toldailytopic: Life on other planets: what are the spiritual implications?

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 7th, 2011 10:17 AM

toldailytopic: Life on other planets: what would be the spiritual implications of such a discovery?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

 

[some other dude]

Human life?

 

[Buzzword]

...that God is way more awesome than we ever imagined?

 

[Guyver]

Unknown/hard to say. If the life is in the form of bacteria....there would be no implications.

If the life is in self-aware beings like ourselves.....God knows.

What gets me is the opposite question....what if it's proven that there is no other intelligent life in the universe at all.....period?

I wonder if the atheists/evolutionists would do any backtracking?

 

[Nick M]

If God made other intelligent beings, they are also subject to Adam's curse and in need of salvation.

 

[chrysostom]

we must preach the gospel to all nations
so
this may take a little more time
but
we can do it on the internet

 

[kmoney]

we must preach the gospel to all nations
so
this may take a little more time
but
we can do it on the internet

Hopefully there are Republicans on this other planet. lain:

 

[chrysostom]

Hopefully there are Republicans on this other planet. lain:

there will have to be
if
they are killing their babies

 

[kmoney]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 7th, 2011 10:17 AM

toldailytopic: Life on other planets: what would be the spiritual implications of such a discovery?

I think God would have some explaining to do. :think:

I think the biggest question for Christianity would be the lack of info about them in the bible.

 

[kmoney]

there will have to be
if
they are killing their babies

Maybe on their world the Republicans kill babies and the Democrats try to save them. :dizzy:

 

[zippy2006]

I think God would have some explaining to do. :think:

I think the biggest question for Christianity would be the lack of info about them in the bible.

Sort of like the Model T. Or Russians.

 

[kmoney]

Sort of like the Model T. Or Russians.

Not sure that's equivalent. :think:

 

[Son of Jack]

Not sure that's equivalent. :think:

Why on earth p) would God have to explain anything to us about the existence of other intelligent beings in the universe? Why shouldn't I just assume that He would act with them like He has acted with us, in Love, and Justice and Righteousness and Mercy? Just because something isn't mentioned in the Bible doesn't mean that we can't infer certain things about it?

 

[kmoney]

Why on earth p)

:chuckle:

would God have to explain anything to us about the existence of other intelligent beings in the universe? Why shouldn't I just assume that He would act with them like He has acted with us, in Love, and Justice and Righteousness and Mercy? Just because something isn't mentioned in the Bible doesn't mean that we can't infer certain things about it?

I'm not saying God would HAVE to. I just said it would be a question. I think most Christians believe that when God created us, we were it. If Genesis gives the story of the creation of the universe, and these other life forms are in our same universe/creation, why wouldn't they be mentioned with everything else?

I'm not trying to say that this would pose some unsolvable dilemma for Christianity.

 

[Son of Jack]

:chuckle:

Every now and then...

I'm not saying God would HAVE to. I just said it would be a question. I think most Christians believe that when God created us, we were it.

I'm sure why they would just assume that. I think that sort of assumption makes God seem kind of small. Even ancient cosmologists, like Ptolemy, believed the universe was incredibly vast (though not to the extent that we do today). God is all-powerful. Certainly He could have made the universe to include many intelligent beings that we don't know about.

If Genesis gives the story of the creation of the universe, and these other life forms are in our same universe/creation, why wouldn't they be mentioned with everything else?

What would that have meant to the very first readers of the Pentateuch? In what way would such knowledge benefit them? Moreover, what would that really mean to us? Course, that's the question of the thread, and again, I'd answer that it means very little in changing how one should understand God the Creator.

I'm not trying to say that this would pose some unsolvable dilemma for Christianity.

Whatever, contrarian.

 

[kmoney]

Every now and then...

I was just being nice. lain:

I'm sure why they would just assume that.

I'll assume that you meant to say you are NOT sure why they would just assume that. :think: And in response I will say I believe most Christians believe that because the bible gives no mention of any life on other worlds.

I think that sort of assumption makes God seem kind of small. Even ancient cosmologists, like Ptolemy, believed the universe was incredibly vast (though not to the extent that we do today). God is all-powerful. Certainly He could have made the universe to include many intelligent beings that we don't know about.

:idunno: Maybe. But I don't think anyone says that God couldn't have made life on other planets.

What would that have meant to the very first readers of the Pentateuch? In what way would such knowledge benefit them? Moreover, what would that really mean to us?

It would mean that we aren't the only show in town. Maybe we'd be more humble instead of having such huge egos. And I'll flip the question and ask you if you think there is some reason God wouldn't have included life on another planet in a story about the universe God is creating. :think:

Course, that's the question of the thread, and again, I'd answer that it means very little in changing how one should understand God the Creator.

I agree. As I said, I'm not saying this is a fatal problem or would drastically change our conception or knowledge of God. :up:

Whatever, contrarian.

:IA:

 

[some other dude]

If God made other intelligent beings, they are also subject to Adam's curse and in need of salvation.

Dolphins?

 

[Arthur Brain]

Why on earth p)

I think you already are an example of an alien. These indescribably dire attempts at humoUr only serve to betray your extra terrestrial.....ness.....

lain:

 

[kmoney]

...that God is way more awesome than we ever imagined?

Our God is an Awesome God

Flash back to an awesome old worship song. :tunes:

 

[The Berean]

Our God is an Awesome God

Flash back to an awesome old worship song. :tunes:

I prefer this version! :banana: :banana: :banana:

.