Friday, 31 July 2009
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If Aliens Came Today, Would Christianity Survive or Collapse?
This post poses a simple question: how would the existence of extra terrestrial beings affect Christianity?In many science fiction works (yes, even my own), it has been stated that the existence of other beings beyond our own planet wreaks havoc among the Christian population. But in reality, would that happen? The next day, would pastors and priests renounce the name of Jesus Christ and leave the pulpits forever, or would we find a way to fit the existence of other civilizations into our religious views? In my opinion, it would be the latter that would have the most probability of happening.
When we discovered the new world, it wasn't a religious fiasco. On the contrary; the Catholic Church attempted to vigorously convert the natives. If we met beings from another world, would we attempt to explain the miracle of God and his Son Jesus Christ or be so conflicted as to even try? Would we have no doubt in our minds that the miracle of Jesus applies to them as well? It clearly states the Jesus was God's only begotten son, so where would that put other beings spiritually?
Nowhere in the Bible does it declare humans to be the only intelligent beings in the galaxy. Would we find ways to justify the existence of aliens? Would the acceptance of the theories of ancient astronauts heavily influencing the Bible (such as the chariots of fire that carried Elijah to heaven) become the rule rather than the exception?
With technology so limited in the cosmic scale of things, it's almost impossible to tell if we are not alone. I myself don't know what to think on the subject, but I do know that the future of Christianity, if aliens did indeed exist, is nearly impossible to predict.
What do you think? Could Christianity survive the discovery of alien life, or would it collapse? How could we fit their existence in with ours?
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- From: harmonyminusmelody@xanga
- Name: Evan
- About Me: in reference to my username, i have been since acquainted with my melody and we shout to the heavens our concordant song of life and love. i am a lover, a God-fearer, a space enthusiast, an aerospace engineer in-training, a writer, a gamer. i am lazy, opinionated, overweight, overbearing, and full of myself, but honestly, WHO ISN'T?!? at least i can say i'm not full of YOURSELF.
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Comments (84)
Personally, I think people would find ways to "fit it in", so to speak... however there is always the fear that others may turn from it and lose faith because of the inherent problems with reconciling extraterrestrial life and religion.
I can go more in depth on this if you would like, but now I have to go for a bit
If God has created angels and there are millions of other galaxies, it wouldn't be out of the question that he could or would create some other type of life. In the Old Testament it talks about the "host of heaven" whom some think could refer to life on other planets.
I'm not sure how easily reconcilable it is with traditional interpretations of the Bible. I think people would definitely have to stretch it a bit. The whole creation story and God made man in His own image blah blah blah seems not to leave room for aliens, although no, it does not directly say that there are none. Probably no one was concerned with extraterrestrials at the time. :p
Sure it could survive it. C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy is only one somewhat fanciful idea of a lot of explanations that would fit easily with a Christian worldview.
It'd survive, Christians would just deny it. You know, like dinosaurs.
I think if there is life on other planets then God has already been there and there will be those that believe just the way I believe. I doubt that God would create another life form and not be a part of it as well. But why would ETs change the way we believe?
I have actually been pondering a subject similar to this, and have discussed it with my friends. Only, what I have been thinking about, is, in the bible, it says that we were as close to God as can be, we were his personal friends, but as Eve ate from the tree, and deceived Adam, and they were both considered to sin, we have since been considered a fallen race. Fallen from God's glory, and in turn, are closer to sin, and are capable of it. Now, it says in the bible that God is the only God, creator of all life, the bible doesn't limit what God has created, it only explains Gods word to us, in a way suited to us, for us, so that we have some purpose and direction. If we encountered aliens, God would be their God, just as he is ours, and just as he is the creator of all things. But *Jesus* would be a different story. He was sent as a measure to allow a sinful race, to be closer to God. This situation was specific to us, nobody else. It's possible that the alien race we encounter, is not fallen at all. That maybe they were also given the choice to follow God with all their hearts, or to seek forbidden understanding, and fall away from him. If they did choose to follow God, than I can't really see any reason for us to encounter them though, although who am I to question God's will? And if they indeed are yet another fallen race in this galaxy, how have they handled their separation from God, has he also sent them a savior? Although it does say that Jesus was God's only begotten son, so it's possible they never had a saviour at all. All these circumstances are specific to the race in my opinion, maybe they never had such great prophets like Moses, or Noah, or Abraham, or all these great men that have made such a difference in their times.
So in my opinion, I think that it's possible Christianity would fall apart, knowing the way people are. They are very easily shaken, and hold true to nothing. They have no real faith, just the faith they are convinced that they have, but when tested, withers to dust. I think that true Christians, or at least the strongest and most deserving of God's grace, would hold true to him no matter what, and would ask him what to think of this, and God would tell them. I think it would just root out the posers to be honest. (Has that brought any enlightenment whatsoever??)
Also, just saying, you said that "with our technology so limited..". Actually, if you read all the new science advancement magazines like I do, and read up on all the new machinery that we are developing, we aren't very far at all from being able to find out about other races. Some really good magazines sold at 711 even, are Scientific American, Popular mechanics, Astronomy, and Discover, they all provide quite a bit of detail of new technology. Some of our more powerful telescopes are currently able to zoom in on planets a couple galaxies away, and look at their atmospheres and tell us the ratio of carbon dioxide in it, or the speed of rotation of the planets, how long their years are, exactly how far away it is, tell how high their mountains are, how much water they have. If we have telescopes doing that already, who says we can't have telescopes powerful enough to see what's actually on their land, whether it be buildings, settlements, etc....
(This is by far one of the most intriguing and interesting topics anyone can discuss with me, so I would GREATLY appreciate feedback on my thoughts. =P)
.“For we walk
by faith,
not by sight.” —II Corinthians v:7
God has created two sentient beings that we know of already, man and angels. Who says there are not more?
What if they came here and they were religious? What if they had a Redeemer who came to their world as well?
One never really knows till we hear their story.
Even thought God has revealed himself to man, man is still a violent, vice-ridden, malevolent mess. I would expect the same from ET.
The history of man is the history of superior cultures decimating weaker ones and of marauders smashing the vulnerable for plunder. Civilization is a tenuous and subtle undercurrent which moves beneath the overpowering waves of catastrophe.
If ET comes prepare for a tidalwave.
@JosephParsons@xanga - I think the survival of Christianity would depend on the story they told.
I believe that the Rapture will be explained as an alien abduction. That is why 'the world' is getting us used to the idea of them.
@LifesCollage@xanga - Interesting thoughts. I never thought about God vs. Jesus in this context. Hmm. That would be quite a perplexing issue.
Sub-thought: if there were a religion who proclaimed that there were aliens, and they turned out to be right, would they suddenly get tons more followers?
Christianity would change and mutate, adapt itself to its new environment, as it has done in every other sudden social shift. It might not even be recognizable anymore (passages about "man shall have dominion over the Earth" would probably be re-interpreted in terms of "and Terlaroni shall have dominion over Terlaron"; to each species its own planet), but it would continue nonetheless. Your religion is remarkably resilient, almost impossible to kill. Its evolutionary fitness, I must admit, is remarkably high.
Still, I think the aliens we find, when we do find them, will be exactly what science, not religion, predicts them to be. (That is, mostly bacteria, and some very strange indeed.) And as ever the march of knowledge will show that it is by the light of reason, not the blindfold of faith, that the truth becomes known.
@Jazzyful@xanga - There are such religions; Scientology, Rastafarianism, and arguably Mormonism all proclaim the existence of aliens. However, I strongly suspect that the aliens we find will be far different than what these religions predict; and so their credibility will not be substantially improved by the encounter.
I don't think the existence of alien life forms is at all in conflict with the belief in the Christian God. In fact, God is, by definition, an extra-terrestrial being.
@lonelywanderer2@xanga - I agree with you totally
@MusicologyNut85@xanga - go on...
To the questions . . . Christianity will survive for eternity. Scholars have studied how aliens fit into a Christian world view:
http://khouse.org/articles/1997/22/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCk4VMTGme4
@DrugInducedDuck@xanga - It would be very strange for a Christian to deny the existence of dinosaurs considering they are mentioned in the bible: Job 40:15–24 Job 41
@Umnenga@xanga - I think you're onto something there.
@DrugInducedDuck@xanga - Wow, Christians don't deny dino's! In fact, they are mentioned in scripture! Lemme find it for you:
-this is considered to be an accurate description of a Brachiosaurus Job 40:15–24Here is a link that talks about what Christians believe about Dinos'.http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/1999/11/05/dinosaurs-and-the-bibleAs for the aliens discussion- I think that there is no way Christ would apply to other life forms as we were made in the image of God and other beings would not have that privilage or the idea of a personal and special relationship as the bridegroom of Christ and that Christ came down even if "I were the only one." would no longer be valid. As for the existance of other beings, I find it fully possible but improblable. I find it more probable that the government is using some sort of science to manipulate us into being confused and thus letting them have more control. Men are corrupt. Either that or it's Satan trying to distract many from God by giving them the idea to make aliens and the idea of extraterrestrial life an idol in their lives.
C. S. Lewis wrote a fantastic essay on this subject in The World's Last Night. Here's a link.
I guess I find the whole notion that Christianity would be disproven by the existence of sentient extraterrestrial life forms to be quite laughable.
What if aliens showed up and vaporized the Vatican, Mecca, and dozens of other sacred sites all around the world?
What if they had their own gods, and tried to teach us about them? If their technology was advanced enough, they really would seem god-like and supernatural, wouldn't they?
What if they killed everyone who wouldn't convert? Pretty soon, you'd be left with a world where the only humans on it were ones who went along with them. That sounds it would kill Christianity, and every other religion too.
I would expect something along the lines of a once inferior culture having become more technologically advanced and then invading us. Yet, it is unlikely. Funny how we can't stand to think we're all alone in the universe.
By the way, this is a great, cutting-edge topic, which gets into plenty of theology, doctrine, and philosophy which, if impossible, is a good exercise in discussing how to deal with sudden, formidable challenges to faith. I think an event like this could really help bring things into focus.
@Pass_the_Aura@xanga - great link, I got lots out of it.