Honest question to anybody who has an idea of an answer:

If there are intelligent beings out there somewhere, and their existence does not contradict the Christian faith, how do the aliens achieve salvation?

Are they “soulless” like animals (regardless if they are of equal or greater intelligence than us) and therefore in no need of salvation? If not, did Jesus die for them too or did they have their own messiah on their home world? If it was Jesus, how would they know about it in order to accept it (at least prior to inventing spaceships and visiting us)?

Many an interesting SF story has been written taking off from similar questions.

Arthur C. Clarke made a career out of that topic almost.

Honest question to anybody who has an idea of an answer:

Agreed. Theologians spend all sorts of time pondering bizarre hypotheses such as these.

If not, did Jesus die for them too or did they have their own messiah on their home world?

We had this very discussion in my high-school Sunday school class. Our most excellent teachers suggested that if there is indeed intelligent life on other planets (and as one of them said, “Why not? Why should we be so presumptuous to think God is only relying on us bunch of dolts?”), it would be no problem for the Creator and his Son to present themselves to the other beings they created in a manner appropriate to their understanding. They could have their own Moses and their own Mary of Magdalene and who knows what else.

Then somebody asked, “Well, what about all the other religions that could evolve?” and the whole discussion went berserk (as only high-school kids can).

It was a great topic, though. I was very impressed that someone in a fundamental Southern denomination would even entertain the idea of other intelligent life forms, much less discuss it with kids.

Someone who could walk on water, turn water into wine, or rise from the dead could probably also handle interstellar flight or teleportation or whatever.

Wait until he finds out there’s a Space Pope. W/Space PopeMobile.
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Someone who could walk on water, turn water into wine, or rise from the dead could probably also handle interstellar flight or teleportation or whatever.

Actually, aside from that last one, I’d suspect the first two would be somewhat easier than interstellar flight or teleportation.

But seriously, the question isn’t if it could happen, but rather how it would happen theologically. Did Jesus (the man) fly/teleport to all the planets with intelligent life, or was Christ (the “Son” aspect of God) born into separate physical forms on each world? In other words, was it was Jesus or Christ who died for the sins of mankind.

And if we assert that in fact Christ incarnated separately on various worlds to grant salvation to the inhabitants of those planets, then it begs the question of cross-planetary salvation (at least at such time as we develop the technology to interact with alien cultures). If I accept a martian Christ, but not Jesus, then could I, as an earthling, still be saved?

The theological implications of whatever direction you wish to go with it are not small.

As a young child, I believed that, after Jesus ascended to heaven, he again became incarnate as a baby, this time born of a Martian mother. He then, I reasoned, did the same thing on Mars that he had done on earth.

You would have to assume that life on other planets or wherever, were a fallen, sinful creation just like us humans. Otherwise, why would Jesus need to redeem tham?

As a young child, I believed that, after Jesus ascended to heaven, he again became incarnate as a baby, this time born of a Martian mother. He then, I reasoned, did the same thing on Mars that he had done on earth.

And then, the bit about golden plates in hats…
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“Wait until he finds out there’s a Space Pope.”

Actually, that sounds like a pretty good idea for a tv show.

You would have to assume that life on other planets or wherever, were a fallen, sinful creation just like us humans. Otherwise, why would Jesus need to redeem tham[sic]?

‘Tis true. Actually the Vatican’s astronomer who made the announcement pointed that very thing out. Provided that the alien species was void of sin, I’m not finding many (I can’t actually think of any off hand) theological troubles with them. If they aren’t though, it raises alot of questions that are, at the very least, intriguing and interesting mental and theological exercises.

This is lifted off a science website.

“In 1633, the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church forced Galileo Galilei, one of the founders of modern science, to recant his theory that the Earth moves around the Sun. Under threat of torture, Galileo - seen above facing his inquisitors - recanted. But as he left the courtroom, he is said to have muttered, ‘all the same, it moves’.

Last week, 359 years later, the Church finally agreed. At a ceremony in Rome, before the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Pope John Paul II officially declared that Galileo was right. The formal rehabilitation was based on the findings of a committee of the Academy the Pope set up in 1979, soon after taking office. The committee decided the Inquisition had acted in good faith, but was wrong.”

Hmmm, I wonder if they have altar boys in the Antares system?

Silly. Antareans have five sexes and none are boys. Everybody knows that.

Jim V.:

Well, in that case, the Vatican will not object to altarwhatevers. One must have acolytes to service, I mean serve, the clerics.