Posted on 04/29/2017 10:11:02 AM PDT by Salvation
3/1/2017
Faith for March/April 2017, Msgr. Charles Pope
Q. What does the Church believe about extraterrestrials?
Elena, Arlington, Virginia
A. The Church has no direct teaching on this matter. As such, Catholics are free to speculate. But, using Catholic and scientific principles, some of the following parameters and distinctions may be interesting or helpful.
In the first place, we ought to define “extraterrestrials.” If by this term we mean “persons,” then it is clear that there are myriads of extraterrestrials since angels are persons. We are human persons, but they are angelic persons. And, since it is the teaching of the Church that God makes use of His angels to guide all His creation, then angels are everywhere in the universe, assisting in God’s governance of all things.
If by extraterrestrials you mean biological life of any sort, all the way from simple paramecia to more complex life forms, it seems likely that there is some of this type of life out there, especially less complex forms of life.
If, however, you mean humanlike creatures with physical bodies and rational souls, the likelihood drops significantly, but is not zero. Nowadays, some argue that there are thousands or even millions of places where humanlike life could emerge. Others say such places are exceedingly rare. Both sides use statistics.
Those who think there are many Earth-like planets capable of sustaining humanlike life-forms point to the vast size of the universe with billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars and presumably a lot of planets. They argue that, statistically, there must be many stars with planets like our own.
Others, however, point out that for the Earth to be what it is, and to be able to support our kind of intelligent life, is not just the result of a few factors. It is the result of hundreds, even thousands of factors. The sun must be stable, and just the right kind of sun without too much of the wrong radiation. The planet must have an orbit that is closer to a circle than a steep ellipse. (Earth is only three degrees from a perfect circle, whereas most of the other planets have steep ellipses that bring the planets relatively closer to the sun and then farther.) The atmosphere must have just the right kind of gases. It must be a volcanic planet that generates those gases and also generates a magnetic field that deflects the most harmful rays of the sun. The Earth also benefits from Jupiter and Saturn nearby, which catch comets and other space debris. The Earth also has a good balance of land and water, and the continents are rather evenly distributed. This limits deserts and other weather extremes. Earth also has a steady rotation on a good axis that permits seasons, and the proper distributions of rain, and an almost perfect relationship with our moon so that tides are steady and ocean currents are assisted. The list could go on for a long time. However, the statistical probability of all these same sorts of things coming together in this or a similar combination on distant planets is rather low. There is just a kind of “God-given” perfection to Earth that is hard to replicate statistically. Scientifically, this is called “Rare Earth Theory.”
All that said, there are no theological problems with holding that there is intelligent humanlike life on other planets. But even if there is, we would still have to ask: Do they have free will? Do they have a conscience? Has God revealed himself to them? How? Did they sin and need redemption? Did God join their race or family by becoming one of them? Will they go to heaven? If so, why has no one who has a vision of heaven ever seen them there?
At any rate, the speculations are numerous. As for us now, God has not revealed anything specifically about life elsewhere. Evidentially, He doesn’t think we need to know too much about this. Thus we do well to spend only a little time wondering of it.
Monsignor Pope Ping for OSV column.
Placemarker for following possible discussion.
To think God is limited to a single planet in a universe that is so mindbogglingly huge that we can’t even see all of it is projecting human limits on a unlimited god.
I have no doubt that there is other life in the universe the main question is if we will ever get to see it or not.
I think they’re out there. Probably avoiding contaminating themselves with contacting us, tho. After all, they’ve seen eight years of Obama pelosi Fakeahaunches Moore wright sharpton and SorozNazi speeches. Earth is infected with a disease that causes crazed ranting lies stealing deception and corruption. ETs don’t want to pick up the affliction. Contact is too risky for them.
“Thus we do well to spend only a little time wondering of it.”
Hmmm....
There is probably life out there that is millions of years behind us and there is probably life out there that is millions of years ahead of us...
I believe they’re out there, but no more capable of reaching us than we are of them.
Praised be God!
It is good that The Church hasn’t categorically denied the possibility of extraterrestrials.
No matter what, it will be a theological crisis if they show up on the White House lawn, but if the infallible Pope had denied their very existence, it would be a theological disaster for The Church.
God knows the future, the present and the past.
That means he knows it is EXTREMELY unlikely we will ever make contact.
Perhaps there’s a reason for it.
Or perhaps in the very distant future, we may make contact.
The Earth has an INCREDIBLE number of events that needed/need to happen for it to thrive the way it has
It’s not easily duplicated.
Great article.
I like how it ticks off all the things that make earth unique and special in our known universe making possible all the life forms here on this spinning rock.
John 10:16, 26. Usually considered the ten dispersed “lost” tribes of Israel, who are returning to Israel in the latter days. But in my opinion the other sheep could also include additional sheep like maybe ETs. At least it doesn’t exclude them. /s
#10
null and void wrote:
“It is good that The Church hasnt categorically denied the possibility of extraterrestrials.
No matter what, it will be a theological crisis if they show up on the White House lawn...”
No crisis for me, the Creator of Creation may decide to test our Faith, and so, I would recognize it for what it is...
Why has anyone who has (had)a vision of heaven (n)ever seen them there?
John the apostle saw some pretty alternate odd “Zoe” life forms hanging in the heavenly governmental courtyard and gave us a blow by blow of their appearance of activities, positions and responsibilities, within the book of Revelation. Not exhaustive, but enough to believe that there are things our God and creator has made, that we have not yet seen nor heard... but of which we have a glimpse.
To those who believe that Revelation is a man made allegory, and not actually God’s inerrant projection of a prophetic past, present and future history... this is often ignored.
But to those whom Revelation (and indeed the Bible as Word of the living God) is considered a doctrinal certainty, and physical/spiritually connected reality... inerrant and God’s out-breathed testimony... AKA the inerrant Word of his Testimony we see:
Saints pray for what we are going through here in this earthly realm. Multiple life forms of various variety are in heaven with them, serving and in close fellowship with our great Creator... and are not fallen or redeemed as we are...
The heavenly kingdom has gravity. People, places and things are seated, stand and bow, walk around, fulfill responsibilities, present news and information as it occurs in various places, some seen to us, and some perhaps relayed from far distant places... or dimensions out side of time as we know it.
There are animals present in heaven. Lucifer was a heavenly creature who walked up and down the stones of fire, within the city of the GREAT KING, on the sides of the north. there are life giving trees, living waters and living stones that are capable of speech, along with other geographic and topographical aspects of a planet. Fire indicates combustion, incense and perfumes indicate other plants, crops, crafts, trades and manufacturing.
Jesus says there are actually little children present, and that they make up the very foundation and nature of God the Father’s (makes sense, he instructs us to address him as are very real Father in heaven) eternal kingdom... and Jesus revealed that while was eyeball to eyeball, looking at little human people... when he said it to his then ignorant disciples (all fully grown adults)... and he was not looking at his fully grown adult disciples.
I would not be surprised if there were multi dimensional creatures, that they had physical manifestations of bodies that combined things we see in visions, like wings, and faces, sometimes multiple eyes and such... and built in mechanical structures (some creatures have wheels within wheels and that are full of ‘eyes’ that can see) just as we do have levers and such built in to our musculo-skeletal constructs.
God insists on being called the foundation of all creation and Father particularly and peculiarly of mankind, the first originator of every creature where ever it may exist.
He made a very big house. His Father and Creator nature is without change... I would be surprised if he is still not exercising his nature and roles for eternity... in which case... things are probably a lot more “complicated” and “interesting” than anything we have collected in our Science Fiction libraries... thus far.
Just my impression.
Yes, there is reason to believe that there could be non-Terran life on other planets. Angels can dance on the head of a pin... but they can walk into the room, sit down and eat dinner, when given the opportunity... ‘entertaining angels unawares’ supposedly is a real occurrence are to stay on the lookout for.
There was a hymn years ago we used to sing about life springing from the very footprints of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, as he walks on otherwise lifeless ground... wherever the feet of the living word touch the ground... life springs forth in abundance.
It went something like this:
“Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world”
“Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass”
There are life sustaining places for creation to dwell in for all eternity. If considered from a literal viewpoint of the Holy Writ.
first commandment issued:
be fruitful,
multiply,
replenish,
don’t commit suicide,
get started.
now.
(you are going to LIKE that part)
I’ll be back
to keep you on track.
Pope’s not infallible on such scientific opinions. Pope’s only infallible on matters of faith and morals.
They say God will never give you a test greater than you can handle, I just wish He (assuming He exists - I’m an agnostic) didn’t have quite so much faith in me!
Luke 10
17 Then the eseventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.
18 And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but frather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
Nelson, Thomas. Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) (p. 1008). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
The key part is: “I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” The “serpents and scorpions” are not flesh and blood “serpents and scorpions” they are the insect-like and reptile-like fallen angels and their offspring.
These “aliens” are the fallen angels and their spawn. A little known and very seldom recorded fact about failed “alien abductions” is that they were stopped when the intended victim or someone around on them called on the Name of Jesus for them to be gone.
We have no guide to relationships to ETs at this point BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED ONE. It would only create confusion.
When a child asks 'where do babies come from' do you go into graphic details of human reproduction? Or do you say 'from the hospital' or some other age and experience appropriate answer? For the most part, the Biblical truth is our appropriate level of truth.
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