The Question of Extraterrestrial Life
The distinctiveness of the earth dovetails
with a question that people often ask:
“Are there extraterrestrial life-forms out
there?” The question of life from other
planets is a hot topic in our culture today.
Science fiction movies and television shows
often depict strange creatures from faraway
planets, but these ideas are not limited merely
to science fiction programming. Many secular
scientists believe that one day we will actually
discover life on other planets. There are even
programs like SETI (the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) that scan the heavens
with powerful radio telescopes “listening” for
signals from intelligent aliens. Unfortunately,
many Christians have bought into the idea of
extraterrestrial “alien” life without critically
assessing such a belief in light of Scripture.
The idea of extraterrestrial life stems
largely from a belief in evolutionism. Recall
that in the evolution view, the earth is “just
another planet”—one where the conditions
just happened to be right for life to form and
evolve. If there are countless billions of other
planets in our galaxy, then surely at least a
handful of these worlds have also had the
right conditions. Extraterrestrial life is almost
inevitable in an evolutionary worldview.
From a biblical perspective, extraterrestrial life does not seem reasonable.
However, the notion of alien life
does not square well with Scripture. As
previously discussed, the earth is unique.
It is the earth that
was designed for life
(Isaiah 45:18), not the heavens. The other
planets have an entirely different purpose
than does the earth, and thus they are
designed differently. In Genesis 1, we read
that God created plants on the earth on
day 3, birds to fly in the atmosphere and
marine life to swim in the ocean on
day 5, and animals to inhabit the
land on day 6. Human beings are also
made on day 6 and are given dominion
over the animals, but where does
the Bible discuss the creation of life
on the “lights in the expanse of the
heavens?” There is no such
description, because the
lights in the expanse were
not designed to accommodate
life. God gave care of the earth
to man, but the heavens are the
Lord’s (Psalms 115:16). From a
biblical perspective, extraterrestrial
life does not seem
reasonable.
Imaginative artwork depicting alien life-forms.
Problems are
multiplied when we
consider the possibility of intelligent alien
life. Science fiction programming abounds
with “races” of people who evolved on other
worlds. We see examples of “Vulcans” and
“Klingons”—pseudo-humans similar to us
in most respects but different in others.
As a plot device, these races allow the exploration
of the human condition from the
perspective of an outsider. Although very
entertaining, such alien races are theologically
problematic. Intelligent alien beings
cannot be redeemed! God’s plan of redemption
is for human beings: those descended
from Adam. Let us examine the conflict
between the salvation message, and the notion
of alien life.
The Bible teaches that the first man
(Adam) rebelled against God (Genesis 3). As a
result, sin and death entered the world (Romans 5:12). We are all descended from Adam and
Eve (Genesis 3:20) and have inherited from
them a sin nature (Romans 6:6, 20). This is a
problem: sin is a barrier that prevents man
from being right with God (Isaiah 59:2), but
God loves us (despite our sin) and provided
a plan of redemption—a way to be reconciled
with God.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God made
coats of skins to cover Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21). He therefore had to kill an animal(s).
This literal action is symbolic of our salvation:
an innocent Lamb (Christ—the Lamb of
God) would be sacrificed to provide a covering
for sin (John 1:29). In the Old Testament,
people would sacrifice animals to the Lord as
a reminder of their sin (Hebrews 10:3) and as a
symbol of the One to come (the Lord Jesus)
who would actually pay the penalty for sin.
The animal sacrifices did not actually pay
the penalty for sin (Hebrews 10:4, 11). Animals
are not related to us; their shed blood cannot
count for ours, but the blood of Christ can.
Christ is a blood relative of ours, since He
is descended from Adam as are we; all human
beings are of “one blood” (Acts 17:26).
Furthermore, since Christ is also God, His
life is of infinite value, and thus, His death can
pay for all the sins of all people. That is why
only the Lord himself could be our savior (Isaiah 45:21). Therefore, Christ died once for all
(Hebrews 10:10).
The Redemption of ET?
Computer artwork depicting scientist’s impression of alien plants shaped like balloons.
When we consider how the salvation plan
might apply to any hypothetical extraterrestrial
(but otherwise human-like) beings, we
are presented with a problem. If there were
“Vulcans” or “Klingons” out there, how would
they be saved? They are not blood relatives
of Jesus, and so Christ’s shed blood cannot
pay for their sins. One might at first suppose
that Christ also visited their world, and lived
and died there as well, but this is anti-biblical.
Christ died once for all (1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:27, 10:10). Jesus is now and forever both
God and man; but He is not an “alien.”
One might suppose that alien beings
have never sinned, in which case they would
not need to be redeemed, but then another
problem emerges: they suffer the effects of sin,
despite having never sinned. Adam’s sin has
affected all of creation—not just mankind.
Romans 8:20–22 makes it clear that the entirety
of creation suffers under the bondage of
corruption. These kinds of issues highlight the
problem of attempting to incorporate an antibiblical
notion into the Christian worldview.
Of all the worlds in the universe, it was the earth that God himself visited
Extraterrestrial life is an evolutionary
concept; it does not comport with the biblical
teachings of the uniqueness of the earth
and the distinct spiritual position of human
beings. Of all the worlds in the universe, it
was the earth that God himself visited, taking
on the additional nature of a human being,
dying on a cross, and rising from the dead in
order to redeem all who would trust in Him.
The biblical worldview sharply contrasts with
the secular worldview when it comes to alien
life. So, which worldview does the scientific
evidence support? Do modern observations
support the secular notion that the universe is
teeming with life or the biblical notion that
earth is unique?
Where Is everybody?
Artist illustration of Pluto, Charon, and the sun
So far, no one has discovered life on other
planets or detected any radio signals from intelligent
aliens. This is certainly what a biblical
creationist would expect. Secular astronomers
continue to search for life on other worlds,
but they have found only rocks and inanimate
matter. Their radio searches are met with
silence. The real world is the biblical world,
a universe designed by God with the earth at
the spiritual focal point—not an evolutionary
universe teeming with life.
When it comes to extraterrestrial life, science
is diametrically opposed to the evolutionary
mentality. We currently have no evidence
of alien life-forms. This problem is not lost
on the secular scientists. Allegedly, the atomic
scientist Enrico Fermi was once discussing the
topic of extraterrestrial life when he asked the
profound question: “Where is everybody?”
Since there are multiple billions of planets in
our galaxy, and since in the secular view these
are all accidents, it is almost inevitable that
some of these had the right conditions for
life to evolve, and if some of these worlds are
billions of years older than ours, then at least
some of them would have evolved intelligent
life eons ago. The universe should therefore
have countless numbers of technologically
superior civilizations, any one of which could
have colonized our galaxy ages ago. Yet
we find no evidence of these civilizations:
“Where is everybody?” This problem has
become known as the “Fermi paradox.”
This paradox for evolution is a feature
of creation. We have seen that the earth is
designed for life. With its oceans of liquid
water, a protective atmosphere containing
abundant free oxygen, and a distance from
the sun that is just right for life, earth was
certainly designed by God to be inhabited.
The other planets of the universe were not.
From the sulfuric acid clouds of Venus to
the frozen wasteland of Pluto, the other
worlds of the solar system are beautiful and
diverse, but they are not designed for life.
Why the hype?
In the 1990s, the television series The
X-Files entertained millions of fans with
stories of aliens, government conspiracies, and
one dedicated FBI agent’s relentless search
for truth. The show’s motto, “The truth is
out there” is a well-known phrase for sci-fi
fans. Why is there such hype surrounding the
notion of extraterrestrial life? Why is science
fiction programming so popular? Why does
SETI spend millions of dollars searching for
life in outer space?
The Helix Nebula (as it appears in
ultraviolet light) is an expanding shell
of hydrogen and helium gas. The central
spot is a white dwarf—an extremely
hot, dense object about the size of Earth.
White dwarfs are often found at the center
of such nebulae. They are thought to be
the collapsed remnant of the star that
produced the Nebula.
Cassiopeia A is a supernova
remnant—the result of an exploding
star. It is located about
10,000 light-years away in the
constellation Cassiopeia. Although
it is thought to be more
recent than Kepler’s supernova
of 1604, this supernova appears
to have gone almost unnoticed,
perhaps because it was very
faint. The sharp turquoise dot
in the center is a neutron star.
It is a hot, extremely compressed
mass (no larger than a city) and
is thought to be the collapsed
core of the exploded star.
The discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial
life would certainly be seen as a vindication
of evolutionism; it is an expectation from a
naturalistic worldview. The desire to meet
aliens (especially intelligent, technologically
advanced ones) seems much more deeply
felt than merely to vindicate evolutionary
predictions. What is the real issue? I’ve heard
a number of different answers from secular
astronomers.
In some cases, a belief in ETs may stem
from a feeling of cosmic loneliness: “If there
are aliens, then we would not be alone in the
universe.” In many cases it comes from an academic
desire to learn the mysteries of the universe;
a highly developed alien race might have
advanced knowledge to pass on to us. Perhaps
such knowledge is not merely academic; the
hypothetical aliens may know the answers to
fundamental questions of existence: “Why am
I here? What is the meaning of life?” And so
on. An advanced alien race might have medical
knowledge far exceeding our own: knowledge
which could be used to cure our diseases.
Perhaps their medical technology would be so
far advanced that they even hold the secret of
life and death; with such incredible medical
knowledge, perhaps human beings would no
longer have to die—ever.
In a way, a belief in extraterrestrial life has
become a secular replacement for God. God
is the one who can heal every disease. God is
the one in whom all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge are deposited (Colossians 2:3). God
is the one who can answer the fundamental
questions of our existence. God alone possesses
the gift of eternal life (John 17:3). It is
not surprising that the unbelieving scientist
would feel a sense of cosmic loneliness, having
rejected his Creator, but we are not alone in
the universe; there is God. God created us for
fellowship with Him; thus we have an in-built
need for God and for purpose. Although
human beings have rejected God (in Adam,
and by our own sins as well), our need for fellowship
with Him remains.
When I think of the majority of intelligent
scientists who have studied God’s
magnificent creation but have nonetheless
rejected that God and have instead chosen to
believe in aliens and millions of years of evolution,
I am reminded of the words of Scripture.
Romans 1:18–25 reveals that a rejection
of God in favor of naturalism is not a new
practice. God’s invisible qualities (His eternal
power and divine nature) are clearly revealed
in the natural world so that there is no excuse
for rejecting God (Romans 1:20) or suppressing
the truth about God (Romans 1:18). The thinking
of man apart from God is nothing more
than futile speculations (Romans 1:21).
Exchanging the truth of God
(such as creation) for a lie (such
as evolution), and turning to
a mere creature (such as hypothetical
aliens) for answers is
strikingly similar to what is
recorded in Romans 1:25.
When we start from the Bible, the evidence
makes sense. The universe is consistent
with the biblical teaching that the earth is a
special creation. The magnificent beauty and
size of a universe which is apparently devoid
of life—except for one little world where
life abounds—is exactly what we would
expect from a biblical worldview. The truth
is not “out there”; the truth is in there—in
the Bible! The Lord Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). So when we base our thinking on what
God has said in His Word, we find that the
universe makes sense.
Creation In-depth
What about UFOs?
Sometimes after I speak on the
topic of extraterrestrial life, someone will
ask me about UFOs. A “UFO” (unidentified flying object) is just that—an
object seen in the sky that is unidentified to the person seeing it. People
often want me to explain a sighting
of some unknown flying object which
they (or often a friend) have claimed to
see. (Sometimes the implication is that
if I can’t explain it, it somehow proves
that it must be an alien spacecraft; but
such reasoning is completely vacuous.)
These kinds of questions are unreasonable.
It is one thing to be asked to interpret
evidence that we have, but it is
unrealistic to ask someone to interpret
undocumented second- or third-hand
stories with no actual evidence available
for inspection.
There is no doubt that some people
sincerely have seen things in the sky that
they do not understand. This is hardly
surprising since there are lots of things
“up there” which can be misunderstood
to people not familiar with them. These
include Venus, satellites, the international
space station, the space shuttle, rockets,
Iridium flares, man-made aircraft, internal
reflections, meteors, balloons, fireflies,
aurorae, birds, ball lightning, lenticular
clouds, parhelia, etc. However, a
person unfamiliar with these would
see a “UFO,” since the object is
“unidentified” to him or her. It is
how people interpret
what they see that can
be questionable.
Remember that
we always interpret
evidence in light of
our worldview. It is
therefore crucial to
have a correct, biblical
worldview. The fallacious
worldview of
atheism/naturalism may lead someone to
draw erroneous conclusions about what
they see. From a biblical worldview, we
expect to occasionally see things that are
not easily explained, since our minds are
finite: but UFOs are not alien spacecraft,
and of course there is no tangible evidence
to support such a notion.
SourceThis article originally appeared on answersingenesis.org
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