A Biblical Perspective on Extraterrestrial Life
Since the UFO craze began in the late 40’s and early 50’s, there have been some few prominent Christian ministers and theologians who have ventured to guess at whether or not intelligent biological life exists elsewhere in the universe. Successful world evangelist Billy Graham made some statements affirming his belief in aliens in his book Angels, God’s Secret Agents. Renowned Christian philosopher William Lane Craig speculated that aliens may exist in the August 2008 episode of his “Reasonable Faith” podcast.
On that episode, Dr. Craig made the very relevant point that whether or not aliens, in the classic science fiction meaning of the word, exist has no real bearing on the Christian faith. If little green men should touch down tomorrow on the White House lawn, all the premises of Christianity would hang together just as they did prior.
That said, there is a fairly solid case to be made against the existence of intelligent aliens if one takes the Bible to be truthful.
The first argument comes from the creation account. This is a much debated account both within and outside of Christian circles, but the gist of the account tends to be that the earth is the central focus of creation, with special emphasis on human beings themselves. If this seems unlikely in the vastness of the universe, keep in mind that size does not necessarily equate with significance - as any particle physicist could tell you. This point alone does not make a strong argument against other intelligent life forms in the universe, but when added up with the whole of the argument, it hangs together.
The second point flows out of the first. If taken at face value, the creation account (Genesis chapters one and two) indicates that the world, and the universe around it were created in perfection. This is not the picture given, however, in the book of Romans where Paul says:
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
What happened between the creation of the Genesis account and this creation of the Romans account that groans in corruption? What happened was a fairly significant event Christians refer to as “The Fall.” This occurrence, in which humans rebelled against God, not only affected human nature but, according to Paul, affected all of creation. In fact, no matter how one views scriptural accounts, it is clear that the entire universe flows from order to entropy in such a way that the entire structure is headed toward an extinction event that scientists call “heat death.” Paul, who could hardly have known about the ins and outs of entropy and heat death in the first century, does a fairly good job of describing just that in the Romans passage. This flow toward entropy, which the Bible attributes to the Fall of Man, would include any poor aliens that happened to be elsewhere in the universe. This hardly seems fair if humans were the ones who rebelled and not the aliens.
In fact, the entire redemptive story is decidedly human focused. God came in human form, died, rose, and ascended to heaven where he will reign for eternity in a human body. In this story human beings appear to get special treatment over and above extra terrestrials.
Finally, scripture makes it fairly clear that all of creation is scheduled to be destroyed (because of its corruption due to The Fall) and replaced by a newly perfect heaven and earth. These hypothetical aliens would presumably be swept away in this fiery holocaust without a second thought.
Now it should be made clear at this point that the Bible certainly does affirm the existence of a sizable number of spiritual beings that are both intelligent and fairly alien to humans, and while these beings have interactions with the physical realm throughout scripture, it would be a stretch to equate them with science fiction aliens. The Bible and the Christian faith don’t seem to leave much room for extra-terrestrials.
Showing posts with label atheism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label atheism. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
A Biblical Perspective on Extraterrestrial Life
Monday, February 7, 2011
Cartoon Christianity
Years ago, C.S. Lewis wrote an essay entitled "God in the Docks." The essay detailed problems that Lewis had encountered when trying to share his Christian faith with the everyday man. In brief, these problems were:
1.) The idea that history was uncertain and open to interpretation
2.) A difference in vocabulary between believers and non-believers
3.) The idea that man sat in judgement of God rather than the other way around, and tied to that idea: a real absence of the concept of sin.
While I think that all of these problems remain in today's world, there is one more issue that I believe is the primary obstacle to talking openly about the Christian faith to the everyday man. Mainly, that most people believe they already know what Christianity is selling and have pre-judged it to be worthless.
Whenever I see Christians portrayed in the media, what I see is an unflattering caricature. This is more or less to be expected, but there are several characteristics common in the caricature of Christianity that may be instructive if we are trying to overcome objections when presenting our faith.
The most predominate misconception regarding Christianity is that our entire faith is based around adhering to a restrictive set of rules. This has several consequences. First of all, it's clear that Christians aren't perfect, but they are trying. Do you have to be a Christian to try to live up to a bunch of rules? No. As a result, the majority of folks out there think that ultimately, if God exists, they are as good as most people and better than some. They haven't killed anyone, which is the one commandment they recall hearing. They don't believe in heaven, but if it exists, they are doing okay without having to go to church.
Secondly, and possibly more damaging, the idea that being a Christian involves following rules makes it very apparent that many self-labeled Christians are utterly failing to live up to whatever standard it is that we are supposed to live up to. As a result, it becomes idiomatic that all Christians are hypocrites; condemning others while failing to live up to their own standards.
The final and probably most prevalent consequence of the way in which Christianity is portrayed in the popular mindset is that committed Christians are soulless and pathetic facades, worshiping and talking about religion in a syrupy manner with a vacant, brain-washed look in their eyes.
When C.S. Lewis presented his findings in 'God in the Docks,' he was helpful not only to define the problem but also to present solutions. The only solution I can think of to this problem is to do what we should be doing already: enter the lives of those around us as a fellow man: show them our humanity, befriend them, and talk to them frankly about our faith and beliefs. People will turn down a caricature automatically. They will not be so swift to shoot down a good friend.
1.) The idea that history was uncertain and open to interpretation
2.) A difference in vocabulary between believers and non-believers
3.) The idea that man sat in judgement of God rather than the other way around, and tied to that idea: a real absence of the concept of sin.
While I think that all of these problems remain in today's world, there is one more issue that I believe is the primary obstacle to talking openly about the Christian faith to the everyday man. Mainly, that most people believe they already know what Christianity is selling and have pre-judged it to be worthless.
Whenever I see Christians portrayed in the media, what I see is an unflattering caricature. This is more or less to be expected, but there are several characteristics common in the caricature of Christianity that may be instructive if we are trying to overcome objections when presenting our faith.
The most predominate misconception regarding Christianity is that our entire faith is based around adhering to a restrictive set of rules. This has several consequences. First of all, it's clear that Christians aren't perfect, but they are trying. Do you have to be a Christian to try to live up to a bunch of rules? No. As a result, the majority of folks out there think that ultimately, if God exists, they are as good as most people and better than some. They haven't killed anyone, which is the one commandment they recall hearing. They don't believe in heaven, but if it exists, they are doing okay without having to go to church.
Secondly, and possibly more damaging, the idea that being a Christian involves following rules makes it very apparent that many self-labeled Christians are utterly failing to live up to whatever standard it is that we are supposed to live up to. As a result, it becomes idiomatic that all Christians are hypocrites; condemning others while failing to live up to their own standards.
The final and probably most prevalent consequence of the way in which Christianity is portrayed in the popular mindset is that committed Christians are soulless and pathetic facades, worshiping and talking about religion in a syrupy manner with a vacant, brain-washed look in their eyes.
When C.S. Lewis presented his findings in 'God in the Docks,' he was helpful not only to define the problem but also to present solutions. The only solution I can think of to this problem is to do what we should be doing already: enter the lives of those around us as a fellow man: show them our humanity, befriend them, and talk to them frankly about our faith and beliefs. People will turn down a caricature automatically. They will not be so swift to shoot down a good friend.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Falsifying Christianity
The chief problem with the atheistic line of reasoning is that it begins with the affirmation of a universal negative. In essence, you can present proof that something exists, but you cannot prove something does not exist.
Aware of this fundamental flaw, many otherwise confirmed atheists fall to calling themselves agnostics, playing the word game. However, for those who continue to call themselves atheists, the next best thing to actually proving that God does not exist is to DIS-prove any so-called "proofs" of God's existence. Here, also, they encounter problems. If they present a reasonable argument that the universe does not need a God to create it because of natural processes, the theist responds that God used these natural processes to do his creating. If they say that a virtuous, just, reasonable, logical, or even organized God would not allow the apparent chaos that we see throughout history, the theist responds that God works in mysterious and incomprehensible ways. No matter what proofs they may present, the theists continue to assert God is beyond these proofs, or, in other words, His existence is not falsifiable.
The frustration over this impasse is best demonstrated by John Wisdom's famous parable of the Invisible Gardener. In brief, this parable tells the story of two explorers who, while hacking their way through the jungle one day, stumble upon a clearing in which there are rows of arranged flowers carefully planted. The clearing has all the organization and appearance of a well-tended garden. "If it looks like a garden," says one explorer, "it must, in fact, have been planted and tended by a gardener." "Impossible," states the other explorer, "there is no path through the jungle to the clearing." The first explorer states that, perhaps, the gardener has a secret pathway that is hidden from them. They agree to wait and see if a gardener comes. After several days, no gardener has shown up. The first explorer suggests that the gardener may be invisible, which is why they did not see him. So they set up dogs to sniff him out. Still, no sign of a gardener. So the first explorer says that the gardener may be undetectable by any sense. They also set up motion sensors and electric fences, but no gardener ever manifests himself. The first explorer says that perhaps the gardener is also intangible.
In frustration, the second explorer says that if the gardener cannot be seen, smelt, touched, or detected in any way, it is the same as if there is no gardener at all.
One can easily understand this frustration. And if you are speaking to a Muslim or a Jew, this impass remains. However, from the Christian position, there is a solution. Unlike any other popular religion, it is the Christian's position that God's ultimate revelation of Himself was through the person of His son, Jesus. Moreover, the Christian belief is that the ultimate revelation of the Christ's deity was through his resurrection from the dead.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. You can't prove that Jesus corpse isn't still buried and rotting somewhere, but you can produce a body as evidence that he didn't rise again. A difficult task, certainly, but not impossible. We know the method in which he died, the types of wounds inflicted immediately prior to his death are graphically described for us. We know he was preserved with various spices available at the time and wrapped tightly in burial clothes. We are even told where he was buried, and that his tomb was sealed with a heavy stone. This all occurred in a reasonably arid region. These are perfect conditions for mummification. If he did not rise bodily from the dead, it is probable that his remains are still available for inspection somewhere.
It is not my position that the only reasonable argument against Christianity is an extensive search of the ancient graves of the middle east. However, the Christian belief that God came physically to earth and walked among us, does do something revolutionary to the atheist/theist debate. It provides a tangible, physical, verifiable or falsifiable line of evidence. It gives us a historical manifestation of God's reality.
As a Christian, I know there are many fronts for the debate about the authenticity of our faith. But I feel it is a mistake to make the debate about anything but the person of Christ Jesus. Let God's Word speak for Himself.
Aware of this fundamental flaw, many otherwise confirmed atheists fall to calling themselves agnostics, playing the word game. However, for those who continue to call themselves atheists, the next best thing to actually proving that God does not exist is to DIS-prove any so-called "proofs" of God's existence. Here, also, they encounter problems. If they present a reasonable argument that the universe does not need a God to create it because of natural processes, the theist responds that God used these natural processes to do his creating. If they say that a virtuous, just, reasonable, logical, or even organized God would not allow the apparent chaos that we see throughout history, the theist responds that God works in mysterious and incomprehensible ways. No matter what proofs they may present, the theists continue to assert God is beyond these proofs, or, in other words, His existence is not falsifiable.
The frustration over this impasse is best demonstrated by John Wisdom's famous parable of the Invisible Gardener. In brief, this parable tells the story of two explorers who, while hacking their way through the jungle one day, stumble upon a clearing in which there are rows of arranged flowers carefully planted. The clearing has all the organization and appearance of a well-tended garden. "If it looks like a garden," says one explorer, "it must, in fact, have been planted and tended by a gardener." "Impossible," states the other explorer, "there is no path through the jungle to the clearing." The first explorer states that, perhaps, the gardener has a secret pathway that is hidden from them. They agree to wait and see if a gardener comes. After several days, no gardener has shown up. The first explorer suggests that the gardener may be invisible, which is why they did not see him. So they set up dogs to sniff him out. Still, no sign of a gardener. So the first explorer says that the gardener may be undetectable by any sense. They also set up motion sensors and electric fences, but no gardener ever manifests himself. The first explorer says that perhaps the gardener is also intangible.
In frustration, the second explorer says that if the gardener cannot be seen, smelt, touched, or detected in any way, it is the same as if there is no gardener at all.
One can easily understand this frustration. And if you are speaking to a Muslim or a Jew, this impass remains. However, from the Christian position, there is a solution. Unlike any other popular religion, it is the Christian's position that God's ultimate revelation of Himself was through the person of His son, Jesus. Moreover, the Christian belief is that the ultimate revelation of the Christ's deity was through his resurrection from the dead.
Now the shoe is on the other foot. You can't prove that Jesus corpse isn't still buried and rotting somewhere, but you can produce a body as evidence that he didn't rise again. A difficult task, certainly, but not impossible. We know the method in which he died, the types of wounds inflicted immediately prior to his death are graphically described for us. We know he was preserved with various spices available at the time and wrapped tightly in burial clothes. We are even told where he was buried, and that his tomb was sealed with a heavy stone. This all occurred in a reasonably arid region. These are perfect conditions for mummification. If he did not rise bodily from the dead, it is probable that his remains are still available for inspection somewhere.
It is not my position that the only reasonable argument against Christianity is an extensive search of the ancient graves of the middle east. However, the Christian belief that God came physically to earth and walked among us, does do something revolutionary to the atheist/theist debate. It provides a tangible, physical, verifiable or falsifiable line of evidence. It gives us a historical manifestation of God's reality.
As a Christian, I know there are many fronts for the debate about the authenticity of our faith. But I feel it is a mistake to make the debate about anything but the person of Christ Jesus. Let God's Word speak for Himself.
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