If aliens came to Earth, could they be baptized?

[Michie]

Question: Is it true that the pope is saying that there’s no hell anymore? Also, would we baptize an alien if one ever came to Earth?

— Noman Salas, via email

Answer: A certain Italian journalist, now deceased, claimed that Pope Francis believes hell does not exist, at least for humans, because God simply annihilates the damned. This claim, however, is not verified and should be doubted in the extreme since there is no evidence that this is the pope’s belief. The existence of hell is a dogma of the Faith.

As for baptizing aliens, it would depend on a number of things. Living creatures from other planets or regions of the universe might exist and visit here. But would they have bodies and rational souls? Some living things are like tiny bacteria, plants or animals. These entities, even here on Earth, have a life-force but not an intellect and free will. Hence, they are not able to be baptized since they are not persons, (i.e. individual substances of a rational nature) such as angels and human beings. Further, angels (who are persons but technically aliens from another heavenly world) are pure spirits and persons but do not have bodies. Hence, they are not baptized. Thus, if the aliens from another world were pure angelic-like creatures, they could not be baptized. If however, aliens from another world were persons with bodies, it seems likely they could be baptized presuming they freely assented to the Catholic faith.

Continued below.

If aliens came to Earth, could they be baptized?

A reader asks: “Is it true that the pope is saying that there’s no hell anymore? Also, would we baptize an alien if one ever came to Earth?” While the first answer is no, the second is more complicated.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

 

[Aldebaran]

PLEASE POST YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ABOUT CATHOLICISM, BUT NOT ARGUEMENTS AGAINST IT, OR DOCTRINES CONTRARY TO IT IN THIS FORUM​

 

[guyver]

Has anyone bothered to ask the aliens if they want to be baptized or not ?
I can see some funny scenarios here , like people demanding that they be baptized and the alien pulls out his ray gun and says , yeah you try it boy!

 

[Jipsah]

Has anyone bothered to ask the aliens if they want to be baptized or not ?
I can see some funny scenarios here , like people demanding that they be baptized and the alien pulls out his ray gun and says , yeah you try it boy!

Why would anyone be interested in baptizing unbelievers?

 

[Jipsah]

Has anyone bothered to ask the aliens if they want to be baptized or not ?

Has anyone advocated forcibly baptizing anyone, alien or otherwise? I've never heard of any sect that did that, even rabid fundies. Most require at least a confession of faith before dunking/pouring/sprinkling anyone.

I can see some funny scenarios here , like people demanding that they be baptized and the alien pulls out his ray gun and says , yeah you try it boy!

Silly concept.

 

[guyver]

Have a nice day happy chappie

 

[chevyontheriver]

Question: Is it true that the pope is saying that there’s no hell anymore? Also, would we baptize an alien if one ever came to Earth?

— Noman Salas, via email

Answer: A certain Italian journalist, now deceased, claimed that Pope Francis believes hell does not exist, at least for humans, because God simply annihilates the damned. This claim, however, is not verified and should be doubted in the extreme since there is no evidence that this is the pope’s belief. The existence of hell is a dogma of the Faith.

As for baptizing aliens, it would depend on a number of things. Living creatures from other planets or regions of the universe might exist and visit here. But would they have bodies and rational souls? Some living things are like tiny bacteria, plants or animals. These entities, even here on Earth, have a life-force but not an intellect and free will. Hence, they are not able to be baptized since they are not persons, (i.e. individual substances of a rational nature) such as angels and human beings. Further, angels (who are persons but technically aliens from another heavenly world) are pure spirits and persons but do not have bodies. Hence, they are not baptized. Thus, if the aliens from another world were pure angelic-like creatures, they could not be baptized. If however, aliens from another world were persons with bodies, it seems likely they could be baptized presuming they freely assented to the Catholic faith.

Continued below.

If aliens came to Earth, could they be baptized?

A reader asks: “Is it true that the pope is saying that there’s no hell anymore? Also, would we baptize an alien if one ever came to Earth?” While the first answer is no, the second is more complicated.

www.oursundayvisitor.com

As to this pope and hell, his personal opinions are irrelevant. His day job is to sustain the actual teaching of the Church.

As to aliens, if they are corporeal ( biological in some form) and rational (person and individual) then presumably they could be baptized. The question would be whether they have souls, and if they do whether they are fallen or not. I think the presumption should be that they have souls until it could be shown they don’t. As to them being fallen I guess we just ask them. Or watch them.

We should present the Gospel to them and see if they request baptism. If they do, I think we baptize them.