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Answer
First, we should define the terms alien and UFO. For the purposes of answering this question, the term alien or aliens refers to humanoid living beings from a place other than Earth. Similarly, we will use UFO to describe a craft utilized by such beings. The abbreviation UFO literally means “Unidentified Flying Object.” However, stating, “Unidentified flying objects exist” is obvious; it’s akin to saying, “There are unresolved enigmas.” Since common belief links UFOs with extraterrestrial beings, we will, in this article, adhere to the concept that UFOs are vessels for beings from other planets.
We can explore the topic of UFOs and aliens from two perspectives. Firstly, does the Bible mention aliens or explicitly deny their existence? Secondly, does science suggest or reject the existence of aliens? There is no biblical reference to the reality of aliens, yet no part of the Bible definitively refutes their presence. To date, scientific literature has not provided any evidence supporting the existence of aliens. However, while the likelihood of extraterrestrial life seems low, it is not scientifically implausible.
The Bible is silent on the subject of life beyond our planet or in other solar systems. The Scriptures discuss God creating our home planet, Earth, but do not explicitly state that He did not create life elsewhere. In theory, God could have fashioned other life forms, including intelligent beings, even other “image bearers” of God «So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. », (Genesis 1:27), elsewhere in the cosmos. However, the Bible does not make any mention of such a scenario, either way.
SSome commentators point to Scripture’s silence as proof that aliens do not exist. Others note that the Bible often omits topics irrelevant to our relationship with God «And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.», (John 21:25). Perhaps the only near-universal conclusion among Bible scholars is that human contact with intelligent alien life is extremely unlikely. That is to say, the question of alien life is probably irrelevant to human beings.
A concept called the “Fermi paradox” sums up the scientific stance on whether aliens exist. The paradox refers to the apparent self-contradiction between many secular assumptions about life and the universe, as far as aliens are concerned. Naturalistic science assumes the universe is extremely large, extremely old, and capable of generating life from non-living matter through an entirely natural process. That would suggest life ought to exist in many, many places in the universe. Given the theoretical abundance of life out there, we should have encountered it by now.
Yet, as far as has been publicly revealed, humanity has not encountered alien life of any kind, intelligent or otherwise. Scientists have proposed many solutions for this problem. Perhaps alien life is too “different” for us to recognize. Intelligent civilizations may tend to self-destruct or go extinct. Maybe there has not been enough time for separate worlds to communicate. Some propose that while “life” might be common, organisms advanced enough to communicate off-planet might be almost impossible. Others suggest alien life might be deliberately hiding. And, of course, it is scientifically possible that humanity is unique in all the universe, for whatever “natural” reason.
In short, science indicates it’s at least possible for life to exist somewhere.There are other places in the universe other than Earth. The likelihood of the existence of extraterrestrial life and whether we will ever have certainty about it are based on various assumptions and opinions. Confirmed planets beyond our solar system are surprisingly scarce. Only about 150 have been documented in published research (NASA Exoplanet Archive, https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/, accessed 7/31/23). Even in a more inclusive list of exoplanets, which has expanded to nearly 5,000, only around 60 have conditions that are somewhat compatible with life.
The prospect of discovering extraterrestrial life in our solar system seems improbable. Intelligent beings from a nearby planet—such as Martians—are almost certainly non-existent. Our exploration efforts have essentially ruled out the presence of life on most celestial bodies in our solar system. Moons like Europa and Titan offer hope to scientists for the discovery of basic life forms, but detailed investigations of these locations are still far off. Any potential contact with aliens would likely come from a distant place and highly advanced in technology. It is conceivable that aliens could be so fundamentally different from humans that the two groups might not even recognize each other.
Reports of alien encounters should be approached with cautious skepticism, at the very least. It is plausible that such accounts are the result of demonic entities or malevolent spirits attempting to sow confusion among non-believers. Alternatively, sightings of UFOs could stem from humanity’s inclination towards conspiracy theories or a collective openness to the possibility of unlikely events.
Even if the existence of fully intelligent alien life were definitively proven, the truth of Scripture would not be undermined. Such a revelation would undoubtedly raise challenging questions. However, it would not suggest that the Bible is inaccurate or that God does not exist. Certain interpretations and possibly some secondary doctrines might be called into question. Nonetheless, the discovery of aliens would primarily underscore the notion that human knowledge pales in comparison to God’s wisdom (Job 38).
