Re: Judaism and extra-terrestrial life
Joseph I. Ceasar (jic@nyc.pipeline.com)
Fri, 13 Sep 1996 14:08:44 GMT
On Sep 11, 1996 18:33:18, Leonard Mansky wrote:
>Lamm, along with many scientists, considers the possibilities of significant
>extraterrestial life remote, and reviews the evidence for his conclusion.
>Nevertheless, he discusses the religious challenges that would ensue should
>the speculations prove correct. He discusses the subject from the
>standpoints of the uniqueness of man, the uniqueness of the Creator, and the
>relation between Gd and man.
Two points.
1) It is very remote, or should I say impossible, for extra terrestrial
life to exist. Why? Because as far as the Torah goes, we are the ultimate
purpose of creation. We are the only needed intelligent life form.
2) Assuming that some extra terresterial life form is found, it adds
nothing nor takes nothing from the Torah and from us. We still have to do
the mitzvot, etc. You may have other questions such as "Will they be
superior to us? etc." The answer is no. I compare this question to "What
if we find a new type of animal?". The Torah makes it very clear. We are
the apex of creation. Hashem created the world for His honor. In the
Gemarah it is stated that "Hashem, the Torah, and the Jewish people are
one". We are such a high creation that we are almost not a creation. Our
Neshama is actually a part of Hashem Itself!
You should know that the snake was supposed to be man's helper. The snake
was the smartest of all the animals. It was the only animal that possesed
the power of speech. Imagine, a pet that is also a servant. But no matter
how smart this snake was, it was supposed to be subservient to us. So if
you do find an alien that is smart, chances are that it is supposed to be
your servant!
>If you are interested in the reconcilliation of science and religion, you
>would also enjoy the 1990 Bantam paperback, "Genesis and the Big Bang," by
>Gerald L. Schroeder, an MIT PhD in nuclear physics. It is subtitled, "The
>Discovery of Harmony Between Modern Science and the Bible."
I read this book, and I found nothing of value in it. This book is
"apologetic". It tries to mold the Torah into science. This is wrong.
The Torah is absolute, just as Hashem is absolute. If science is not in
accord with the Torah, it is not a shortcoming of the Torah. Science has
not matured yet to the level of the Torah.
Joseph I. Ceasar (Yossi)
CLS Computer Solutions