Philosophers and scientists, believers and atheists, have long pondered the question
, “Are we alone in the universe?”
But theologian Robin Lovin knows what he would say to people wondering how to take the news of extraterrestrial life.
“This discovery is a reminder of what we should all have known all along,” said Mr. Lovin, director of research at the Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey. “God is doing things in places that our minds have not been able to go.”
Mr. Lovin shared that message with an audience at the Library of Congress’ John W. Kluge Center during a panel discussion to consider the impact of alien, intelligent life on religion.
“I think it’s very important [that] religious communities proactively address these questions and show themselves concerned about these issues,” he said. “Because people are raising these questions, and I think [they] want to see them as moral and spiritual queries — that it isn’t just a question about biology, but a question about themselves.”