Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: muts@fysaj.fys.ruu.nl (Peter Mutsaers /100000) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Extra-terrestrial worlds Message-ID: Date: 7 Oct 90 03:20:43 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 27 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu David.Anderson@cs.cmu.edu writes: >As I understand it, most Christians "officially" believe that Terra is >the only planet inhabited by human beings like us. However, lds >scripture indicates otherwise: >[I don't know of any official statements on the subject. Does anyone >else? There have been a few science fiction stories and books >exploring this subject, and I've had private discussions, but I don't >recall any official doctrine. --clh] What is meant by 'official' belief? The only thing the Bible tells us about is the earths situation, so further we don't know. As some may know C.S.Lewis, who is quite respected among a lot of Christians, has fantasized about extra terrestrial life in his science fiction trilogy. In his fantasy the earth was the only fallen planet, called 'the Silent Planet' be the rest of the universe. I don't think there is any reason to reject this idea on the basis of our faith, but there is no reason to be sure of it either. -- Peter Mutsaers email: muts@fysaj.fys.ruu.nl Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht nmutsaer@ruunsa.fys.ruu.nl Princetonplein 5 tel: (+31)-(0)30-533880 3584 CG Utrecht, Netherlands