Questions on Extraterrestrial Life, Courage, and Universalism | Reasonable Faith Podcast

If there's life on other planets, will they join us in the New Heavens and New Earth?

We welcome your comments in the Reasonable Faith forums:

[river]

The question about bad apologetics has been something I’ve been struggling with for months and Dr.Craig’s response is exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you so much and may God continue to bless you!

[josephtattum]

I don’t delight in the damnation of others, but I do delight that God allows them to choose such a fate.

[dougcarey]

Jesus actually showed great courage in the face of torture and certain death. He was quite afraid of what was to come while praying in the garden of Gethsemane. Therefore, God can possess/show courage, assuming he takes on the vulnerability of human nature.

[belzazaroyarzunm.]

Regarding Dr. Craig’s answer about the meeting with extraterrestrials, it came to my mind the bar scene in Star Wars.😅

[jackplumbridge]

I would disagree with what Craig said about it being impossible for there to be a world in which people die in their sins, but universalism is true.
For such a claim to be true, it would need to be necessarily the case that salvation can only be obtained in this life and not after someone dies.
Whilst I think that it is the case in the actual world, that salvation can only be obtained in this life, I do not think it is necessarily the case that someone can only be saved in this life.
I think it is possible for God to create a world in which people can be saved after they have died a physical death.

[Ben-cz]

Would Jesus be considered to be courageous in facing the cross as 100% man? Surely as a man he felt fear, because if he didn't how could be a high priest acquainted with all our weakness?

[kevindame]

"Let us make man in our image"; Elohim: refer to Proverbs 8:22-36, and then read Proverbs 9:5, and there should be no questions after that. In verse 22, when it says, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning..." Ask yourself who that 'me' is, and keep reading and you will know the truth, especially when you read 9:5

Remember that Jesus said, "I and my Father are one."

[anthonycostello]

One might take pleasure in the elimination of evil from creation. In fact, it seems right that one should take pleasure in a state of affairs whereby evil is eliminated and, even, justly punished by God. However, if evil is not merely abstract, but embodied, i.e., embodied in concrete, individual evil persons, then it may also be right to say one will take pleasure in the elimination, or even punishment, of evil people. I believe no one less than Jonathan Edwards argued as much.

[googIesux]

EDITED:

ah typical. it saith 3 comments but i only see 2.

Um... maybe the word "courage" itself is only defined as something exhibited, but if it's rooted in ones character or nature, perhaps there's a courageous quality that exists whether it ever has the occasion to be proven or not. Like God's justice? And Christ obviously exhibited perfect courage as a man, and in the sense that Dr Craig means it, maybe only Christ could have revealed such a character quality of God to other beings. The other guy's point was, I think, similar in pointing out the issue of how we understand what courage is, or what causes it; but I'm thinking about a quality that someone can have, but that is yet to be exhibited. Another thought is that while some people would probably want to think about that in terms of potential, maybe God really is beyond all such "potential" talk and we can't actually understand how qualities "work" apart from God stating that He reveals His qualities through such practical means, at least in part, and at least sometimes. And by "via" I mean that we think about those revelations in very material and temporal events, but I'm not sure how various spiritual beings actually perceive what Christ did on the cross, and what he is doing to us right now. We believe in regeneration, and in two becoming one in marriage, and we can hear God talk about why, and we can experience the realities... but that's not the same as fully understanding them. Paul, a man who was caught up to the 7th heaven, called marriage "a profound mystery." ...I'm not sure if I'm being clear at all, but I'd expect God's courage to be at least potential, if we're talking about qualities, but I expect more than merely potential.

[Gonefishing]

Interesting that our concept of aliens are never beautiful, always creepy 😂

[gfujigo]

Classical theism is far better than theistic personalism. God doesn’t have feelings and doesn’t change nor experience courage. God is perfect and immutable.

[Shehatescash]

If courage isn’t within god’s nature, how can courage be good under divine command theory? Good is based on the contents of God’s nature