What If Aliens Exist?

Question:

Dear Dr. Tim, 

I'm interested to know if you have any biblical thought on the alien thing?!? Do you think there might have been sightings, contact, etc.? I was wondering if there is anything biblical in regards to that?

With the recent government hearings on this and the conspiracy theories going around for some reason you were the first person I thought to contact.

- Tammi

Dr. Tim's Response:

Hi Tammi! Yes, I do have some thoughts about what to do with extraterrestrial life. I have been greatly influenced by C.S. Lewis's thoughts in his books known as "The Space Trilogy." My mom and dad used to read these books to my sister and me (along with Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia) when we were little children. Combining Lewis's work with Star Wars (which was first released when I was four-years-old), allowed me to infer at a young age that there was nothing contradictory to Scripture with alien life forms elsewhere in the universe. Indeed, I have always hoped that Wookies really exist.

Science Fiction 

C.S. Lewis's "Space Trilogy" (first published in 1943) is a captivating and thought-provoking series that delves into the interplay of science fiction, theology, and philosophy. The trilogy consists of three distinct novels: "Out of the Silent Planet," "Perelandra," and "That Hideous Strength." In the first book, "Out of the Silent Planet," Lewis introduces us to Dr. Elwin Ransom, who embarks on a journey to the planet Malacandra (Mars). There, he encounters fascinating alien civilizations and grapples with profound questions about the nature of evil and the divine. In the second book, "Perelandra," Ransom finds himself on the mystical planet of Perelandra (Venus), where he encounters a new Garden of Eden-like creation untainted by sin. There he faces a momentous task as he must prevent the temptation of the planet's innocent queen by a diabolical figure known as the Un-Man. The story explores themes of temptation and libertarian free will (the freedom of choice between alternative options) while contrasting the purity of Perelandra with the fallen state of Earth.

Finally, in "That Hideous Strength," the third installment, the narrative shifts back to Earth, where an evil organization seeks to control and dominate humanity. This gripping tale explores the battle between good and evil, the importance of moral agency, and the divine plan (my favorite topics) in the face of adversity. C.S. Lewis masterfully weaves together theology, philosophy, and imagination, leaving readers contemplating profound truths long after the last page is turned.

While Lewis does present the concept of extraterrestrial life in his books, he primarily uses it as an illustration to address philosophical and theological ideas. Lewis leverages alien life as a backdrop to explore different aspects of human nature, spiritual beliefs, and the fallen state of humanity. Be that as it may, after reading his "Space Trilogy," one will quickly see that there is no inherent contradiction between the existence of alien life-forms and the Bible. Indeed, Lewis was able to show that there are numerous ways to think about how alien life is perfectly compatible with Scripture. 

Since I grew up with the gospel, Star Wars, and C.S. Lewis's philosophical fiction, the idea of Wookies and Jesus existing in the same universe has never been problematic for me. I don't think it should be a problem for anyone. 

Science Fact

On top of that, as I explain in the last chapter of my book, Human Freedom, Divine Knowledge, and Mere Molinism (sorry if this gets a bit technical), physicists John Barrow and Frank Tipler show that there are ten steps in the course of human evolution which must occur. Each step is so improbable that before it could occur the sun would have ceased to be a main sequence star, and would have incinerated the Earth. Dr. William Lane Craig, in his debate with atheist Christopher Hitchens, notes that these physicists go on to calculate the probability of the evolution of the human genome (on earth) by chance and arrive at an astronomical figure:

“4 to the negative 180th power to the 110,000th power and 4 to the negative 360th power to the 110,000th power.”

Such a number is unfathomable, but this equation demonstrates that Darwinian evolution is mathematically impossible if atheism is also true and the universe and the evolution of life was not intelligently designed. Craig concludes:

“If evolution did occur on this planet, it was literally a miracle . . . and therefore evidence of the existence of God!”

With that in mind, if the evolution of humanity on earth is mathematically impossible given a "young" 14 billion year-old universe, if it were to happen elsewhere would mean greater miracles have occurred. So, not only do we need God for the evolution of humanity . . . if aliens do exist, we need an intelligent designer for their evolution too. 

Conclusion

The aliens I’m open to are anything we might find in Star Wars, Star Trek, or Guardians of the Galaxy. They could be Klingons, Wookies, or sentient tree-like creatures (I hope Chewbacca and Groot exist)! With that said, however, even though I’m completely open to the idea of aliens, I’m quite skeptical that they actually exist. SETI has been searching for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe for a long time and they’ve found absolutely nothing (unless they’ve been lying to us).

Other explanations of aliens have been offered in the realm of dark spiritual forces. Demons are real, and there are those who think they use the concept of aliens to move among us. For more see this book and film by Dr. Michael Heiser.

So, perhaps extraterrestrial life actually exists, maybe it's demonic activity, or perhaps it's a hoax set up to distract us from something else. I don't know, but I’m keeping an open mind as I follow the evidence wherever it leads. Whatever the case might be, God exists and raised Jesus from the dead. We have evidence for that, and thus, Christianity is true. Indeed, the same God who created all lifeforms in the universe is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead. 

Bottom line: If aliens land on Planet Earth tomorrow, my reasonable faith will not be shaken. Indeed, it will be strengthened. We can trust God no matter what’s out there, or what isn't.

May the Force be with you. Live long and prosper. I am Groot. And whatever you do . . .

Stay reasonable (Isaiah 1:18),

Dr. Tim Stratton