In April astronomers announced the discovery of an earth-like planet.
It is 39 light years away with an atmosphere. Could this be an inhabited world? We are given the impression that aliens are everywhere. There are movies like ET, Independence Day or Close Encounters. There are books like War of the Worlds or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Classics among video games are Space Invaders and Defender.
Does the possibility of extra-terrestrial life present problems for the Christian faith? This question is not new. Christian theologians of the Middle Ages discussed the topic. More recently, C.S. Lewis gave some thought to this (Religion and Rocketry) alongside writing an intriguing trilogy of science fiction novels (Out of the Silent Planet, etc.).
