Jonathan Clarke wrote:
> Things are very quiet here on the ASA site. Meanwhile people continue to
> hammer away at each other on the subject of ID over on the evolution
> reflector... but I won't go there!
>
> I am a little surprised that nobody has taken up the subject of the ethics
> of space travel. But perhaps I shouldn't. Many Christian apologists were
> sceptical of planetary systems other than ours (until recently), and many
> are down right hostile to the possibility of life beyond earth (despite the
> long theological pedigree of such ideas). So let me be more provocative.
>
> Does the dominion over everything God has made given to humanity in Psalm 8
> allow humans to mine the lunar poles or asteroids for volatiles in support
> of human (as opposed to robotic) space exploration? Most schemes for human
> space travel require extensive use of nuclear power. Even though these
> bodies may not support life, geochemical contamination from such activities,
> or other from sources such as escaping volatiles from rockets, can have a
> significant impact on scientific results. This has already happened with
> the moon. Is the potential contamination of other planets an issue for
> concern as Christians?
>
> What about space industrialisation? Can we mine the entire lunar surface
> for helium 3 to supply fusion reactors, for example? These are all serious
> suggestions from some writers. Are there theological reasons why sterile
> extraterrestrial landscapes of great scenic beauty should be preserved?
>
> What about terraforming Mars as a future abode for humanity? Can we
> legitimately extend Genesis 1:28 to mean "Fill the universe and subdue it"?
>
> Although other solar system bodies may not presently support life, many
> terrestrial microorganisms can survive and even thrive in conditions
> existing on the surface, atmospheres and subsurface of many of these
> bodies. Microbial contamination is the almost inevitable result of crewed
> missions. What theological implications may exist from this permanent
> extension of the earth's biosphere? What are the theological and ethical
> issues of terrestrial organisms spreading to bodies which may already have
> indigenous life?
>
> If we were to find life on Mars, should this preclude terraforming it? What
> if the terraformed conditions were to actually favour indigenous lifeforms
> that might otherwise die out?
I had thought about your previous post but figured it would be a good
exercise for me to keep my mouth shut for a change. But since no one else has
commented -
The biblical writers simply didn't contemplate humanity travelling to
other planets so there are no direct commands or commissions concerning such
activity. That doesn't mean that a biblically based theology can't say anything
about the issue but what is said has to be understood as theological opinion.
It seems to me that the same general principles which apply to the human
role on earth can, to some degree, be extended to the cosmos: I.e., one would
have to replace "earth" in passages like Gen.1:26-28 by "universe". Humanity is
called to represent God in caring for the universe - an activity which includes
but is not limited to concern for the human species itself.
Note that I said "to some degree". There are some limits - or at least
some open questions - introduced by the following factors:
1) While scripture speaks about God's care for the creatures of the
wilderness, beyond human habitation, in Job 38-41. In line with this it's
appropriate on earth to keep some areas simply as wilderness. But it's not
clear that such considerations extend to totally lifeless areas such as the
moon.
2) Should human "dominion" in the proper sense be limited by the
existence of other intelligent lifeforms - if there are any. In one sense yes -
exploitations of such ETs on the pattern of what too often happened in the age
of European exploration & colonization should be ruled out. But would we have
an obligation to proclaim the gospel to them? Ephesians 3:10 hints at an
answer, but this can only be a hint because the text is actually speaking about
angelic powers.
God has become incarnate on planet earth, and the NT certainly suggests
that this has universal significance. But we simply don't know how the
incarnation is or should be related to ETs. The church needs to think about
this question so that we aren't (as has too often happened) caught napping by
new discoveries. But there is probably only limited value in detailed
speculation, since answers must depend on what we actually find out about each
(if any) intelligent species.
Shalom,
George
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