CHAPTER 8: Is there Other Life in Our Universe outside of us humans?
The most common premise for believing that there must be life in outer space is that:
1) Life evolved on Earth, and
2) The universe is so immense and contains so many heavenly bodies that the odds are in favor of similar evolution elsewhere. If not, what a waste of space.
I recall hearing this rationale presented on one of the first "Outer Limits" TV shows of the early 1960s. There are several flaws in this reasoning. First it assumes that evolution explains how life originated on Earth. Actually there is overwhelming scientific evidence that life is so complex and requires so many pre-requisites, that it is virtually impossible for it to spontaneously begin from inanimate material (see section 4f). Furthermore, if it were begun, evolution requires far too many successful mutations to move to the higher forms of life before it self-destructs. I believe more and more scientists are abandoning the theory of evolution by mutations. Those that are clinging to evolution, however, are now considering symbiotic evolution, a process where the bacteria are creating the higher forms of life in order to survive themselves (see section 4g). Even so, the question of origins remains. How could that first life ever come from the lifeless material, which evolutionists surmise was here first? This premise seems pretty bogus so far.
The other factor is that as we better understand what life as we know it has required on this single planet data point, we find that it is statistically impossible to accidentally recreate just the right conditions elsewhere. Dr Hugh Ross has done a fine job of assessing these odds, in his "Reasons to Believe" papers [see website, "http://www.reasons.org/"]. The conclusion is that the odds are around one in a trillion trillion or worst. It's getting to the point where there aren't enough electrons in the observable universe to equal the task at hand. Well, perhaps life can be totally different than anything we can imagine. Lack of observable evidence for life outside of Earth is not keeping the UFO-nauts from believing in aliens.
I say that God did create other life, but it is not three dimensional like us. I suggest that there are extra-dimensional beings (eg angels, fallen angels, glorified bodies, and God), who can affect this world as discussed earlier. However, these all have more than the three dimensions associated with our universe. Hence, they participate in our world quite differently than we do. In my opinion, there is another, pre-existing universe of greater than 3 dimensions, where these creatures reside. Our universe has only the 3 physical dimensions, but it is affected by the additional dimensions of the greater universe around it. For example, a 2D movie screen has only length and width, but the entire screen can be moved around in a 3 dimensional room.
Thoughts represent another dimension in a sense. God’s thoughts are indeed affecting our physical universe. I believe that God’s thoughts account for the missing connection between physical objects (atoms, electrons, etc) and energy (fields). Questions such as: “What is a photon? Why do electrons radiate electromagnetic energy when accelerated? How can a force act at a distance without a physical connection?” can all be answered by noting that God is literally creating all of this in His mind and He makes those connections by thinking of them. I can do that too, in my mind.
Our thoughts are lower than God’s thoughts. God, for starters, is the Thinker. Everything else is His thought. His "Holy Spirit", ie His thoughts are animating this entire universe, just as our thoughts create universes that we might imagine. He therefore is totally unique! His created beings, excluding we humans, all have more than three dimensions, that's why angels and the glorified Christ walk through our 3-D walls etc. In my analogy these beings are watching our universe as we would watch a 2-D movie. They can reach into our universe through their thoughts, but they really can't (wouldn't want to) live in it, any more than we could live in a 2-D movie.
This agrees perfectly with everything I have seen in the Bible and it fully explains those paranormal occult events and UFO sightings as well. Hence, one should first find a flaw in it before believing in visitors from other planets in our universe. We don't need ET if we already have angels with a need to contact us.
All the scientific facts available to us to date indicate that life in our universe is statistically miraculous, and virtually impossible without direct intervention by God. Although God could have created it elsewhere in this universe, it would be inconsistent with His plan as revealed in the Bible. Notice that we who trust in God are destined to be recreated, as Jesus of Nazareth was, as glorified bodies with more than 3-D. The rest of the dead and living, who decide not to trust in God, will cease to exist at all (Rev 20:11-15); and the heavens and the earth will pass away (Rev 21:1; 2 Peter 3:7-13). This means that our universe of heavenly bodies – all created on the 4th day – will indeed pass away, leaving only the pre-existing angelic universe. It seems to me that there is no reason to expect that beings with more than 3-D will be confined to live in a 3-D universe forever after.
When God says He will eventually "Make all things new"(Rev 21:5), I believe they will have the extra dimensions that the glorified Christ now has. This universe is a facsimile of the higher level reality where the other created beings are now. Once the sin drama of free will, which will detail the consequences of bad choices, has played itself out here, the drama is over. What role in this would ETs have?
Likewise, this line of thinking indicates to me that there would not be any other 3-D life in this universe outside of humans, or they would be mentioned in the Bible. They would need to be specifically excepted from key verses in the Bible. EG:
Rom 8:22 - The whole creation
groans as a consequence of Adam's sin
Rom 5:12 - Through one man (Adam) sin entered the world
Gen 1:14 - The heavenly bodies were made for signs, for seasons, and for times,
and again
2 Peter 3:10, But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. And 2 Peter 3:12 That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
In summary, it follows logically from the premises of this treatise, that there are higher levels of reality, which require what we can only call "extra dimensions". God certainly has to have more than 3-D. If we have a purpose to eventually be transformed into glorified bodies that can live forever after, why would we need a 3-D universe? Since we are not expecting to remain in this 3-D universe forever, while the Risen Christ has already left it, why would we expect there to be any other life forms in this universe? If they did live in this 3-D universe, then their fate would be coupled in with our decisions, because they would be affected when this universe is eventually terminated and all things are made new in the angelic universe. 3-D life outside of our own would seem to have no purpose in the Plan of God revealed in His Bible.
Meanwhile, we continue to look for it anyway and find nothing. If something ever shows up out there, that is an independent life form, please let me know, so I can apologize for this position. Until then, I defy anyone to prove it wrong.
PS: I can understand, however, how some have traditionally believed that the angels walk among us with a type of “Stealth cloaking device”. That Star Trek viewpoint was all the rage a few decades ago. When this universe disappears and we who are re-created into angelic form, surely some will think that the stealth cloak had just been removed. It would look the same to them, but it just doesn’t fit the information addressed above.
17 August 2001, minor updates 11 April 2002
For more on this and a response to any questions, please email any comments to nasamike@nasamike.com