Aliens Among Us? - Part 2

One needs merely watch a few movies, listen to some of the recent claims, or read the popular literature to realize that there is a dark side to the UFO phenomenon. This can take a number of different forms, some of which are briefly outlined here.

First, there is clearly a New Age flavor to many of the UFO accounts. A brief perusal of the literature makes this very evident. These unidentified craft/beings are believed by many to be harbingers of a new era, a time of peace and tranquility. The Age of Aquarius (as some would term it) is about to dawn. Those from within this camp view the entire UFO phenomenon as a religious movement. We are ready to take a cosmic leap to a new and higher spiritual plain.

Also many are saying these alien visitors are here to protect us from ourselves, shielding humanity from nuclear obliteration and various calamities. So, for instance, they desire to facilitate the protection (worship?) of the environment. Supposedly, they want mankind to live in harmony with one another and all of nature.

Strange as it may seem, however, our extraterrestrial "brothers" sound much like contemporary politicians. But it is highly unlikely that advanced creatures from some distant planet would take up an agenda that coincides with the modern (and imbalanced) philosophies of the politically correct. At the least, it sounds suspicious.[16]

Next there is the abduction experience. If we are to believe the claims, many people have been forcibly taken as prisoners, poked, prodded, and put through a series of sexual experiments that amount to space rape. Whatever else this reveals, we are surely dealing with thoughts and events which are the antithesis of biblical teaching.

Then there is the matter that certain UFO encounters resemble occult activity. Levitation, walk-ins (in which higher beings "walk into" or possess humans) and other occurrences are claimed by some. In days gone by, these would have been viewed by the Christian community as demonic in nature. If and when they occur within the UFO movement, they should probably still be placed within that category.

What's more, UFO appearances have also been associated with religious groups and practices which evangelical Christians have traditionally labeled misleading, false, or heretical. For instance, the alleged apparitions of Mary at Fatima (and elsewhere) are rightly rejected for portraying her in ways clearly out of line with Christian theology. Likewise, Mormon history and beliefs are heterodox. Yet both of these share some common-ground with aspects of the UFO phenomenon.[17]

But perhaps the most alarming messages from "alien" visitors are those which directly contradict the Bible's teachings. Sometimes the Christian gospel is subtly denied; on other occasions the attack is more direct. There are those who even postulate that Jesus was merely an advanced human or an alien. At any rate, the consistent message is one in which Jesus Christ is demeaned and His role minimized. Clearly this can only be labeled anti-Christian, and part of the Satanic system which seeks to thwart God's plan (1 John 2:21-24; 4:1-3; 5:10). Whether these ideas originate from organized human groups, the imaginations of the UFO fanatic, alien civilizations, or spiritual forces—they can often be classified as unbiblical. For the Christian, this is cause for concern.

This review is obviously not enough to render infallible answers as to the specific identity of UFOs. It should cause honest investigators to pause, however, before too hastily assuming their benevolence. You can, after all, determine a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). And the fruit produced by at least certain portions of this movement is a poison variety. Now this shouldn't be construed as a wholesale rejection of all UFO research. Nor is the "New Age" tendency necessarily part-and-parcel of every aspect of ufology. It's just that the phenomenon, while intriguing, warrants serious theological discernment. Therefore it necessary to proceed carefully and honestly, desiring only right-mindedness and biblical consistency.

The current belief among most popular ufologists is that UFOs are of extraterrestrial origin. They are usually viewed as somebody else's "nuts and bolts" craft, occupied by advanced beings from somewhere in distant space (or another dimension). Typical of the ideas that swirl around the belief in UFOs are the following: The world's governments are well-aware of alien beings but have been involved in a massive coverup/conspiracy. UFOs are known to have crashed, and the bodies of deceased aliens have been examined by government scientists. Abductions are real physical "kidnappings" which occur (possibly) for the purpose of ensuring the survival of the alien's civilization; this is accomplished by means of the fertilization of women who now carry space babies. UFOs are here to assist mankind, like big space brothers should. They are concerned for humanity's survival, and want us to pursue global peace . . . and so the story goes.

As mentioned earlier, this scenario is so consistently repeated that few appear willing to offer other explanations. And when alternate theories are put forth, most simply ignore them in order not to rock the UFO "boat" (ship?). Still, some investigators feel less than enthused about the ET hypothesis.

First of all, one wonders about the reliability of many of the UFO reports. Some UFO reports are highly suspicious, and the trustworthiness of the informants often suspect. Someone appears to be expending great energy trying to convince the public to accept the ET theory. Maybe this is because it actually represents the truth. Maybe not.

Questions also emerge when trying to make sense of the alleged UFO sightings and their typical explanations. Highly unlikely is the theory that advanced beings need us to promulgate their race. And it is puzzling, to say the least, that "aliens" desire to make their presence known (e.g., crop circles, sightings, abductions[18]) while simultaneously appearing reluctant to disclose their full identity. Surely an advanced race, one which has managed to travel to earth from far-away places, would be able to remain completely undetected. But they're not hiding themselves. On the other hand, clear-cut, unambiguous evidence is hard to come by. The usual explanation: They are hiding from us until we are ready to receive them. Are we to believe, then, that these incredibly secretive beings hide their very identity at the highest level, while simultaneously allowing us to observe them via movie cameras and other personal encounters? Such a scenario—that UFOs are both meticulous professionals of secrecy and bumbling alien idiots who seem to leave traces of themselves everywhere—is difficult to accept.[19] All of this seems rather inconsistent with the idea of aliens from outer space. This is not to mention the massive distances these alleged aliens would need to traverse in order to arrive on this planet. Of course, there is always someone who will argue for a "worm hole"[20] theory, and perhaps such an idea will prove to be valid. One wonders, though, why not a few ufologists are willing to abandon current knowledge on the basis of pure speculation. Perhaps the UFO agenda has so consumed some enthusiasts that it has reached religious proportions. Indeed, it apparently has.

Current knowledge does not preclude the possibility of an extraterrestrial explanation for UFOs; the theory shouldn't be rejected out of hand. But there is reason to remain skeptical, and this skepticism is shared by others. One such individual is Jacques Vallee. He was a close associate of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, whom many consider the father of UFO research. Vallee later served as the real-life model for a character in Steven Spielberg's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His knowledge of physics and computer science, along with his extensive research of this phenomenon, make him one of the premier experts in the field. Concerning the extraterrestrial theory, Vallee argues, "Exciting as an extraterrestrial visitation to earth would be . . . in the current state of our knowledge, the UFO phenomena are not consistent with the common interpretation of this hypothesis."[21] He continues, "The inescapable conclusion is that the people who claim so vocally to expose the cover-up may be the ones who constitute the cover-up itself. Somebody is going to a lot of trouble to convince us of the reality of extraterrestrials, to the exclusion of other, possibly more important hypotheses about UFOs."[22] Whatever else might be said about UFOs, it is reasonable to test the validity of the ET theory. Maybe they are from other worlds. That would be amazing enough. But if this explanation proves inadequate, UFOs might represent an even deeper mystery.

NOTES

16. Indeed, it sounds like the same forces which influence so many within our post-modern culture have surfaced in segments of the UFO community. Could this mean that the "principalities and powers" responsible for errors in society at large are active in the UFO movement?

17. See Dimensions, pp.173-195. In this section, Vallee—who is not a Christian—shows some of the parallels between UFOs and certain religious apparitions. What is striking is the fact that the religious events which Vallee highlights are basically those which fall outside the parameters of evangelical Christianity. In other words, Vallee unwittingly weds UFOs to bogus or unbiblical groups and concepts.

18. We should note that a great number of those claiming to have been abducted discover and remember their experience through regressive hypnosis. Concerning this use of hypnosis by UFO researchers, Vallee says, "It is not simply misguided, it is irresponsible, unscientific and profoundly unethical." Dimensions, p. 274. This is not to suggest that all UFO memories are simply "made up." It does make one question, however, whether the stories we hear are all legitimate. Likewise, one has to ask whether extraterrestrial intelligences are the real cause of these abduction experiences, if and when they actually occur.

19. A tantalizing explanation for this mixture of hiddenness (i.e., "they" won't plainly appear) and disclosure (i.e., apparently "they" want us to see them from a distance) is that the UFO occupants are involved in some sort of deception. That is, they carry out their agenda, convincing many of their existence and significance. At the same time, they won't allow us to get too close, lest we discover their true identity.

20. A "wormhole" is a theoretical concept involving interstellar tunnels which are considered by some to be links between black holes. Supposedly, a space traveler might be able to enter a black hole in one part of the universe and exit at an entirely different location. Thus the wormhole might be thought of as a type of cosmic shortcut. See Alone in the Universe?, pp. 80-84.

21. Jacques Vallee, Revelations (New York: Ballantine Books, 1991), pp. 277-278.

22.Revelations, p. 185. Also, "Five Arguments Against the Extraterrestrial Origin of Unidentified Flying Objects," pp. 261-279.