Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: dtate@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David M Tate) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Salvation for ALL! Message-ID: Date: 10 Nov 89 07:33:43 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Univ. of Pittsburgh, Comp & Info Services Lines: 21 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu There is an excellent and thought-provoking novel by James Blish, which I believe is called _A Case of Conscience_, in which this problem (i.e. the salvation status of nonhuman intelligent life) is considered in depth. The protagonist of the novel is a priest (RC, I believe). Among other issues that crop up are: (1) What if we were to run into an "unfallen" race? (2) Do other fallen races achieve salvation in the same way that we do? (3) Are the paths (if plural) to salvation mutually exclusive? I think that this is an interesting Thought Experiment, even if there are no other intelligent races. It casts great illumination on one's own relation- ship with God to consider what others are possible. (See also, _Perelandra_ by C.S.Lewis, and especially the "People" stories of Zenna Henderson...) "The Thinker" (He *looks* smart, but what does he *do*)?