life on other planets?

[Merlin]

Many say life on other planets would be a problem for Christians.
I don't think so.
I'd be disappointed to find our Lord didn't make life elsewhere.

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Thoughts?

 

[Split Rock]

Many say life on other planets would be a problem for Christians.
I don't think so.
I'd be disappointed to find our Lord didn't make life elsewhere.

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Thoughts?

Life elsewhere wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but intelligent life is another story. Don't most Christian Creationists insist that the universe was made just for us humans? Finding intelligent life elsewhere, would certainly be a problem for this concept...no?

 

[LordTimothytheWise]

Life elsewhere wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but intelligent life is another story. Don't most Christian Creationists insist that the universe was made just for us humans? Finding intelligent life elsewhere, would certainly be a problem for this concept...no?

As a Christian non-creationist, I would say otherwise, that the Universe was created on his account, not ours.

Colossians 1:16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

 

[DoubtingJesus]

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Thoughts?

This is not the case for scientists, there is no absolute. We just think it is likely.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.

Why?

 

[pgp_protector]

If there's intelligent life and the universe is in a fallen state, who paid for their sins ?

Or are the other life forms sin free ?

 

[Super_Rational]

Many say life on other planets would be a problem for Christians.
I don't think so.

I suspect that most christians would just adapt their theology to fit, just as it has been done over the centuries for various other things. It's religion. It can be whatever one wants it to be.

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Why is it a must for "evolutionists?" You haven't explained why. How would the existence (or non-existence) of life elsewhere affect what has been observed here? This requirement sounds more like wishful thinking to me on your part.

 

[LordTimothytheWise]

here's an interesting thought, how will we know if they experience qualia?

 

[azmurath]

If extraterrestrials preached Christianity without ever having contact with Earth, or people at all, it would not only help Christianity, it would borderline prove it as true. There is always room for doubt though, and incredible coincidence.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

Many say life on other planets would be a problem for Christians.
I don't think so.
I'd be disappointed to find our Lord didn't make life elsewhere.

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Thoughts?

Evolution and Christianity aren't mutually exclusive, despite your (possibly unintentional?) dichotomy.

Evolution doesn't require extraterrestrial life, but I see your point. If life can arise on Earth through mundane processes (which is actually abiogenesis, not evolution), then it can arise naturally anywhere the conditions are right. Given the vast, vast, vast number of planets and other environs that exist, it's almost inevitable that life formed elsewhere in the universe.

 

[LordTimothytheWise]

If extraterrestrials preached Christianity without ever having contact with Earth, or people at all, it would not only help Christianity, it would borderline prove it as true. There is always room for doubt though, and incredible coincidence.

You mean like having their own savior who died for them, or preaching that we had a savior that died for them? Or either?

That would be pretty interesting. But still kinda weird.

 

[Wiccan_Child]

here's an interesting thought, how will we know if they experience qualia?

The same way we know other humans experience qualia .

 

[thaumaturgy]

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Thoughts?

I don't see as why it is a "must" for evolution.

Evolution doesn't require there be any particular thing. I merely explains why things develop as they have.

Imagine if I have a coin. If I flip it and get a "head" that doesn't mean I must get a "tail" on the next flip. Each flip has exactly the same probability of head or tail.

I can, presumably, flip a fair coin 1000 times and get 1000 heads. It is probabilistically unlikely but for each flip there is exactly the same probability of a head or tail.

Evolution has no requirement that I am aware that other life should exist anywhere.

It is unlikely that in an entire universe that life only arose in one place, but not necessarily an impossibility.

 

[marlowe007]

If the alleged human-like extraterrestials (the Pleiadeans, for example, which have been supposedly "witnessed" by thousands) somehow exist, it would be virtually impossible for such beings that look like us to have evolved independently on other worlds. This would be the most spectacular example of parallel or convergent evolution in the history of animated nature.

 

[thaumaturgy]

If the alleged human-like extraterrestials (the Pleiadeans, for example, which have been supposedly "witnessed" by thousands) somehow exist, it would be virtually impossible for such beings that look like us to have evolved independently on other worlds. This would be the most spectacular example of parallel or convergent evolution in the history of animated nature.

"virtually impossible" is not the same as impossible.

Birds and bats both have similar body shapes as a function of the vaguaries of flight. In detail they are dramatically different, but in overall gross aspect they have marked similarities.

IF one assumes that UFO "visitations" are anything but human imagination, and IF one assumes that any "aliens" have ever actually been witnessed by humans and those aliens actually had

2 legs
2 arms
2 eyes placed forward looking on the head
on a central, upright frame

it would only say that:

1. Bilateral symmetry exists (which it does across many unrelated animals and plants)
2. Binocular vision is a valuable asset that can be achieved with minimal number of eyes = 2
3. There is a 50/50 chance of upright versus horizontal stature

If we are to find shocking examples of parallel evolution would it not be just as shocking to find that we share bilateral symmetry with some plants? Or would it shock us that stereoscopic vision is something we share with dogs?

(Frankly, while I have little doubt that there is life somewhere else in the universe, I am rather more skeptical of aliens visiting earth. In some ways, precisely because the witnesses invariably describe something that is "understandable" to us as being a fellow cognizant being. It would seem far more likely that our imaginations, hardwired as they are to respond to the "humanoid" --seeing human faces in clouds, anthropomorphizing our pets, etc-- would be the prime generator of such experiences, rather than cases of amazign parallel evolution.)

 

[sk8Joyful]

Many say life on other planets would be a problem for Christians.
I don't think so.
I'd be disappointed to find our Lord didn't make life elsewhere.

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Thoughts?

Agreed.
And interestingly, for years as I thanked God for all our many Blessings here, I'd also say:
"you just made one small mistake (lol) I asked to live on a planet with people continuing as peaceful,
joyful, helpful, & developmentally-progressive children..."

 

[azmurath]

Agreed.

Then I hope you are never our ambassador to them. I can see it now.

"Well, our savior died for OUR sins, you are really just out of luck and damned to hell."

 

[SimplyNothing]

Many say life on other planets would be a problem for Christians.
I don't think so.

It would only be a problem for me if these aliens were intelligent, and they had no knowledge/belief in any omnimax deity.

I'd be disappointed to find our Lord didn't make life elsewhere.

I'd be disappointed too.

OTOH, it's a must for evolutionists.
There must be life elsewhere for them.

Thoughts?

This is not true. Evolutionary theory just makes life on other planets highly probable.

Regardless of whether or not evolution is true, life on other planets is highly probable. There are quadrillions of stars out there and most of them have their own systems of planets orbiting around them anyway (though most extrasolar planets astronomers have found have been gas giants.)

I think it's almost foolishness to assume we are the only beings in the Universe. Especially since solar systems are not entirely uncommon in the universe.

 

[sk8Joyful]

"virtually impossible" is not the same as impossible.

IF one assumes that UFO "visitations" are anything but human imagination, and
IF one assumes that any "aliens" have ever actually been witnessed by humans and
those aliens actually had
2 legs
2 arms
2 eyes placed forward looking on the head
on a central, upright frame, it would only say that: ...

(Frankly, while I have little doubt that there is life somewhere else in the universe,
I am rather more skeptical of aliens visiting earth. In some ways, precisely because
the witnesses invariably describe something that is "understandable" to us as being a fellow cognizant being.

Rather than cases of amazign parallel evolution.)

only "parallel" evolution is possible; why do people assume that?

only '2 legs, 2 arms, 2 eyes placed forward looking on the head,
on a central, upright frame' to be a "fellow cognizant being": why do people assume that?

Why do people assume?, to place their own belief-limitations, on GOD as Creator of all intelligent life, in all its myriad varieties...

Might it be better to think that He, having already Blessed every lifeform with 'intelligence' (including such not
acknowledged by some humans); that God quite competently created, & continues creating any intelligent life forms He chooses...

thoughts?
.

 

[Freodin]

only "parallel" evolution is possible; why do people assume that?

They don´t. The post you quoted (and the post to which that quote was written in response) says in fact quite the opposite.