From: Steve Petermann (steve@spetermann.org)
Date: Mon Sep 22 2003 - 15:18:29 EDT
> "If we discover other bodies, they must be habitable or uninhabitable: and
> the odd thing is that both these hypotheses are used as grounds for
> rejecting Christianity. If the universe is teeming with life, this, we are
> told, reduces to absurdity the Christian claim--or what is thought to be
> the
> Christian claim--that man is unique, and the Christian doctrine that to
> this
> one planet God came down and was incarnate for us men and our salvation.
> If, on the other hand, the earth is really unique, then that proves that
> life is only an accidental by-product in the universe, and so again
> disproves our religion. Really, we are hard to please."
But shouldn't we be hard to please? Did Lewis do a detailed systematics on
the question? Is systematics only for fleshing out the stuff that poses no
real foundational challenge? I posed a few questions that no one addressed,
passing them off as scholastic gymnastics. Seems to me that Christianity
can't afford to hold positions that can be so easily shaken by the SETI
group getting a message next week. (Anyone see _Contact_). Of course it may
never happen but since it reasonably could and reasonable people would like
to know Christianity's response, can it make a compelling case?
Steve Petermann
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ted Davis" <TDavis@messiah.edu>
To: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 1:42 PM
Subject: C.S. Lewis on ETs and theology
> Several recent posts have dealt with the question of ETs in relation to
> Christian doctrine. Someone not on our list called attention to the
> following passage from C.S. Lewis, in just this connection. I offer it
here
> with no further comment.
>
> ted
>
>
> C.S. Lewis, "Dogma and the Universe," in The Grand Miracle and Other
> Essays on Theology and Ethics from 'God in the Dock,' ed. by W. Hooper
> (New York: Ballantine Books, 1990), p. 14:
>
> "If we discover other bodies, they must be habitable or uninhabitable: and
> the odd thing is that both these hypotheses are used as grounds for
> rejecting Christianity. If the universe is teeming with life, this, we are
> told, reduces to absurdity the Christian claim--or what is thought to be
> the
> Christian claim--that man is unique, and the Christian doctrine that to
> this
> one planet God came down and was incarnate for us men and our salvation.
> If, on the other hand, the earth is really unique, then that proves that
> life is only an accidental by-product in the universe, and so again
> disproves our religion. Really, we are hard to please."
>
>
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