Catholic attitudes to extra-terrestrial life

[Matt25]

scmo.org/_titles/view.asp?id=430

                    Vatican Astronomer asks

‘Could you baptise an alien?’
New book addresses Catholic attitudes to extra-terrestrial life

The truth is out there. With increasing numbers of people believing not only in the possibility of intelligent life on other planets, but even claiming encounters with aliens, it is not surprising that the Catholic Church is beginning to explore what effect the discovery of sentient ETs might have on Christian theology.

Would humans recognise intelligent life if we saw it?
Could we communicate with it? Should we even try?
Is Original Sin something that affects all intelligent beings?
Is Jesus Christ’s redemption valid for intelligent beings throughout the universe?
…or would other worlds have their own version of Jesus?
Would the Church send missionaries to ET planets?
Could you baptize an alien?
…or for that matter, could you ordain an alien?

 

[PJR]

If Space Ghost were here he could answer all of your questions…but alas…phone home Ghostie, phone home.

 

[Jeffrey]

Its all hogwash IMO.

 

[abcdefg]

Matt25:

Would humans recognise intelligent life if we saw it?

If their language can be learnt by humans and they do their activities in roughly the pace as human

Matt25:

Could we communicate with it? Should we even try?
Is Original Sin something that affects all intelligent beings?
Is Jesus Christ’s redemption valid for intelligent beings throughout the universe?
…or would other worlds have their own version of Jesus?
Would the Church send missionaries to ET planets?
Could you baptize an alien?
…or for that matter, could you ordain an alien?

you can try train some alien males. if they’re trainable, then I think they can be ordained.
I don’t believe the existance of aliens but I’d like to discuss what will be like if they exists

 

[Maranatha]

If people are mistaking demons for aliens then the CC will not be baptising them.

 

[twf]

Christ became one of us to die for us. How can a son of Adam save those who are not Adam’s children? (I am not saying that Christ could not save aliens, but He did not do so on the cross…he died as a human for humans). There is nothing in Scripture nor Tradition that would justify the notion of extending salvation to other beings. With this logic, we could conclude that demons could be saved as well if they were baptized!
If there are other sentient races out, there, created by God, there are only three options (in my humble opinion):
A) They are not fallen, and like the angels are without sin, and thus not in need of salvation.
B) They are fallen, but damned, with no hope of salvation (which would seem to be contrary to the merciful nature of God…but they could be like demons, and beyond repentance).
C) They are fallen, and can be saved, but by means totatally unknown to us. (It would not be through the Catholic Church which Christ gave to mankind).

Remember that baptism removes original sin. Our salvation is closely connected to the fact that we are a fallen race, born spiritually dead, in original sin. Aliens, if they exist, have not inherited original sin from our First Parents, and thus can not be saved from it.

 

[Thursday1]

C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy tackles these questions quite well. I would recommend it to anyone looking to experience what they felt when they read The Chronicles Narnia for the first time.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

P.S.
For the record I do believe that there is intelligent life on other planets. But, seeing how it would take about 6.7 years traveling at .75 the speed of light (as measured from the spaceship, about 10.2 years as measured from Earth.) its a bit of a moot point. Given humanity’s track record, I’d say God did good when he separated the stars so far from one another.

 

[Barbara_Ann]

Thursday1:

C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy tackles these questions quite well. I would recommend it to anyone looking to experience what they felt when they read The Chronicles Narnia for the first time.
Yours in Christ,
Thursday

P.S.
For the record I do believe that there is intelligent life on other planets. But, seeing how it would take about 6.7 years traveling at .75 the speed of light (as measured from the spaceship, about 10.2 years as measured from Earth.) its a bit of a moot point. Given humanity’s track record, I’d say God did good when he separated the stars so far from one another.

I loved C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy. I also enjoyed Carl Sagan’s Contact it was about aliens but also about faith and science. It was interesting because Sagan was an agnostic I really think I will reread both books and compare them.

For the record I am still searching for intelligent life in the Universe.