[wnscooke]

Since we are talking about something as fanciful as aliens, consider this perspective: There are no aliens because their existence runs counter to what the Bible says about God.

Assuming the only creation God engaged in was planet earth, how he is described (as never changing) means that his revelation of himself in Christ (who was both human and God, in order that his death would be like our deaths, ((wages of sin is death)), but whose divinity would allow him to rise from the dead ((thereby proving the penalty of sin - death - had been paid for _eternally_ {{being God}})) means that any other creation in the universe would need to be in a similar situation as humanity on earth...otherwise Christ as God/Human is totally senseless and useless on these other planets...which can not be since God does not change. Thus, no aliens, anywhere.

Now before ppl go off screeching about religion, this is in no way an attempt to convert. It is just a perspective made possible by someone who reads the Bible and likes to try to place any modern idea against it, and maybe the same might help someone else grapple with the immensity of It All. It also doesn't mean that there is no need for humanity to keep searching and exploring the stars.

[Kerb_]

The idea that God is unchanging, or "immutable," is a common literal interpretation, often derived from passages such as Malachi 3:6 ("For I the Lord do not change") and Hebrews 13:8 ("Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever"). However, the idea that these passages mean that God's actions or creations cannot change or vary is not the only possible interpretation.

It's possible to understand these passages as referring to God's nature and character, rather than His actions. In other words, God is consistent in His attributes — His love, justice, mercy, and so on — but this doesn't necessarily mean that His actions or creations are limited to a single pattern. After all, even within the Bible, we see God interacting with different people in different ways at different times.

So, to apply this to the topic at hand: God's immutability might not prevent Him from creating life elsewhere in the universe. The incarnation of Christ was a unique event in human history, but this doesn't necessarily mean that God couldn't or wouldn't interact with other life forms in a way that is appropriate to their nature and circumstances. God's consistency in character doesn't restrict Him to only one method of interaction or revelation.

It's worth noting that other interpretations exist which might allow for the possibility of extraterrestrial life without contradicting the idea of an unchanging God.

[IAmGraydon]

If you want to take an approach that is literally the opposite of the scientific method then, yeah, sure. This is HackerNews though, and we tend to stick to verifiable evidence here.

[krapp]

>otherwise Christ as God/Human is totally senseless and useless on these other planets...which can not be since God does not change

This doesn't even make sense. God being unchanging doesn't imply that the relationship of all created beings to God must be the same. Genesis makes it clear that humanity was created in a state of perfection and then fell from grace - and yet God didn't change, despite humanity's relationship to God changing. Therefore it is possible within Biblical canon for created beings to exist which do not need salvation through grace - humans are an exception, not the rule.

I mean, within the Bible, there are humans who just don't die and go straight to Heaven because God likes them and decides to waive the immutable stain of original sin like a parking ticket, because apparently even God's rules can have exceptions.

Also, your assumption that the only creation God engaged with was planet Earth is fallacious. Genesis clearly states that God created the Heavens and the Earth. He created the entire universe. The Bible doesn't mention the dinosaurs either (no, Leviathan doesn't count, file that under the common Indo-European motif of chaoskampf) but we know they existed.

I'm not even religious but I can see your point of view is a bit too limited even within Christendom. CS Lewis was writing about aliens within the framework of Christianity a century ago. Many religious people can square that circle quite easily, simply by assuming God is not strictly limited to what is contained within Biblical canon.

[Winsaucerer]

This doesn't sound convincing at all, and I'm struggling to follow your reasoning. I think it's an open question for Christians whether or not there are aliens.