Aliens

Dear Victorious,

My brother-in-law claims that there could quite possibly be intelligent life on other planets that we don't know about. I don't think this is a Biblical position to take. From the beginning to the end, there's no mention of other creation. But I can't seem to convince my know-it-all brother-in-law of this point. Can you help me?

Steve C. - Kidron, OH

Dear Steve,

It has been said that we don't know what we don't know. In other words, it's impossible for humans to know everything. Even if we think we do, there will also be more out there that we are unaware of. Think of it as levels of ignorance that we don't even know we have. This concept applies in your situation.

That the Bible doesn't mention other created beings besides those on this earth does not mean there aren't any. In fact, it doesn't address the subject one way or the other. The Bible does tell us that we can never fully know God because He is so complex and multi-dimensional. It also says we will never fully understand God because His ways are different than ours. So the reality is that we can only possess the knowledge that God chooses to give us access to.

Personally, I believe that there could be other planets that have created beings on them. Notice that I used the plural form of the word too! But if this were information that would be of value to us, I also believe God would have given it to us or given us access to it. That He hasn't tells me it's not worth the debate.

Let our brother-in-law have his opinion. The fact is we'll never know which one of you is right on this issue. It's a level of ignorance that God seems content to leave us with.