“I’d Love to Baptise an Alien”

This is the headline (preserving the British spelling of the word baptize) from a newspaper article about a scientist associated with the Vatican.

First, let’s go back to 2008. At that time, the United Kingdom’s The Independent newspaper featured an article that began with the following:

Pope's astronomer insists alien life 'would be part of God's creation'

By Peter Popham in Rome Thursday, 15 May 2008

The Vatican's official newspaper has endorsed the possibility that the universe could contain intelligent life beyond Earth, while insisting that aliens would be "our brothers" and "children of God" as much as human beings are.

The Pope's astronomer, José Gabriel Funes, a Jesuit priest, told L'Osservatore Romano that there would be nothing surprising about the existence of intelligent extra-terrestrials.

"Just as there is a multiplicity of creatures on Earth, so there could be other beings created by God [beyond it]," he said. The interview suggests that the Church's hierarchy may be paving the way to showing that Pope Benedict XVI is more open to the ideas of modern science than he has previously seemed to be.

Pope Benedict has spoken in favour of "intelligent design" in the past and has damned evolutionary ideas that leave no room for God.

Fr Funes, in the interview, admits that, for him, evolution is a given. He also said that he believed in the Big Bang theory as the most likely explanation for the origin of the universe, and that the Bible should not be held to account for its lack of scientific accuracy. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/popes-astronomer-insists-alien-life-would-be-part-of-gods-creation-828303.html)

The UK’s Daily Mail newspaper recently had an article that had this headline: “I'd love to baptise ET, says Vatican's stargazer”

The article stated the following:

Intelligent aliens may be living among the stars and are likely to have souls, a senior Vatican scientist said yesterday.

The Pope's astronomer, Guy Consolmagno, said he would be happy to 'baptise an [alien]' - but admitted that the chances of communicating with life outside the Earth were low.

Speaking at the British Science Festival in Birmingham, Dr Consolmagno also dismissed Creationism and claimed that the revival of 'intelligent design' - the controversial theory that only God can explain gaps in the theory of evolution - was 'bad theology'. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1312922/Pope-astronomer-Guy-Consolmagno-Aliens-souls-living-stars.html)

A CBS affiliated network, BNET, has the same article but with a slightly different headline: “I'd love to baptise an alien, says Vatican's stargazer”

The person from the Vatican that was quoted in the newspaper reports, if quoted correctly, can’t truly understand the gospel—in my opinion. The Bible makes it clear that Adam’s sin affected the whole universe. This means that any aliens would also be affected by Adam’s sin, but they can’t have salvation. One day, the whole universe will be judged by fire, and there will be a new Heavens and earth. God’s Son stepped into history to be Jesus Christ, the “Godman,” to be our relative, and to be the perfect sacrifice for sin—the Savior of mankind.

Jesus did not become the “GodKlingon” or the “GodMartian”! Only descendants of Adam can be saved. God’s Son remains the “Godman” as our Savior. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that we see the Father through the Son (and we see the Son through His Word). So to suggest that aliens could respond to the gospel is just totally wrong.

An understanding of the gospel makes it clear that salvation through Christ is only for the Adamic race—human beings who are all descendants of Adam. While baptizing an alien might feel good, it would have no more spiritual consequence than baptizing a chicken or a fallen angel.

Baptize an alien indeed!

Pastors’ Conference

Another great day at our “Answers for Pastors” conference here in northern Kentucky yesterday. Last evening AiG hosted a special “date night” (dinner and concert) at the Creation Museum, and a special “Star-Gazers” night (with teaching in the planetarium and viewing the stars through telescopes). Today is the final day of this unique pastors’ conference.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken