What About the Aliens?

In the preceding comments, this question effectively arose: “What about the aliens?”

Well, my answer (for which I was hoping to have provided context before now) is to weigh the issue against Biblical scripture. What we find is that Scripture doesn’t say anything about aliens at all; it’s not even alluded to. This doesn’t discount their existence, but we can conclude the following: It is possible that they do not exist. If they do exist, it has no importance on how we relate to God (since this is what the Bible is about, if it were relevant, it would need to be mentioned). Or, any importance there might be is a natural extension of that which is taught in Scripture. Nam made the excellent point of whether to consider aliens as equally created in the image of God, or if they are lesser beings. The answer can have serious ramifications, but Scripture doesn’t adequately equip us to make that judgment. So aliens are not important in this regard.

Taking a more high-level approach, consider the role of humanity in the world. The Bible declares that we are created in the image of God, and note further that creation culminates with the creation of humanity. The rest of the Bible frames all of history, all of the world, and all of understanding in the context of man and God. Humans have a special importance in the world. For there to be aliens who are equal with us (or greater) would be inconsistent with the way God has revealed our relationship to Him as something special. For there to be aliens that are like plants and animals, they should have some significance to humans. Since in the present state of affairs it is doubtful this could happen, I find it highly doubtful that there is alien life.

I’ve commonly heard the argument that space is too big for there not to be aliens. Genesis 1:14-15 gives us an explanation. “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.’ And it was so.” We see that even though the universe is much bigger than the people inhabiting it, God explains that it is not wasted after all. It has a purpose, and that purpose is for the benefit of us humans. Again, all of creation and history centers around us.