toldailytopic: Extraterrestrials. Do you believe there is life on other planets in th

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 16th, 2009 11:01 AM

toldailytopic: Extraterrestrials. Do you believe there is life on other planets in the universe?

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[Nathon Detroit]

I do not believe that God created life on other planets outside of earth.

That being said, I am not dogmatic on this topic. I suppose it's possible that while God told us everything we needed to know about creation here on earth He might not have told us everything about other things He has been doing elsewhere. Yet my gut feel is that God's attention is focused on earth and everything that exists, exists for us.

 

[The Berean]

Are we talking life in general or intelligent life? If there are other Earth-like planets, which there probably are, I suspect those planets would have plants, trees, bugs, etc.

 

[Rusha]

Extraterrestrials. Do you believe there is life on other planets in the universe?

I don't see evidence, however, I also don't rule out the possibility.

 

[Nathon Detroit]

Are we talking life in general or intelligent life?

Either, or, BOTH! (its a free for all)

If there are other Earth-like planets, which there probably are, I suspect those planets would have plants, trees, bugs, etc.

OK, and how did the trees, bugs, etc. get there?

 

[The Berean]

Either, or, BOTH! (its a free for all)

Ok. What I find humorous are the people that believe that intelligent life exista elsewhere they almost always assume they are more technologically advanced than mankind. If there is intelligent life out there how do we know they are not in their Stone Age era historically? :think:

OK, and how did the trees, bugs, etc. get there?

I guess God put it there! :duh:

 

[Truppenzwei]

I don't see evidence, however, I also don't rule out the possibility.

Pretty much sums up where I'm at as well.

Regards
T.

 

[Alate_One]

I don't know if there's life on other planets and nobody really knows. You could try to use the Drake equation. But you can come up with numbers anywhere from 1,000,000 to 1 depending on your assumptions.

Even if there is life out there its probably too far away to make any difference to us or them, unless someone figures out how to build a wormhole between spots in space. :think:

Of course if there is other intelligent life, it might raise a lot of theological questions, which C.S. Lewis dealt with in a very interesting way in his space trilogy.

 

[Son of Jack]

I don't see evidence, however, I also don't rule out the possibility.

My position as well.

Of course if there is other intelligent life, it might raise a lot of theological questions, which C.S. Lewis dealt with in a very interesting way in his space trilogy.

I think it could raise some theological questions, but like you wrote, Lewis had an interesting and coherent way of dealing with them. We would simply need to observe them, and I think we would find God, who would by definition be their Creator as He is ours, acting in accordance with His nature and actions with us. Thus, if they had fallen, then He would act accordingly, which is exactly what Lewis' Space Trilogy is all about (at least the first two books in the series).

 

[Granite]

I suspect intelligent life does exist elsewhere.

 

[Alate_One]

I think it could raise some theological questions, but like you wrote, Lewis had an interesting and coherent way of dealing with them. We would simply need to observe them, and I think we would find God, who would by definition be their Creator as He is ours, acting in accordance with His nature and actions with us. Thus, if they had fallen, then He would act accordingly, which is exactly what Lewis' Space Trilogy is all about (at least the first two books in the series).

Yeah . . the third book is a little whacked . . . . But the first two are amazing, if a little outdated science-wise.

But who knows God may have different purposes for them versus us.

 

[Son of Jack]

Yeah . . the third book is a little whacked . . . . But the first two are amazing, if a little outdated science-wise.

In his letters, Lewis admits as much. He points that he is not trying to provide a scientific account of such, but merely trying to write an interesting story...it's kind of like a "supposal" of sorts. His point ultimately is that God would act in accord with His nature supposing there was life on other planets.

 

[Son of Jack]

I suspect intelligent life does exist elsewhere.

Why? What evidence do you have for it?

 

[Nathon Detroit]

I suspect intelligent life does exist elsewhere.

Why do you suspect that? (just curious)

Ooops I didn't see Son of Jacks posts before I made mine.

 

[Granite]

Why do you suspect that? (just curious)

Enough unexplained reports of inexplicable craft have been documented, and enough government interest in the subject has been proven, to convince me that something is going on up there. South and Central American governments, as well as France and Russia, have been extremely forthcoming about their interest in the subject as well as their matter of fact admissions about unidentified flying craft, in the last decade especially, to persuade me whatever "it" is, we haven't yet found an explanation.

The age and size of the universe indicates that intelligence in some form or another has likely developed. Whether or not we would even recognize it is a whole other matter.

 

[Alate_One]

Enough unexplained reports of inexplicable craft have been documented, and enough government interest in the subject has been proven, to convince me that something is going on up there. South and Central American governments, as well as France and Russia, have been extremely forthcoming about their interest in the subject as well as their matter of fact admissions about unidentified flying craft, in the last decade especially, to persuade me whatever "it" is, we haven't yet found an explanation.

Honestly I'm not convinced by these sorts of phenomena, its the same sort of thing people in the past attributed to witchcraft and sorcery. Now that we have modern science, when people see things that aren't explainable, it's automatically aliens. Everyone essentially just replaced the supernatural with aliens.

Governments are bound to be interested regardless because if there were to be other intelligent life, it would be a huge security issue.

The age and size of the universe indicates that intelligence in some form or another has likely developed. Whether or not we would even recognize it is a whole other matter.

I think people have to low of an opinion on how similar life might be to us. I don't think bilateral symmetry at least is out of the question.

 

[Town Heretic]

:think: I'm going to side with those who aren't entirely convinced there is intelligent life on this planet...so it's anyone's ballgame outside of that.

:idunno: The universe seems a bit superfluous else though.

 

[fool]

Yes

 

[Son of Jack]

Yes

Again, I ask why?

 

[The Berean]

There is currently a project called DEPTHX in the early stages to send a marine probe to explore the ocean on the moon Europa.