Faith and Selective Blindness

As a young man, I was part of a devout splinter of the Protestant Reformation. I was also a scientifically inclined boy who was often fascinated by the mechanics of 'creation'. I took biology classes, and found great joy in physics. But looking beyond our own world, I stopped being curious. Why? Because there was nothing that I could expect to discover, as a matter of faith.

"But the universe is so HUGE", you posit. And you posit correctly. The universe is inconceivably massive. Even as I type this, astrophysicists are exploring deeper in to the history of the cosmos, discovering new galaxies, solar nurseries, black holes, and exoplanets. Every single day is a fraught with new findings that only tell us how much we don't know. And with each new discovery, there is the increasing possibility of finding intelligent life. And if there is the possibility of intelligent life, then there is the possibility of sapient life.

Except for that matter of faith.

I know, I keep poking about this faith issue. So, why is it so damned important? As a child of Christian parents, I was taught one immutable truth. God created the Earth for mankind to reside upon indefinitely, and that humans were the pinnacle of creation. Nothing stood above humans, not even God's own son. After all, He did allow his Son to be sacrificed to return the debt of a perfect human life. And when the Devil rebelled, he was cast down to the Earth and confined here until the Judgement Day. And for that, we still await.

This, in a nutshell, is the endgame of Christianity. But a couple of questions arise. Chiefly is this: If the Devil had free range of the universe (as the Bible implies), and there were other sapient species on other planets, could he not have corrupted them as he did us? Would God have permitted other creations (presumably ones made in His image) to be tarnished by the Great Deceiver?

They would, after all, have to be Christians. Would they not? And if they are, would it in fact stand to reason that God would let the same thing happen to two different (or innumerable) populations? And if he did, what kind of special star were we born under that makes us the scapegoat of all creation that we should have to bear the burden of the Devil's cohabitation?

There's really only one conclusion. There is no possible way that there is sapient life on planets other than earth, as a matter of faith. Yes. If you believe in the Bible (particularly 2 Timothy 3:16), then scientific discovery will fail. And everything you've learned up to this point is unnecessary.

My father is a very intelligent man. His IQ is likely higher than mine. So a discussion that I had with him last year left me feeling a little disheartened. We talked about the nature of the universe, and the natural life cycle of our star, Sol. In 4 billion years, it will have expanded to the point that it will encompass the orbit of the Earth. Or, at the very least, bring us so close to the face of the sun that we will be incinerated. This is a conclusion that is supported by all available science.

His answer to me was, "barring some Divine Intervention".

My dad has spoken the same faith since his late teens. I don't think he knows any other way of thinking, really. And that makes me question his regular reading of Scientific American. But aside from our own sun burning itself out, as all suns shall, there is the greater looming threat of entropy.

In 4 trillion years, all energy in the universe will be evenly distributed. Suns will fail to burn, and new ones will not be born in nebulae. Organic compounds will not have chemical energy to metabolize or reproduce. The light bulb of creation will have burned out. Which then begs the question, "If entropy is the logical, mathematical, physical conclusion to the universe, what was the purpose of an undertaking so monumental?"

Why billions of galaxies with billions of stars each?

Why countless exoplanets with the capacity for life, such as we understand it?

Why physical laws so reliable that we can fire a giant Roman Candle from Earth and land a probe on passing asteroid?

I think 'why not' is much more efficient. Why not make the sun and the earth the extent of the universe? If the Bible is right, and this is where we are supposed to have lived forever, then stars, galaxies, and all else that fills the heavens are just fancy set dressing. Nothing of any substance. Nothing that fills any need.

And still, one question remains. If the salvation of humankind lays in the hands of Divine Intervention through the cessation our our sun's self consumption, and our universe's continued operation, isn't all else that came before moot? Even the sacrifice of Jesus Christ?

Jesus' sacrifice was to offer us salvation from sin. Suppose he did that. But also suppose that the continuation of humanity simply puts it in the way of a very harsh and abrupt end at the hands of physics. That being the case, just what did Jesus accomplish? Aside from staying the execution until a date to be named later?

I guess that's something that only a person of faith can answer.