Outgrowing Aggression

Ever since Stephen Hawking mentioned how to (or not to) meet aliens, the comments on the web grow.

Jill Tarter wrote an opinion on CNN and makes a couple of points that brings my disagreement to the front.

She states, “Longevity or ’L’, is the last term in the Drake Equation, a formula designed to estimate the number of communicative civilizations in our galaxy.” Alien societies with a large L factor, she continues, “ … could also mean that their distant civilization had found a way to stabilize itself in order to survive and grow old. That might require outgrowing any aggressive and belligerent tendencies that may have characterized their youth.”

I find it laughable that intelligent, educated, publicly published professional people assume any civilization would be capable of “outgrowing any aggressive and belligerent tendencies that may have characterized their youth.”

This theory of evolutionary civilizations growing less aggressive with age has yet to be proven here on earth, much less considered for hypothetical yet undiscovered civilizations light years away. I believe this to be a dream among people who look to humans for the answer to all problems. It’s a nice dream, but where did it originate?

Where here do they see such examples? Are there not still wars and rumors of war? Has there been a time when there wasn’t?

These wars are ascribed a number of reasons, among them religion, nations, greed, prejudices, lack of resources and others. Do not all of these hinge upon humans? Upon the human frailties some decry in others yet do not understand they are looking, as elites, above and intellectually beyond reality, yet are just as frail.

Do they not say what Isaiah wrote:

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. [Isaiah 14:13-14 KJV]

Personally, I’m not the least concerned about meeting aliens, either here or on their own turf. My concerns have to do with this earth and how it relates to eternity and God’s message. The first order of business is His business. Christ knew why He was here.

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? [Luke 2:49 KJV]

Want to know more about that business? Read His word and the reason it was written.

But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. [John 20:31 KJV]