Aliens and Angels, part 4

One last thought aliens and angels...

By the way, if you haven't picked it up by now, I believe that sometimes humans call angelic encounters alien encounters. I think that sometimes we try to explain the unexplainable. For many people it is easier to believe that there is life on another planet than to believe that there is supernatural life.

Why do we always assume that aliens are smarter, more advanced than humans? If there are aliens on other planets, why must they be savvy, wise and established than we? Is it possible that we are the most advanced? Isn't it conceivable that we are closer to finding other life forms than they are to finding us?

It seems to me that science fiction always depicts the aliens as aggressive and superior in strength and intellect to we humans. We are constantly defending ourselves and living in fear. (Part of this may be explained as a natural balancing. We- established, wealthy, western-Europeans- have always been the more advanced and aggressive. We have enslaved, diseased and displaced numerous people groups. Perhaps our fear is a sort of emotional karma.)

I would like to propose that if there is life "out there" it is just as likely that we have the technological advantage. We may very well be the most advanced and superior of the millions of life forms in the universe. It makes a better story to be on the defense, but if we are imagining what may be, we need to be reasonable and find balance. The odds are not stacked against us. We may very well be #1.

Aliens and Angels, part 3

Recently, our space program sent another probe/ mission to Mars. The purpose of this mission is to discover whether or not there is or has ever been water on Mars. This, NASA believes, will help us to understand whether there has ever been life on Mars, or whether life may be sustainable there sometime in the future.

I have no problems with the space program. It is exceedingly interesting and often exciting to learn about space, planets, stars, solar systems, galaxies, black holes, etc. I believe that we should learn as much about the world as we can. We should explore and experiment. We should study and learn. However, I do sense one great problem in this, and similar space expeditions.

We assume that there is a de facto connection between water and life. And, in fact, on earth that is true. Water is the one component that supports all life forms on earth. We no that if there is no water there is no life. But, it seems to me, that this is not necessarily so in all cases.

• First of all, just because all the life forms that we are aware of require water, this does not mean that all life forms, even on earth, require water. It is possible that there are as yet undiscovered life forms that have no need for water. Not only that, it could be that there are some things that we assume are not life, but in reality are.
• It could be that there are dimensions of life that are not discernible to humans. There could be "gasses" or vapors that are actually living beings.
• We cannot assume that life on another planet must be confined to the limits we have on earth. If it takes water to have life on earth, we must realize that there may be entities that are living, but do not require water in other places.

It seems to me that we humans, particularly in the realm of science fiction, like to imagine alien life forms. However, our imaginations are puny in comparison to what we already know is real. We need to be able to imagine life in completely new and different ways. Then our explorations will be revolutionary, and productive.

Aliens and Angels, part 2

Last week I went with the family to see the Disney/Pixar movie WALL*E. As usual, I came away amazed at the animation (although I think I am now officially at animated movie saturation level). The story was excellent, if a little bit preachy. This is definitely not a movie for only children. In fact, it may prove to be completely unappealing to children altogether.

And although the movie is primarily about a robot who lives on earth after our planet has been abandoned by all the humans, I was struck by the humanness of the robots. In fact, I was reminded about the humanness of all aliens and robots in all movies that I have seen. It could be that we humans are so unimaginative that we cannot comprehend creatures without roundish heads and two eyes. There are always arm-like appendages on science fiction creatures. Why is this?

Aliens, and angels for that matter, probably bear little, if any resemblance to humans. Remember that any creature created was made by the same being who gave us the earth worm, the elephant and the duck billed platypus. Creatures from other planets do not have to look like us.

Take a trip to your local zoo. You deserve it. You have been working hard. Challenge yourself to stay away from the primates. They look pretty much like us, after all. Notice the diversity with which God created. Reptiles, fish, marsupials, birds, mammals are amazing in their differentness. That does not even take into account all the insects, microbes and plant life that we do not want to see at the zoo. So why must aliens look like us?

I'm not sure that I believe in "aliens," but I do believe in angels. Isn't it possible that alien encounters are really angelic encounters? And isn't it possible that there is life on other planets, or in other dimensions, that looks nothing like what we know?

I firmly believe that faith in God is not threatened by such consideration. I am encouraged to eliminate all the artificial limits that I have put on God. He can do anything, anywhere, any time.

Aliens and Angels, part 1

I have been thinking a lot about aliens lately. Please do not think that I am one of those "trekkies." I am not. I enjoy Star Trek and Star Wars as much as the next guy, but I do not read science fiction. I do not even watch the NASA television station. I don't, as a general rule, think about UFOs, Roswell, Area 51 or alien autopsies. I am a normal guy who is aware of all these things, but takes them with a grain of salt.

However, I have been fascinated by one thought recently. It seems to me that usually Christian people (and church people in general) discount all stories about "close encounters" or alien abductions. For the most part we think that people who have these experiences are unbalanced. We seem to believe that we are the only ones in the universe. Oh sure, we believe in the angels and in demons and all that stuff, but we think that the only non-supernatural life in the universe is here on earth.

This is a problem because it makes some big assumptions that we really do not have the grounds to make. First of all, it gives humanity an importance that I do not believe can be justified in the Bible. I will grant you that humans are the highest life form on earth, but beyond that the Scriptures are silent. Why do we get so egotistical to think that God made us on this planet, and that is all?

It is completely possible that there are other galaxies with solar systems that can support life as we know it on earth. (This does not even take into account that there may be other forms of life that we cannot even comprehend.)

Remember that the story of the Fall includes the fall of Lucifer and his supporters. In fact, we can see in Genesis 6.2 that some angelic (sons of God) beings were marrying and reproducing with humans. It is completely possible that there are some angelic beings living on other planets even now. In this way of thinking, is it even possible that Cain did not marry his own sister, but an heavenly creature (cf. Genesis 4.17)?

One last thing: It is completely possible that UFO sightings and alien encounters are real. It could be that people, on occasion, get a glimpse of what heaven is like. Sometimes they may see angels (or others) who come near to earth.

Don't always assume that we are the only ones. And especially don't assume that those who have unusual experiences are crackpots.