What Does God Have to Do with Life on Other Planets?

Last week I called attention to a recent analysis by mathematicians at the University of Edinburgh, which estimated that there are hundreds of intelligent civilizations in our galaxy and thousands in the universe. This plausibility of this analysis is strengthened by the discovery that there may be 100 billion earth-like planets in our galaxy alone.

In response, the Chaldea blog on the Scholarly Study of Astronomy and Religion noted that the Vatican’s chief astronomer has said that there is no conflict between believing in God and the possibility of intelligent life on other planets, including beings more highly evolved than ourselves. "In my opinion this possibility exists," said the Reverend José Gabriel Funes, head of the Vatican Observatory and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict XVI. “The large number of galaxies with their own planets makes this possible.”

It is encouraging that the Vatican acknowledges that there may be intelligent life on other planets. Does that mean that humans are not a special species, but simply the result of natural selection, along with potentially thousands of other intelligent civilizations? Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict (as a Cardinal) made statements generally supportive of evolution. However, a 1996 statement by Pope John Paul takes the position that God controlled evolution of the human species, not that it proceeded solely on the basis of natural selection and random mutation of genetic material.

But if God controls evolution, has he intentionally created thousands of intelligent civilizations? Does God love all these intelligent beings equally? If so, has God revealed himself to all of them? Has some version of the Jesus story been repeated thousands of times through the universe? If not, why?

If we try to come up with answers that are consistent with Catholic doctrine, we may conclude that the intellectual gymnastics required to do so are not really worth it. Doesn’t it make more sense to have a different starting point and rethink our conception of God? If we imagine God as something other than an anthropomorphic being who created the universe and controlled evolution, we don’t have to invent implausible scenarios about divine intervention on thousands of planets. As I explain in The Uncertain Believer, we -- and other intelligent civilizations, if they really exist -- have the capacity to conceive of God as a power that inspires us to be as perfect as we can be, yet has nothing to do with evolution on this planet or any other.