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The urgent search is not to find God, at least not for the science of astronomy.
Astronomy has inherited the challenge from biology to find life and not just simple cell organisms but intelligent life. Why?
The assumptions made about the origins of life on earth by biology necessitates that life has evolved elsewhere in the cosmos. This is because if life has evolved from a random process here on earth the very immensity of the cosmos makes it illogically for there not to be other planets where intelligent life has also evolved from the same kind of random process.
As 20th century astronomy expanded the visibility of the cosmos from the pre Edwin Hubble view to the visibility provided by the Hubble telescope where the recognized size of the cosmos went from the unknown size of the Milky Way and thinking the universe was the Milky Way to seeing that the Milky Way as just one of many galaxies in a super cluster of which there are billions of super clusters. Accordingly for science, only illogically thinking would conclude that in this unimaginable vastness there would not be other planets with intelligent life. Logically and scientifically, this is more than reasonable, it is highly probable.
Options for believers:
(1) Ignore the conflict or remain unaware there is one and hope to die before intelligent life is found elsewhere -
(2) Deny science and assume a young earth creation -
(3) Believe the biblical revelation supports a theistic evolution understanding of science and life on other planets –
(4) Hold to a dualistic position where a scientific worldview and a biblical worldview are each compartmentalizing as separate spheres of knowing -
(4) Believe life will never be found on other planets -
(5) Believe that if intelligent life is found on other planets the discovery includes the plan of redemption has also been provided to those being by God –
(6) Believe that if intelligent life is found on other planets the discovery is of life without a spiritual component -
(7) Understand ones own limitations and ignorance of the fullness of God and just trust God out of necessity -