What does the Bible have to say about aliens or extraterrestrial life?

My article from this week's edition of the Rockford Squire:

During my first decade as a pastor in Iowa, I had a regular “Ask the Pastor” column in the local paper where I answered over 200 reader-submitted questions.  Since I’ve heard one question asked many places in past weeks, it seems like a good time to return to those roots here:

What does the Bible have to say about aliens or extraterrestrial life?

I guess the short answer would be, “They are not mentioned.”  However, there is a great deal of teaching in scripture that would inform how a Christian would think about the possibility. 

To begin with, we know from observation of that natural world that the conditions necessary for life to exist and survive are extremely narrow.  When one considers the precise combination of the placement relative to the sun, rotation, and revolution of the earth, the tilt of its access, the necessary atmospheric conditions, availability of oxygen, water, and nutrients, and all the other factors necessary to sustain life, the odds of this occurring even once are in the trillions-to-one.  Odds of the existence of an environment with different elements sustaining a different sort of life are similarly slim. 

Since even one occurrence of this perfect combination necessitates a creator, it follows that a second or further occurrence would also require a personal, intelligent creator.  The lack of Biblical reference to such life, or of a prophecy that we will encounter it, leans in the direction that such life either does not exist, or at least if it does we will not encounter it before Jesus returns. 

Secondly, the scriptures consistently portray Earth as the focal point of God’s creative activity, and humanity as the pinnacle of that creation.  The sun, moon, stars, and other heavenly bodies are all described in their relation to the earth, and their role is described as marking time and seasons here--as created for the benefit of earth, and not as locations of alternate creations themselves.   

Likewise, humanity is described as a unique creation of God and bearing His image in a way unique from the rest of creation.  This would lead us to conclude that even if we were to find life from other planets, it would have more in common with animal life, and be in service to earth and humanity, rather than being a parallel or rival creation to us. 

A final consideration is that the natural world is not the extent of creation, and the spiritual world contains both good and evil.  If it ever seems you’re personally encountering something extraterrestrial, consider it might be something supernatural, and ask what it thinks of Jesus.  The answer will likely reveal a lot about its nature and intentions.