The Terrestrial God.

Why man should claim that the terrestrial God, the God that was created on this earth, extends his sway beyond the limits of this globe, is not easily accounted for. It is an assumption that is not at all warranted.

We know that the composition of the planets that belong to the family of the solar system are the same as that of our own, this earth. All those worlds seem to be constructed of the same chemical elementary substances as this globe of ours, and working on the same general universal plan. That all the planets of the solar system, and the sun itself, possess the same common characteristics as this earth, is evident. The planets all move in the same direction round the sun. They all revolve upon their own axes, and round the sun. They have day and night, seasons and periods of revolution. They have their atmospheres, snows, rings, and all the necessary equipments of a planet proper. They seem to have seas, mountains, valleys, poles, equators, etc.

Some of the planets seem to be in a much higher state of organization than our own.

Take Saturn, for example, with its series of rings and satellites, its immense distance from the sun, 886,000,000 miles, moving at the rate of 22,000 miles per hour, and having a year equal to about 30 years of our globe. He flourishes at a distance from us of about 300,000,000 miles. He has a diameter of 73,000 miles. His volume is 700 times that of the earth, and he receives his light from the sun, just the same as we do. It is admitted by astronomers that the Saturnal scenery is most magnificent, and surpasses anything we are familiar with. The rings form immense arches, which span the sky and shed a soft radiance around; while in the strange beauty of the night eight moons in all their different phases, full, new crescent, or gibbous, light up the starry vault.

We know that the planets are composed of the same elementary substances as this world whereon we live, that they are also surrounded with an atmosphere, have water upon them, receive the sun’s heat, exhibit all the peculiar characteristics of this globe of ours, and all the planets seem to be obeying the same general universal laws.

Can anyone give us a plausible reason why there is no organized vital matter on our neighboring planets—plants, living creatures, similar to those found on this terrestrial globe?

If the elementary substances are the same as those that are found on this earth, and they have a similar sunshine, heat, moisture, and temperature, all the forces may be presumed to be the same or similar. There is no reason that the elements should not enter into organic life of a similar, perhaps either inferior or superior, organization to that existing on this world? What is to hinder them? It is certainly possible, therefore probable. May we not assume that it is both possible and probable? Those on earth who believe that this globe of ours was especially fitted up for us, made for man only, are very presumptuous. There was no special forethought for the adaptation or convenience of creatures like ourselves.

As to the forethought, adaptation, or convenience, the hog, the elephant, the ass, and the fly enjoy their life just as much as men do. It is very convenient for them. But not more so than it is for man, and it is no more convenient for man than it is for the animals. We are certainly nearer the truth to say that the other planets are inhabited by beings, races, that may exhibit as much intelligence as, if not more than, we do on this globe. The conditions of light and heat may not be the same. The other planets may vary in form and structure, and have shapes not at all familiar to us. That, however, does not in any way interfere with the reasonable probability, nay, certainty, that they are inhabited.

Whether they are inhabited or not, matters little. Yet we may safely make the inference that these planets are not simply placed in space for our convenience. May not the inhabitants of Venus, Mercury, Mars, Flora, Mnemosene, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, etc., think that this earth has been created by their respective gods for their convenience? Have they not as much right to have each of them a god as this earth is supposed to have? Has not the god of Jupiter as much right to be proclaimed by a portion of its inhabitants to be the creator of all the planets, sun, moon, and stars, as this sectarian, terrestrial God has?

The right to this power, to this prerogative, is as much vested in the god of Neptune or Saturn, as in this earthly God. Imagine the god of Saturn complacently smiling at the arrogance of this pigmy of a terrestrial god. May not the god of Venus have a preËmptory claim to the godship of this planetary system? Or the god of Uranus, or of any other of the planets? Or possibly every planet has its god that acts as superintendent over his own territory, the laws of gravitation preventing his divinity from leaving his place of abode. Or, perhaps there are no planetary gods—every solar system may have, perhaps, only one god, residing on the great sun himself, communicating directly with all his subject planets by the rays he sends forth. It is not at all unlikely that perhaps every solar system has its god. And over these many solar system gods, somewhere in the immensity of space, a god of immense magnitude may preside. So you may go on multiplying gods, sub-gods and superior gods, without end.

Where do we find that a man, or a set of men, have a right to arrogate to themselves the power or privilege to assume that this terrestrial God has anything at all to say or to dictate on any other planet? This earthly God has no more right to interfere with the business of Mars or Mercury than the god of Saturn has a right to interfere with our earthly affairs.

Should it, however, transpire that any planetary god, whether he comes from Uranus, or Neptune, or any other planet, should interfere, we who were made in his image will assemble in the houses we have built for his sake, for the terrestrial God’s sake, and pass resolutions advising our terrestrial God to say to the other planetary gods: “Hands off, ye gods, if you please! For the sake of peace and harmony among the gods of this planetary system, we, representing this terrestrial God by proxy—since it really makes no great difference in the end of the great gathering-in of the elementary substances all organic beings are composed of—we, the organized elements of this earth, men, animals, plants, etc., more especially the highest organized beings, men, having a more perfected nervous system, being the elect of all terrestrial productions, claim the right to speak for our God, and proclaim to all planetary gods, potentates, majesties, holies of holies, or their representatives, that they have no right whatsoever to interfere with our terrestrial management. We can have our little local pet God or Gods if we desire, so long as our methods do not in any way inconvenience them.”

Let it be taken for granted that the same, elementary substances are found (of which we have evidence) in the sun and all the planets, and probably in the stars we see; that their gaseous fluids and solid substances are of similar nature to the elements known to us; and that they also receive the same sun’s heat (or the distant stars may receive light and heat from some other suns), is it not more than likely that the conditions produced by the contact of these elements with the sun’s heat, may resemble those we are familiar with? If there is heat there must be motion, there must be friction, there must be consumption and expenditure of heat, also expansion and contraction. If these forces exist, other forces necessarily must also exist, as cold from absence of heat, dynamic force, electric and magnetic forces. We may readily suppose that there are currents of air. Water may be agitated by the wind. If atmospheres surround these planets there is only one source of heat that can keep them in a gaseous state, and that is the sun. Heat from the same source keeps the Oxygen and the Hydrogen fluid. If evaporation and consolidation exist why should there not be aqueous vapor, rain, etc.? We must concede that the elements known as Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, and Carbon are found in these distant planets. We cannot be far wrong in supposing that there are carbonic acid, ammonia, and maybe other combinations. Atoms certainly must exist, and molecules (a drop of water is a molecule). There may also be conductions of heat, of molecular motion. What then is to hinder the evolution of phenomena on these distant planets being regulated by laws very similar to the laws of this earth—radiation and absorption of heat, combustion and explosion, tension and velocity of the various elements, under peculiar circumstances favoring all these conditions? That elements wherever found possess the same physical properties when brought under the same influence of heat and moisture, there can be no doubt, whether they are farther removed, or nearer to the contact of the sun’s rays. It is a fact, a well-established fact, that different substances require varying degrees of temperature to reduce them to a liquid, gaseous, or solid condition, and no matter where the temperature is produced the result will be the same. If, for example, a temperature can be procured on the surface of Uranus, or Saturn, sufficient to melt iron, lead, or silver, these metallic substances will melt at Uranus or Saturn as quickly as on the earth’s surface. The laws regulating radiation, absorption, dispersion, or contraction, or any other phase the elementary substances may assume, under heat or pressure, etc.—these laws will hold good on any of the planets just as well as on this terrestrial planet.

It is therefore far from unreasonable to presume that the organizable elements may have assumed a vitality on the distant planets, evolved and developed creatures in accordance with known laws, or laws that are still unknown to us. Because it is perfectly natural for these substances to organize themselves into life, under a certain degree of temperature, moisture, and electricity, when these necessary elements are present—as natural as that oxygen and hydrogen make water, or that the sun’s heat sets all the elementary substances into a state of activity.

We have no reason to doubt that these planets, or even the sun, have not their own vital products just as well as this earth. These vital products may be of low grade, or of a very highly organized nature. We may assume, without fear of any great error, that wherever there are air and water there is life. Because if there is heat it is a sun’s heat, otherwise there could not be air and water. If there is a sun’s heat, atmosphere, and water, there is certainly life, lowly or highly developed.

The degree of organic development depends on the age of the planet—whether it has been in existence a few millions of years more or a few millions of years loss. These organic forms may have advanced to any degree of perfection and possess qualities like or unlike our own, or they may still exist in a very primitive state of evolution.

Let it be distinctly understood that on the degree of organic development depends whether they have reached our height of perfection of nervous development, or the development of a substance capable of performing functions similar to the brain substance animals are endowed with on this earth, with physiological action the same or similar—whether undergoing gradual changes, and accumulating experience, they may have arrived at that degree of perfection to be capable of thinking and reflecting, may have acquired understanding of a nature possessing all the fear, wonder, and ignorance of certain states of nervous development, where the ideas are just forming and imagination barely assuming form. They may, I say, have begun evolving their gods, or images representing the same, or may have reached that state of perfection that every creature is endowed with such powers, understanding, and reasoning, acquired by millions of years of training and education, that they constitute gods in themselves.

Or the creatures inhabiting these planets may be in a condition like that of creatures many, many ages past upon earth—may have no knowledge of gods or God, but are undergoing the necessary evolutionary changes that will ultimately bring them to that happy elysium, when they will be capable to produce their God or gods, as we have done on this earth.

Why is it not possible that a higher order of beings inhabiting Saturn are at this moment employing instruments in order to ascertain the constitution and condition of this terrestrial globe, speculating on the probability whether this earth is inhabited or not? They may have positive knowledge that this planet has an atmosphere several hundred miles in depth. They may know its size, diameter, its distance from the sun, and that this planet revolves in an ellipse as the planet Saturn does. They may also know that the elements are of the same nature; and that there are mountains, seas, an equator, a north and a south pole, but only one moon. Looking at this planet as a star of this solar system, of perhaps the third or the fourth magnitude, nothing compared with their own, either in size, moons, belts, or other important features, these higher organized beings on Saturn may be able to behold worlds beyond themselves far more vast than their own, and regard this planet, Venus, Mercury, etc., as very insignificant affairs.

Why may they not have appliances, modes of travel or communication, as far removed in intelligence from our highest order of beings, as the difference between a frog and the pope?

We have no reason to exclude any supposition, however wild and extravagant, as to the conditions of other planets. It is not entirely imaginary. Inferences may be drawn from what we know, and deductions made from our practical experience. This problem is safer to speculate on, having a solid basis to start with. Those who believe in the actuality of an existing God have not a thing to base his existence on, except the natural functions of the brain.

But if we concede that this earth has a God, what right have we to assume that each other planet has not a god of its own? We have no evidence to the contrary. Who dares to state positively that they have not a god? Why should this insignificant terrestrial planet God presume, or persons for him, that he controls and governs planetary bodies hundreds of times larger, and perhaps far more important, than this small solar system?

How do we know that the inhabitants of other planets have not had angels, saints, and saviors? How do we know that they have not had beings who pretended to know all about their god, and were as brutal, as savage, and as demented as some of the persons figuring in scripture, or the tyrannical, bloody papists of the Dark Ages?

The imagination of man supplied us with Gods or a God on earth; the imagination is justified in supplying other planets with a god or gods. The god of Jupiter, Mars, or Saturn, etc., may with as much force and propriety say, “I am that I am; I am the great I am, the creator of all things. You, Planet Earth, may be a little older, riper, more solidified, have a solid crust, yet remember our god is just as good as yours, and better. You have only one moon—a fossil world, a mere cinder. And, moreover, our god is fourteen hundred times larger than yours, because our globe is that much larger. Our globe has a diameter of ninety thousand miles. And we have four satellites, or moons. Our largest is as big as your whole earth. Therefore, it is ridiculous for you to claim superiority. As to my neighbor Saturn, with his eight moons and belts, his god smiles at your presumption. I, the god of Jupiter, agree with the great god of Saturn and others, that your terrestrial affected greatness is too ridiculous to be worthy of our serious consideration. In fact, it is absurd for your earthly godship to claim to have made the sun that great luminary that gives us all heat, light, and life.”

Let us go but one step farther into space to show the fallacy of the assumption that this terrestrial God created all planets, stars, etc. At the present time it is considered that the star Alpha (a) Centauri in the southern hemisphere is the nearest to the earth. Its distance is more than 200,000 times that of the earth from the sun, or twenty trillions of miles. Light would require about four and a half years to travel this enormous distance. The stars which we see at such immense distances are suns. The vast distance at which the stars are known to be, precludes the thought of their shining, like the planets or the moon, by reflecting back the light of our sun. They must be self-luminous, and are doubtless each a center of a system of planets and satellites.

Our sun is but a star. As we see only the suns of these distant systems, so their inhabitants see only the sun of our system, and that as a small star.

Arrogant, conceited humanity, with an unbounded assurance and self-confidence, mixed with profound ignorance, have the impudence to claim that their terrestrial God created all the stars, suns, and planetary systems that are so far away in space that the eye of man cannot behold them—no, not even with the strongest instrument yet made.

We may be compared to maggots on a big cheese, crawling over its surface; they may with equal propriety claim that their cheese is the only cheese ever created, and that it was made for their own special use, and that all other cheeses were made only for their benefit. Some of the maggots might equally claim that there was only one God—the man who made the cheese. That is, that man, the maggot’s god, made the cow that gave the milk that produced the cheese whereon the maggot dwelt.