Is it sinful to believe in life on other planets?

[rocklobster]

I was listening to a Talk Radio program where a commentator said that the reason there is only one planet with life on it is that God only needed one planet to prove to Satan and his ilk how wrong he is. This seems to imply that believing that there is life on other planets is sinful, if not blasphemous. I don't like this idea, because I happen to be a science fiction fan, and I don't want to think that science fiction is a sin.

[Sammy Boy]

Hello, I don't think it's sinful, though belief in life on other planets would raise questions and have implications for how Christians are to understand the totality of the effects of the Fall of humankind on the rest of creation.

If we think there are creatures on other planets that are capable of moral behaviour such as human beings on Earth, would we need to then re-think the universality of the truths in the Bible (assuming the incarnation of God the Son in Jesus Christ as a one-of-a-kind event)?

For now, the abovementioned issues aside, you may wish to consider the following points regarding the matter of life on other planets:

- the numerous astronomical requirements needed to satisfy the criteria for a life-sustaining environment
- the fact that the existence of water itself does not automatically guarantee life
- the inability of silicon-based products to retain/communicate useful information as opposed to carbon-based products (as far as I know)
- the complex and elusive nature of UFOs and the seemingly ethically questionable methods used by alleged UFO occupants

Thus it's probably worth spending some time to think about whether belief in extraterrestrial life is likely to be a justified true belief.

As I don't want to start any kinds of debates, I'd be happy to discuss this further with you if you want to contact me via private messaging, cheers.

[RobinSena]

No, it's not sinful to believe in life on other planets. =P

I'm not certain myself(Of course, no one really can be completely certain), but I can't see why it'd be a sin.

An interesting read would be The Space Trilogy by C. S. Lewis.

[Technomancer]

I can't think of any reason why it should be. Then again, we should rarely if ever filter factual statements about the physical world through the lens of biblical interpretation. The question of the existence or non-existence of life thus should be seen as a solely scientific one, rather than a spiritual or scriptural one. That said, I personally do think there is good reason for believing that life is not unique to Earth. This opinion is based on what we know of life's history and chemistry here on Earth, as well as the relative cosmic abundance of life's most basic building blocks (i.e. carbon, water, etc).

[Raiden no Kishi]

Well, as a preliminary note, you don't have to believe in the existence of extraterrestrial life in order to enjoy sci-fi. I enjoy Star Wars as much as the next guy [unless Hayden Christensen is on screen : : shakes fist : : ], and I believe Earth is the only planet that has any life on it. More to the point, however, I don't see anything sinful in believing in the possibility of life on other planets.

.rai//

[ashfire]

I would have to think God created everything including the Universe so wouldn't He have not created life on other planets.
I sometimes watch the UFO investigation shows and acourse people on there ask why the government wants to deni or hide anything about UFOs that have been found after they have crashed on US lands?

[Technomancer]

Personally, I find these supposed "UFO" reports to be more than a little questionable. I wouldn't assign any credibility to them.

[Doubleshadow]

Believe it or not, I have already given this some thought.

The likelyhood of sentient life on other planets advanced enough to communicate with us while existing simultaneously with life on Earth also at a level capable of such communication is almost nil. Thus, I'm not concerned about it one way or another. Also, I don't consider it some kind of sin to not say there is no life out there when I don't see a physical, mathematical, or spiritual requirement to declare it strictly impossible.

If such aliens lifeforms existed that fit necessary criteria to be considered sentient and we could communicate, if we were supposed to be in contact with them God would provide a way. Until then, there are more immediate concerns.

[Etoh*the*Greato]

I was listening to a Talk Radio program where a commentator said that the reason there is only one planet with life on it is that God only needed one planet to prove to Satan and his ilk how wrong he is. This seems to imply that believing that there is life on other planets is sinful, if not blasphemous. I don't like this idea, because I happen to be a science fiction fan, and I don't want to think that science fiction is a sin.

What it seems to imply to me is that God only wanted to create life to prove a point... I don't believe in intelligent life on other planets, myself, but I do believe in life.

[mitsuki lover]

To be honest my first response was::lol: when I saw this topic.I can't believe anyone would be serious to make belief in extraterresterial life either
sinful or blasphemous.
Remember before America was discovered people held all sorts of odd and strange beliefs concerning life outside of the Known World,the same holds true here and we won't know if we're right or wrong until and unless we
discover extraterrestrial intelligences.
Or they contact us.
We shouldn't dismiss the possibility out of hand as it would seem to me to diminish God's creativeness by doing so.
Yes I strongly believe in the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere,but I don't know if we will ever come in contact with them in our life time.
Though it be rather cool if it were the Vulcans!:lol::cool:

[Mithrandir]

With the possible exceptions regarding the divinity of Christ and/or salvation via grace, I'm of the opinion that every few things one BELIEVES is sinful. I guess I see sin as willful disobedience of God.

Of course, we probably shouldn't go off on too much of that.

[AsianBlossom]

Just want to throw my two-cents in: there's a reason why they call it science-fiction. It's not meant to be real, and there's nothing wrong with liking (most) fiction.

Now, I don't know if it's sinful or not to believe in life on other planets, but I'd personally stick to seeing intelligent extraterrestrial life as pure fiction, and enjoy the imaginative wanderings of authors.

Besides, you can't always trust everything you hear...even on talk radio. I remember reading that the reason God created us was to "know, love, and serve Him in this life and be happy with Him in the next." (From the Baltimore Catechism...yeah, my school had us memorize large chunks of it, if not the whole thing). I don't want to start a debate, but I think that most would agree with that definition, as God wants us all to get to know Him, to love Him, and to do the best we can to serve Him. And He most certainly wants us to gain the eternal happiness of Heaven.

[faithfighter]

Is there aliens? in a word yes, angel's are aliens.
I'm not kidding really they are other worldly beings. I am also a scifi fan who was once a bit upset that there is no proof of aliens out there (and thats it's pretty likely that they aren't) so thats what my brother said to me. I thought I would share it

Besides, you can't always trust everything you hear...even on talk radio.

or expecially on talk radio sometimes *snickers*

[faithfighter]

sorry to post again but I wanted to add this.
The bible doesn't say anywhere that it is sinful to believe in aliens (the topic frankly does not come up) in my opinion that means that it is not important or a sin. Now if God said "hey there are no aliens" then we would be calling him a liar by believing it...thus the sin. But he doesn't.
I personally don't believe that alien's hold up against the truth in the bible but that is not the debate here.

[Gabriel 9.0]

Not at all, in fact the Bible says mentions other worlds etc.

[faithfighter]

where Gabriel?

[Gabriel 9.0]

where Gabriel?

Here you go.


Hebrews 1:2
Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

[Mithrandir]

There is that one, and other references. We'd really rather not have the conversation devolve into debates of this type.

(Or any other type, I suppose).

[Htom Sirveaux]

I'd be hard pressed to believe there isn't life on other planets. Think of it - an entire universe out there! It would be a waste not to do at least a little more with it. We serve a very imaginative and creative God; the complexity of the universe itself proves that. I just think that God would probably have it in Him to look at all the life that He created on Earth and think, "Well, why stop there?"

[creed4]

I'd be hard pressed to believe there isn't life on other planets. Think of it - an entire universe out there! It would be a waste not to do at least a little more with it. We serve a very imaginative and creative God; the complexity of the universe itself proves that. I just think that God would probably have it in Him to look at all the life that He created on Earth and think, "Well, why stop there?"

unless it was all needed to support life on our world, there has been evidence that life is very complex, and where we are in the milky way is the best spot for life...

no I don't think it's a sin to believe such

[EricTheFred]

If you want to see how a great Christian thinker who believed that life elsewhere is possible approached the question, just read the Space trilogy ('Out of the Silent Planet','Perelandra', and 'That Hideous Strength'.) This is in my mind C.S. Lewis's best fiction work, surpassing the better known Narnia and Screwtape Letters, and approaching in quality his non-fiction theological works.

Another writer, Madeleine L'Engle, had a similar approach to the question, and a similar enough view that I suspect she was strongly influenced by Lewis. She addresses it fairly thoroughly in "A Wind in the Door" (the sequel to "A Wrinkle in Time".)

[Technomancer]

unless it was all needed to support life on our world....and where we are in the milky way is the best spot for life...

Sort of. It's not so much that the rest of the Milky Way is needed to support life, it's that our position in the galaxy is a good one for avoiding certain cosmic hazards.

[termyt]

I was listening to a Talk Radio program where a commentator said that the reason there is only one planet with life on it is that God only needed one planet to prove to Satan and his ilk how wrong he is. This seems to imply that believing that there is life on other planets is sinful, if not blasphemous. I don't like this idea, because I happen to be a science fiction fan, and I don't want to think that science fiction is a sin.

The actual question of whether there is life elsewhere or not aside, this is a very troubling statement: "the reason there is only one planet with life on it is that God only needed one planet to prove to Satan and his ilk how wrong he is."

So now this commentator knows the Mind of God and can tell the Creator of the Universe what He needs? And God is now required to prove things to Satan? This, my friends, is far more blasphemous than the musings of any writer or scientist. Does a toaster tell me how to make bread? Does the refrigerator tell me what I need to keep cold? Who does this lowly creation think he is to speak to the Creator’s needs? What astounding arrogance.

[PrincessZelda]

I don't see why it'd be sinful. But I think it's highly unlikely that there is life on other planets.

[Yeshua-Knight]

I was listening to a Talk Radio program where a commentator said that the reason there is only one planet with life on it is that God only needed one planet to prove to Satan and his ilk how wrong he is. This seems to imply that believing that there is life on other planets is sinful, if not blasphemous. I don't like this idea, because I happen to be a science fiction fan, and I don't want to think that science fiction is a sin.

pardon me while i poke a hole in the commentator's statement

the bible states that we are created for God's pleasure, not to prove a point, believe me, and Satan knows this too, if God says something, it is true.

now having said that, it is my personal belief that believing in life on other planets is not a sin. do i believe in life on other planets? nope. why? because for one it's not something stated in the scriptures and two it's not something that the holy spirit laid on my heart to believe in, so then how does it really benefit my relationship with God to hold such a belief?

but i also won't condemn someone for holding that belief, just no point to it.

[mitsuki lover]

I might add that as Carl Sagan often commented just because there
MAYBE intelligent life out there doesn't neccessarily mean it will turn out to look or be any way LIKE us.
We have to remember the whole concept of ALIEN here,and even if it IS
humanoid in appearance doesn't mean it would be humanlike.

[Saj]

The bible neither confirms nor denies life on other worlds. So i dont think it would be a sin to think there is life else where in our universe. God is to big and to imaginative to just have life on one rather small planet, my personal belief is that there is life on other worlds somewhere, intelligent or not? i dunno.

[EricTheFred]

Another thing to remember is that it is a bit arrogant to assume that the only possible use God had for planets and stars was to host intelligent life similar to ourselves. We can't grasp His mind, so we very possibly have no chance of understanding his purpose for the rest of the Universe. If he created other life, if he created other intelligences... they might be somehow similar to us, or perhaps they may be unfallen, or perhaps unfamiliar with concepts like free will or sin or death... or they may not even exist, and what does exist is too alien for us to even use terms like 'life' or 'intelligence' to describe.

Getting back to the original question, though. How can it be a sin to imagine that God is even greater than we can know? It's foolish and arrogant to imagine that we can know his purpose or declare a limit to what he might do. The commentator who declared with certainty that he knows what God has done and why he could not have done more has committed the ultimate blasphemy. He has placed a limit on God's power.

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Not to steer the discussion in ANOTHER sticky direction, but there are times that it's perfectly correct to say that God can't do something. Can He sin? can He refuse salvation to anyone who believes in Christ? Can He act in a way that's counter to His own nature? No, and it's a good thing. Whether or not that excuses the guy at the center of THIS discussion, I couldn't say since I never heard the guy myself.

Anyway, I don't believe extraterrestrial life exists because I don't see how it would be consistent with scripture's descriptions of creation and the universe, but I don't think that makes Science Fiction any more sinful or unchristian than I would have otherwise. (Oh, and you're right. The Space Trilogy is WAY better than Narnia)

[Azier the Swordsman]

It's highly controversial, but some believe that this passage in Genesis may explicitly reference alien beings being on Earth at some point:

[Quote=Genesis]The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.[/QUOTE]

Who are the Nephilim exactly? The Bible never clearly says. The "Sons of God" could not possibly be a part of the human race. The passage seems to imply that intercourse between these beings and humans resulted in what we would know as 'superhumans'.

Also note that even after the flood, these 'superhumans' still seemed to keep on existing. The Promised Land God sent the children of Israel to was inhabited by literal giants. Where did these races of giants come from?

The Bible never confirms nor denies the existence of aliens.

Whose to say there isn't alien life on other planets?

Whose to say that aliens did not at one point interact and live with humans at one or more points in the past?

Whose to say they don't still live secretly with us even now?

(The following is something I'm certain I saw on Discovery Channel (or at least a TV special on UFOs) a few years ago - but my memory is fuzzy. I make no claims that the below is actually true.)

Something interesting - Archeologists in Egypt uncovered an interesting tomb. The inscription on the outside translated roughly to something along the lines of "The Unknown Visitor". The body inside was humanoid, but wasn't human.

(I do not personally endorse nor not endorse the theories listed above. These are just things I find particularily fascinating. I am not trying to start a debate on Bible theology. Please refrain from starting one.)