The Universe, ever cloaked in darkness,

is the nursery for the souls of sentient beings residing throughout.

At death, they transition from a universe of time and space,

to eternal light, to be with their Creator. - Sandy Estabrook

A few years ago, I happened upon a Science Channel show; Hunt for Alien Evidence, narrated by Mike Rowe. It is a great show on the possibility of, or should I say, the impossibility of, man’s space travel, or by others out there coming to visit.  The easily arrived at conclusion is we are stuck in our little corner of the Milky Way Galaxy and remain confined to our own solar system. From my perspective  it seems like our isolation from other intelligent life is intentional.   

Since the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory in Dec 2020, numerous scientists have come  out supporting the hypothesis that we are alone  in regards to alien contact via radio communications an most definitely space travel. There just has to be intelligent life out there on some of the planets orbiting the 250 billions of stars in our Milky Way Galaxy alone. As far as the billions of other galaxies, we’re not even going to go there. They, our sentient friends, are just too far for any contact, even at the speed of light.

Cosmic Isolation of Intelligent Life
and Its Divine Purpose

The question of whether humanity is alone in the universe has captivated scientists, philosophers, and theologians for centuries. Recent perspectives from astronomers and astrophysicists increasingly suggest that we may be alone, at least in terms of practical contact with other intelligent civilizations. This essay supports the conclusion that while intelligent life likely exists elsewhere in the vast expanse of the Milky Way galaxy, we are isolated from it due to immense cosmic distances and, more profoundly, by intentional Divine design. This isolation serves a purpose: to test each sentient species in its own unique crucible, with the ultimate destiny of the soul transcending the physical universe to enter God’s eternal domain.

The Probability of Intelligent Life Elsewhere

The Milky Way galaxy contains an estimated 250 billion stars, mos of which host planetary systems. The sheer scale of this cosmic landscape makes it statistically improbable that Earth is the sole harbor of intelligent life. The Drake Equation, which estimates the number of communicative civilizations in our galaxy, incorporates factors such as the number of stars, the number with planets, and the likelihood of life evolving into intelligent forms. Even conservative estimates suggest that thousands of intelligent civilizations could exist. The discovery of exoplanets (catalogue) in habitable zones further bolsters this view, as it indicates that the conditions for life are not unique to our solar system. However, the absence of confirmed alien signals or visits, as highlighted by the Fermi Paradox, underscores a critical point: intelligent life may be abundant but inaccessible.

The vast distances between stars pose an insurmountable barrier to contact, even at the speed of light. For instance, our closest star system, Alpha Centauri, is 4.37 light-years away. A round-trip radio signal to a hypothetical civilization there would take nearly nine years. For more distant systems, the timescales grow exponentially, rendering two-way communication or space travel impractical. Even advanced civilizations would face energy and technological constraints in traversing such distances. Moreover, civilizations may not overlap in time; some may have flourished and vanished millions of years ago, while others may arise long after humanity’s era. These temporal and spatial gaps reinforce the conclusion that while intelligent life exists, contact remains beyond our reach.

Divine Design and the Testing of Sentient Beings

Beyond physical barriers, there is a deeper, theological explanation for our isolation: the intentional design of a creator God. This perspective posits that God has purposefully separated intelligent civilizations to ensure each faces its own moral and existential trials. Just as individuals are tested in their personal lives, entire species may be subjected to collective challenges—be it overcoming environmental crises, achieving peace, or grappling with the mysteries of existence and obeying a moral code. This isolation prevents interference, ensuring that each civilization’s journey is authentic and untainted by external influence. Some species may have passed their tests, achieving a state of harmony or enlightenment, while others, like humanity, remain in the midst of their trials, wrestling with division, morality, curiosity, and faith.

This divine framework aligns with the idea that life’s purpose extends beyond the physical realm. The universe, with its vastness and apparent emptiness, serves as a stage for these tests, where the stakes are not merely survival but the refinement of the soul. The inaccessibility of other intelligent beings reinforces the focus on our own path, urging us to seek meaning within our world and our relationship with the our God.

The ultimate purpose of this cosmic isolation becomes clear in the context of the afterlife. Upon death, the soul departs the constraints of time and space, transcending the physical universe to enter God’s eternal domain. This transition suggests that the trials faced by sentient beings are preparatory, shaping the soul for its eternal existence. The universe, with its scattered intelligences, is not a place of convergence but of individual journeys toward divine union. Whether other's civilizations pass or fail their tests, their souls’ destinies lie beyond the stars, in a realm where physical distances and temporal limitations no longer apply. This perspective offers a hopeful resolution to the Fermi Paradox: our isolation is not a cosmic accident but a purposeful design, guiding each sentient species toward its eternal purpose.

In conclusion, while intelligent life likely exists across the Milky Way, humanity remains alone in terms of contact due to the vast distances that separate us and the temporal misalignment of civilizations. More profoundly, this isolation reflects the intentional design of a creator God, who has placed each sentient species in its own testing ground to refine its collective soul. The universe’s vastness serves as a crucible for these trials, with the ultimate destiny of the soul lying beyond the physical realm in God’s eternal light. Thus, our cosmic solitude is not a cause for despair but a call to embrace our unique journey, trusting that our creator has woven purpose into the fabric of our existence, both in this life and beyond.

Lastly, I realize that Quantum Physics is now making a big impact on the esoteric scene of reality in science. This is in both theoretical and real life application such as computing and communications. There are those who will no doubt extract ‘faster than light travel’ from possibility to reality here because of quantum entanglement, but I say not so. We will no doubt go farther in the quantum world than we are now. But I suspect that there might be a point, if reached, the chief engineer will hit the power down button. Until then, you can enjoy warp drive under the control of Captain Picard and Han Solo.

Addendum

So what do you have planned for eternity?  Have you ever thought about it, as have I.  What could one do for eternity with out getting Bored, no matter your favorite hobby or pleasure. How much Ice cream can you eat after all? The answer to that question has always mystified me, but I’ve have come up with the following scenario.

After our reception and introduction to the Man in charge, I feel our soul or glorified body will be free to meander an eternity of time and space in an infinite universe, maybe even in another dimension, and “at will”, in an instant. Free to meet all those other folks on other planets in other galaxies on your own time. Free to see what the folks did on earth before we were born and in your current time too. You could head back to earth to see how we humans are running things in the year 2460. I know I would head back to walk with the son of God in His days in Bethlehem and Judea. Maybe even Adam and Eve, Alexander the Great, even sail with Columbus, hang out with Abe Lincoln and Einstein, watch the dinosaurs roaming our earth. What fun!

And as far as the future goes, how about a visit to the “visually striking Briar Patch Nebula, with it’s planets of rejuvenating properties", or we'll be able to watch the collision of our Milky Way with the Andromeda galaxy 4.5 billion years from now. Often I’d share the fun and travel with a friend, spouse or family member.  

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