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Ahimsa
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Am I really alone in the universe?
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Soldier_X
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Speculating about these things is all that I can do, but it is certainly fun. 
It wouldn’t stun me to learn about microbial organisms or plant life elsewhere. If there are other creatures with souls, I would guess that they are either non-fallen much like God’s angels, or else the Son redeemed them in a different manner. Speaking of Christ, Gregory of Nazianzus said “that which He has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved. If only half Adam fell, then that which Christ assumes and saves may be half also; but if the whole of his nature fell, it must be united to the whole nature of Him that was begotten, and so be saved as a whole” (from The First Letter to Cledonius). Unless Christ has taken on the form of another species elsewhere - something I could not know - I would guess that there are not other fallen creatures out there. It’s a complicated and fascinating question!
It wouldn’t stun me to learn about microbial organisms or plant life elsewhere. If there are other creatures with souls, I would guess that they are either non-fallen much like God’s angels, or else the Son redeemed them in a different manner. Speaking of Christ, Gregory of Nazianzus said “that which He has not assumed He has not healed; but that which is united to His Godhead is also saved. If only half Adam fell, then that which Christ assumes and saves may be half also; but if the whole of his nature fell, it must be united to the whole nature of Him that was begotten, and so be saved as a whole” (from The First Letter to Cledonius). Unless Christ has taken on the form of another species elsewhere - something I could not know - I would guess that there are not other fallen creatures out there. It’s a complicated and fascinating question!
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Publisher
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When I was in my 20’s, one of my favorite sci-fi series was the original “Battlestar Galactica”…there was one episode…a two parter…which had those from “Kobol” coming to the rescue of Starbuck…I think even restoring his life…their ship was a bunch of glowing connected orbs…very interesting that the original writers were Mormon.Speculating about these things is all that I can do, but it is certainly fun.
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Ahimsa
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Many sci-fi writers are Mormon.
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Publisher
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I’ve enjoyed Orson Scott Card’s “Tales of Alvin Maker”…Zenna Henderson was also Mormon…when I first read her books “The People, No Different Flesh” and “Pilgramage”…I thought she was a Quaker…so much of her terminology was “Quaker” as well as the theology she employed.
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dianaiad
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A few are…Most aren’t.
Orson Scott Card, for instance… Tracy Hickman (Drangonlance) Zena Henderson, (The People) Glen Larson (Battlestar Galactica), Anne Perry wrote one Sci Fi novel…she’s mostly a mystery writer…, Dave Wolverton (I’m not familiar with his work…), Of course, there is also Stephanie Meyer. I’m quite certain that there many more wannabee writers out there that haven’t made the list, but I can hope.
You can find Mormons in almost every profession and area of the work force, with the possible exception of growing tobacco or microbrewing beer…not too many of us playing poker for a living, either, I don’t suppose.
It’s likely, I know, that your comment was meant to be a one-line snide slam…, but no Mormon would consider it an awful, shameful or even slightly weird thing that some of us not only write SC FI, but are rather good at it.
We dance, sing, write books in all genres, commit show business and art…and even,heaven help us, contribute Democrats to the Senate…and trust me, if you REALLY want to make a snide comment about us, all you really have to do is remind me that Harry Reid is not only a Mormon, he’s a faithful Temple attending Mormon. THAT makes me want to do a little slinking.
Oh, well, we also have Glenn Beck, Mitt Romney and Eldridge Cleaver. Wrap THOSE guys around your mind for awhile and see about doing a little more stereotyping, eh?
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dianaiad
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Zenna Henderson was one of my first experiences with science fiction/fantasy…I loved her stuff, and still do. I didn’t find out that she was LDS for nearly fifteen years after I read her first book, but when I did, I thought…'of course."
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Publisher
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I first read “The People, No Different Flesh” and “Pilgramage” over 30 years ago…and all through out the novels I was convinced she was a Quaker…so much of her terminology and phrases appeared to be lifted right out of Quaker writings and theology.
“The Presence”…“Called back to the Presence”…“Meeting”…“Gifts and Persuasions”…“The Presence, the Name and the Power”…“The Peace”…“The Group”…etc all reminded me of early Quaker writings and the phrases I had and have heard in Meeting.
I was surprised she was Mormon…her books are among my most favorite…anytime I need a “lift”…I pull my volume of “Ingathering”, the compilation of all the People stories…and I’m “lifted”.
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Ahimsa
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Not at all. I love sci-fi, and I suspect that Joseph Smith was inspired divinely.
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dianaiad
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Me too…but when I went to my shelves just now to see if I could find my copy of “The People…” I couldn’t find it.
So…Amazon.com got an order from me today.
Diana
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dianaiad
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Ok, now that’s interesting! I tried to ‘google’ the religion you identify with and got…nothin’.
What is Chraista Saiva?
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MelanieAnne
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Science has determined that there are many stars like our sun in the universe and therefore the likelihood of planets being located in the “Goldilocks zone” is very high. (The “Goldilocks zone” is actually what some scientists have called it ~ not to hot, not too cold but “just right” because that sort of temperate zone is required to sustain life as we know it.)
In addition, we may be looking for carbon-based life forms (such as ourselves) but other types of life may exist (such as silicon based and not just because of some episode of Star Trek, but because it is possible, it just wouldn’t be something we would recognize as easily.)
But I am coming down on the side of #3 above. FTL (Faster than light) travel is entirely speculative, no matter how many shows we watch about it on TV. The fact is there is NO such thing as “Warp” drive and NO such thing as “FTL”. And in order for meaningful contact to occur, technology far beyond anything that has ever even been IMAGINED in real life will be required without delays of hundreds of years in between departure and arrival. That’s just a fact.
Is such contact totally impossible? No. Is it likely? Not anytime soon, at least, not from us. We’re not even able to travel “Warp 1” at this point. “FTL” is just a dream (a DIFFERENT dream from “warp” but still a dream.)
Having said all that, should we believe that God created us unique in the Universe? I have no idea. My more humble self says “no”. But that doesn’t mean we’ll ever know for sure in our lifetimes. I think we’re lucky to be able to know enough to ask the question.
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Ahimsa
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“Chraista” is an Asian Indian word for “Christian”.
“Saiva” is an Asian Indian word for a form of Hinduism.
My spiritual path includes Christian and Hindu elements.
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dianaiad
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I see.
I think…While I can see many of the larger values of Hinduism combining with those of Christianity, one would have to severely compartmentalize the details to pull it off, wouldn’t one?
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Ahimsa
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Some of those details might simply be the natural results of human cultural variation; others might be different interpretations of the same spiritual experiences. In general, many of the details might be likened to the different descriptions of one elephant felt by a blind man feeling the trunk, another blind man feeling the leg, etc.
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CONFUSED1111
Guest
I think the discussion went to wrong direction…
If we can conclude that there are PROBABLY other species/life-form in the vaaaaast UNIVERSE, that the question remains:
If we can conclude that there are PROBABLY other species/life-form in the vaaaaast UNIVERSE, that the question remains:
- will these species be saved?
- if yes, is Jesus their saviour?
- if yes, has Jesus had to make some special kind of redemption for them?
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CONFUSED1111
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How can you combine the reincarnation principle with very firm statement of Jesus that each soul has to be born only once?
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Answersplease
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CONFUSED1111
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No one of us, humans, cannot imagine how huge the UNIVERSE really is…And that our planet, Earth is soooo smaaaaall, indescribably small in comparison with the UNIVERSE.
Think again about this…Milky way, our galaxy, has about 100.000.000.000 stars…Our Solar system is one incredibly small part of it…
Now, our Galaxy is only one of 100.000.000.000 galaxies in the VISIBLE UNIVERSE. So, our WHOLE galaxy is incredibly small particle of the whole UNIVERSE.
Do you really think that God, with his immense power, just wanted to impress humans and created such s huge UNIVERSE only account of that?
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Answersplease
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