[AJames]

God, I think, has placed a very dark place for those who ask such questions!
(And I'm probably going there after this!)

In my opinion, questions of religion and science are very incompatible, as they are based on very different realities. I.e. physics (physical universe) versus metaphysics (invisible universe). As religion is based on faith - and assumes holism (that parts are greater than the whole) while science based on reductionism (observing the physical World and breaking it into its components, to makes some conclusion.)
Also religion assumes that the components of life have two separate components - the physical body and the additional soul - the latter which cannot be proven at all by science. As some assume that only human kind have souls, then the definition of intelligent life discards microbes to plants to chimpanzees. (life-forms without souls) As such, whether life was an accident or not is therefore irrelevant to the purposes of religion (broadly saving human souls). Therefore, believing that any life was an accident or purposefully designed is irrelevant to religion - other than enforcing the held personal beliefs - even through they are often quite incontestable (by reductionism) dogma.
So regardless of other life being found in the universe or not, the basis of religious dogma will be unchanging and held firmly (or shakily) on their own-held faith.
To be honest, much of the "master plan" is about either making humans as the ultimate "master race" (at least under their own god's eyes) or the next attack in tactics of the establishment of dreaded ID Intelligent Design (better known as Unintelligible Design by most of its scientific critics). The latter of these persistent "do-gooders", is to keep their views in the public arena - even if it is - IMO - very misguided and mischievous.

...but the more specific question I think should be asked
- is there really intelligent life on Earth!

COMMENT : Considering the way the some religions behave, who state all their caring for one another and there declared "sanctity for life", sure act pretty badly to those who disagree with their individual views. I think some actually hold emphatically true ; "As you have observed, human life as cheap" (as Major Strasser says in the 1942 movie Casablanca and are prepared to kill, maim and murder to sustain their often strange religious dogma.
If there was ever a Christmas wish - it would be this - stop using religion to perpetrate such evils on the fellow humans throughout the world. While respecting someone's own views is one thing - imposing them others is clearly not acceptable. For this we can only hope that some day humankind will discard these now antiquated notions so that humanity can embrace the true meaning of living and in having real concept of "life".

Andrew

Note: Perhaps you should read the 1979 Pulitzer Prize-winning book; "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstadter, which is a . He attempts; "...to show how to perceive reality outside the normal confines of their own experience and embrace such paradoxical questions by rejecting the premise." Knowledge of such views are certainly necessary to resolve such recursive questions before you can obtain any meaningful answers.