What does the Bible say about Aliens?
What Does The Bible Say About Aliens?
Could Spock become a Christian? Top and pop layers of culture wonder. This article will explore the highways and byways of Christian Theological Reflections on UFOs and aliens.
Unidentified Flying Objects have intrigued us all at some point. UFO’s give rise to countless theories and exciting stories. While they play a role in science fiction, their existence is also contemplated in factual realms. Sources like the History Channel, government agencies, and academicians consider the existence of extraterrestrial life. This conversation can often blur the boundary between fiction and nonfiction and raises a major question for Christian Theologians: “Is the concept of alien life compatible with Christian theology?”
Unsurprisingly, there is a full spectrum of arguments ranging from the dismissive to the permissive. This article will cover some serious ground by looking at just the highest mountain peaks on this topographical map. Complicated theological pillars like the atonement are difficult to square with fantastic-looking aliens like Chewbacca and Spock. God's incredible creative diversity becomes a cosmic battleground with both sides claiming victory over creation. Any theological discussion would be short indeed without including a description of the unseen spiritual realm. Does the spiritual war between good and evil simply need balance in the force? Or is there something more sinister going on here? Lastly, let’s not forget that the specter of evolution and creation roams the halls of this discussion.
Let's dive in.
A Human-Driven Reason Against Alien Existence: The Atonement Argument - What Would it Mean for Christianity of Aliens Existed?
Atonement is a multifaceted theological topic. A few accepted views of atonement originate from Scripture and are explored by ancient and medieval authors like Anselm and Thomas Aquinas.
The gist of atonement is this: Humankind is separated from God by an impenetrable gulf of sin (Romans 3:23). Something has to bridge the gap between God and people. The bridge needs to be paid for, though (nothing good comes cheap, you know). And because people are always sinning, the cost keeps rising (like inflation). So, the solution has to be infinitely inexhaustible.
This rules out animal sacrifice. How about human sacrifice? Nope. Humans are why the mess exists in the first place so, we can't atone for sin ourselves.
The true power of the atonement comes from Jesus being fully God and fully man (theologians refer to this as the Hypostatic Union). Jesus, as fully human, is of the same kind as humans and can thus be a substitute for us. And because He is without sin, His sacrifice is pure. Lastly, because Jesus is fully God, he is able to offer an infinite payment. To put it succinctly:
Jesus is our infinite, human stand-in.
What on earth does this have to do with aliens? Well, if atonement works because Jesus is a human, where does that leave ET?
Some theologians argue against extraterrestrial life based on the principle of atonement. If there were an alien species, and we assume they were sinful as us humans are, God would have to become incarnate in that species to atone for their sins. But if Jesus's sacrifice is infinite and eternal, how can it be done several times? If Jesus paid the price of sin "once and for all" (Hebrews 7:23-28), then how can there be life apart from humans?
A Possible Counter-Argument
There are mathematical arguments for the reality that some infinities are bigger than others. Theologians haven’t wrestled with the idea that maybe there are some eternal or infinite realities that are not all-inclusive. Just because something is infinite doesn't mean that it includes everything. For example, if you have an infinite number of hamburgers, you will have twice as many slices of bread as you will meat patties. The bread slice infinity is bigger than the hamburger patty infinity. This is admittedly a simplistic example, but the point is that perhaps Jesus's sacrifice of atonement is eternal and infinite, and there’s still room for another incarnation and an alien species with another eternal and infinite atonement or another way of salvation.
Does the same kind of logic hold for eternal truth (a.k.a. Scripture)?
We theologians think about the Bible in a few ways. One of the most important is the concept of "self-revelation." In other words, God revealed Himself to humanity. Self-revelation is different than us discovering God. God isn't a geological formation just lying around to be stumbled over. He shows Himself to people. God holds all the cards and He plays them when He is ready. The one explicit way that He chose to tell humans about Himself was to inspire writers to write scripture. Let me see if I can illustrate this:
A parent of multiple children sometimes speaks to one child and reveals things to them that the other three don’t need to know right now. The oldest and most mature may learn that you had some wild years in high school before the younger siblings are able to process that information. Or, that they are the product of biological reproductive activity between their father and mother. Children are ready for different information at different times. The parent holds all the cards.
So, you can understand the self-revelation (and scriptural inerrancy... another topic for another day) of God to humans and understand that there is room for alien self-revelations of God. This is an uncomfortable tension and a nuanced logical (not necessarily true) conclusion.
One last implication of this line of reasoning has to be tackled before we move on. The argument for different methods of atonement for alien species does not imply universal salvation here on Earth (or on any other planet). God's self-revelation is complete for humanity at this point in history. That self-revelation is clear there is only one way of salvation for humans. So, even if there are other self-revelations, then they will need to be alien self-revelations and an alien way of salvation. God’s way of salvation for human beings on Earth is through Jesus Christ alone.
Are There Any Bible Verses That Mention the Existence of Extraterrestrial Life?
Does the Bible Say God Created Life Beyond Planet Earth?
“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.”
–Genesis 6:4 NIV
The Nephilim are an enigmatic lot. They are the origin of a lot of Hollywood tie-ins between Earthlings and not-Earthlings. The sad reality is that the above verse is pretty much all we have to go on. We have a word that could just mean "giant" and sons of God procreating with daughters of humans. Elsewhere in scripture, humans are called the “sons of God”. So, in the end, this could just be Giants and humans. Nothing to see here. Move along.
On the other hand, many Christians believe that these do refer to some kind of non-human entity. Dr. Michael Heiser has a lot of helpful things to say about these mysterious beings. He is one of the world's leading scholars when it comes to all things paranormal and its interaction with scripture. Ultimately he comes down on the side of the Nephilim being spiritual beings rather than ancient aliens.
“And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.”
Deuteronomy 4:19 NIV
Does this verse mean that there are other beings out there? If so, we should not worship them, they are created just the same as we are. All creatures are simply fellow citizens of a universe created by a single Creator. And as such there is no reason to worship them. I suspect that this verse does not imply the existence of other life. It seems to be saying that the stars, moon, and sun are given to all people of the earth, not just a single nation. Therefore, do not worship them. They are part of the created universe.
“It is I who made the earth and created mankind on it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts.”
–Isaiah 45:12 NIV
Marshaling a starry host feels like God is gathering together a group of cosmic warriors. Or gathering a fleet of spaceships in outer space in preparation for war (or a census). Sorry to burst the bubble nebula, but this is a common Hebrew metaphor for "Creator God." This verse is just saying that God created the entire universe within the sight of human beings. Which is admittedly a lot farther than it ever has been thanks to James Webb!
I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance, their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides, they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
–Ezekiel 1:4-9 NIV
What's going on here? Good ol' Ezekiel was a bit eccentric. His prophetic displays were some of the most interesting in scripture. That also makes them some of the most difficult to figure out. This one is no exception! Many bible commentators point to this verse and say... "Uhhh... that's a UFO people!" OK. Sure. First, I think it's a bit anachronistic to say that. Second, I think it downplays the actual symbolism and rich Hebrew imagery on display in this vision. This wasn't a vision of strange other worlds. It was a vision of a Holy God to his prophet who was in captivity in Babylon. It was a very present darkness for Ezekiel and his fellow citizens. God came to Ezekiel in a dramatic way and delivered what God always delivers hope. To miss that in the first chapter of Ezekiel is to miss the whole book.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12 NIV
We come now to the crux of the next section.
Spiritual Warfare Argument
Are angels or demons considered extraterrestrial life by Christians?
Angels and Demons are worthy of a whole semester or two of study. There are some who have dedicated their entire life to it, like Dr. Michael Heiser mentioned above. There are elaborate conceptions of angels and demons locked in an epic struggle for universal power with frail and fragile human beings in the center of it all trying not to get trampled underfoot. Or joining the battle without a real idea of what these powerful beings could want or need from us.
Let's see if we can straighten some of it out. Angels and Demons are a reality. They are not mentioned in the creation account of Genesis. And so I don't know if we could call them earthly. I suspect that means they are classified as non-terrestrial. If they have interests or occupations other than human beings we don't really know about them. Everything we know about them from scripture is focused on the fact that they are God's messengers and residents of Heaven. Some of them decided to not work for God anymore. We humans are left with the understanding that we are the object of the conflict. The thing fought over. God wants to redeem humanity and bring them to Himself. Satan and his lot want to prevent and frustrate this plan.
As long as we are speculating about ET let's speculate some about UFOs and spiritual warfare. I'll pose a couple of things for your pondering:
What if UFO sightings are clever deceptions by Satan meant to distract and deceive people?
Keeping people from thinking about Christ and redemption is a child's game designed to make them look left when the good stuff is on the right. Who knows, if Angels and Demons count as alien life then perhaps there really is someone driving the flying saucer. Maybe this is a modern tactic for modern people. Satan has abandoned many of his other supernatural apparitions in the modern age because we can explain away life on other planets but can't seem to get our heads wrapped around the heavenly places. Just a thought.
Spiritual forces, strange gods, and spiritual warfare can easily be perceived by modern spiritually attuned people.
Paul told us straightforwardly that we are not in a conflict with the human race but with spiritual forces of darkness. These are the true beings that we should wage war with. Paul tells us exactly what kinds of weapons will be effective –redemption, truth, righteousness, good news of peace, faith, and God's own Holy Words... His very Spirit. Maybe there is a reason for all the space battles between the light and the dark. Outer space is something that represents the other realm in our minds, and we know there is a war in the stars.
Evolution and Creation Arguments
If alien life, atonement, and spiritual warfare weren't contentious enough, don't worry, there's more! Christians hold a wide variety of views when it comes to creation and evolution. Some believe that God used evolution to create the diversity of life on this planet, starting several billion years ago. Others believe that God created the entire universe in six 24-hour days about 6,000 years ago.
Evolutionist-Creationists are widely accepting of the idea that life might exist on other planets. If it developed here on earth by natural processes (even if there were a few God-sized nudges), then it might happen out there also! Young earth Creationists usually take the opposite view. The Bible's description of creation doesn't allow any room for the creation of life on other planets.
This article isn't going to weigh in on the creation vs. evolution discussion. The bottom line is that Christians who read and interpret the Bible in a way that allows for evolutionary processes and lengthy time scales have a much easier time interpreting scripture in a way that allows them to say that extraterrestrial life exists. Creationists will interpret scripture in a way that claims that the only intelligent life to be found can be found in scripture (and that includes the spiritual realm).
Conclusion - How Should Christians Look At Aliens and UFOs?
Those of Christian faith have a few options about how mankind fits into the universe. Beyond the moon and stars, our planet may just be another world filled with life. Or it may be that God specifically and intentionally created a universe with mankind unique in the whole heaven and earth. The entire Bible may not explicitly weigh in on creaturely life on other worlds. But does the Bible say that there is a spiritual war? Yes.
This spiritual war may be carried out in the realm of angels and demons but it interfaces with humanity, not on distant planets but in all the earth. For now, all the people on planet Earth may just need to satisfy themselves by paying attention to each other and treating each other not as aliens, other gods, or cosmic powers but as Christ Jesus would treat them.
