Abstract
The religions of Unitarian Universalism, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Christian Scientism, Seventh-day Adventism and Jehovah’s Witnesses all have roots in protestant Christianity. All, however, have grown in very different directions from those original roots. The belief systems of these five religions cover a broad spectrum in terms of how different religions might offer a variety of approaches for handling the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Though neither the Unitarian Universalists nor the Quakers appear to have anything to say, explicitly, about life in the universe beyond the Earth, they both fully accept the discoveries of modern science. Thus, followers of both religions likely would easily embrace the discovery of life beyond Earth. In contrast, Christian Scientism rejects significant aspects of modern science; followers of Christian Science even nominally reject the notion that the human body is real. Given the Christian Science belief that the human mind is real but the body is not, Christian Science believers probably would reject claims that extraterrestrial beings are anything other than illusions. In stark contrast, the prophetess of Seventh-day Adventism, Ellen G. White, claimed to have encountered living beings on Saturn, and so extraterrestrial life is intimately associated with her prophesies and with Seventh-day Adventist beliefs. Finally, Jehovah’s Witnesses, like many fundamentalist Christians, believe in the absolute centrality of Earth in God’s purpose and for this reason most likely would reject the possibility that beings created by God could exist anywhere else.
Sin has never entered here.
attributed to Ellen G. White in a letter of Mrs. Truesdail (Mrs. Truesdail’s letter of Jan. 27, 1891, as quoted in Loughborough, J. N. (1905). Great second advent movement (p. 213) (reprinted by Adventist Pioneer Library, 1992)).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Harris, M. W. Unitarian universalist origins: Our historic faith. Retrieved from http://www.uua.org/publications/pamphlets/introductions/151249.shtml
- 2.
Our unitarian universalist principles. Retrieved from http://www.uua.org/beliefs/principles/index.shtml
- 3.
Introducing Quakers. Retrieved from http://www.quaker.org.uk/intro-quakers
- 4.
The Quaker way. Retrieved from http://www.fgcquaker.org/explore/quaker-way
- 5.
- 6.
White, E. G. (1882). Shaking the powers of heaven. In Early writings (p. 41). Review and Herald Publishing Association. Retrieved from https://egwwritings.org/
- 7.
White, J. S. (1847). A word to the “Little Flock”. Brunswick, ME.
- 8.
Loughborough, J. N. (1905). Great second advent movement (p. 212) (reprinted by Adventist Pioneer Library, 1992).
- 9.
Mrs. Truesdail’s letter of Jan. 27, 1891, as quoted in Loughborough, J. N. (1905). Great second advent movement (p. 213) (reprinted by Adventist Pioneer Library, 1992).
- 10.
White, E. G. (1882). God’s love for his people. In Early writings (p. 39). Review and Herald Publishing Association. Retrieved from https://egwwritings.org/
- 11.
White, E. G. The story of patriarchs and prophets (p. 37, 42). Retrieved from http://www.whiteestate.org/books/pp/pp1.html
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
This means everlasting life. (2012, June 1). The Watchtower, p. 9.
- 15.
The Bible really is God’s inspired word. Retrieved from http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/wp20100301/bible-inspired-of-god/
- 16.
Jehovah’s witnessess—who are we? Retrieved from http://www.jw.org/en/
- 17.
“What is Judgment Day?” (italics in original text). Retrieved from http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201001/what-is-judgment-day/
- 18.
Will the earth come to an end? (2012, February 1). The Watchtower, p. 25.
- 19.
Do the stars affect your life? Retrieved from http://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201210/do-the-stars-affect-your-life/
- 20.
From Common confusions. christianscience.com/what-is-christian-science
- 21.
From How do prayer and healing work. christianscience.com/what-is-christian-science
- 22.
Eddy, M. B. Science and health with key to the scriptures (Chap. 15). Retrieved from http://christianscience.com/read-online/science-and-health
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Weintraub, D.A. (2014). From Christian Roots. In: Religions and Extraterrestrial Life. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05056-0_13
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05056-0_13
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-05055-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05056-0
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)