Would we baptize aliens?

[Jackson Cooper]

I do not see why intelligent aliens couldn't have souls.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

And yes, the fact that the majority of people in the Ancient Way Forum appear to be protestants is annoying.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I do not see why intelligent aliens couldn't have souls.

the could have souls, just not a nous. only humans have a nous.

 

[Jackson Cooper]

the could have souls, just not a nous. only humans have a nous.

Souls, so they would still go to Heaven or Hell but not be baptizable? What's the difference between souls and nous?

 

[ArmyMatt]

Souls, so they would still go to Heaven or Hell but not be baptizable? What's the difference between souls and nous?

if they are out there, they are animals. which means they will return when Christ returns in a glorified state (whatever that may be for them). animals have souls as well (that's why they are called animals). the nous is the highest faculty that lets one contemplate God directly. only angels and man are noetic. only man is both noetic and material. aliens would be material.

 

[Radagast]

That's not a question we have to debate until it happens.

But seriously ... part of the whole story of man's history and salvation includes the fall of man through sin, the fall of the created order because of our position as priests over creation, Christ's entry into human flesh and redemption of mankind, and so on.

Aliens aren't part of that. Did they fall? Did Christ redeem them in some way? That's His business. If they even exist.

That's more or less what C. S. Lewis says: Scientific Integrity: Religion and Rocketry, by C.S. Lewis

 

[FreeinChrist]

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[gurneyhalleck1]

Animals!? Wookiees, Klatooinians, Sullustians, Mon Calamari, Bothans, Rodians, the good people of Naboo, Ewoks, Ugnaughts, animals!?!?

The Midi Clorions are turning upside down at this kind of talk!!

if they are out there, they are animals. which means they will return when Christ returns in a glorified state (whatever that may be for them). animals have souls as well (that's why they are called animals). the nous is the highest faculty that lets one contemplate God directly. only angels and man are noetic. only man is both noetic and material. aliens would be material.

 

[~Anastasia~]

That's more or less what C. S. Lewis says: Scientific Integrity: Religion and Rocketry, by C.S. Lewis

I'm going to count myself in good company then.

Or just lucky to have put puzzle pieces together.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Baptizable——Vulcans, Bajorans, Andorians, Melkotians, Tellarites, Orions, Betazoids, even Klingons

Unbaptizable——Romulans, Borg, Kardassians, Ferengi, Maquis, Q Continuum, Tholians

I disagree on the Maquis.




And I think the Ocampa are baptizeable too.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I know I'm going to appear to be the fly in the ointment, but what on Earth are we discussing aliens and their salvation? At the risk of sounding like quite the weenie here, WE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ALIENS. There are none at this point. It's such a weird hypothetical (I can only imagine what Father Seraphim Rose would think if he read this thread! LOL!), and there are so many real issues in the Christian journey that challenge us, why are we discussing whether or not Emperor Palpatine would be baptized? And, by the way, that evil old buzzard would totally be unbaptizable!

 

[~Anastasia~]

I know I'm going to appear to be the fly in the ointment, but what on Earth are we discussing aliens and their salvation? At the risk of sounding like quite the weenie here, WE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ALIENS. There are none at this point. It's such a weird hypothetical (I can only imagine what Father Seraphim Rose would think if he read this thread! LOL!), and there are so many real issues in the Christian journey that challenge us, why are we discussing whether or not Emperor Palpatine would be baptized? And, by the way, that evil old buzzard would totally be unbaptizable!

I think your points were actually made in this thread already. They might have been removed in the clean-up.

But certainly, this isn't something we need to worry about.

 

[prodromos]

Dolphins and whales are highly intelligent animals, but no one has ever suggested we baptise them. Why would intelligent creatures from beyond earth be any different?

 

[buzuxi02]

No need to. God became man for us and for our salvation. If e.t.'s require salvation then God can incarnate into their species. Other than that they are no different than all the other organisms.

 

[buzuxi02]

I know I'm going to appear to be the fly in the ointment, but what on Earth are we discussing aliens and their salvation? At the risk of sounding like quite the weenie here, WE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ALIENS. There are none at this point. It's such a weird hypothetical (I can only imagine what Father Seraphim Rose would think if he read this thread! LOL!), and there are so many real issues in the Christian journey that challenge us, why are we discussing whether or not Emperor Palpatine would be baptized? And, by the way, that evil old buzzard would totally be unbaptizable!

Lol Emperor Palpantine. For all we know water to aliens could be a toxic poison. Like baptizing someone into sulfuric acid.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Lol Emperor Palpantine. For all we know water to aliens could be a toxic poison. Like baptizing someone into sulfuric acid.

 

[Doctor.Sphinx]

I think Pope Francis said he would.
The universe is so massive, and we've seen so little of it. FTL travel may or may not be physically possible with the right technology.

If there are aliens, and these aliens were capable of learning and reasoning like humans, would they be welcome in the Eastern Orthodox Church?

Couldn't we just leave any aliens to convert to Judaism, and save ourselves the trouble?

 

[Denadii]

I think Pope Francis said he would.
The universe is so massive, and we've seen so little of it. FTL travel may or may not be physically possible with the right technology.

If there are aliens, and these aliens were capable of learning and reasoning like humans, would they be welcome in the Eastern Orthodox Church?

Yeah the Catholic pope said he would baptize aliens....But....Aliens are demons, not people from other planets.

 

[Denadii]

That's not a question we have to debate until it happens.

But seriously ... part of the whole story of man's history and salvation includes the fall of man through sin, the fall of the created order because of our position as priests over creation, Christ's entry into human flesh and redemption of mankind, and so on.

Aliens aren't part of that. Did they fall? Did Christ redeem them in some way? That's His business. If they even exist.

Asking such questions reminds me of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, or whether God can create a rock too big for Himself to lift.

Ask your priest. But it's more important to look at why such questions concern you - since you are asking - than the actual answer, since it will probably never come up.

Only the theological points behind it are worth understanding, and we don't need to invoke outer-space aliens to understand them.

God be with you.

Aliens did fall but there is no salvation for them at all. They are the offspring of fallen angels. They are demons not people. Jesus came to save HUMANS

 

[Radagast]

Dolphins and whales are highly intelligent animals, but no one has ever suggested we baptise them. Why would intelligent creatures from beyond earth be any different?

C. S. Lewis points out that the question depends on a whole stack of more and more unlikely hypotheticals.

If there is life out there, and it is intelligent, and it has a rational soul (unlike animals), and it is fallen (unlike angels), and God intends to save it, and God intends to save it through the Incarnation of Christ on our planet -- only then would baptising them make sense.

Lewis concludes: "... I think a Christian is sitting pretty if his faith never encounters more formidable difficulties than these conjectural phantoms.

If I remember rightly, St. Augustine raised a question about the theological position of satyrs, monopods, and other semi-human creatures. He decided it could wait till we knew there were any. So can this."

Which is, of course, pretty much what @gurneyhalleck1 and @~Anastasia~ said.