Re: [asa] Ken Hams it up at the Pentagon

On Thu, 19 Jun 2008, George Cooper wrote:

> Gordon wrote: How does one determine what God would do? (Isa. 55:8,9; Rom. 11:33,34) It
would have to be based on what He has revealed to us. 
Agreed, and we are granted reason to help benefit from these revelations.  Reason allows logical inference.  What is now revealed to us by His grace is that there are, very likely, more stars than the number of grains of sands atop every beach.   Once there was only one sun, then only one Solar system, then only one galaxy.   Now there are likely trillions upon trillions of planets, many in the habitable zone. Is it not reasonable to consider life, per God's plan and glory, to be a possible, if not likely, a result of our latest findings?  I consider such a thought a greater glorfication of the works of God if such is the case. 
Gordon wrote:  What has He revealed to us that would enable us to decide whether or not He chose to place beings created in His image elsewhere in the universe? 
Agreed, it is still speculative.  But, it is far less speculative than in the past.  Much is being observed that allows much greater plausibility for exoplanetary life.   I see no overwhelming reason to add any constraints upon life in the universe God hath wrought.  
How do you see such possibility?
"Coope"

George,

Based on what God has revealed to us about His purposes, I don't know
whether I should expect that life is confined to our planet. Neither
possibility seems to contradict anything I know about His revelation.

Today we find atheists telling us that if God existed, He would have done
things the way they would have, and since He didn't, that is supposed to
prove that God doesn't exist. Of course we would not arrive at such a
conclusion, but it seems to me that we often think we can read God's mind,
which, of course, we can do validly only to the extent that He has
revealed it to us.

We know that there are other planets both in our solar system as well as
around other stars, and we feel sure that at least some of them do not
harbor life. Reasoning as to whether there might be life elsewhere would
be easier if we really knew exactly how abiogenesis occurred on earth. My
impression is that people conclude that since it occurred on earth, it
must be easy. Another question that I have seen raised is that if beings
existed who are more advanced than we are, wouldn't they have contacted us
first.

Again, I don't advocate either position, and whichever one can be shown to
be true is not going to upset me.

Gordon Brown (ASA member)

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Received on Thu Jun 19 22:52:13 2008