Monday, August 28, 2006

Is there life elsewhere?

I understand the theological dilema that Xians face in regards to this question. But I see all the related fears and resistance as being unnecessary and harmful.

First, who cares what evolutionists think anyway?! "I want to know God's thoughts", said Einstein, "the rest is details".

So what if there's life elsewhere? If there is then God made them and He can handle the situation with ease. Why fear for what the atheistic evolutionists will say if life is found elsewhere? Of course they will cry, "evolution is therefore true"! They always have no matter what proof to the contrary is revealed.

And of course the cry will be just as unwarranted then as it is now. In fact a discovery of life elsewhere would only make the thing more difficult for them since they would then have another humungous set of phenomena to explain away! How did life start in the said elsewhere? The same questions will have to answered as are already necessary to answer now! They will only have succeeded in moving the questions back one more step and making the answers even more difficult to find in a Darwinian context!

The questions will become much harder for the staunch darwinists, in part, because they will then have to explain how the billionth of a billionth of a chance of life appearing spontaneously, occurred more than once in the universe.

For Xians or theists that is not the problem.

I've done a lot of research into the works and beliefs of the church, generally speaking, over it's existence in the past 2 millenia. And yes, I've even looked for what they said and believed about life elsewhere.

Did they mention ufos or aliens etc.? No the terms were not familiar to them. Did they speak about life elsewhere? Yes indeed.

They absolutely did not have any fears or qualms about whether ET was a reality or not. They viewed God as being infinitely capable of both creating and dealing with the whole "life, the universe, and everything" questions without even "working up a sweat" if you will.

Many of the great preachers of the past said things that clearly hinted at a belief in life elsewhere. They did not, nor would have been expected to, use our modern terminologies. No doubt there were also many who did not believe in such possibilities since there have also been periods where the church was extremely man-centered and had become paranoid (as all man-centered organizations do) - adopting an "anti-everything they couldn't understand" mentality.

Charles Finney in his many lectures on theology often spoke of the atonement as applying to all life in the universe :
"That the work of Atonement was the most interesting and impressive exhibition of God that ever was made in this world and probably in the universe." "Now, as it can never be expected, that the Atonement will be repeated, it is for ever settled, that rebellion in any other world than this, can have no hope of impunity." "We have reason to believe, that Christ, by his Atonement, is not only the Savior of this world, but the Savior of the universe in an important sense" "This world is to be turned back to its allegiance to God, and the blessed Atonement of Christ has so unbosomed God before the universe, as, no doubt, not only to save other worlds from going into rebellion," -- Skeleton Lecture of Theology - The Atonement.
Charles Spurgeon also made references to similar things. :
"It may also be, but I do not know, and so I cannot tell you, that we are, in future dispensations, to fill unto other worlds much the same office as angels fill to ours. Jesus has made us kings and priests×and we are in training for our thrones. What if in this congregation I am learning to proclaim my Master's Glory to myriads of worlds! Possibly the preacher who is faithful here may yet be made to tell forth His Lord's Glory to constellations at a later time. What if one might stand upon a central star and preach Christ to worlds on worlds instead of preaching Him to these two galleries and to this area! Why not?" - Sermon #1960

"We cannot tell but that in the boundless regions of space, there are worlds inhabited by beings infinitely superior to us" - sermon #151

"He had created worlds, I know not how many, but in them all He found no rival. Perhaps all the stars we see are worlds full of inhabitants who worship the infinite Creator" sermon #1786

"I have such a conviction of the power of Christ's death that if it were revealed to me that on the Cross He redeemed not only one world, but as many fallen worlds as there are stars, I could well believe it!" - sermon #2224
Enough quotes from two of the greatest preachers the world has known since the apostles. Many others could be quoted.

You see, not only did these men of God have no fears or hangups about life elsewhere, but they viewed it as a perfect possibility in harmony with Genesis and with all the more glory to God who created them all by His Word.

They were not under the influence of Darwinism, nor science fiction.

All the "ado about nothing" in the life elsewhere questions is based on fears and insecurities - not on scripture and certainly not on faith in God who is bigger than it all.

And all this talk about UFOs being demons is largely rubbish in my view. They may as well be angels for all we know - and we know spit about our own world let alone the vast universe of worlds that may or may not be "out there". The evidence for water being found of one Saturn's moons Enceladus, recently is certainly a surprise for many since as far as we know, where there is water there is also life - at least on our little blue planet.

As for UFO's, certainly Satan can disguise himself as many things and as the "prince of the power of the air" and capable of "transforming himself into an angel of light" may actually be involved in some of these "sightings" or alleged abductions - who knows?

Nevertheless I would encourage all of you, whatever your position, to be full of faith and courage and stand in awe at your Awesome King Creator who by His Word formed the ages and having "so loved the kosmos, gave His uniquely begotten Son so that WHOEVER believes on Him would have eternal life".

Let the horizons of your vision and understanding be expanded and blessed with His light on all things.