Can a Christian believe there is other intelligent life in the universe? Most Christians who accept the authority of Scripture would probably say no. God and aliens do not mix. Theologically conservative churches usually teach that mankind is alone in the universe. God made man and woman on Earth, and it is highly unlikely that He would have created beings on other planets, or even animals or plants. Earth is all there is, and we should feel special about that.
Many Christian leaders and teachers who I respect have upheld this belief, or something close to it. Is it biblical, though (does Scripture back it up)? Some attempt to pull verses out of the Bible in support of their belief. But the truth is that the Bible is silent on the subject. We know God made the stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies on the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1:14-19), but we’re not told if He decided to put life out there or not. Likewise, the rest of Scripture contains no information about the multitude of other galaxies, stars, and planets God flung into space. So, to make a dogmatic claim that life exists only on Earth is opinion, not fact. Those who take such a stand should at least admit that it is a personally held belief with no supporting evidence.
On the other hand, just because the Bible doesn’t say anything about life on other planets, one cannot argue that there must be other life out there. Again, Scripture is silent about this.
I decided to write about this for two reasons. First, I found an article by Dr. Ryan Denison titled What God May Have Intended with the Question of Alien Life and it got my GenX blood up. Second, I’m writing about it because it’s a subject that has fascinated me for years—so much that I incorporated it into my forthcoming novel, Planet of Eden.
Regarding Denison’s article, I found myself agreeing with the first two-thirds. The mystery of UFOs and the search for extraterrestrial life are indeed of great interest to the public. I’ve written articles about this for the past few years. People care, and people want to know. The reasons are varied, but the collective interest is there and it’s serious. I was also glad to read that Denison agrees with my statements above—that Scripture neither affirms nor denies life outside of Earth. At least he didn’t attempt to support the Earth-only view by taking verses from the Bible out of context.
At the end of his article, though, I feel Denison misses a very important point. He asks why God would make the universe so large. His own answer: “what if the reason God created an ever-expanding universe filled with stars, planets, and mysteries we still haven’t even begun to grasp is to point us back to him?” And he also asks, “what if our universe was a gift that God intended to remind us of just how much he loves us and how special we are to him?”
Denison’s first answer sounds like something I have heard Christian teachers say before: God made the universe huge to show how huge He is. Really? God needs to show off to us? No. Nor does He need something as vast as space to “point us back to him.” A mustard seed or a human cell could (and should) point us back to Him just as easily. And if He wanted to show off, He need only point to tiny human DNA.
So why did God make the universe so big and so full of galaxies, stars, and planets? I’ll offer my own hypothesis: He created an immeasurable, ever-expanding universe to accommodate an eternal, immortal, and ever-expanding people. The size of the universe does, indeed, glorify its Maker, and human awe over it does point us back to Him. But maybe He made it huge because we were meant to eventually explore and inhabit it! God meant for man and woman to “be fruitful and multiply” and live eternally with Him. Could one planet sustain a growing population that lives forever? No. So maybe God had bigger plans for us.
Of course, we know what happened. We messed up God’s plan. Now, until His Son returns and restores all things, we can only look into the heavens and imagine what is there and what could have been.
So…about alien life: Do you believe it exists? You’re probably thinking: “What about you, Dan? After all, you’re a science fiction writer.” Yes, and I love it. I enjoy exploring the what-ifs in life, even when the answers can only be guesses. What God has said in Scripture is my ultimate authority. Since the Bible is silent on this subject, I make no dogmatic claims either way. If God wants to create other beings, or life, on other planets, that’s His prerogative as God. If life on Earth is all there is, I’m fine with that, too. Ultimately, it’s God’s business, and one day He’ll let us know for sure. Maybe it will happen dramatically like it does in Planet of Eden. Then again, maybe it’s better for humans on Earth not to know just yet. I don’t think this generation could handle it.
2 comments
Another thought I had after reading your blog was that since humankind corrupted the Earth, maybe God doesn’t want us exploring the vast universe and finding a place to inhabit and populate, ultimately bringing corruption along.
That’s a great point. C.S. Lewis toyed with that idea in his space trilogy, which inspired me to incorporate it into the story of Planet of Eden. Perhaps there are parts of the universe that, though affected by the Fall, have remained close to pristine. What would happen if we discovered such a place? Would we spoil it, or learn from it? These are fun and interesting things to imagine and ponder. Thanks for your comments!