Changes

== Types of Supposed Extraterrestrial Life ==

== Types of Supposed Extraterrestrial Life ==

Discussion of extraterrestrial life centers on two distinct categories of such life. When most laypeople speak of "extraterrestrial life," they mean ''sentient'' life--that is to say, ''persons'' from another world, who are here either to reconnoiter, to trade, or to perform other such acts as a human explorer or soldier might perform. But this is ''not'' the sole category of life, nor even the sole category of life that, according to [[science|scientific]] speculation, might be found on another world or somehow come to ours. The other category of extraterrestrial life, besides the sentient, that has been the subject of speculation in scientific circles is the ''microbial''. Consideration of the existence of extraterrestrial microbes is at least as important, if not more important, than is any consideration of the existence of extraterrestrial persons, races, nation-states, or civilizations.

Discussion of extraterrestrial life centers on two distinct categories of such life. When most laypeople speak of "extraterrestrial life," they mean ''sentient'' life—that is to say, ''persons'' from another world, who are here either to reconnoiter, to trade, or to perform other such acts as a human explorer or soldier might perform. But this is ''not'' the sole category of life, nor even the sole category of life that, according to [[science|scientific]] speculation, might be found on another world or somehow come to ours. The other category of extraterrestrial life, besides the sentient, that has been the subject of speculation in scientific circles is the ''microbial''. Consideration of the existence of extraterrestrial microbes is at least as important, if not more important, than is any consideration of the existence of extraterrestrial persons, races, nation-states, or civilizations.

== Compatibility with the Bible ==

== Compatibility with the Bible ==

Surprisingly, the opinion of persons other than fundamentalist [[Christian]]s, as to whether the existence of extraterrestrial races or civilizations would invalidate the Bible, is split. Many have stated that the Bible nowhere rules out the existence of extraterrestrial races. Their assertion is that no single verse explicitly says that [[God]] made [[man]] on this [[earth]] and did not make any man-like or other sentient race on any other "earth."<ref>Any planet would be "earth" to those that lived on it, just as any given people would be "the people" to its members. Consider, for example, the [[Inuit]], whose name means ''the people'' in their language. (Until recently, Westerners called these people "Eskimos," or literally, "the eaters of raw meat.")</ref> In sharp contrast, others have stated flatly that the finding of an extraterrestrial race ''would'' invalidate the Bible's claims of the uniqueness of man, and the singularity of [[Jesus]]'s death for man. Those others have faced that prospect with an enthusiasm bordering upon exhilaration.

Surprisingly, the opinion of persons other than fundamentalist [[Christian]]s, as to whether the existence of extraterrestrial races or civilizations would invalidate the Bible, is split. Many have stated that the Bible nowhere rules out the existence of extraterrestrial races. Their assertion is that no single verse explicitly says that [[God]] made [[man]] on this [[earth]] and did not make any man-like or other sentient race on any other "earth."<ref>Any planet would be "earth" to those that lived on it, just as any given people would be "the people" to its members. Consider, for example, the [[Inuit]], whose name means ''the people'' in their language. (Until recently, Westerners called these people "Eskimos," or literally, "the eaters of raw meat.")</ref> In sharp contrast, others have stated flatly that the finding of an extraterrestrial race ''would'' invalidate the Bible's claims of the uniqueness of man, and the singularity of [[Jesus]]'s death for man. Those others have faced that prospect with an enthusiasm bordering upon exhilaration.

A careful read of the Bible ''does not'' allow for the existence of any race other than man. Indeed, the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref>, and that He died once and only once to bring this about. The only Kingdom that is not of this earth is the Kingdom of Heaven<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>--and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".

A careful read of the Bible ''does not'' allow for the existence of any race other than man. Indeed, the presence of such a race would give the lie to the claim of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] that He came to take away the sin of the world.,<ref>{{Bible ref|book=I_John|chap=2|verses=2|version=NASB}}</ref> and that He died once and only once to bring this about. The only Kingdom that is not of this earth is the Kingdom of Heaven<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=26-28|version=NASB}}</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Romans|chap=5|verses=14|version=NASB}}</ref>—and that Kingdom is also not of this universe, or "cosmos".

Consider this well-known verse, which [[Astronaut]] [[Jim Lovell]], one of the first three men to orbit the [[moon]], read aloud on that occasion:{{Bible quote|In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=1|version=KJV}}Note carefully: ''the'' earth. Not ''an'' earth, and not one earth among many, but ''the'' earth.

Consider this well-known verse, which [[Astronaut]] [[Jim Lovell]], one of the first three men to orbit the [[moon]], read aloud on that occasion:{{Bible quote|In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.|book=Genesis|chap=1|verses=1|version=KJV}}Note carefully: ''the'' earth. Not ''an'' earth, and not one earth among many, but ''the'' earth.

The Gospels, especially the one according to [[John]], refer repeatedly to "the world," in the context of both its beginning and its ending. Again, it refers to ''the'' world, not ''a'' world, nor to more than one world.

The Gospels, especially the one according to [[John]], refer repeatedly to "the world," in the context of both its beginning and its ending. Again, it refers to ''the'' world, not ''a'' world, nor to more than one world.

The [[Revelation]] to John (probably the Apostle, though he never explicitly identifies himself as such) also makes references to the world, both in the sense of the ''cosmos'' (the natural world) and to the ''oikoumenes'' (the inhabited world, the world of men). Again, quoting:{{Bible quote|Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of temptation that is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.|book=Revelation|chap=3|verses=10|version=KJV}}''The'' world--and more than that, the ''whole'' world, the ''entire'' world. The word translated ''world'' here is ''oikoumenes'', which originally stood for all the known world over which the [[Roman Empire]] held sway but which now stands for everywhere that humans live. As if to press the point, John here adds the feminine form of the word ''holos'', whence the [[English]] word "whole." He also quotes Jesus as referring to "dwellers on the earth." Again, ''the'' earth, not ''an'' earth or even ''this'' earth, or any other article or pronoun, demonstrative, personal, or otherwise, that might suggest that any earth ''other than'' or ''in addition to'' our familiar earth exists, much less is inhabited.

The [[Revelation]] to John (probably the Apostle, though he never explicitly identifies himself as such) also makes references to the world, both in the sense of the ''cosmos'' (the natural world) and to the ''oikoumenes'' (the inhabited world, the world of men). Again, quoting:{{Bible quote|Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee out of the hour of temptation that is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.|book=Revelation|chap=3|verses=10|version=KJV}}''The'' world—and more than that, the ''whole'' world, the ''entire'' world. The word translated ''world'' here is ''oikoumenes'', which originally stood for all the known world over which the [[Roman Empire]] held sway but which now stands for everywhere that humans live. As if to press the point, John here adds the feminine form of the word ''holos'', whence the [[English]] word "whole." He also quotes Jesus as referring to "dwellers on the earth." Again, ''the'' earth, not ''an'' earth or even ''this'' earth, or any other article or pronoun, demonstrative, personal, or otherwise, that might suggest that any earth ''other than'' or ''in addition to'' our familiar earth exists, much less is inhabited.

But suppose, as some have suggested, that our familiar human race is ''not'' the only race that [[God]] made? Then [[Jesus]] would have had to die for that race as well, thus setting at nought the verses that say that He died ''once'' for our [[Sin (Fundamentalism)|sins]]. But again, suppose that other race did ''not'' fall? Would Jesus have had to die to redeem them? No--but ''God would surely have ordered that all members of this race stay a billion miles away from this earth'' until the "hour of temptation"<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=3|verses=10|version=KJV}}</ref> had passed. Therefore, ''if any contact whatsoever'' takes place between humans and sentient non-humans, then God is proved to have lied.

But suppose, as some have suggested, that our familiar human race is ''not'' the only race that [[God]] made? Then [[Jesus]] would have had to die for that race as well, thus setting at nought the verses that say that He died ''once'' for our [[Sin (Fundamentalism)|sins]]. But again, suppose that other race did ''not'' fall? Would Jesus have had to die to redeem them? No—but ''God would surely have ordered that all members of this race stay a billion miles away from this earth'' until the "hour of temptation"<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=3|verses=10|version=KJV}}</ref> had passed. Therefore, ''if any contact whatsoever'' takes place between humans and sentient non-humans, then God is proved to have lied.

The spectacle of persons not conversant with the Bible, and in any event not willing to abide by its precepts for daily living and man's relationship with God and man, nevertheless presuming to suggest that the existence of, and contact with, extraterrestrial races would not affect the truth of the Bible, is nothing short of marvelous. But perhaps one conversant with, and adherent to, the fundamentals of the [[Christian]] faith ought not to marvel. After all, the history of ancient [[Israel]] is rife with religious compromise of every sort.

The spectacle of persons not conversant with the Bible, and in any event not willing to abide by its precepts for daily living and man's relationship with God and man, nevertheless presuming to suggest that the existence of, and contact with, extraterrestrial races would not affect the truth of the Bible, is nothing short of marvelous. But perhaps one conversant with, and adherent to, the fundamentals of the [[Christian]] faith ought not to marvel. After all, the history of ancient [[Israel]] is rife with religious compromise of every sort.

The chief symbol of this compromise was the [[high place]] ([[Hebrew]] ''bamah'', plural ''bamot''). This was always at root and at heart a place to worship pagan gods of fertility, husbandry, and so forth. The children of Israel often presumed to worship God at such places, but God was ''not'' pleased.<ref>God permitted people to come to a [[high place]] only as a temporary provision, when they had neither Tabernacle nor Temple--but once the Temple was built, the high places ought to have been abandoned.</ref> Inevitably, the high places returned to their original purpose: the paying of homage to pagan gods, not to the True God. Yet the confused dual use of the high places sometimes confused ''even the enemies'' of ancient Israel.<ref>Among these was [[Sennacherib]], whose chief officer, Rabshakeh, once ridiculed Israel for trusting in God after they (under King [[Hezekiah]]) had just finished removing "His" high places. Little did Rabshakeh or Sennacherib realize that God in fact detested the high places and ''wanted'' them removed.</ref>

The chief symbol of this compromise was the [[high place]] ([[Hebrew]] ''bamah'', plural ''bamot''). This was always at root and at heart a place to worship pagan gods of fertility, husbandry, and so forth. The children of Israel often presumed to worship God at such places, but God was ''not'' pleased.<ref>God permitted people to come to a [[high place]] only as a temporary provision, when they had neither Tabernacle nor Temple--but once the Temple was built, the high places ought to have been abandoned.</ref> Inevitably, the high places returned to their original purpose: the paying of homage to pagan gods, not to the True God. Yet the confused dual use of the high places sometimes confused ''even the enemies'' of ancient Israel.<ref>Among these was [[Sennacherib]], whose chief officer, Rabshakeh, once ridiculed Israel for trusting in God after they (under King [[Hezekiah]]) had just finished removing "His" high places. Little did Rabshakeh or Sennacherib realize that God in fact detested the high places and ''wanted'' them removed.</ref>

Today, the classic high place is symbolic of anything that dilutes the Message of God, or presumes to add to It.<ref>In this regard, consider John the Revelator's explicit warning ''against'' adding to, or subtracting from, the Bible ({{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=22|verses=18-19|version=NASB}}).</ref> The belief in extraterrestrial persons or races--many of which are looked to as [[God-substitute]]s--is indeed a figurative "high place."

Today, the classic high place is symbolic of anything that dilutes the Message of God, or presumes to add to It.<ref>In this regard, consider John the Revelator's explicit warning ''against'' adding to, or subtracting from, the Bible ({{Bible ref|book=Revelation|chap=22|verses=18-19|version=NASB}}).</ref> The belief in extraterrestrial persons or races—many of which are looked to as [[God-substitute]]s—is indeed a figurative "high place."

And again, not all those who believe in the existence of extraterrestrial races are would-be Bible compromisers. Some are openly hostile to the Bible. They not only ''acknowledge'' that extraterrestrial races are incompatible with the Bible; they explicitly ''declare'' and even ''celebrate'' this incompatibility. They also are among those who search the hardest for evidence of non-human races or civilizations--''even though, if such civilizations existed, they might be far more powerful militarily than the combined militaries of all human nation-states, and worse yet, be disposed to attack and conquer the earth.''

And again, not all those who believe in the existence of extraterrestrial races are would-be Bible compromisers. Some are openly hostile to the Bible. They not only ''acknowledge'' that extraterrestrial races are incompatible with the Bible; they explicitly ''declare'' and even ''celebrate'' this incompatibility. They also are among those who search the hardest for evidence of non-human races or civilizations--''even though, if such civilizations existed, they might be far more powerful militarily than the combined militaries of all human nation-states, and worse yet, be disposed to attack and conquer the earth.''

This last point bears emphasis. Our present understanding of physical law--that is to say, the [[Special Theory of Relativity|Special]] and the [[General Theory of Relativity]]--strongly militate ''against'' the possibility of extraterrestrial visitation. Thus, if a non-human scout craft were ever shown, that finding alone would suggest that ''its builders have knowledge far beyond the reach of our sciences''--certainly our flight sciences and possibly all other areas of military science as well. We then could only pray (to ''whom?'') that we dealt here with a modern [[Christopher Columbus]]--and not a scout for a modern [[Shalmaneser V]] or [[Sennacherib]] or [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] or [[Cyrus the Great]] or [[Alexander the Great]] or [[Pompey]] the Great or [[Julius Caesar]] or [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]--or [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref>Author [[Shane Johnson]], in ''[[Ice (novel)|Ice]]'', showed his readers what might have happened had [[Project Apollo]] continued for more missions, and an Apollo crew had then discovered a functioning military base on the moon. One of the astronauts experiences a replay of the last events on that base, and asks himself, ''Why haven't they attacked the earth? They could own it in five minutes.'' Eventually he answers his own question: the base crew did not attack the earth because they were from the earth--because the base was a product of pre-[[Great Flood|Flood]] man.</ref>

This last point bears emphasis. Our present understanding of physical law—that is to say, the [[Special Theory of Relativity|Special]] and the [[General Theory of Relativity]]—strongly militate ''against'' the possibility of extraterrestrial visitation. Thus, if a non-human scout craft were ever shown, that finding alone would suggest that ''its builders have knowledge far beyond the reach of our sciences''—certainly our flight sciences and possibly all other areas of military science as well. We then could only pray (to ''whom?'') that we dealt here with a modern [[Christopher Columbus]]—and not a scout for a modern [[Shalmaneser V]] or [[Sennacherib]] or [[Nebuchadnezzar II]] or [[Cyrus the Great]] or [[Alexander the Great]] or [[Pompey]] the Great or [[Julius Caesar]] or [[Napoleon Bonaparte]]—or [[Adolf Hitler]].<ref>Author [[Shane Johnson]], in ''[[Ice (novel)|Ice]]'', showed his readers what might have happened had [[Project Apollo]] continued for more missions, and an Apollo crew had then discovered a functioning military base on the moon. One of the astronauts experiences a replay of the last events on that base, and asks himself, ''Why haven't they attacked the earth? They could own it in five minutes.'' Eventually he answers his own question: the base crew did not attack the earth because they were from the earth--because the base was a product of pre-[[Great Flood|Flood]] man.</ref>

==== Why, then, is the universe so large? ====

==== Why, then, is the universe so large? ====

=== The Bible and Extraterrestrial Microbes ===

=== The Bible and Extraterrestrial Microbes ===

The finding of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' need ''not'' militate against the Bible. The Bible tells of the most serious natural disaster ever to befall the earth, known as the [[Great Flood]]. At least one theorist [[Hydroplate Theory|suggests]] that this Flood resulted from the rupture of a fifty- or sixty-mile-thick crust that once formed the surface of the earth and held half of what today we call the [[ocean]]s in a sealed chamber. The seam of this rupture persists today as the [[Mid-oceanic ridge]] system. The salient point is that this rupture released billions of [[liter]]s of water, all of it supercritically hot, and under tremendous [[pressure]]. Much of this water shot high into the atmosphere and fell as rain--and much of the water so propelled, was ejected into space, along with a vast quantity of mud and rock--as much as ''four percent of the mass the earth then had.'' This water, rock, and mud now persists as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids--and even [[Trans-Neptunian Objects|trans-Neptunian objects]]!--all of which might well have been laden with microbes at the moment of the initial ejection. Thus, if these microbes were to be found again, whether in a comet's tail, or in a meteorite, or even on the surface of another celestial body, then they might be "extraterrestrial" ''only'' in the sense of being descended by several generations from other microbes that originally came ''from'' the earth.

The finding of extraterrestrial ''microbes'' need ''not'' militate against the Bible. The Bible tells of the most serious natural disaster ever to befall the earth, known as the [[Great Flood]]. At least one theorist [[Hydroplate Theory|suggests]] that this Flood resulted from the rupture of a fifty- or sixty-mile-thick crust that once formed the surface of the earth and held half of what today we call the [[ocean]]s in a sealed chamber. The seam of this rupture persists today as the [[Mid-oceanic ridge]] system. The salient point is that this rupture released billions of [[liter]]s of water, all of it supercritically hot, and under tremendous [[pressure]]. Much of this water shot high into the atmosphere and fell as rain—and much of the water so propelled, was ejected into space, along with a vast quantity of mud and rock—as much as ''four percent of the mass the earth then had.'' This water, rock, and mud now persists as [[comet]]s, [[asteroid]]s, and [[meteor]]oids—and even [[Trans-Neptunian Objects|trans-Neptunian objects]]!--all of which might well have been laden with microbes at the moment of the initial ejection. Thus, if these microbes were to be found again, whether in a comet's tail, or in a meteorite, or even on the surface of another celestial body, then they might be "extraterrestrial" ''only'' in the sense of being descended by several generations from other microbes that originally came ''from'' the earth.

== Conclusion ==

== Conclusion ==