Kepler Telescope

[Spelf]

In “Out of the Silent Planet” C. S. Lewis most certainly doesn’t make a claim for another kind of salvation for aliens. You should read his trilogy if you wish to know what Lewis was saying.

I’m making no statement on Lewis’s work, since we’re broadly discussing the theology involved here and not specifically his points. I object to the idea that what occurs outside of our own world and own species isnt theologically relevant.

 

[GEddie]

I’m making no statement on Lewis’s work, since we’re broadly discussing the theology involved here and not specifically his points. I object to the idea that what occurs outside of our own world and own species isnt theologically relevant.

Aliens are not theologically relevant as far as human life is concerned. If they were, the rules of salvation would change the day aliens are discovered.

Our LORD never said, “One day beings from the sky having bodies nothing like ours will visit you; be sure to tell them that their eternity depends on me.”

Nor did He say “One day your descendants will travel in the sky and come upon strange beings out among the worlds; tell them one like yourselves has the words of eternal life.”

Evangelization of aliens makes for good science fiction, but ultimately the rules of alien life, like its minds or bodies, will be well, alien, to us.

They may not even** need** salvation (having no connection to Adam).

ICXC NIKA

 

[Faith1960]

Aliens are not theologically relevant as far as human life is concerned. If they were, the rules of salvation would change the day aliens are discovered.

Our LORD never said, “One day beings from the sky having bodies nothing like ours will visit you; be sure to tell them that their eternity depends on me.”

Nor did He say “One day your descendants will travel in the sky and come upon strange beings out among the worlds; tell them one like yourselves has the words of eternal life.”

Evangelization of aliens makes for good science fiction, but ultimately the rules of alien life, like its minds or bodies, will be well, alien, to us.

They may not even** need** salvation (having no connection to Adam).

ICXC NIKA

How do you know that the rules of salvation won’t change if aliens are discovered?

 

[GEddie]

How do you know that the rules of salvation won’t change if aliens are discovered?

If they did, that would make aliens the equivalent of Christ.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Spelf]

That seems all well and fluffy and nice, but that seems to be directly contrary to the establishment of mankind as steward of creation and chief among all creatures. Surely if there are beings out there, they will be either of creation or of God, that is as animals or as of man.

You’re saying that I ought to stop thinking of space in such a fallen human perspective. I’m saying there is only one perspective: God’s truth.

Surely humanity’s worth to God (whom he created in his own image and likeness) is diminished if there are other species that have automatic access to the Beatific vision, as you seem to suggest. How can this be? Man is created in God’s image and likeness - he is perfect, although we are not. God of all creation, not just the God of man, took it upon himself to become incarnate as a man. Surely that indicates his place for us as chief among his created, does it not? How, then, could it be possible that other species simply have access to the beatific vision by merit of no fall? That would make mankind inferior among the cosmos, and considering our image and likeness is of God, I can not and will not believe that to be true.

 

[GEddie]

That seems all well and fluffy and nice, but that seems to be directly contrary to the establishment of mankind as steward of creation and chief among all creatures. Surely if there are beings out there, they will be either of creation or of God, that is as animals or as of man.

You’re saying that I ought to stop thinking of space in such a fallen human perspective. I’m saying there is only one perspective: God’s truth.

Surely humanity’s worth to God (whom he created in his own image and likeness) is diminished if there are other species that have automatic access to the Beatific vision, as you seem to suggest. How can this be? Man is created in God’s image and likeness - he is perfect, although we are not. God of all creation, not just the God of man, took it upon himself to become incarnate as a man. Surely that indicates his place for us as chief among his created, does it not? How, then, could it be possible that other species simply have access to the beatific vision by merit of no fall? That would make mankind inferior among the cosmos, and considering our image and likeness is of God, I can not and will not believe that to be true.

There seems to be a pattern in these threads to envision prospective aliens as fluffy and nice.

But if such beings exist, they would have come from a nature as rough as ours. Be afraid; be very afraid.

ICXC NIKA

 

[phil19034]

That seems all well and fluffy and nice, but that seems to be directly contrary to the establishment of mankind as steward of creation and chief among all creatures. Surely if there are beings out there, they will be either of creation or of God, that is as animals or as of man.

Aliens would be a different creation and not of the same creation Genesis speaks of. Genesis speaks of the creation of Earth, creatures on earth, and Humans, not all creatures in the entire universe.