The Beacon Monday, April 4, 2011
Is extraterrestrial life Biblical?
A PBA student
makes an attempt to
answer the difficult
question, “Can
Christians believe in
aliens?”
By Nick Murray
Staff Writer
Aliens are everywhere, in a manner
of speaking. Science fiction films are
rife with depictions of extraterrestri-
als, both malicious and benevolent,
some bent on planetary genocide and
some who wish to enlighten the hu-
man race.
Some say they exist while others re-
fuse to even admit the possibility. The
topic only becomes more controversial
at a faith-based institution like Palm
Beach Atlantic University where con-
victions and doctrines invariably color
one’s perceptions.
Students who were asked about the
possible existence of aliens, within the
framework of Christianity, were often
at a loss for words.
Campus Pastor Bernie Cueto con-
fessed that he didn’t have any imme-
diate thoughts on the subject. The ma-
jority of individuals who were asked
similarly confessed to not having
“thought too much about it” or thought
that “it didn’t really matter.” Many also
said that they simply “didn’t know too
much about it,” highlighting the lack
of consideration for the issue.
A select few were situated at the op-
posite end of the spectrum, having
considered the notion with a certain
amount of depth. The personal beliefs
that were shared ranged from mere
acknowledgements of the possibility
of extraterrestrial life to the view that
Coke or Pepsi? PBA students take poll
By Samone Davis & Nick Murray
Staff Writers
Coca-Cola beverages might just be
more popular than we think, especial-
ly on Palm Beach Atlantic University’s
campus. Some of you may be thinking
“who cares about soda,” right? Coke
and Pepsi lovers sure do.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola have
been rivals for quite some time, with
Coca-Cola as the most popular bever-
age in the country, followed by Pepsi-
Cola in the No. 2 spot.
Recently there has been a transition
with Diet Coke taking the number two
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the presence of extraterrestri-
als conflicted with Scriptural
truths and detracted from
the value of a personal re-
lationship with God.
Personally, I opine
differently.
My involvement with
the idea of extrater-
restrials in a religious
context dates back to my
senior year of high school
when a classmate lent me
the book Chariots of the
Gods.
The book listed different
phenomena for which the
book’s author claimed aliens
were responsible. The book
also revealed that extra-
terrestrials were fig-
ures that an-
cient
cul-
tures
and
re-
li-
CHARLOTTE RAKESTRAW / GRAPHIC ARTS EDITOR
position, bumping Pepsi-Cola to third
place for most popular soft drink in
the country.
According to an article by CBS News
online, Coca Cola sold almost 927 mil-
lion cases of Diet Coke in 2010, de-
feating Pepsi Cola which sold 892 mil-
lion cases.
Since PBA is a Pepsi-Cola spon-
sored institution, it may be assumed
that most students prefer Pepsi over
Coke. However, when asked which
they preferred, most chose Coke and
Diet Coke rather than Pepsi and Diet
Pepsi, including the PBA faculty.
Spring 2011 Hours:
Day
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
CWE Workshop this week:
Writing an effective conclusion
gions identified as deities,
thus making the claim
that aliens and gods
are one and the
same.
Chariots utilized
an array of evi-
dence to support
this claim such as
hieroglyphics that
depict so-called
gods riding in
chariots of fire that
more closely re-
semble rockets with
jet propulsion. The
gods in pagan cultures
are generally regarded
as demons, or fallen
angels by Chris-
tianity.
Dr. Wes Jamison, associate profes-
sor of communication, said that he
drinks Pepsi every morning instead of
coffee, but at the end of a hard day he
rewards himself with a cold bottle of
Coca Cola, which he prefers.
“I drink [Pepsi] every day; I can
say that I’m addicted to caffeine,”
Jamison said. “I only drink Pepsi be-
cause I have no choice and there is no
Coke around campus, but if I did have
a choice, I would choose Coke rather
than Pepsi.”
Jamison also said that he believes
that Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola taste
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Apr. 5, 6, 7 TR
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opinion 3
Thus, by extension, one can reason
that gods in other cultures, or aliens
as they are now referred to, are in fact
demons.
Of course, an issue like this necessi-
tates dialogue with individuals that are
more learned in the subject. I turned to
Thomas Chesnes, associate professor
of biology and Victor Copan, associate
professor of ministry, for answers.
Despite their vastly different fields
of study, they both pointed me to the
same source: the Vatican Observatory.
Copan also pointed me to an article
found on Catholic.net titled Alien Life
Out There, which featured the insights
of Jesuit Father Jose Gabriel Funes,
who has been head of the Vatican Ob-
servatory since 2006.
The most interesting aspect of the
entire piece is that not only does it de-
cry outright denial of the existence of
alien life, but it also puts forth the idea
that an extraterrestrial might well
be considered a brother in Christ as
they would “also belong to creation.”
Father Funes asked how one can “ex-
clude that life has developed else-
where” when one considers the vast
amount of planets and galaxies that
float about the universe.
Father Funes also said that en-
tertaining the possibility of extra-
terrestrials “doesn’t contradict our
faith because we cannot put limits
on the creative freedom of God.”
However, as is usually the case,
nothing is for certain.
We at the Beacon would like
to hear any thoughts read-
ers have on the subject such
as personal convictions on the
matter or objections that you
have to the ideas put forth in
the article.
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facebook.com/PBABeaconNews-
paper.com.
very different, but they seem to copy
one another in the way they adver-
tise their beverages, with Pepsi doing
most of the imitating.
Student reporter Nick Murray took
an oral poll asking PBA students if
they would prefer to drink Coke or
Pepsi. Out of 62 students polled, 19
preferred Pepsi and 43 preferred
Coke.
“I prefer to drink coke because it
just tastes so much better [than Pep-
si],” said student Belle Herrera.
For a video about Coke vs. Pepsi,
visit www.readmybeacon.com.
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