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Post by Jeff Gerke on Aug 7, 2008 7:42:18 GMT -5
I don't mind it, Dave. No one is being intentionally sacrilegious, as far as I can tell. We're just letting the Christian what-if ideas flow, which is the point of The Anomaly. At that phase, I believe it's okay to just run with ideas and not hamstring ourselves with admonitions that "That's not in the Bible."
I personally believe, as I've written, that if there were extraterrestrial races out there, they would need to come to faith in Christ for salvation. However (and not to go too Calvinist on us here), I also believe that if God wanted to do it some other way, He could.
Jeff
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Post by newburydave on Sept 7, 2008 17:59:16 GMT -5
Hey Jeff
I'm on the same page with you, in fact in my storyline the "friends of the bride" ET races do assume faith in Jesus, even the ones who never fell into sin, as soon as his death and resurrection is revealed on Earth ( I start back at creation so there is a lot of time when the original revelation is all they have.
I agree that God is Sovereign and can do whatever he wants to with his universe (and I'm not a Calvinist though I am of a reformed faith) my only concern was that we apply our collective creativity to establish a systematic theological schema for Extra Terrestrial races.
This is not just speculation on my part. I am wrestling with this question myself. I have to make it work in my created universe and I don't want to be overly simplistic or unrealistic. I do wish to come up with something that is not contradictory to the Scriptures.
So I really would like to see this topic go forward. Maybe we could call it the Anomalous ET Theology project.
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Post by Spokane Flyboy on Sept 8, 2008 2:57:26 GMT -5
This would be an interesting topic to toss around, but I also feel that there is enough grey area in the matter, especially if we start getting into discussions based on original texts, that there may be room to play. Did Christ die once for all sin universal? Or did Christ die for only the sin of all mankind and the other races would still be in need of salvation if they do indeed fall under the same curse? Or in a slight nod toward all the parallel-universe buffs, did Christ in a theological concept that rivals the Trinity, die once, but in multiple bodies at the same moment in time for the sins of those races? I know, the last one is stretching it, but it's fuel for the crucible that will yield an answer, however precise or vague it may turn out to be.
To come up with a universal, one-size-fits-all schema, I feel, is improbable. However, I do feel that the discussion will at least allow us to come up with all the things we do know can and can't happen, then each of us will be left to play in the gray area to our creative mind's delight.
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Vaporwolf
Full Member
Shnakvorum Rikoyoch
Posts: 123
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Post by Vaporwolf on Sept 8, 2008 11:59:43 GMT -5
One of the fun things of writing about this type of thing in Science fiction is you can tackle the debate head on through the story (if the story you are writing supports it). Just because you settle on how you want it to work in the universe you've created (Christ once for all, Once per world, or however) doesn't mean that all your characters agree.
In fact such dissagreements will create a much richer world and deeper characters while providing some interesting interpersonal conflicts. Much like what you might see if a devout Catholic, a Southern Baptist and a Pentacostal an Athiest and a Muslim were all sent on a world saving mission together that forced them to work as a close knit team while also frayed their nerves and beliefs.
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Post by myrthman on Sept 8, 2008 22:05:46 GMT -5
the Anomalous ET Theology project. That sounds a lot like a title to me. Do we have another collaborative effort on our hands? Or maybe AETTP is an acronym for a fictional government group in someone's story? Either way, I like the sound of it.
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Post by Jeff Gerke on Sept 9, 2008 7:40:03 GMT -5
"a devout Catholic, a Southern Baptist and a Pentacostal an Athiest and a Muslim" walk into a bar... OR "a devout Catholic, a Southern Baptist and a Pentacostal an Athiest and a Muslim" die and stand before St. Peter... [just sounds like a setup for a joke]
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Post by newburydave on Sept 9, 2008 10:51:38 GMT -5
Yeah... Everyone but the Atheist would know where the stepping stones are...Right?
(that's from the old one about the new guy in the small town clerical fishing club)
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