By: Mark Tabata (Evangelist)
I know that to many, the title of the current article will sound strange.
However, the sad fact is, many in our country have come to believe in the notion that the one true God Who has revealed Himself through the Bible is actually an extraterrestrial from another planet.
Indeed, several of the people that I have worked with through the years have espoused this belief, and others have been made to seriously doubt the Bible as the product of a non-Divine intelligence from another world in our cosmos.
Nor is this belief new. Sadly, many of the religious teachers of the past (as well as the present) have espoused this belief.
Consider, for example, the famous words of Mormon leader Brigham Young:
“Though we have it in history that our father Adam was made of the dust of this earth, and that he knew nothing about his God previous to being made here, yet it is not so; and when we learn the truth we shall see and understand that he helped to make this world, and was the chief manager in that operation. He was the person who brought the animals and the seeds from other planets to this world, and brought a wife with him and stayed here. You may read and believe what you please as to what is found written in the Bible. Adam was made from the dust of an earth, but not from the dust of this earth. He was made as you and I are made, and no person was ever made upon any other principle.” (THE COMPLETE JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES Latter-day Saint Reference Edition, A Discourse by President Brigham Young, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 20, 1856, 30581 (Kindle Edition))
This is, tragically, in harmony with the teachings of Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of the Latter-Day saints church:
“First, God Himself who sits enthroned in yonder heavens is a Man like unto one of yourselves—that is the great secret! If the veil were rent today and the great God that holds this world in its sphere and the planets in their orbit and who upholds all things by His power—if you were to see Him today, you would see Him in all the person, image, fashion, and very form of a man, like yourselves. For Adam was a man formed in His likeness and created in the very fashion and image of God. Adam received instruction, walked, talked, and conversed with Him as one man talks and communicates with another. In order to understand the subject of the dead and to speak for the consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary to understand the character and being of God. For I am going to tell you how God came to be God and what sort of a being He is. For we have imagined that God was God from the beginning of all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil so you may see. Truth is the touchstone. These things are incomprehensible to some, but they are simple. The first principle of truth and of the Gospel is to know for a certainty the character of God, and that we may converse with Him the same as one man with another, and that He once was a man like one of us and that God Himself, the Father of us all, once dwelled on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did in the flesh and like us.” (Joseph Smith, Jr., in Donald Q. Cannon, The King Follett Discourse, 589-605 (Kindle Edition))
Whether from religious indoctrination or science fiction propaganda, many in our times have come to believe that the God of the Bible is an extraterrestrial, and not truly God.
In this article, I would like to suggest three reasons why I reject the “God of the Bible is an extraterrestrial” theory.
The Cosmological Problem
The first reason why I reject the Extraterrestrial theory is because of what I call the cosmological problem.
When studying with atheists and agnostics, I point out what is known as the “cosmological argument,” which demonstrates clearly that there is an eternal God.
Basically, the argument goes like this:
1). If there was ever a time when there was absolutely nothing, there would be nothing now.
2). There is something now (i.e., I exist).
3). Therefore, something has always existed.
4). But we know that the universe has not always existed.
5). Therefore something beyond the universe has always existed.
This argument is not only provable through simple logic and mathematics, but through the laws of science.
How does this relate to the extraterrestrial God theory?
Very simply, if there are extraterrestrials “out there” somewhere, then they also need an explanation for their existence. In other words, you always have to get back to the eternal Creator.
The Teleological Problem
The teleological problem for the extraterrestrial god theory is very simply stated: from what we have learned in our studies of science, life on Earth is unique!
There are NO EXTRATERRESTRIALS!
Many will meet this statement with open criticism because they have been indoctrinated to believe in the so-called “Copernican principle,” which basically states that there are thousands and perhaps millions of planets throughout the universe which support life, and that Earth is not unique in any way, shape, or form.
This is, indeed, the consensus of many evolutionists (who continue to hold to the teachings of Darwinism, despite the clear evidences that this theory is false).
However, the fact is, the more we learn about the universe, the more more we are learning that Earth is extremely unique.
In discussing the Copernican principle, two scientists lay out the logical predictions or implications of this theory, and then investigate the evidences to see how well the theory holds up to the facts:
“Sometime in the twentieth century, however, Einstein’s cosmological principle came to be identified with a subtly different idea, the Copernican Principle, also known as the Principle of Mediocrity or Principle of Indifference. 4 In its modest form, the Copernican Principle states that we should assume that there’s nothing special or exceptional about the time or place of Earth in the cosmos….Once considered, it’s fairly easy to produce some general predictions of the Copernican Principle. In practice, these are usually unstated expectations rather than actual predictions. This has the effect of protecting them from critical scrutiny— all the more reason, then, to make them explicit….Because astronomy considers objects as small as meteorites and individual planets, and as large as clusters of galaxies, the Copernican Principle has generated the most predictions in this field. Let’s scrutinize the major ones in turn. Appropriately, we’ll begin with one of the earliest: Prediction 1: Earth, while it has a number of life- permitting properties, isn’t exceptionally suited for life in our Solar System. Other planets in the Solar System probably harbor life as well….Most now recognize that the other planets in the Solar System are not good candidates for life….Much of this optimism ignores the myriad ways in which Earth is exceptionally well suited for the existence, and persistence, of life, as we detailed in Chapters Two through Six . No other place in our Solar System comes close to providing the astronomical and geophysical properties that make Earth habitable. If anything, the other planets show how narrow the conditions for habitability are, even for planets in an inhabited Solar System. The basic pattern is worth repeating, because it’s so often forgotten or ignored. From the seventeenth to the twentieth century, many expected to find intelligent, even superior life on the Moon, Mars, and other planets in the Solar System. This expectation required direct contrary evidence to suppress it. Now, at the beginning of the twenty- first century, despite PR blitzes from Martian- life enthusiasts, the search has moved from the planets to a few obscure outlying moons. At the same time, the aspirations have been substantially downgraded. No one today expects to find advanced or intelligent life elsewhere in the Solar System. ET advocates now argue that finding the Europan equivalent of slime mold would be just as significant as finding intelligent Martians. Add to this pattern the evidence of Chapter Six : some of the planets once said to diminish Earth’s status now seem to be the guardians of her habitability. Finally, recall that these rare properties discussed in Chapters Two through Six have been crucial in a diverse array of scientific discoveries here on Earth, from the nature of gravity to the internal structure of our planet revealed by seismic activity. Surely these facts about Earth’s superiority both for living and observing should count as a sobering contradiction of the Copernican Principle….Prediction 2: Our Sun is a fairly ordinary and typical star…As we discussed in Chapter Seven , however, we now know that our Sun has a number of important, and anomalous, life- permitting properties that simultaneously contribute to its measurability. These include its luminosity, variability, metallicity, and galactic orbit. So our Sun doesn’t fit this prediction well at all. Even among the minority of stars in the same class as our Sun, it seems to be exceptional in several important ways, again in contrast to the expectations nurtured by the Copernican Principle….Prediction 3: Our Solar System is typical; we should expect other Solar Systems to mirror our own….Nevertheless, what appears most likely, at the moment, is that our Solar System will turn out to be highly atypical with respect to its habitability….Prediction 4: Even if our Solar System is not typical, there are lots of planetary configurations that are consistent with the presence of biological organisms. Variables like the number and types of planets and moons are mainly contingencies that have little to do with the existence of life in a planetary system….In any event, the evidence from Chapters One through Six weighs heavily against it. The existence of a large, well- placed moon, of circular planetary orbits, of a properly placed asteroid belt with felicitous properties, of the early bombardment of these asteroids on Earth, of the outlying gas giants to sweep the Solar System of sterilizing comets later on— all these and more are profoundly important for the existence of complex life on our planet….Prediction 5: Our Solar System’s location in the Milky Way is relatively unimportant….Our Solar System is located within what may be a quite narrow Galactic Habitable Zone, and far from dusty, light- polluted regions, permitting an excellent overall view of both nearby stars and the distant universe….Prediction 6: Our galaxy is not particularly exceptional or important. Life could just as easily exist in old, small, elliptical, and irregular galaxies….Without enough metals, there aren’t enough materials for building terrestrial planets. And without terrestrial planets, there are no environments suitable for life. Our very massive, spiral galaxy, then, is an especially suitable home for a habitable planet and Solar System, while providing an optimal position for viewing and discovering both our own galaxy and the wider universe.” (Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards, The Privileged Planet: How Our Place In The Cosmos Is Designed For Discovery, 4434-4632 (Kindle Edition): Washington DC; Regnery Publishing)
The more we learn from scientific discovery, the more we realize that life is a very rare treasure in tour universe.
As another scientist has pointed out:
“So, could it be possible that intelligent extraterrestrial beings are sending UFOs to Earth? As discussed in chapter 7 , the number of conditions necessary for life in any particular star- planet system, combined with the amount of time and complex processes involved in producing intelligent life, as well as the limited time frame that a planet remains habitable, make it extremely unlikely to find another planet in the universe capable of sustaining intelligent life. Especially during the same time frame that life exists on Earth. In fact, by some estimations, a person is more likely to win the California state lottery more than five thousand times in a row than we are apt to discover another life- friendly planet. In addition, there are several problems with the idea that UFOs might be coming from distant planets.” (Leslie Wickman, Ph.D (Corporate Test Astronaut, Rocket Scientist, and Hubble Space Telescope Engineer), God Of The Big Bang: How Modern Science Affirms The Creator,1425-1431 (Kindle Edition); Brentwood, TN; Worthy Books).
Lee Strobel has provided some great evidences of the uniqueness of planet Earth:
“It’s turning out that the Earth is anything but ordinary, that our sun is far from average, and that even the position of our planet in the galaxy is eerily fortuitous. The idea that the universe is a flourishing hothouse of advanced civilizations is now being undermined by surprising new scientific discoveries and fresh thinking. In short, new findings are suggesting that we are special. More and more scientists are studying the mind-boggling convergence of scores of extraordinary “coincidences” that make intelligent life possible on Earth and concluding that this can’t possibly be an accident. They’re seeing signs of design, a kind of unlikely fine-tuning for life similar to the fine-tuning of physics that we explored in the previous chapter. In fact, said one noted researcher, “new evidence which could potentially have refuted the [design] hypothesis has only ended up confirming it.” 11 Once again, we find the evidence of science pointing in the direction of a Creator. And rather than our lives being purposeless, scientists for the first time are uncovering concrete evidence that suggests at least one surprising purpose for which we were created—that is, to discover and learn about the surroundings in which we have been placed. In other words, as we’ll see in this chapter, one purpose for which we were designed is to do science itself. RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME As the new millennium dawned, geologist Peter D. Ward and astronomer Donald Brownlee, both professors at the University of Washington in Seattle, published a provocative and highly successful book that raised this disquieting question about Earth: “What if it is utterly unique: the only planet with animals in this galaxy or even in the visible universe . . . ?” 12 Their book, Rare Earth, marshals evidence from a wide range of scientific disciplines to build its case that “not only intelligent life, but even the simplest of animal life, is exceedingly rare in our galaxy and in the universe.” 13 They called the conclusion “inescapable” that “Earth is a rare place indeed.” 14 Although Ward and Brownlee uncritically buy into the idea that microbial life may very well be more prevalent, a view they draw from the way life seemed to have effortlessly developed on Earth “about as soon as environmental conditions allowed its survival,” 15 their conviction that the existence of complex life is “extraordinarily rare” is bolstered by convincing data divorced from any theological framework. Calling their book “carefully reasoned and scientifically astute,” Don Johanson, director of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University, remarked: “In spite of our wishful thinking, there just may not be other Mozarts or Monets.” 16 David Levy, of comet Shoemaker-Levy fame, added, “As we know it on Earth, complex life might be very rare, and very precious.” 17 Said the Times of London: “If they are right it could be time to reverse a process that has been going on since Copernicus.” 18 More and more scientists are observing the stunning ways in which our planet—against all odds—manages to fulfill a large number of finely balanced criteria that are absolutely crucial to supporting a habitat suitable for humankind. “Rather than being one planet among billions, Earth now appears to be the uncommon Earth,” said science educators Jimmy H. Davis and Harry L. Poe. “The data imply that Earth may be the only planet ‘in the right place at the right time.’ ” 19 A BOLD AND AUDACIOUS CLAIM Earth’s location, its size, its composition, its structure, its atmosphere, its temperature, its internal dynamics, and its many intricate cycles that are essential to life—the carbon cycle, the oxygen cycle, the nitrogen cycle, the phosphorous cycle, the sulfur cycle, the calcium cycle, the sodium cycle, and so on—testify to the degree to which our planet is exquisitely and precariously balanced. 20 As they begin their influential textbook Earth, Frank Press of the National Academy of Sciences and Raymond Siever of Harvard University write about what they call “the uniqueness of planet Earth.” 21 They note how its atmosphere filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation while working with the oceans to moderate the climate through the storing and redistributing of solar energy, and how the Earth is just large enough so that its gravity retains the atmosphere and yet just small enough not to keep too many harmful gases. Then they describe the Earth’s interior as . . . . . . a gigantic but delicately balanced heat engine fueled by radioactivity. . . . Were it running more slowly . . . the continents might not have evolved to their present form. . . . Iron may never have melted and sunk to the liquid core, and the magnetic field would never have developed. . . . If there had been more radioactive fuel, and therefore a faster running engine, volcanic dust would have blotted out the sun, the atmosphere would have been oppressively dense, and the surface would have been racked by daily earthquakes and volcanic explosions. 22 These kind of highly choreographed geological processes—and there are lots of them—leave me shaking my head at the astounding ways in which our biosphere is precisely tuned for life. Even more interesting, though, is the “why” question behind them. What accounts for all of these astounding “coincidences?”” (Lee Strobel, The Case For A Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God, 155-157 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan)
Bottom line: there is no real reason to believe extraterrestrials even exist, much less that they are pretending to be the God of the Bible!
The Ontological Problem
To me, the biggest problem is: those who espouse the “God of the Bible is an extraterrestrial” theory are claiming that the God which has revealed Himself to us through the Scriptures is a huge liar.
In fact, if the claims of God being an extraterrestrial are true, then the God of the Bible is the greatest liar the world has ever known.
But when we look at the track record of the God of the Bible, do we see any evidence that He is lying to us?
Let’s consider.
It has been estimated that there are over three thousand promises which are made by God to His people in the Bible.
And how many of those promises has He broken?
How many lies has He ever told? How many untruths has He uttered?
None.
For example, the Prophet Joshua wrote of the faithfulness of God:
Joshua. 21:45-Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
Joshua 23:14-15-14 “Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed.
15 Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so the LORD will bring upon you all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the LORD your God has given you.
God’s character has continually passed the “truth” test.
Consider again:
2 Chronicles 19:7-7 Now therefore, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24-23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.
God has proven Himself true in every way. The simple fact is, we have no reason to suspect that the God of the Bible is anything other than what He claims to be: the eternal Creator.
In fact, if we will take the time to study about the characteristics of the eternal God which are manifested through the creation, then we see that the God of the Bible matches up perfectly!
Norman Geisler elaborates:
“This God Who Exists Is Identical to the God Described in the Christian tian Scriptures. The God described in the Bible is said to be eternal (Col. 1 :16; Heb. 1:2), changeless (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 6:18), infinite (I Kings 8:27; Isa. 66:1), all-loving (John 3:16; I John 4:16), and all-powerful (Heb. 1:3; Matt. 19:26). But there cannot be two infinitely perfect, changeless, eternal beings. First, there can be only one infinite and necessary sary Being, as was shown above (p. 239f.). Second, there could not be two beings who have all possible perfections attributable to them. For in order to be two beings one would have to differ from the other; where there is no difference in being there is only one being. But there can be no difference unless one being has something the other does not. But if there is something that an infinite being can have but one lacks, then the one lacking it is not absolutely perfect. Hence, there is only one absolutely perfect being. But if there cannot be two such beings, then the God described scribed in the Bible is identical to the God concluded from the above argument. Therefore, the God Described in the Bible Exists. If there is only one God and the God described in the Bible is identical in characteristics to him, then it follows logically that the God described in the Bible exists. For there cannot be two infinitely perfect beings; there cannot be two such ultimates or absolutes, and so forth. Hence, the God portrayed in Scripture does indeed exist.” (Norman Geisler, Christian Apologetics, 249-250 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker Books House)
But I want to go deeper with this line of thought.
You see, if the Bible was indeed written by the eternal God (as it claims, and which supposition the evidence demands), then the many events, commands, and promises of the Bible make sense.
From the command in the Garden of Eden not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, to the Levitical sacrificial system, to the restitution commands of the Mosaic code, to the promises of the coming Messiah and His death on Calvary, etc.; all make perfect sense if they are the product of a perfectly righteous and holy God Who loves His creation and wants it redeemed.
Yet what is the motivation of all of these commands if God were an extraterrestrial (assuming, for the sake of argument, that such beings do indeed exist)?
Some have suggested that we are the subjects of some grand study.
Yet I have to wonder: why would aliens from another star system or galaxy be interested in human beings?
Would they not have something better to do with their time then pretend to be God?
Why would they care one way or the other about us?
Some have suggested that we have something which they need.
But think about that!
If they are so advanced that they can traverse the distances between the stars, what could mankind possibly offer to these creatures?
To put it simply, if these beings did exist, it would seem that they would have a lot more important things to do with their time then pretend to be God.
Conclusion
Much more could be said along these lines, but I believe there is more than sufficient evidence to establish the conclusion: the “God of the Bible is an extraterrestrial” theory is false.
In our next article on this subject, we will consider in greater detail the subject of alleged alien abductions and contact.
The God Who has revealed Himself to mankind through the Scriptures is the eternal God Who desires the salvation of all people (2 Peter 3:9; Ezekiel 18:23). Because of our sinfulness, we are personally condemned to eternal separation from this holy God (Romans 6:23; Isaiah 59:1-2). Yet God loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay the price for the sins of mankind (1 Timothy 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:15). Jesus Christ died for us, was buried, and arose from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-8).
He promises to save those who hear His Word (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God (John 8:24), repent of sin (Luke 13:3), confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Acts 8:37), and are baptized into Him (Acts 2;38).
When we live faithfully to Him, even till death, we will receive the crown of life and the crown of righteousness (Revelation 2:10).
When we fall short and sin as Christians (which we will-1 John 1:8), then God says that He will forgive us when we repent and confess those sins to Him in prayer (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9).
Why not obey Him today?
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
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