A few months ago in my travelings about the NIU Campus, I noticed a poster advertising a film / Discussion on UFOs.
Now, UFOs and paranormal activity are among my favorite areas of study, so I thought I would go to the seminar. When
I got there, an Elderly man in a business suit stuck his hand out and said "Hello! I'm (name omitted)".
I Said "hi." And he stared at me until I told him my name. It seemed strange behavior to me, and I thought that maybe
this guy was mentally challenged. He greeted everyone in the same fashion and stood like a guard at the door when it
was time to start the Seminar. a few minutes later a mediator guy came out and told us that we would watch a film
and then have a discussion on it. The film started out just like any other film on UFOs and Aliens - ancient accounts of
strange objects in the sky, modern sightings and abductions, etc. Towards the middle of the movie, it started talking
about how aliens could really be demons and how even an atheist admitted that they fit the ancient myths. The film
ended with some speculation by a Scottish priest and his "new" interpretation of "nephilim" in Genesis, an
interpretation incredibly obvious and in use all over the world. After the film, The mediator guy asked a few religious
questions and a plant in the audience expounded on them. The plant said "I asked believers in the big bang what their
evidence was, and they said 'nothing'. " Now, I don't know who he was talking to, but anyone with half a good education
should have come up with at least one thing that supports the big bang. Funny, but if you ask a creationist what their
proof is, they'll eventually have to admit that they don't have any. Back to the discussion, the mediator Said "Do any
of you believe that UFOs are controlled by beings from other planets?" And one guy in the audience answered "Well, not
any more." Is it possible that watching a silly unresearched, unsupported video full of speculation and hearsay could
change someone's view of the universe in less than an hour? Are there really people with minds that weak, people who
need to fit in so badly that they'll swallow anything you throw at them?
The thing that galls me the most about that experience is not the misinformation, and the perception bending tactics
used by the architects of it, but that I was tricked into going into it. The mediator guy said "Well, If you came here to
just to see a film on UFOs and not to talk about Jesus..." Why else would you go to a UFO seminar? Jesus is not
generally a thing that comes up in them. After sitting through half an hour of religious babble, the discussions ended
with a plug for Campus Ministries. You know- "if you have any questions, problems, or just need someone to talk to,
Come and See us. " - That sort of thing. I went back to the dorms and looked closely at the poster for the seminar. In
tiny letters at the bottom of the sign, where no one would notice it, it said "Sponsored by campus ministries
international". Since then, I have seen similar posters for everything from the Millennium bug to abortion, and they're
all from the same source. This is the same style of Bait-and-switch Used by stores and companies all over America.
"Come in and get a VCR for only $59.99!" Then when you get there, you find out they are out of the $59.99 VCR , in
fact, they only had two to begin with, and they try to talk you into buying the $159.99 VCR. Now, I have no problem
with religious discussions, but to trick people into going to them is just wrong. Pretending to be giving a seminar on a
popular / Controversial topic and then really giving a seminar on religious speculation on said topic is nothing less than
evil. Forcing people into your religion, tricking them into it is not in the spirit of what the philosophy of your religion is
about. the bible says "love thy neighbor" not "love thy neighbor if he's also of this religion, and if not belittle, hate,
coerce, and trick him" - Christians! Read your book before your put down other religions. In fact, read their holy books
too. hate is the weapon of religion, and it has killed millions. Organized religions are businesses, and they hate
competition. They try to destroy it and steal the members of other religions. See the parallels of marketing and
religious propaganda? Next time you pass a church and see a light up sigh advertising their gift shop, remember this
essay. Think before you commit yourself to an order you're not sure the true motives of.
(Written and Submitted by Art Hughes)
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