Is there anything in the bible that specifically denies the existence of extraterrestrial life? In light of recent evidence that Mars may currently house microscopic life, I heard people saying that this could destroy Christianity because it contradicts the bible. I contend that they’ll just say this is another miracle of God, and these are obviously Christian microbes. But, is there anything in either the Old or New Testament that states that life exclusively exists on earth?
I’m a Christian, but not an expert, so somebody may post something contradictory here in a few minutes. I do believe that life can, and most likely does, exist on other planets. But, it’s my understanding that the logic in some circles tends to work like this. The Bible doesn’t say anything about life not existing anywhere else (to my recollection), but it doesn’t say anything about God creating anybody else. Therefore, by that logic, since it doesn’t say God created these other lifeforms, they don’t exist. Make sense? I don’t agree, but hey. 
The bible also doesn’t say anything about nuclear fusion or helicopters, but obviously they exist.
The bible is not a textbook on biology, geology, aerospace, etc. It’s written to deliver a specific message, not to provide all possible information on all possible topics.
Example: Some people say it mentions dinosaurs, others call the dinosaur claim a bunch of garbage. Regardless of whether it can be construed to mention dinosaurs, we have pretty reasonable evidence that some creatures fitting their descriptions existed (and if it walks like a dinosaur and quacks like a dinosaur…). So since the bible never claims to be a definitive catalog of species, the fact that dinosaurs are not mentioned does not say ANYTHING about whether they existed, and the two sets of data are not even related, let alone contradictory.
Same thing with Aliens. I personally tend to think alien life doesn’t exist, and even if it does, we’ll never know because far too many variables are involved. However, if extraterrestrial life should be proven to exist, even though I would have to bite my tongue and admit I was wrong, it would have no bearing whatsoever on my beliefs as a Christian. Because the bible does not make any claims (none explicit enough for me to understand, anyway), either positive or negative, about life on other planets.
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probably because it would conflict the geocentric (anthropocentric) view of the universe.
I think it’s just an interpretation and not something specifically spelled out. I’d be interested to hear if the Bible has any references to other worlds at all.
Certainly, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were known to be different things in the sky than the other points of light, but they were not known as other worlds.
I am a christian. I have no problem with the possible existance of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe (it certainly isn’t here - HA! OK, OK, that was too easy).
I have heard some christians reason against life elsewhere, thusly:[ol][li]All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)[]God is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore God would have made provision for the salvation of the aliens.[]He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Hebrews 7:27)Since aliens will have sinned, Jesus would/will have had to go their planet and sacrifice himself. But Jesus died once for all, therefore aliens don’t exist.[/ol][/li]
I’m sure you can see several holes in this logic, as I said in my first paragraph …
Tinker
P.S. Why doesn’t the list terminator work? I do have [ /list ] (without spaces) after my list.
I don’t think that any branch of Christianity is going to be threatened by microbes on Mars.
There is an issue that causes some groups to deny the possibility of intelligent life anywhere but Earth. If humanity is the very special creation of God in His image, occurring only here on Earth, then these folks would see other “human-like” creatures (i.e., having sufficient intelligence and emotion and self-awareness to be considered persons) as a contradiction of the bible. Since anything that even apparently contradicts the bible is wrong, there cannot be such creatures that would contradict the bible.
Even mainstream Christianity could be faced with a serious issue if intelligent life is found that has no concept of God. Why would God reveal Himself only to humans if he is the creator of all? How does the whole notion of sin and redemption through Jesus fit in with a culture/species where Jesus did not go? James Blish wrestled with this in A Case of Conscience (although I never bought either his premises or his conclusions in that novel).
some texts of Kabbalah (let’s just cal it Jewsih mysticsm) do speak of other life. The worlds described are in other spiritual planes rather than in our own universe.
We can extrapolate from the Bible. G-d floods the world. If catastrophe and recreation happen on Earth, why not else where? Humans are special because of their capacity for choosing good over evil and dealing in abstract concepts. The fact that all humans have this potential does not make Ghandi less of a saint, or Torquemada less of a monster. If we met another species, it wouldn’t make us less special.
Science has little effect on religion. I believe strongly in G-d, and just as strongly in the Big Bang and evolution. Someone once said “Science is based on observation. Religion is based on revelation.” Numerous theologists have said that extraterrestrials would only be proof of the glory of the creator.
The really interesting question is why Star Trek examined the religions of Klingons, Bajorans, Ferengi, but never showed us the state of human religions in the Federation?
Well, I didn’t expect a kind of Spanish Inquisition!
Well, the arguments made by Tinker Grey are good ones if we ever found walking, talking aliens building cold fusion powered outposts on Ceres. However I don’t think that they apply to microbes found fossilized in Martian rocks, sitting under the ice of Mimas or whereever else scientists get excited about the possibility of tiny lifeforms. Why would Christianity be threatened by space germs? (Besides a nasty space cold, of course…)
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!
The Bible specifically says that angels exist, and it’s presumed that they’re not of Earthly origin. Oughtn’t angels, if they exist, to then be considered aliens? It seems pretty cut and dried, to me.
The question is still open on the matter of non-spiritual aliens.