The Evolution of Aliens?

by Ken Ham
Featured in Ken Ham Blog

Extraterrestrial aliens have been a popular feature in movies for a long time now. Each movie portrays them differently. Since such aliens have never been observed, the only limit is the artists’ imaginations. Well, a recent article by the professor of evolutionary palaeobiology at the University of Bath in the UK, asks, “What do aliens look like? The clue is in evolution.”

The author states speculation from a late evolutionist who argues that if there had been a change in just one small thing early in the supposed evolution of life, this change would have caused life to evolve very differently. He then wonders, “If our own origins on Earth really turned on such fine hinges, why should aliens—evolving on different planets—even remotely resemble us?”

Apparently the answer to that question is “evolutionary convergence: the process by which distantly related animals come to closely resemble each other.” Essentially, this is the supposed evolutionary process that explains why similar structures evolved separately in different groups of creatures. What they are saying is that many organisms in the same environment are going to have similar body types, even if they are not viewed as being closely related in evolutionary terms, like sharks and dolphins for example.

All scientists recognize that many creatures in the same environment have similar body types, but evolutionists interpret this to be the result of evolution.

Now, the idea of “evolutionary convergence” is simply a fallible, human interpretation of the evidence based on a blind faith in evolution. All scientists recognize that many creatures in the same environment have similar body types, but evolutionists interpret this to be the result of evolution. Because they start their study with a belief in evolution, they naturally interpret the evidence in light of their starting point. Biblical creationists, on the other hand, see the exact same evidence and attribute it to common design. It would make sense that the Creator would design organisms living in the same environment with a similar body plan. Your starting point determines your interpretation! We admit it.

So what does supposed “evolutionary convergence” have to do with alleged aliens? Well, this writer says that similar conditions on earth and on a remote planet would likely produce alien life forms similar to what we find on earth but that “the jury is out on the extent to which intelligent aliens—if they exist—would resemble us.”

This belief in aliens also comes from an evolutionary worldview. It’s not based on any evidence for alien life, but rather, on the belief that if life evolved here on earth, it must have evolved somewhere else. You see, if life only exists on earth, we are utterly and completely unique. And this simply can’t be the case in an evolutionary worldview—we can’t be special! So the (highly expensive!) search continues for extraterrestrial life.

Now, in a biblical worldview we wouldn’t expect to find alien life. The Bible tells us that God formed earth to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18), and there’s no mention of alien life anywhere in Scripture. Rather, earth is the focus in Scripture. Your starting point—man’s ideas or God’s Word—makes a big difference in how you interpret our universe!

By the way, think about the fact that in the science classrooms in public schools, secular groups have no problem with all this speculation about alien life being taught to students—but if teachers mention the possibility of life being created, they are often threatened with lawsuits! In reality, the government-funded education system is allowed to impose a secular religion of evolutionary naturalism on students—yet at the same time is allowed to discriminate against the Christian religion.

Learn more about the question of alien life in our program Aliens: Fact or Fiction? Watch it in our world-class Stargazer’s Planetarium here at the Creation Museum or in the comfort of your own home on DVD, available at our store.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.

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