28. Do not worship idols in the four ways we worship God

The 28th commandment of Mosaic Law is to not worship idols in the four ways we worship God

Where in scripture?

Exodus  20:4-5

You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them.

According to Heichel Menachem, we are forbidden to bow down to idols, offer sacrifices, burn incense, or pour wine or other liquid offerings in worship of idols. These are four ways in which we worship God.

New Testament Reference

Ephesians 5:5

Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Discussion

Assuming that one agrees that this Mitzvah is binding on Christians, it would follow that Christian worship services should include at least four elements (If anyone wants anymore explanation on any of these, please let me know because each would require its own lengthy explanation) that are pleasing to God. They are as follows:

1.     Bowing down or genuflecting before God;

2.     The sacrifice of the mass - according to Catholic Answers, the Eucharist is a true sacrifice;

3.     Burn incense; and

4.     Pour and offer wine.

Conclusion

Binding on Christians  

27. Do not worship idols in the manner they are worshiped

The 27th commandment of Mosaic Law is to not worship idols in the manner they are worshiped

Where in scripture?

Exodus  20:4-5

You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; you shall not bow down before them or worship them.

In a previous post, we discussed how another Mitzvah forbids us from inquiring into idolatry.

New Testament Reference

Ephesians 5:5

Be sure of this, that no immoral or impure or greedy person, that is, an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

While researching this post, I stumbled upon this website says that “Catholics are going to hell,” while citing the above-captioned verse from Exodus. This type of thing can be found all over the Internet. This type of thinking is also indicative of some of the problems that I’ve discussed on this blog where sola scriptura leads people to interpret scripture in any manner that suits their fancy, disregarding the investigations, and thinking of 2,000 years of Christian scholarship.

According to Wikipedia, “Some theologically moderated Jews argue that most modern-day religions which appear idolatrous should not be considered idolatry as defined by Jewish law. They argue that modern day Buddhists, Hindus and others:

Do not literally worship sticks and stones’, as the idolaters in the Tanakh were described doing. Their beliefs have more theological depth than ancient pagans, and they are well aware that their icons are only symbols of a deeper level of reality.”

According to Catholic Answers, “Though bowing can be used as a posture in worship, not all bowing is worship. In Japan, people show respect by bowing in greeting (the equivalent of the Western handshake). Similarly, a person can kneel before a king without worshipping him as a god. In the same way, a Catholic who may kneel in front of a statue while praying isn’t worshipping the statue or even praying to it, any more than the Protestant who kneels with a Bible in his hands when praying is worshipping the Bible or praying to it.”

The Baltimore Catechism

Q. 1212. How do we show that it is only the worship and not the making of images that is forbidden by the first commandment?

A. We show that it is only the worship and not the making of images that is forbidden by the first commandment:

1.     Because no one thinks it sinful to carve statues or make photographs or paintings of relatives or friends;

2.     Because God Himself commanded the making of images for the temple after He had given the first commandment, and God never contradicts Himself.

Q. 1213. Is it right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ and His saints?

A. It is right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ and His saints, because they are the representations and memorials of them.

Q. 1214. Have we in this country any civil custom similar to that of honoring the pictures and images of saints?

A. We have, in this country, a civil custom similar to that of honoring pictures and images of saints, for, on Decoration or Memorial Day, patriotic citizens place flowers, flags, or emblems about the statues of our deceased civil heroes, to honor the persons these statues represent; for just as we can dishonor a man by abusing his image, so we can honor him by treating it with respect and reverence.

Q. 1215. Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to the images and relics of the saints?

A. It is not allowed to pray to the crucifix or images and relics of the saints, for they have no life, nor power to help us, nor sense to hear us.

Q. 1216. Why do we pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints?

A. We pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints because they enliven our devotion by exciting pious affections and desires, and by reminding us of Christ and of the saints, that we may imitate their virtues.

Conclusion

Binding on Christians

This should have been my first post

This should have been my first post

In some of my posts I complain about the mindset of poorly catechized Christians. Before I go any further, I need to set the record straight. It wasn’t all that long ago that I was one of those cafeteria-Catholics that I complain about. I really didn’t even realize it. I thought I knew everything that was important enough to know (which didn’t include reading the Bible). As time went on I was probably somewhere between an atheist and an agnostic. I was as much of a secular humanist as you would find anywhere.

Fortunately God gives sufficient grace to everyone. I was even more fortunate in that God kept rapping me on the head until I finally took notice. I suspect that somewhere there was a St. Monica praying for me.

Finally I started reading the Bible, working my way from Genesis through Revelation. While reading the Old Testament, (prior to reading the letters of Paul) I wondered why some of the Mosaic Law seems to still apply to Christians while some doesn’t.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1961 God, our Creator and Redeemer, chose Israel for himself to be his people and revealed his Law to them, thus preparing for the coming of Christ. The Law of Moses expresses many truths naturally accessible to reason. These are stated and authenticated within the covenant of salvation.

1962 The Old Law is the first stage of revealed Law. Its moral prescriptions are summed up in the Ten Commandments. The precepts of the Decalogue lay the foundations for the vocation of man fashioned in the image of God; they prohibit what is contrary to the love of God and neighbor and prescribe what is essential to it. The Decalogue is a light offered to the conscience of every man to make God's call and ways known to him and to protect him against evil.

Prior to the revealing of Mosaic Law and from the beginning of time, there was still an order to the Universe. Since the creation of man there has been certain codes of conduct where certain basic things, such as valuing and  protecting life, were deemed important and “good.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1954 Man participates in the wisdom and goodness of the Creator who gives him mastery over his acts and the ability to govern himself with a view to the true and the good. The natural law expresses the original moral sense which enables man to discern by reason the good and the evil, the truth and the lie:  The natural law is written and engraved in the soul of each and every man, because it is human reason ordaining him to do good and forbidding him to sin . . . But this command of human reason would not have the force of law if it were not the voice and interpreter of a higher reason to which our spirit and our freedom must be submitted.

1955 The "divine and natural" law shows man the way to follow so as to practice the good and attain his end. The natural law states the first and essential precepts which govern the moral life. It hinges upon the desire for God and submission to him, who is the source and judge of all that is good, as well as upon the sense that the other is one's equal. Its principal precepts are expressed in the Decalogue. This law is called "natural," not in reference to the nature of irrational beings, but because reason which decrees it properly belongs to human nature.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the first law was Natural Law and since it is part of nature its moral precepts remain permanent. The second stage of law was given by God to Moses – the Mosaic Law described in the Old Testament. To Christians, the Law of Moses as a whole was temporary since Jesus came to fulfill the Old Covenant.

Matthew 5:17-19

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets: I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law, until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Scripture tells us that we are saved by faith (and works through grace) rather than works of the Law.

Romans 3:20-25, 31

Since no human being will be justified in his sight by observing the law; for through the law comes consciousness of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, though testified to by the law and the prophets, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as an expiation, through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed… Are we then annulling the law by this faith? Of course not! On the contrary, we are supporting the law.

Romans chapter 7:6

But now we are released from the law, dead to what held us captive, so that we may serve in the newness of the spirit and not under the obsolete letter.

Romans Chapter 8:1-5

Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death. For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit.

Galatians chapter 3:19-25

Why, then, the law? It was added for transgressions, until the descendant came to whom the promise had been made; it was promulgated by angels at the hand of a mediator. Now there is no mediator when only one party is involved, and God is one. Is the law then opposed to the promises (of God)? Of course not! For if a law had been given that could bring life, then righteousness would in reality come from the law. But scripture confined all things under the power of sin, that through faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe. Before faith came, we were held in custody under law, confined for the faith that was to be revealed. Consequently, the law was our disciplinarian for Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a disciplinarian

Galatians chapter 4:4-5

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption.

Galatians chapter 5: 18

But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Colossians chapter 2:11, 16

In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. …Let no one, then, pass judgment on you in matters of food and drink or with regard to a festival or new moon or Sabbath.

Hebrews chapter 9:9-14

This is a symbol of the present time, in which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper in conscience but only in matters of food and drink and various ritual washings: regulations concerning the flesh, imposed until the time of the new order. But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer's ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

Hebrews chapter 10:1 

Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of them, it can never make perfect those who come to worship by the same sacrifices that they offer continually each year.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1963 According to Christian tradition, the Law is holy, spiritual, and good, yet still imperfect. Like a tutor it shows what must be done, but does not of itself give the strength, the grace of the Spirit, to fulfill it. Because of sin, which it cannot remove, it remains a law of bondage. According to St. Paul, its special function is to denounce and disclose sin, which constitutes a "law of concupiscence" in the human heart. However, the Law remains the first stage on the way to the kingdom. It prepares and disposes the chosen people and each Christian for conversion and faith in the Savior God. It provides a teaching which endures for ever, like the Word of God.

Unfortunately, there are some who believe that the letters of Paul invalidate the Old Testament. By distorting scripture they rationalize gay marriage and other practices that are a abhorrent in scripture and Sacred Tradition.

As we discussed in a prior post, the concept of sola scriptura justifies individuals to interpret scripture in any manner they see fit, even if the concept or the interpretation isn’t even scriptural.

A faithful reading of the Bible reveals that much of what was set forth in the Old Testament was restated in the New Testament.

According to Catholic apologist Jim Blackburn, “Old Testament law, as such, is not binding on Christians. It never has been. In fact, it was only ever binding on those to whom it was delivered—the Jews (Israelites). That said, some of that law contains elements of a law that is binding on all people of every place and time. Jesus and Paul provide evidence of this in the New Testament.”

There are Mitzvot that bind Christians due to the New Testament and Sacred Tradition.

I couldn’t find a site on the Internet where each of the 613 laws of the Mosaic Law – the Mitzvot – were discussed or analyzed as to their applicability. I intend to fill that niche.

I will do my best to do so in an orthodox manner. I will try not to give my personal opinions on a regular basis, but I will do so, I’ll try to clearly identify them as such.

As my sources, I rely on scripture, Sacred Tradition, the early Church fathers, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church which is essentially a compendium of all three.

Along the way, in order to break things up, I’ll add some analysis of topics that are timely or that I find interesting.

What may be lacking with this site is an analysis of the development of Jewish Tradition and the Talmud. If anyone who is particularly knowledgeable on this and would like to become a contributor to this site, please let me know.

Theological Implications of Extraterrestrial Life Pt. 4

Do extraterrestrials have Souls?

I’d like to thank my son Richard who contributed to the development of this post.

According to St. Thomas Aquinas, man's soul is a spirit and therefore is immortal. Animals and plants do have souls, but they are material principles. The souls of animals and plants die when the animals and plants die. Therefore it seems likely that if extraterrestrial life forms exist they would have souls, but what is not certain is whether they would have immortal souls.

What does the Catechism tell us about the nature of souls?

Catechism of the Catholic Church

363 In Sacred Scripture the term "soul" often refers to human life or the entire human person. But "soul" also refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God's image: "soul" signifies the spiritual principle in man.

364 The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:

What does scripture say?

Genesis 1: 27 - God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.

From the avove it appears that our having a soul and being created in God’s image may be less about being created in a way that we look similar to God, but more to our having a spiritual existence such as God and the angels. In fact, the Old Testament belief that to look at God would cause one’s death reinforces the likelihood that God looks very different from us.

The Bible and Sacred Tradition tells us that since we are created in the image of God (that we have a spiritual and immortal existence), we have been granted dominion over all of His creation.

358 God created everything for man, but man in turn was created to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to him:

362 The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when it affirms that "then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.

For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that man developed a technology that enabled him to explore new worlds in new solar systems.

If we found an unpopulated planet that was earth-like and supported abundant plant life, would there be an ethical problem in colonizing it? Probably not.

Let’s further assume that the planet has many indigenous plants, fruits, and vegetables that were nutritious and taste good. Would most people have a problem with harvesting them? I try to avoid giving personal opinions in these posts, but I personally wouldn’t see a problem with that. I also assume most people would likewise think that it would be an acceptable thing to do.

What if there were lower forms of animals. Would it be wrong to eat them?

According to Catholic apologist Karl Keating “there is a symmetry between animals and plants. There is no good reason to treat them differently.”

Scripture also tells us that because we have souls and were created in God’s image, we have been granted dominion over all the plants and animals.

Genesis 1:26-30

Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground."

God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth."

God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food." And so it happened.

It would seem that if the plant life and wildlife did not have immortal souls, we would have dominion over them. The question for which we don’t have a definitive answer is how would we know whether extraterrestrials have souls?

Once again, we have an excellent resource to which we can turn – the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It describes several traits that only man possesses (or should possess), so those are likely the traits that only creatures with immortal souls would have.

356 Of all visible creatures only man is "able to know and love his creator." He is "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake," and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created, and this is the fundamental reason for his dignity: What made you establish man in so great a dignity? Certainly the incalculable love by which you have looked on your creature in yourself! You are taken with love for her; for by love indeed you created her, by love you have given her a being capable of tasting your eternal Good.

357 Being in the image of God the human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons. And he is called by grace to a covenant with his Creator, to offer him a response of faith and love that no other creature can give in his stead.

Using these two paragraphs as guidelines we can identify certain qualities that would serve as a checklist to determine whether extraterrestrials have souls.

1.     Are the extraterrestrials intelligent?

Ideally we would be able to communicate with them. Since they would have developed in an environment that would be totally different from ours, communication would likely be difficult. There would be no “Rosetta Stone” to which we could refer. In the absence of the ability to communicate we would have to observe them in order to better understand them. Do they seem to be self-aware? We could determine whether they have the ability to craft and use tools. Have they developed any sort of society or civilization?

2.     Are the extraterrestrials able to know and love their creator?

Only man, created with an immortal soul in God’s image is able to know and love God. In a prior post we learned that Scripture tells us that this is the primary purpose for which we were created.

Matthew 12:28-30

One of the scribes, when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"

Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

If we are able to communicate with them, we would want to determine whether the aliens are capable of understanding the concept of a God or religion. Do they bury their dead as a part of a belief in the afterlife? (It is interesting to note that Neanderthals buried their dead, in at least some cases, with honor yet there is evidence that in some cases Homo sapiens killed, butchered, and ate some Neanderthals.)

3.     Are they capable of self-sacrifice?

In a prior post we learned that sacrificing our sufferings to God gives meaning to our lives.

A part of this is this question is whether the extraterrestrials care for the weakest of their own kind.

In a prior post we learned that Scripture tells us that caring for the weekest is the second most important purpose for which we were created.

Matthew 25:45

Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.

Unfortunately human beings generally do a poor job protecting the weakest among us. As we noted in prior posts, over 50 million human beings have been aborted in the United States since Roe vs. Wade. As Pope John Paul II said, “A nation that kills its own, is a nation without hope.”

4.     Do the extraterrestrials have dominion over their planet?

Man was created with dignity and given dominion over his planet. We should observe whether the extraterrestrials are at the top of the planet’s food chain. If called to share in God’s love, they would likely have been granted this dignity.  Without the undue preoccupation with avoiding creatures higher on the food chain, the extraterrestrials would be better able to serve their primary purpose - to serve God.

Because our worlds would be so different, our ability to communicate, or to determine the answers to the above questions would probably be difficult.

If we suspect that the extraterrestrials are lower-life forms, this would present two more questions:

1.     Would we be justified in domesticating alien life forms in the same way that we’ve domesticated chickens, horses, and pack mules?

2.     At what point would it be immoral to eat extraterrestrial life?

St. John Chrysostom said, “What is it that is about to be created, that enjoys such honor? It is man that great and wonderful living creature, more precious in the eyes of God than all other creatures! For him the heavens and the earth, the sea and all the rest of creation exist.”

Evaluations of extraterrestrial life may be ambiguous at best. Perhaps our best course of action would be to tread softly. It would probably be best not to exploit, and certainly not to eat, them.

Phillip K. Dick once wrote an excellent short story called Beyond Lies the Wub, where a space traveler decided to eat a swine-like creature that turned out to be more advanced than he had thought.

Since God has given us the gifts of our souls and free-will, we are charged with giving dignity to all of God’s creations. Even if extraterrestrial life is not advanced, perhaps there is much that we could learn from it. If we encounter extraterrestrial life we should endeavor to determine what purpose it has.  Perhaps God’s purpose for aliens is for us to care for them.

2416 Animals are God's creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals.

Pro Abortion Activists Perpetrate More Violence

I received the following email today from Eric Scheidler of the Pro-Life Action League.

--

I'm writing today to let you know about a violent attack the other night on my parents' home in Chicago, and to ask for your special help.

Just after 2:00 a.m., my mother Ann was awakened by the sound of breaking glass. She turned on the light and said to my father, "Something fell." Then they heard a second crash.

My parents got up and checked around the house, looking for a broken shelf that would account for the sound of glass. The shelves were all fine, so they assumed the noise must have come from outside and went back to bed.

But when they came down again in the morning to go to 7:30 Mass, they immediately realized something was wrong. For some reason, the house was ice cold!

My father Joe went outside and found broken glass all over the front porch. At the same time, my mother found a chunk of asphalt on the dining room floor, with glass scattered all around.

Then she found another chunk of asphalt on the living room floor, this one wrapped in a plastic bag with a bizarre note inside – a piece of hate-mail addressed to my father from some self-professed pro-abortion anarchists!

The note was filled with profanity and hate. You can see that note, plus pictures of the damage, right here.

I know that you share my resolve not to be intimidated by this kind of pro-abortion violence.

That's why I'm asking you to answer the "Advent attack" on my childhood home by making a special year-end gift to support the work of the Pro-Life Action League, using this secure link.

When police arrived at my parents' home, the officer initially thought the incident might meet the standards for a "hate crime." But his superiors told him, no, the perpetrators didn't hate my father, but just what he stands for.

I thought that was the point of a hate crime: to attack someone because you hate what they stand for. But it seems there's a double standard where pro-lifers are concerned.

In any case, the pro-abortion are vandals unlikely to be caught. And as for the windows, they can be replaced.

What I'm really worried about is being able to keep the League at the center of the abortion battle. We've been hit by the recession like everyone else and my father and I are struggling to pay the bills.

There are demonic forces out there trying to stop my father and me from fighting to end abortion. It's no coincidence that this violent attack comes right in the midst of some of the toughest economic times we've ever faced at the Pro-Life Action League.

Satan and his demons fight hard to snuff out the life of every unborn baby they can. We have to fight just as hard to save them!

Please dig deep and send me the most generous gift you can in the name of all the babies we will save together from the devil's clutches. To make your gift right now, just follow this link.

These desperate pro-abortion anarchists -- and the powers of darkness behind them -- want to scare my father and me into abandoning the babies, but I can assure you that will never happen.

As my father said, "They can break every window in my house if they like. They will never break my resolve."

Yours for Life,

 -- Eric

P.S. Again, you can see the damage done to my parents' home – and the hate mail hurled through the window -- right here.

Eric Scheidler

Executive Director

Pro-Life Action League

Tel: 630-896-1200

Facebook: http://facebook.com/prolifeaction

Twitter: http://twitter.com/prolifeaction

Theological Implications of Extraterrestrial Life Pt. 3

Theological Implications of Extraterrestrial Life

Would Jesus’ Sacrifice Have Saved Intelligent Extraterrestrial Life?

This is the third post in the three part series on the theological implications of extraterrestrial life.

In the last post, we discussed how C.S. Lewis suggested that if aliens were born with original sin, they might not have needed a separate sacrifice by Jesus for their redemption. He cited Romans 8:19-22

For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now

Therefore, when Jesus was crucified on Earth, Lewis felt that His ultimate sacrifice may have sufficed for all of creation – throughout the universe.

Lewis’ theory is undeniably elegant, but it does have its flaws.

First we must realize that God didn’t need to send his Son to earth in order to save us. We could have been saved in an instant merely by the will of God. There are likely important reasons that Jesus came in the flesh to save us.

First he came to fulfill the prophesizes of the Old Testament. He came to fulfill the Old Covenant.

Second, he came so that we might believe. He performed many signs, He rose from the dead, and even left behind the Shroud of Turin so that those who are doubtful might believe. (Some people, of course, will never believe no matter the magnitude of the proof, as exemplified by the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Luke 16:31 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.'

Catechism of the Catholic Church

458 The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him." "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Third, Jesus came to teach us. In a prior post, we learned that we are to emulate his ways.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

459 The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me." "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." On the mountain of the Transfiguration, the Father commands: "Listen to him!" Jesus is the model for the Beatitudes and the norm of the new law: "Love one another as I have loved you." This love implies an effective offering of oneself, after his example.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Jesus came to give meaning to our suffering. It is during the mass- during communion –that we have the clearest answer as to why bad things happen to good people.

Jesus, of course, gave the ultimate sacrifice to mankind. He humbled himself by becoming man, and allowing himself to be crucified in the most horrible and painful way. During mass, when we receive the Eucharist - which Jesus clearly told us is His real presence – the body and blood of Christ - we should meditate upon the sufferings that we have endured over the prior week. Through the miracle of the Eucharist, we transcend time and space and in our own small way, with our own small sufferings, we momentarily join with Christ and his sufferings on the cross. Paul explained this in Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.

Every time we offer our sufferings to God, we receive unimaginable graces. One Saint said that if we understood the incredible redemptive power of suffering, we’d actually beg God for more. Bishop John Steinbock of the Diocese of Fresno, who died of cancer said, “Cancer of itself is not a gift, but the grace to accept it, embrace it, and give thanks for it, is the greater gift of God within me.”

However, if we suffer and do not offer it up to God – if our thoughts instead turn inward – then our sufferings become utterly meaningless. We isolate ourselves from God and all others.

The Catechism teaches us that God became man to show us his divine love. Without seeing Jesus’ sacrifice, how could we – or aliens – appreciate His ultimate sacrifice? How could they learn the value of suffering? If aliens have original sin, but were unknowingly saved by Jesus’ sacrifice on Earth, they would have no understanding or appreciation of the concepts listed above. Therefore, C.S. Lewis’ theory is not entirely satisfying.

In the next post we’ll speculate on whether extraterrestrials could have souls.

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Theological Implications of Extraterrestrial Life Pt. 2

The Church is open to the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

I'd like to thank my son Richard who came up with the concept and contributed to the development of this post.

In May 2008, Fr. José Gabriel Funes, the Director of the Vatican Observatory, granted an interview on the relationship between astronomy and faith.  According to Fr. Funes, it is possible to believe in God and in extraterrestrials. The existence of other worlds and other life, even more evolved than ours, can be accepted without this interfering in the discussion the faith of creation, the incarnation, the redemption.

Please note that the opinions of Fr. Funes are his own and do not represent an official statement of the Magesterium of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Funes said, “Astronomers contend that the universe is made up of a hundred billion galaxies, each of which is composed of hundreds of billions of stars. Many of these, or almost all of them, could have planets. How can you exclude that life has developed somewhere else?”

There are many scientists who state that there may be intelligent extraterrestrial life, but due to the distances between stars, it is unlikely that there will ever be any contact with them. Nonetheless the possibility of extraterrestrial life raises a number of interesting questions including:

·        Would extraterrestrials have original sin?

·        Could extraterrestrials have souls?

·        Did Jesus come in some form to save them?

·        If contact was possible, could we proselytize them?

·        If they didn’t have souls would it be sinful to exploit them?

According to Fr. Funes, “As there exist many creatures on earth, so there could be other beings, also intelligent, created by God. This doesn’t contradict our faith because we cannot put limits on the creative freedom of God. To say it as St. Francis [of Assisi], if we consider some earthly creatures as ‘brother’ and ‘sister,’ why couldn’t we also talk of an ‘extraterrestrial brother’? He would also belong to creation.”

If extraterrestrials have souls, it would be possible that they would have been born without original sin. Fr. Funes discussed this possibility and referred to the Gospel parable of the lost sheep. Aliens, he speculated, could already be redeemed because they could have remained in full friendship with God, while the human race “could be precisely the lost sheep, the sinners that need the shepherd.”

Original Sin

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism describes plainly the nature of original sin. For the purposes of this post it is necessary to include more paragraphs than I do in other posts.

396 God created man in his image and established him in his friendship. A spiritual creature, man can live this friendship only in free submission to God. The prohibition against eating "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" spells this out: "for in the day that you eat of it, you shall die." The "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" symbolically evokes the insurmountable limits that man, being a creature, must freely recognize and respect with trust. Man is dependent on his Creator, and subject to the laws of creation and to the moral norms that govern the use of freedom.

397 Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.

398 In that sin man preferred himself to God and by that very act scorned him. He chose himself over and against God, against the requirements of his creaturely status and therefore against his own good. Constituted in a state of holiness, man was destined to be fully "divinized" by God in glory. Seduced by the devil, he wanted to "be like God", but "without God, before God, and not in accordance with God".

399 Scripture portrays the tragic consequences of this first disobedience. Adam and Eve immediately lose the grace of original holiness. They become afraid of the God of whom they have conceived a distorted image - that of a God jealous of his prerogatives.

400 The harmony in which they had found themselves, thanks to original justice, is now destroyed: the control of the soul's spiritual faculties over the body is shattered; the union of man and woman becomes subject to tensions, their relations henceforth marked by lust and domination. Harmony with creation is broken: visible creation has become alien and hostile to man. Because of man, creation is now subject "to its bondage to decay". Finally, the consequence explicitly foretold for this disobedience will come true: man will "return to the ground," for out of it he was taken. Death makes its entrance into human history.

401 After that first sin, the world is virtually inundated by sin. There is Cain's murder of his brother Abel and the universal corruption which follows in the wake of sin. Likewise, sin frequently manifests itself in the history of Israel, especially as infidelity to the God of the Covenant and as transgression of the Law of Moses. And even after Christ's atonement, sin raises its head in countless ways among Christians. Scripture and the Church's Tradition continually recall the presence and universality of sin in man's history:

402 All men are implicated in Adam's sin, as St. Paul affirms: "By one man's disobedience many (that is, all men) were made sinners": "sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned." The Apostle contrasts the universality of sin and death with the universality of salvation in Christ. "Then as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man's act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men."

403 Following St. Paul, the Church has always taught that the overwhelming misery which oppresses men and their inclination towards evil and death cannot be understood apart from their connection with Adam's sin and the fact that he has transmitted to us a sin with which we are all born afflicted, a sin which is the "death of the soul". Because of this certainty of faith, the Church baptizes for the remission of sins even tiny infants who have not committed personal sin.

404 How did the sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants? The whole human race is in Adam "as one body of one man". By this "unity of the human race" all men are implicated in Adam's sin, as all are implicated in Christ's justice. Still, the transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. But we do know by Revelation that Adam had received original holiness and justice not for himself alone, but for all human nature. By yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a personal sin, but this sin affected the human nature that they would then transmit in a fallen state. It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is, by the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. And that is why original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed" - a state and not an act.

406 The Church's teaching on the transmission of original sin was articulated more precisely in the fifth century, especially under the impulse of St. Augustine's reflections against Pelagianism, and in the sixteenth century, in opposition to the Protestant Reformation. Pelagius held that man could, by the natural power of free will and without the necessary help of God's grace, lead a morally good life; he thus reduced the influence of Adam's fault to bad example. The first Protestant reformers, on the contrary, taught that original sin has radically perverted man and destroyed his freedom; they identified the sin inherited by each man with the tendency to evil (concupiscentia), which would be insurmountable. The Church pronounced on the meaning of the data of Revelation on original sin especially at the second Council of Orange (529) and at the Council of Trent (1546).

So what do these paragraphs from the Catechism tell us?

1.     As a consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve creation is now subject to its bondage to decay (would that pertain to all of creation, including other worlds?);

2.     Original sin is transmitted to us and we are all born afflicted;

3.     Even after Christ's atonement, sin raises its head in countless ways among Christians;

4.     By this "unity of the human race" all men are implicated in Adam's sin; and

5.     The transmission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand.

There are multiple manners in which we can imagine original sin is transmitted. Could it be transferred to our progeny through the act of sexual intercourse? Perhaps it is in some way a part of our DNA. It is also possible that original sin is transmitted from human to human, through contact – akin to a disease.

In 2005, Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno wrote a booklet called Intelligent Life in the Universe? Catholic Belief and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligent Life. Brother Consolmagno speculated that if new forms of life were to be discovered or highly advanced beings from outer space were to touch down on planet Earth, it would not mean “everything we believe in is wrong,” rather, “we're going to find out that everything is truer in ways we couldn't even yet have imagined.”

Brother Consolmango added, “The limitless universe might even include other planets with other beings created by that same loving God The idea of there being other races and other intelligences is not contrary to traditional Christian thought. There is nothing in Holy Scripture that could confirm or contradict the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe.”

The reason I have prefaced this post with information of how original sin is transmitted is because it would be an issue if earth is ever visited by aliens who haven’t been tainted by original sin. Let’s suppose the following:

1.     Somewhere in the galaxy there is a race of intelligent beings, with souls, that have not fallen in the same manner as humans.

2.     The aliens do not have original sin,

3.     The aliens are good, kind, and benevolent who do not know death.

4.     They visit earth to help us.

Would humans transmit original sin to the aliens by contact? Could contact with humans harm the aliens?

The exposure to humans and our ideas could implant the seeds of temptation and relativism with the aliens. Their trust in the Creator could die within them as it has with many of us. For the first time they would exercise their gift of free will in defiance of God. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness. For the first time they would know hate and death.

Would they then turn on mankind with their superior technology? Would their purpose change from a mission of mercy to one of exploitation?


Even worse. Suppose the aliens realize that they have changed after having contacted humans. Suppose that they knew that it was a bad thing. Perhaps they would destroy Earth to stop the "infection."


Mark 9:43-48

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

Would the tainted aliens return to their home world and transmit original sin to everyone else on their planet? Could they, in turn, transmit original sin throughout the galaxy?

Need for Redemption?

If the aliens have souls, once they became tainted with original sin, they would need redemption. Would Jesus come to their home world in an alien form to save them?

C.S. Lewis wrote an essay entitled Religion and Rocketry, in which he argued that the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life would not necessarily contradict Christian theology. Lewis said that it was possible that aliens, if they exist, might have fallen from a state of grace and in that case might be redeemed through God’s mercy.

According to Fr. Funes, if aliens were sinners, just as Jesus is believed to have come to save mankind they, “in some way, would have the chance to enjoy God’s mercy.”

On the other hand, C.S. Lewis suggested that aliens might not need a separate sacrifice by Jesus for their redemption. He cited Romans 8:19-22

For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now

Therefore, when Jesus was crucified on Earth, his ultimate sacrifice may have sufficed for all of creation – throughout the universe.

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