Life on Mars

I just saw Bill Nye (The Science Guy!) on TV. He was speaking about the Phoenix probe, which will be looking for life near the north pole of Mars. He said that if life is found, it will "change the Earth!" i.e. bring on a dramatic a change in how we think about our place in the universe. He compared it to Copernicus revealing that the Earth orbits the Sun. I've heard similar statements from scientific commentators. Frankly, I don't think so. I think it will appear as little more than an interesting curiosity to all but a few scientists.

Joe: Did you hear that Mable? Life on Mars! Who'da thunk it!
Mable: That's nice dear.

It would be different if the life discovered were something we could communicate with, but if it's more like bacteria, the event is not going to be Earth shaking.

I suspect that Mr. Nye and his kin feel that discovery of life on other planets will send a shudder through the foundations of Christianity and other religions. If so, it's a rather naive view of religion. I don't know of any Bible verse that precludes the existence of life on Mars. But even if there were something about it in the Bible, it wouldn't matter. Religions would adapt, re-interpret, or ignore, just as they have in the past.