The Aliens Are Us

Last updated on: June 6, 2017 at 10:31 am by Jeannine Pitas

The Aliens Are Us 2017-06-06T10:31:12-05:00 Jeannine Pitas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I have sometimes heard it said – sometimes jokingly, usually half-jokingly – that only one thing could bring peace to our world: an attack by extraterrestrial forces. Only then, the argument goes, when faced with a threat to all of us, would we human beings at last put aside our differences and recognize our common humanity.

I am no expert in either science or science fiction. Scientists seem divided on the prospect of the existence of intelligent life existing in the universe (though there appears to be a certain consensus that any encounter with it would be catastrophic for us primitive earthlings). As for science fiction, the only ¨alien¨ movie I’ve thus far been able to appreciate is Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which human evolution is propelled by a mysterious alien race whose motives remain unknown (to me, they are benevolent, indeed godlike beings who, despite their odd modus operandi, really have our best interests at heart. They mean well when they cast us out of the Garden of Eden (when our vegetarian ape ancestors discover the first monolith, which leads them to become violent) and put us through all the turmoil of modern civilization, ultimately sending us a Messiah in the form of astronaut David Bowman transformed as a space baby. (I hope that one-sentence plot summary does not spoil the film for those who don’t know it – really, you just have to go and see it).

Perhaps 2001 resonates with me because its aliens are what I imagine real aliens would be like – highly intelligent beings whose morality, purpose and belief systems are utterly unknown to us humans. I am not sure how we would react were we to encounter such beings. Would we see them as a common enemy and indeed band together? Would we be curious about them and attempt to understand them, perhaps even befriend them? Would we be divided in our responses, and continue our warlike ways in arguing over how to deal with them?

In any case, this depiction of aliens seems quite distinct from the usual science fiction portrayal of them. More often than not, extraterrestrial beings are just a cuter, or creepier, or stranger version of ourselves. And in the light of recent events – President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris agreement, the latest terrorist attacks in the UK, and the ongoing reality of war – I cannot help but conclude that the belief in an extraterrestrial attack’s capacity to bring world peace seems overly optimistic. Because the aliens are indeed attacking. But unfortunately, those aliens are us.

I often express frustration at the dominance that the paradigm of the nation state continues to exert in our world. Trump’s ¨America First¨ rhetoric and policies, which are mirrored by the nationalistic rhetoric and policies of many other nations, ignore the reality of our global interconnectedness. Right now I am sitting in a coffee shop where people are consuming beverages that have their origins in Asia and South America. I do not know the origins of the computer I am currently typing on – where its raw materials were mined, where its parts were assembled before making their way to the Best Buy store where I purchased this little machine two years ago. The political borders we draw on maps are as arbitrary as a child’s drawings. We are seven billion people – and counting – on a tiny, overcrowded planet that, unfortunately, we seem hell-bent on destroying.

The Paris Climate Agreement signed last year initially seemed like a sign of hope that the world might at last come together as one in an effort to solve a problem that threatens us all. While the efficacy of this agreement and its ability to deliver on its promises are up for debate, the symbolic statement it makes is clear. By signing this agreement, governments across the world are at least acknowledging that our current path of overindustrialization and overconsumption is leading to drastic consequences that we must at least try to redress. By pulling out of the agreement, Trump is in this area (as in so many others) taking a step fifty or a hundred years back in time, assuring us that there is no human-caused climate change, no real problem with burning coal. Revving up our economy in the present is what matters. Providing ourselves with more comfort and luxury now is what counts. The fact that we are destroying the earth through this economy and consumerist way of life does not matter.

I am usually not outraged by those who deny human-caused climate change, or who argue that volcanos have a bigger impact on climate than anything we do, or who mention that the global temperatures have remained unusually stable in recent geological history, allowing for the flourishing of life as we now know it. What disturbs me is the conclusions they often make from these possibilities, using them to justify a business-as-usual mentality and to defend the status quo of overdevelopment and overconsumption. While some might deny climate change, it seems impossible to ignore the reality that monarch butterflies, who twenty years ago appeared in my neighborhood by the thousands, are now going extinct. The overall destruction of the earth that we are undertaking: the destruction of forests, contamination of our oceans, and the transformation of practically all of creation into a commodity for our consumption is something that we cannot easily deny. Indeed, how many species of plants and animals will we cause to go extinct without even knowing they were there?

There is a scientific consensus that we are now living in the sixth mass extinction (known as the holocene or anthroposcene excinction) that the world has ever known. It began about ten thousand years ago – right around the time our human civilization in its current settled, agricultural form began. Alas, the alien invasion has not brought world peace. The aliens are destroying the world. The aliens are us.

Can this mass extinction be stopped? Should it be stopped? Many would argue – and I would have to agree – that to a certain extent, the destiny of our world is not under control. 99% of the living species to ever have existed have since disappeared; why should we expect that it will be different for us? For Christians, our own Scriptures attest that the world in its current form will pass away. However, they also tell us that, for the short duration we are here, we have a mission and a duty to build up the kingdom of God here, on this broken planet. For too long, we have seen this as a human kingdom only. But as Pope Francis has recently reminded us, we must expand our view to recognize it as encompassing all creation.

So, what can I, a blogger in a coffee shop, or you, a reader who came across this piece while wandering through this strange virtual world we’ve created, do to stop the sixth extinction, or at least make it less painful? Two days ago, on the Feast of the Pentecost, we heard what are, in my opinion, the best words St. Paul wrote: ¨There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit¨ (¨1 Corinthians 12: 4-7).

What we eat, what we buy, how many children we have, and how we travel from place to place all have an impact. We don’t necessarily have to give up all aspects of the life we currently know, but we need to work for change – and lobby governments and corporations for change. And, as a way of starting, we can do something that avid Internet users often find hard: turn off the devices, step outside and look around. We humans don’t have to remain aliens to the rest of creation. If we open our eyes to the sacred presence of God in all life – human and non-human – will we really be able to keep putting up with the desecration we see all around us?

A Consistent Ethic of Life

Paris Climate Agreement

sixth mass extinction

Previous Post

May 26, 2017

Oh What a Circus: Evita Medley, U.S. Politics Edition

Next Post

June 6, 2017 TF38: Trying Not To Be Heretics

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 2019 A Consistent Ethic of Life Aaron Weldon Abortion absurdity Abuse Scandal Academics Adoption Advent Africa agreement/disagreement with Church teaching Alexander Schmemann Alexham Alterity America Amnesty International Anarchism angels Anglicanism Animals Annual Statistics Anthony Anxietas Apocalyptic Apophatic Appalachia Aquinas Art Atheism Atonement Augustine Authority Baptism Beauty Bible biblical criticism biblical scholarship Bioethics Bishops Black Catholics Black Theology Blackadder Blogs Books Breastfeeding Brett Salkeld Buddhism Bush administration Byzantine Catholic Calvinism Canada Canon Law Capital Punishment Capitalism Caryll Houselander Catholic Blog Awards Catholic Blogging Catholic League Catholic Social Teaching Catholic Worker Movement Catholicity CFL Charity Children Chris West Christ and Culture Christian Democracy Christian Unity Christmas Christology Church Church Doctrine Church History Climate Change Cohabitation Colbert Collegiality Communion Communism Comparative Theology Competition Conferences conscience conscience rights Consequentialism Consistent Life Ethics Consumerism Contraception Contrition Conversion Converts Coptic COVID-19 Creation Critical Thinking Cross Cuba Culture Culture of Death Culture of Life Darfur David Cruz-Uribe David Wheeler-Reed Death Death Penalty Democracy Demons Desert Fathers Devil Dialogue dignity Disability Disarmament discernment Discipleship discrimination Dissent Distributism Division Doctrine Domestic Church Dorothy Day Double Effect Doubt Down syndrome Driving Early Church Easter Eastern Churches Ecclesiology Economics Economy Ecumenism Education El Salvador Election Election 2020 Ellul Embryonic Stem Cell Research Empire Energy Enlighenment Environmentalism Ephraim Radner Episcopal Church epistemology Equality Eschatology Ethics Eucharist Europe Euthanasia Evangelization Evil Evolution Excommunication F.X. Durrwell Facism Facts Fair Trade Faith Family Fashion Feddie Feminism Feminist theology Fertility Fetal Rights Fiction Film Finances First Things flags Folk Religion Food Foreign Affairs Forgiveness Frank Sheed Free Speech Freedom gay & lesbian persons Genocide George W. Bush George Weigel Gerald L. Campbell Girard/Mimetic Theory Global Warming Globalization Gnosticism Good Friday Grace Gratitude Greed Grey Cup 2009 Guadalupe Guest Post Guest Posts Gun Control Gustave Martelet Habitat for Humanity Hans Urs von Balthasar Harry Potter Hate Speech Health Health Care Healthcare Heather King Hebrew Bible Henri de Lubac Henry Karlson Herbert McCabe Heresy HHS Mandate Controversy History Holidays Holiness Holy Spirit Homiletics Homily Homosexuality Hope Hospitality How Far Can We Go? How Far Can We Go? Human Person Human Rights Humanae Vitae Humility Humor Hunger Hunting Identity Idolatry Ignacio Ellacuría Imagination Immigration In Memoriam Income Inequality Inculturation Indigenous People Individualism Inklings Intellect Interdependence Internet Interpretation Interviews Introduction Iraq War Islam Israel Jain James Alison James Martin Jazz Jesus Christ Jews Joe Biden Joe Hargrave Johann Baptist Metz John Allen John Henry Newman John Paul II John the Baptist John XXIII Jonathan Josef Pieper Joseph (the husband of Mary) Joseph Bernardin Joseph Ratzinger Josh Brumfield Journals Joy Judgment Just War Justice Kari Lundgren Karl Rahner Katerina Ivanovna Kenya Keynes Kingdom of God Kyle R. Cupp Labor Language Latin America Law Leanne Ogasawara Legion of Christ Leisure Lent Liberalism Liberation Theology Libertarianism Libya Lies Life life & dignity & responsibility of the human person Literature Little Way Liturgical music Liturgical Year Liturgy Living Simply Living Wage Local Church Lombard Lord of the Rings Louis Dupre Love M.Z. Magic Magisterium Mark DeFrancisis Mark Gordon Marriage Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Martyrdom Marxism Mary Masculinity Matt Talbot Matthew Fish Matthew Levering McCain Media Memorial Day Mennonites Mental Illness mercy Michael Iafrate Middle East militarism Miroslav Volf Mitt Romney Modesty Moral Theology Morality Mormonism Morning's Minion Mother Teresa Music Muslims Natalie Nate Wildermuth Nationalism Native Americans Nature Nazis Neuhaus New Evangelization New York City News NFP nihilism Nonviolence Not Abortion Nova's Ordo Nuclear weapons Nuns Obama Occult Old Age Opus Dei Ordination ordination of women original sin Orthodoxy Oscar Romero Other Voices Pacifism Palestine Palin Papacy Papal Peace Messages Papal Social Encyclicals Particular Affections Partisanship Patriotism Paul Paul Ryan Paul VI Peace Pentimento persecution Personalism Phantastes Philosophy PKD Planned Parenthood Pluralism Poetry Policraticus Politcal Apathy Politics Poll Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope Leo XIV Population Postcolonialsim Poverty Power Prayer Preaching Predictions Predictions for 2012 President Barack Obama priestly formation & discernment Pro-Life Progress Prophetic Witness Proportionalism Public Diplomacy Public Policy Question Quotes Rachel Maddow Racism Radical Catholic Mom Radical Catholicism Raymund Schwager Real Catholic TV Real Presence Reconciliation Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange Religion religious freedom Responsibility Ressourcement Resurrection Rick Garnett Ridiculous Crap You Never Thought You'd See Robert Barron Roe v. Wade Roman Curia Rome Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation History Sam Harris Sam Rocha Same-sex Marriage Saskatchewan Roughriders Satire School of the Americas Science Scripture Seamless Garment Second Vatican Council Seeing Sex sexual violence Sexuality Sia Sin social justice Social Security Socialism Society of Jesus Sofia Loves Wisdom Solidarity Sophia soteriology Soutenus Spirituality Sports St. Dismas St. Joseph Stanley Hauerwas Statistics Stimulus Suffering Sunday Reflections Supernatural Supreme Court Symbolism Syria Taxing Technology Terrorism The State The Tea Party The Trump Administration Theological Anthropology Theology Theotokos Thomas Merton Throwaway Culture Tim Muldoon Tim Riley Tim Tebow Time Titian Tolkien Torture Toys Trade Traditionalism Transgender Transportation Transubstantiation Trinity Truth TV U.S. Affairs Uncategorized Unions unity among people who disagree US Catholicism USCCB Usury Utilitarianism Utopia Valentine's Day Vatican Vatican II Veterans Vicarious Suffering Video Violence Virgin Mary Vocations Voluntary Associations Voluntary Poverty Voting Vox Nova vox nova blog war War and Peace War Strategy Wealth Weirdness Welfare state Women Women Priests Work Woundedness Youth

Select a Month June 2026 May 2025 February 2025 January 2025 July 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 July 2023 March 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 November 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Be strong and ____; do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Select your answer to see how you score.

Vigilant Steadfast Courageous Patient