Is There Life in Space?

Romans 8:22-23
“For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

Back in 1836, well-known astronomer Sir John Herschel wrote a series of articles for the New York Sun reporting his discovery of life on the moon. He told of how he saw buffalo, goats, cranes, pelicans, beaches, forests, and even winged batmen. The Sun finally admitted that the whole story had been a prank, and most of the public was amused.

There is as much evidence today for life on the moon or other planets as there was in 1836. As we explore those other planets of the solar system, the evidence grows that there is little hope that other life will be found in space. Evolutionists, of course, expect life to be found in space. They feel that if life evolved on earth it certainly should have evolved elsewhere, too. At a popular conference on whether there is life in space, one of today’s most famous astronomers, Dr. Robert Jastrow, stated that the question was “essentially a religious controversy.”

That the question of life in space is a religious question is an important insight. Many evolutionists see the discovery of life in space as the final nail in the coffin of Christianity and proof of their religion of evolution. It would not be, of course.

The Bible does not offer any clear statements on the matter, although most Bible-believing scholars conclude that the Bible implies that material life exists only on earth. However, our exploration of space has taught us that our earth is a very special place, carefully designed just for life.

Prayer: Dear Father, I thank You for an earth so beautiful that even after the destruction caused by sin, the beauty around us still makes us think of You. Help me to add my words to that witness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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REF: The great moon hoax. Science Digest, Nov. 1985. p. 80. DeGarmo, S. 1984. A religious controversy. Science Digest, Jan. p. 8. Image: Rough image of the lithograph of the “ruby amphitheater” described in The Sun (New York City) newspaper (August 28, 1835) (PD)