What If They Really Do Exist?
BY REV. RICHARD RANDOLPH, PHD, SENIOR PASTOR, CHRIST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Space aliens are popular topics in contemporary science fiction. But, have you ever wondered what the implications would be for religious faith if intelligent extraterrestrials actually existed?
Scientists estimate that there are 1017 earth-like planets in the universe, capable of supporting life. Statistically, it is very likely that extraterrestrial life exists out there, somewhere in the universe. Astronomers have already identified 5,310 habitable planets, see http://exoplanet.eu/catalog/. However, the challenge is distance. The nearest star to our sun is Proxima Centauri, which is 4.22 light years away from planet Earth, requiring 73,000 years for a spacecraft to reach it.
Given these distances, the most likely discovery scenario would be contacted through a signal received from space. If we received such a signal, what would that mean for world religions? While some commentators have assumed that extraterrestrial contact would destroy religions, most persons of faith disagree. For them, extraterrestrial contact would present opportunities to think deeper about their faith.
Some of these opportunities would be specific to a particular tradition. For instance, Christians would want to know if the extraterrestrials had experienced an incarnation of God, similar to the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Also, would an “extraterrestrial Jesus” have suffered crucifixion?
Other implications would be more general. Perhaps the most important of these is the place of humanity in the universe. The Abrahamic faiths hold that humans are created in the image of God, set aside for a special relationship with God. Yet, all of the discovery scenarios assume that extraterrestrial intelligence would be far superior to humans, given the vast distances that separate us. Would that mean that extraterrestrials are “more special” than humans?
For me, the way to resolve this seeming dilemma is to recognize that over history humans have misunderstood how much God loves all life — not just humans. God loves all life, from the most intelligent extraterrestrial to the lowest slug crawling on the ground. From this view, the role of humans as God’s stewards of life on this planet is even more critical — regardless of whether or not extraterrestrials exist out there.
Have questions?
Contact Rev. Richard Randolph, PhD, at Christ United Methodist Church by email at richard.randolph@christumclinc.org or by phone at 402-489-9618.