How can we be sure that Jesus didn't die on another planet to save aliens too?

[mikekle]

Vatican astronomers are not the Magisterium. They have no power/authority to define doctrine/dogma, so their ideas are just that–their ideas, not Church teachings.

If belief in aliens ever does become Church teaching or they show up and reveal themselves to us or we discover them, etc., then I’ll take it seriously.

Who do you think is funding and backing them? Ive never heard the vatican expressing disagreement with anything people like this have publicly said.

Some of their statements are pretty bizarre, I could not believe some of the stuff Balducci has said in interviews.

 

[Della]

Who do you think is funding and backing them?

You tell us. I really don’t know and couldn’t care less, but if you want to know, then research it.

Ive never heard the vatican expressing disagreement with anything people like this have publicly said.

And why do you think that is? Because the Pope agrees with their ideas or the Magisterium? Not that I ever heard. Unless/until the Pope makes a formal declaration, such ideas mean nothing at all. It’s just speculation by individuals, not any kind of official statement by the Vatican.

Some of their statements are pretty bizarre, I could not believe some of the stuff Balducci has said in interviews.

Well, there you have it, then. The Vatican has more pressing issues to deal with than the ruminations of astronomers, no matter who they are.

 

[Church_Militant]

I too have read his space trilogy and got so much from each story. Of course, he’s merely speculating in his attempts to fit sentient alien life into the redemption story. Still, he did a good job of it, and a plausible one at that.

I sure thought so and I read a ton of Sci-fi.

 

[Kay_Cee]

I too have written a sci-fi book regarding sentient alien, and while I hold them/and they hold themselves to natural law, I made no attempts to indicate their eternal destinies. I figure, if God has created other sentient, biological life, then he knows best how and when to test their faithfulness to him. Indeed, I avoided the topic altogether since I didn’t want it to interfere with the story I wanted to tell.

I do get into the eternal destinies of a few of my characters, but I also am careful to adhere to the natural law. My characters are essentially human, even if they come from another planet. I figure God can create life like that anywhere He wants.

 

[Della]

I do get into the eternal destinies of a few of my characters, but I also am careful to adhere to the natural law. My characters are essentially human, even if they come from another planet. I figure God can create life like that anywhere He wants.

Of course, the Church has nothing to say about anyone writing speculative fiction about aliens and their relationships with God. So, we are free to write as available knowledge and our consciences permit. Since God has not told us if he has created or ever will create other sentient life elsewhere, all we can do is speculate.

Still, as I see it, since the redemption came about through the Incarnation, everything else revolves around that, as St. Paul tells us when discussing the corruption of the natural world, etc.

Even Tolkien when creating his fantasy world of Middle Earth worked his history and characters around the Incarnation by placing them in a supposed very early history, presumably before Noah or at least the call of Abraham.

It’s an important element for us who believe in Christianity to work with in a world that is increasingly secular and anti-faith oriented, isn’t it?

 

[omgriley]

We have no mention of Jesus being incarnated, living and dying anywhere else. Indeed, we have no evidence there even are aliens of the kind you mean–sentient beings capable of understanding right from wrong, who presumably also sinned and so either received their final judgment immediately, like the angels, or who, like us, were to be redeemed through the ultimate sacrifice–the life of the Second Person of the Trinity incarnated as a fellow sentient being.

Having said all that, no. Jesus did not die/will not be dying on another planet. The Second Person of the Trinity was incarnated only once. If there are other sentient beings we don’t know that they would need redemption, as we have received it. They would have been tested, as the angels and humans were tested, but we can’t know what test they would have had, nor the results.

Humans matter solely because God decided we do. As the Creator of all things, it was entirely up to him what we would be and how important we would be to him. Apparently, we are very important to him for him to become one of us and go so far as to die for our redemption.

Anything more than this, as I see it, is pure speculation on our parts, but I’m sure others will disagree with me there.

Excellent answer!

I’d like to add that if there are other beings like us on other planets like ours to whom God has revealed Himself, it wouldn’t matter the least. Nothing can change humanity’s unique and personal relationship with the Lord. He became one of us to die for us, and that supreme act of sacrificial love shows just how important we are to God.

“He died not for men, but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less.” --C.S. Lewis

 

[mikekle]

Excellent answer!

I’d like to add that if there are other beings like us on other planets like ours to whom God has revealed Himself, it wouldn’t matter the least. Nothing can change humanity’s unique and personal relationship with the Lord. He became one of us to die for us, and that supreme act of sacrificial love shows just how important we are to God.

You are right, but the OP was wondering, if God did this (in one way or another) for EVERY civilization that exists out there, does that take some of the ‘special’ out of it?

If we came to learn that God was born into every civilization in the same way he did for us and he has done this trillions of times over and over again, our salvation really does not look so unique anymore, see what Im saying?

In the end though, this is something we just do not know, and it may be the nature of God himself, even if he has done this many times, every one of them is special in their own way, but we can only speculate based on human reasoning and theories, Gods ways are not the same as ours.

 

[joseie]

The OP itself and those who support the idea that there can be creatures outside,make a fundamentally wrong assumption that those creatures are needed to be ‘saved’? Why,what xfor? Who said they did anything wrong to be saved?
Are there not sufficient bible verses indicating that in heaven only we from earth and the already heavenly living people will be there finally?
So the position will be that those other creatures, if so exist ,will remain there itself forever!

 

[omgriley]

You are right, but the OP was wondering, if God did this (in one way or another) for EVERY civilization that exists out there, does that take some of the ‘special’ out of it?

If we came to learn that God was born into every civilization in the same way he did for us and he has done this trillions of times over and over again, our salvation really does not look so unique anymore, see what Im saying?

In the end though, this is something we just do not know, and it may be the nature of God himself, even if he has done this many times, every one of them is special in their own way, but we can only speculate based on human reasoning and theories, Gods ways are not the same as ours.

Right. I thought I had mentioned that point.

Jesus will for eternity have a human nature, not an alien nature. That alone shows jut how special and unique we are. God is one of us, in the flesh, for all eternity.

Revelation 21:1-4 gives us an insight into this:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

So then just to reiterate: Jesus Christ—God the Son—will forever share in our humanity by taking on a human nature like ours. He won’t have a Jedi nature, it’ll be human. It will be special and unique. Nothing can take away from that special gift humanity has.

If there are other civilizations out there to whom God wishes to reveal Himself (which I doubt), and who require salvation, then it’s safe to say that God will not incarnate as one of those beings. As I mentioned, that’s a gift He gave to humanity.