Extraterrestrial Origin of Life
QUESTION: What is the theory of the extraterrestrial origin of life?ANSWER:The theory of the extraterrestrial origin of life is not a well-defined single theory. It is more of an adjunct or an extension of the belief that since random unguided biological evolution on earth is a fact, certainly the same forces would have resulted in life in other places in the universe. Extraterrestrial life is never associated with the possibility that life perhaps could have been created elsewhere if it could be created on earth. If it could be verified that life existed elsewhere in the universe, it would be presented as proof of biological evolution.
This argument could not be farther from the truth. Although it is true that if life could evolve on earth, it certainly could evolve other places if the conditions were right. However, it is equally true that if life could be created on earth it could be created elsewhere also. In fact, if the creative force was powerful enough to produce life, if would be powerful enough to create the proper environment in which to place the created life. The theory of the origin of extraterrestrial life only moves the evolution/creation debate to a remote location.
Extraterrestrial life is currently a hypothetical notion. No scientific evidence of the existence of extraterrestrial life has been widely accepted by scientists. One thing sited as evidence of extraterrestrial life is UFO sightings. Although this is objective evidence of possible extraterrestrial life forms, verifiable evidence has been elusive.
Scientists are directly searching for unicellular life within the solar system, carrying out studies on the surface of Mars and examining meteors that have fallen to Earth. There is some limited evidence that microbial life might possibly exist on Mars. An experiment on the Viking Mars Lander reported gas emissions from heated Martian soil that some argue are consistent with the presence of microbes. However, the lack of corroborating evidence from other experiments on the Viking indicates that a non-biological reaction is a more likely hypothesis. Independently, in 1996, structures resembling bacteria were reportedly discovered in a meteorite known to be formed of rock ejected from Mars. Again, this report is vigorously disputed.
Scientists are also searching indirectly for intelligent life through a SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project. It is theorized that a technological society in space will be transmitting information. SETI uses radio telescopes to scan the sky for evidence of such transmissions that would infer intelligent life. No evidence of intelligent life has been identified to date.
Panspermia is a theory that suggests that the seeds of life are prevalent throughout the Universe and life on Earth began by such seeds landing on Earth and propagating. Currently, no evidence supports this theory. Again, even if seeds of life are prevalent throughout the universe, that only raises the question of how did the seeds of life get there? Again, this only removes the evolution /creation debate to a remote location.
In 1950 a scientist named Enrico Fermi made a seemingly innocuous lunchtime remark that caught and held the attention of every SETI researcher since. He made the statement that many sophisticated societies populate the Galaxy. But immediately, Fermi realized that any civilization with a modest amount of rocket technology and some incentive could rapidly colonize the entire Galaxy. Within ten million years, every star system could be brought under the wing of the empire. This prompted Fermi to ask the question, "where is everybody?" This is referred to as the Fermi Paradox.
The theory of the origins of extraterrestrial life, although incorrectly used to support the theory of evolution, has not had any more evidence to support it than the theory of evolution itself. It seems strange that science is willing to embrace the miraculous formation of life through random unguided processes, but is unwilling to consider a miraculous creation created by a designer! They are willing to embrace one religious dogma while completely rejecting the only other possible alternative.
George Wald, a prominent Evolutionist (a Harvard University biochemist and Nobel Laureate), wrote, "When it comes to the Origin of Life there are only two possibilities: creation or spontaneous generation. There is no third way. Spontaneous Generation was disproved one hundred years ago, but that leads us to only one other conclusion, that of supernatural creation. We cannot accept that on philosophical grounds; therefore, we choose to believe the impossible: that life arose spontaneously by chance!" ("The Origin of Life,"
Scientific American, 191:48, May 1954). Perhaps this explains evolutionists' position.
