Thread: Vatican: It's OK to Believe in Aliens

I haven't seen this elsewhere so I thought I'd post this bit of interesting news here. And another bit of news below it.

Vatican: It's OK to Believe in Aliens

Vatican: It's OK to Believe in Aliens
By The Associated Press

posted: 13 May 2008
2:21 pm ET

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican's chief astronomer says that believing in aliens does not contradict faith in God.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, says that the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

In an interview published Tuesday by Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes says that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith'' because aliens would still be God's creatures.

The interview was headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother.'' Funes said that ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits'' on God's creative freedom.

for entire article visit http://www.space.com/news/ap-080513-vatican-aliens.html

Vatican astronomer says if aliens exist, they may not need redemption

Asked about implications that the discovery of alien life might pose for Christian redemption, Father Funes cited the Gospel parable of the shepherd who left his flock of 99 sheep in order to search for the one that was lost.

"We who belong to the human race could really be that lost sheep, the sinners who need a pastor," he said.

"God became man in Jesus in order to save us. So if there are also other intelligent beings, it's not a given that they need redemption. They might have remained in full friendship with their creator," he said.

Father Funes went on to say that Christ's incarnation and sacrifice was a unique and unrepeatable event. But he said he was sure that, if needed, God's mercy would be offered to aliens, as it was to humans.

for entire article visit http://www.catholicnews.com/data/sto...ns/0802629.htm

Holy moley Batman! Christianity has gone interplanetary! Now I'm not one to hold up and flail a "Beam Me Up!" sign atop a 100th story building, but it does strike me as odd that the Vatican has chosen to become open-minded to other worldly existences. I know some religious "zealot's" who'd never entertain the thought of such possibilities. Interestingly enough the Vatican, of all religious institutions, has.

~ Discuss