www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Intelligent life forms

Just for curiosity. What is the churches official opinion on other intelligent life forms in the universe?
Lauro

Lpreima,

This isn't official, and I'm not 100% positive, but I think that the Church has neglected to rule either way on this. From what I've heard, the Church doesn't deny that this is a possibility.

I've thought about this before. What if there are other intelligent life forms and races out there? Was their creation the same or similar to ours? Have they fallen into sin? Has Christ become the Incarnation on their world(s) to offer them a road to Salvation? Was he put to death by that race and for that race? I asked a priest about this and he said that, technically, he supposes it might be possible, but that it would seem to greatly diminish the Salvific Work of Christ.

ChristTeen287

ChrisTeen 287,
And maybe they haven't fallen into sin either. Maybe that's why they haven't made any real contact with us. It's a complicated issue and once my kids asked me this question after watching a science fictio film. It's just that the universe is so big and physically we are so small. Of course when we look at the stars at night, we see one of the most beautiful creations of God.
Lauro

Dear Lauro:

This similar question was asked at the EWTN's "Q & A" a while back and Colin B. Donovan, STL, came up with this answer, which ties it to the Church's view on "creation vs. evolution":

http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/ET.htm

Hope this helps.

Amado

I've often wondered about the "religion" of sentient extraterrestrial life...if there is any, which I personally believe there is.

ChristTeen287

I've often wondered as well, how swirling gases billions of years ago on Earth could just "pop out" life forms, even infintesimally (sp) simplistic ones. This phenomenon is explainable, I'm sure, and I haven't researched it, but somehow it doesn't seem to make a whole lot of common sense. Has this happened on Earth since the original creation/evolution of life on Earth? have scientists been able to make life out of nothing but elements and compounds? Even if they have been able to do this, it would seem that the probability of this happening in nature, with the elements and compounds combining in just the right amount, would be very unlikely. Of course I know how Christians, Jews, Muslims, etc. would explain this, but what about atheists and agnostics? Same with the principle that everything is set in motion by something else (so there has to be an original Unmoved Motion, etc....what saint used this argument? I can't remember).

ChristTeen287

Their Texans. And we thought all ET's were more progressive then human life. Huh!

Justin