Greetings from My Mountain Cabin,
Dr. Stephen Hawking—theoretical physicist and perhaps the most intelligent human alive on this planet today—recently made a statement that he is convinced there is life elsewhere in the universe. (He also added these life forms may not be friendly to humans, so watch out!)
Last month, I had the honor of keynoting the National Association for Interpretation Region IV Workshop in Midland, MI. In the title of this organization, interpretation refers not to providing sign language support for the deaf, but to those hard-working (and often underpaid) folks who seek to share some of the beauty and wonder of our natural environment through a variety of enrichment services.
Not coincidentally, one of the highlights of the conference was a trip to a local planetarium. The educational program offered us a glimpse into the possible origin and unfolding of the material universe as we now understand it. As I sat in the audience during the presentation, I was amazed at the visual representation of the gazillions of points of light, each representing vast galaxies, that made up the heavens.
Since the universe has proven itself capable of sustaining life (–i.e., on planet Earth), simple statistical probability suggests life exists in other places. Watching the planetarium show, it seemed to me so arrogant for humans to presume otherwise.
For discussion purposes, let us assume Dr. Hawking is correct in his assertion that there is life on other planets. An intriguing speculation emerges: What are some of the implications for human philosophy and theology on Earth?
Humans once interpreted biblical scripture to mean our planet is the center of the universe and all of the stars and planets transit in orbit around us. Copernicus and Galileo were censured because they disagreed. Subsequent space exploration proved these two astronomers were right and the church hierarchy was wrong.
✶ If life were discovered on another planet, would its very existence be a challenge to our religious belief systems?
✶ If life on other planets is sentient and able to communicate (as opposed to simply consisting of creepy-crawlies floating around in some primordial ooze), would human constructs such as morality and ethical behavior have their counterparts? Is there a "Golden Rule" on planet Zeta Prime?
✶ What theories regarding creation, evolution and personal immortality might be held by other life forms capable of thought? Would the crystalline zooids on planet Minas 3 believe in heaven and hell? Would they even bother themselves thinking about a life after death?
✶ Would the words and concepts contained in the sacred writings of earthlings—Hebrew and Christian scripture, the Koran, the Vedic texts—be relevant for non-human beings on other planets?
Such a delicious prospect to ponder.
Perhaps poet Carl Sandburg was speaking prophetically when he said, "God is no gentleman."
GOD IS NO GENTLEMAN
God gets up in the morning
and says, "Another day?"
God goes to work every day
at regular hours.
God is no gentleman for God
puts on overalls and gets
dirty running the universe we know
about and several other universes
nobody knows about but Him.
Klaatu Barada Nikto,
Ed
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