Abstract
Arthur C. Clarke, in his short-story “The Star” written in 1955, elucidates with the kind of prescience typical of his work the inevitable conflict between biblical literalism and scientifically-derived knowledge as it might relate to the discovery of life on distant worlds. In “The Star,” a Jesuit priest trained also as an astrophysicist travels thousands of light years across our galaxy to explore the Phoenix Nebula. The Phoenix Nebula is a giant, rapidly expanding cloud of hot gas left behind when a star ran out of nuclear fuel and perished as a supernova. When a dying star that becomes a supernova explodes, it briefly shines as brightly as ten billion Suns. If that supernova exploded somewhere in the Milky Way galaxy, it would initially appear brighter than the brightest star in the Earth’s nighttime sky. Then, after only a few days, it would begin to dim. After a few months, it would have faded away until it had become so faint that it would forever after elude detection by the unaided human eye.
Physical life was specially created, and Earth was created uniquely to support that life.
Henry Morris
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Notes
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From National Enquirer (1976, November 30), as quoted in Peters, T. (2003). Science, theology, and ethics (p. 126). Ashgate science and religion series.
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Peters, T. (2003). Science, theology, and ethics (pp. 130–131). Ashgate science and religion series.
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Ham, K. Retrieved from http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken-ham/2008/06/18/speaking-at-the-pentagon/. Accessed July 12, 2012.
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Ibid.
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Ibid.
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Ibid.
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Lisle, J. (2006). Taking back astronomy. Master Books. Retrieved October 7, 2013, from http://www.answersingenesis.org/store/product/taking-back-astronomy/
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Morris, H. The heavens are the lord’s. Retrieved from http://www.icr.org/article/20964/ and The Stardust Trail. Retrieved July, 11, 2012, from http://www.icr.org/article/stardust-trail/
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Bates, G. Did God create life on other planets? Retrieved from http://creation.com/did-god-create-life-on-other-planets
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Weintraub, D.A. (2014). Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christianity. In: Religions and Extraterrestrial Life. Springer Praxis Books(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05056-0_12
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