Is there intelligent life on other planets? There has been a lot of science fiction speculation on this in the form of movies, TV series, and books. On the other hand, there are also a number of scientists who feel that there is life “out there” and that it is possible that our species, Homo sapiens, will come into contact with intelligent alien life forms. When we do make contact, what will that mean for our many religions?
The Vatican (Roman Catholic Church) has been contemplating the possibility of alien life forms for some time. When NASA’s Kepler Mission announced that it had discovered an Earth-like planet in a solar system light years away (Kepler-452b), researchers at the Vatican Observatory were thrilled. The Vatican Observatory has been looking at the stars since 1582. The Reverend José Gabriel Funes, the astronomer who is in charge of the observatory, sees no conflict between Catholic theology and the belief in aliens.
Contact between Catholic priests and intelligent alien life forms will probably be similar to the early contacts between Catholic priests and Native Americans. While they may accept the possibility of alien souls which means they can be baptized and converted, they will probably be unable to accept the idea of a valid alien religion. They will assume that their religious rules should apply to aliens.
Last year Pope Francis indicated that he would baptize aliens, if they were willing:
If -- for example -- tomorrow an expedition of Martians came, and some of them came to us, here... Martians, right? Green, with that long nose and big ears, just like children paint them... And one says, "But I want to be baptized!" What would happen? . . .Who are we to close doors?
The idea of “willingness” may be relative. If the history of Catholics and Native Americans serves as a guide, beginning in 1513, having decided that American Indians had souls and could therefore be baptized, the Spanish priests told Native Americans that God had declared that the Pope rules all people, regardless of their law, sect, or belief. Native Americans were told that they were to come forward of their own free will to convert to Catholicism or
“with the help of God we shall use force against you, declaring war upon you from all sides and with all possible means, and we shall bind you to the yoke of the Church and Their Highnesses; we shall enslave your persons, wives, and sons, sell you or dispose of you as the King sees fit; we shall seize your possessions and harm you as much as we can as disobedient and resisting vassals.”
Guy Consolmagno, the president of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, is the co-author of the book Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? According to a story in
Huffington Post:
“Consolmagno said he's convinced that it's only a matter of time before humans discover life on other planets -- or that aliens discover us and our world of pain, injustice and disease.”
Welcome to Street Prophets Saturday, an open thread at the intersection of Politics and Religion. How do you feel about alien life forms?