The same can also be said of artificial intelligence, should it ever be
achieved.
respectfully
Graham Richard Pointer wrote:
> On Sat, 9 Dec 2000, David F Siemens wrote [in part]
>
> > There are several questions here. First, can there be intelligent life
> :
>
> >
> > that is not spiritual? I think the answer has to be a qualified yes. If
> > the level of intelligence is sufficient, I think that the point of Romans
> > 1:19f kicks in. But that may end with no more than a vague awareness.
> > What we know of God is the result of revelation, which does not have to
> > be given. Certainly our more remote ancestors had much less awareness
> > than we, some because they were not evangelized, others because
> > revelation was progressive. Abraham knew enough to trust God. Did he know
> > the protevangelium? If he did, it is certainly less explicit than Isaiah
> > and the gospels.
> >
> > The second question involves the relevance of Jesus Christ to a nonhuman
> > person. My understanding is that the Second Adam entered human life
> > specifically to redeem the children of the First Adam. Consequently,
> > those who are not of Adam's race are not covered by Jesus' atonement. If
> > these nonhuman persons are fallen, there is nothing that seems reasonable
> > that would preclude a redemption by divine act. But they do not have to
> > be fallen. C. S. Lewis, in his space trilogy, suggested some
> > possibilities, including multiple intelligent species on a single planet
> > and a primordial couple who were obedient to the divine command. Only
> > earth was "the silent planet." Additionally, there is no necessity that I
> > see that an intelligent being have an eternal soul. Indeed, there are
> > those who claim that only the souls of the redeemed are eternal. I think
> > they're mistaken, but the view is not incoherent.
>
> Angels are intelligent, spiritual beings, but the fallen angels cannot be
> redeemed and are not covered by Christ's atonement.
>
> Also, if we do prove that other primates are intelligent, we can assume
> they do not have souls?
>
> Graham
>
>
> Graham Richard Pointer
> Dept of Physics and Astronomy
> North Haugh
> St Andrews
> Fife
> KY16 9SS
> Scotland
>
> http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~grp1
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Dec 11 2000 - 15:22:55 EST