The Three Earths

It started with three... -- Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

by blogSpotter
Today’s topic is admittedly weird and out there; I haven’t done a topic like this in a while. Jackson Browne sings of the place “where the road and the sky collide”. I’ll be talking about a place where science and religion collide, and maybe that’s what Jackson was getting at (although probably not -- the lyrics almost sound apropos).

I’ve spoken in previous blogs about my speculations that there is a God who is both fallible and finite. If you go back and look at some of my previous blogs, you’ll see the overall bent. See these blog entries of mine: God Talk, Amazing Blue Marble, Delusional About God or Apostate Scientist. In accordance with Christian tradition (and to save space) I use the masculine, singular pronoun “he” in referring to God. I could just as sensibly and easily say “she” or “they”. I occupy an almost solitary niche -- most people are either academic atheists or believers in an Abrahamic “mono-” God who is all-knowing and all-powerful. I think both extremes are poor models -- they don’t correlate to the world that actually is.

My God concept is that of a Finite, Intelligent Force (FIF). This FIF is infinitely more interesting than the empty vessel that is random mutations (atheism) or the self-contradictions of an all-powerful God who makes phenomenal mistakes and has to share power with a presumed devil.

FIF is …
Fallible
Finite in his physical dimensions
Striving toward good though sometimes falling short of the mark (like us)
Co-located with his creations

Now, why did I have to lay so much theological foundation to a planetary topic? Because my readers, no science topic is stand-alone. Astronomy ties to physics which bleeds into chemistry which seeps into biology which absolutely is imbued with philosophy and yes -- theology. It’s all a brew that works together. My thesis is that our solar system itself was intelligently created by FIF (See FIF definition above).

At the inception of our solar system, FIF, being both fallible and pragmatic, created 3 potential Earths -- Venus, Earth and Mars. FIF had a measure of deterministic control over the path each would take, but (like fallible humans) wished to hedge its bets with three trials. Anyone of these planets could’ve been made to spawn life but FIF chose a path of less time and work (obviously that being Earth). Let’s look briefly at our two sister planets, the runners-up.

VENUS

Venus takes an entire year to rotate on its axis -- it has no moon. The planet is furnace-hot with incredible air pressure and toxic gases. Any life-harboring planet would have to be part of a binary planet system with a moon that creates tidal forces and diurnal life cycles. My speculation is that Mercury was an intended moon for Venus; unfortunately Mercury fell into the direct orbit of the Sun. FIF could’ve modified the spin and size of Mercury to keep it as a Venusian moon but that effort probably would’ve added billions of years to the advent of life. If there were no Earth or Mars, Venus would be the blue marble, but we might now just be entering the age where oceans are formed.

MARS

Mars actually has two moons -- Phobos and Deimos. It also resembles Earth with ice caps and even has a 24-hour diurnal cycle similar to the Earth. Mars is significantly smaller than Earth and would need a thicker atmosphere (actually more of the Venus greenhouse effect) to maintain anything like deep oceans and breathable air. Again, these are things that FIF could’ve handily brought to Mars but it would’ve added millions of years to the planetary evolution. If there had been no Earth or Venus, Mars would be the blue marble but we would just now be entering something like the Devonian era (vertebrate fish).

In point of fact FIF could probably create life anywhere -- even Jupiter, Pluto or empty space. But FIF is more like us than we want to admit. FIF is probably bound by time and resource considerations. FIF might even be characterized by impatience (not unlike us). Where could all the needed life ingredients be brought together, to create life in the most efficient, least laborious way? Planet Earth was the chosen locale, with it’s substantial mass and reliable moon. Now, a fruitful omnipotent God might have given life to every planet there is-- that didn’t happen. A colliding-molecules atheist universe wouldn’t have even spawned proteins or prions much less humans. FIF serves as a better explanation for both life’s origins and life as we see it today.

In a few million years humans will probably overrun the solar system with life on every surface even remotely subject to colonization. FIF will finish its work with its own FIF-like creations -- that being the human race.


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