From time to time, someone asks me if I believe in the existence of intelligent life not based on Earth. Once I explain that I do believe in angels and demons they will clarify the question. They want to know if I believe in intelligent life on the physical plane that did not originate on Earth.
I then answer that I neither believe nor disbelieve. I am open to the possibility that the God who created the universe could have created intelligent life on other worlds in addition to our planet. Jesus said, "I have other sheep not of this fold." For centuries is has been assumed "the other sheep" he was referring to were just human beings who were not descendants of Jacob. But, there is nothing which precludes Jesus' statement from having a larger implication.
C.S. Lewis postulated such possibilities in his space trilogy. I certainly can't claim to be the first. The more I learn to appreciate the greatness of God, the less unlikely it seems that there may be intelligent life on other worlds. At the same time, the more I learn of the rarity of the conditions we enjoy on this Eden we call Earth, the less likely it seems there would be such extra-terrestrial intelligent life in close enough proximity that we will ever discover them on our own. God knows. For the present, I have to leave the matter there.
