing I’m trying to get across. No matter how many files the Pentagon releases, this whole discussion is simply no problem for the Christian faith.
