Extraterrestrial life from a Christian's perspective

If ever there was the question that would prompt an “Only God knows” reply, it’s this one:

“Are we alone in the universe?”

This is a question that’s been asked long before I was born in 1973, and it’ll be asked long after I’m dead. Millions of dollars have been spent in the private, non-profit Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program, which is designed to “listen” to sounds in deep space. The hope is that some of those sounds might come from an intelligent source, thus proving that there is, indeed, intelligent life out there. (Some say that we are desperate to find extraterrestrial intelligent life since virtually no intelligent life exists on earth).

One of my sons told me that since there are many planets outside our solar system and, doubtlessly, billions upon billions of other planets yet to be discovered, there has to be intelligent life in the universe. If you’d asked me 20 years ago, my answer would’ve been an emphatic no. Now, it’s not something I can answer with a yes or no; my answer is more likely to be somewhere between It’s possible and I don’t know.

Years ago, while a student at a Christian college, I posed this question to a man who, today, is a spiritual mentor and the older brother I never had. “Do you think there’s intelligent life out there?” I asked him.

“That’s an irrelevant question,” he replied.

“Why?”

“Because, if God had thought it was something important enough for us to know, he would’ve mentioned it to us in the Bible. Scripture is silent on the issue.”

One Christian minister pointed out that if you go to the library to read about UFOs (unidentified flying objects), you will have to go to the occult section. Is it that simple, that Satan and his minions disguise themselves this way? I’m not convinced. For now, whether or not there’s intelligent life outside earth is a question that we’ll have to leave up to God. In due time, He’ll reveal it to us.