No 36

(Is there life on other planets?)

This is a very good question and it is one that people have been asking for centuries. Of course, it would be very important if we could find other planets because up to now, science and astronomers have been unable to confirm the existence of life-bearing planets anywhere in the universe. One thing is for sure, there are none in our own solar system, so where do we look?

Well, we could begin our search in the nearest solar system, Alpha Centauri which happens to be the closest star to earth. Of course, a solar system implies that there planets revolving around a star but, since we have not been able to establish that there are planets revolving around that particular star, we will do some speculation. In our study # 46, we saw that the Alpha Centauri system is 4.2 light years away from earth and, that with present technology, it would take humans thousands of years to travel there but let’s not allow distance to hinder our speculation; concentrate on what we know. Astronomers place camera/telescopes in line with a certain star for several days, weeks or months and are able to discern what is called a “wobble”. This wobble, they say are objects orbiting around the star and that, by gravity, these objects cause the star to “wobble” or move; they say that these objects are planets (pure speculation). There is an organisation called S.E.T.I. which stands for Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence whose mandate is to find intelligent life outside our solar system. They have been sending signals out on thousands of frequencies for many, many years and not a single response has been recorded – no one is answering; millions, billions are spent on this futile exercise. Therefore, the answer to the above question is: “No there is no life on other planets”

This answer is, in a way, disappointing so let’s not stop there; let’s see what the Bible says about extra terrestrial life “16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16,17. The only extra-terrestrial life that we have seen and will ever see here on earth, is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.