I do not intend to copy every article I ever find here! :^> But I =
imagine I'm not the only one to find this and the prior Miller article =
interesting, as much for their information about how the major media are =
handling this after a few days of reflection as for substance in the =
articles.
--John
August 10, 1996
Does the Bible Allow for Martians?
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Related Articles: Big Letdowns Preceded New Martian Findings Life on =
Mars=20
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By MARGARET WERTHEIM
<Picture: W>ould the discovery of life on Mars be a blow to the idea of =
biblical creation? Should the knowledge of alien organisms shatter faith =
in a God who was supposed to have created heaven and earth and life in a =
week?=20
As it turns out, biblical creationists have been touting the existence =
of aliens for years -- and Mars itself has featured prominently in their =
scenarios.=20
Ronald Numbers, a professor of the history of science at the University =
of Wisconsin at Madison and the author of "The Creationists," a history =
of this movement, was himself raised in a fundamentalist Seventh Day =
Adventist community where belief in life on Mars was no big deal.=20
According to the Bible, Numbers explains, Satan and his cohorts were =
thrown out of heaven, so the question arises: Where did they go? At his =
high school in rural Tennessee, Numbers was taught by his teacher, who =
was also a Seventh Day Adventist, that they were hurled to Mars. The =
famous Martian canals were cited as evidence of this habitation.=20
"For some creationists," Numbers said, "extraterrestrial life is almost =
a necessity." Here, inspiration comes directly from the great prophet of =
Seventh Day Adventism, Ellen G. White. In "The Story of Patriarchs and =
Prophets" (1890) White recounted the tale of Satan's conflict with God.=20
At a pivotal point in the encounter, she noted, it became "necessary to =
demonstrate before the inhabitants of heaven and of all the worlds, that =
God's government is just." For White, then, extraterrestrial life was a =
given.=20
Taking his cue from White, George McCready Price, the founder of =
"creation science," argued in the early 20th century that Genesis =
referred only to life on earth. Thus while earthly life is, according to =
the Bible, only 6,000 years old, other worlds may have older life forms. =
Belief in extraterrestrials is, some creationists believe, also =
supported by the Bible. Genesis 6:2 says that "the sons of God saw that =
the daughters of men were fair; and they took to wife such of them as =
they chose."=20
McCready Price's disciple, Henry Morris,an engineer who founded the =
Institute for Creation Science in San Diego, has construed this passage =
to mean that evil angels from outer space were coming down to violate =
earthly women.=20
The problem for creationists -- whether Christian, Jewish or Islamic -- =
is not the fact of life beyond Earth, but what happens to life once it =
gets there.=20
Evolution, for most creationists, is not an option. If the Bible is =
taken literally, God created all life at once. Yet the evidence from the =
Martian meteorite then raises some awkward questions. The organic =
molecules detected so far are consistent with the presence of very =
simple bacteria. If God were going to put life on Mars, wouldn't He have =
chosen something a little grander than bacteria?=20
This is where more liberal Christian interpretations become necessary. =
They can accommodate not only extraterrestrial life but evolving life as =
well.=20
According to Robert Russell, who is a physicist, minister and the =
founder of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences in Berkeley, =
Calif., extraterrestrial life, Martian or otherwise, would be but =
agine life evolving in many different places -- like Mars.=20
If the meteorite does indeed prove to be our first glimpse of alien =
life, both Darwin and God will thereby be enhanced. As Coyne notes, that =
discovery would provide a "beautiful opening in which to reconsider the =
rich theological tradition of God as goodness."=20
Margaret Wertheim is writing and producing a television documentary =
about the relation between science and religion.