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Feedback archive → Feedback
2007
Aliens, evolution and the occult
Published: 24 February 2007 (GMT+10)
Photo by Cheryl Empey, from www.sxc.hu
This week’s feedback comes from John V. of Australia who comments about Gary Bates’ book
Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection, and Gary
replies. His groundbreaking research clearly demonstrates that evolutionary assumptions
coupled with the media’s imagination about what alien life might look like
have created an almost ‘fever-pitch’ belief that aliens must exist ‘out
there’ somewhere.
Informal surveys conducted by CMI have shown that most secular high-school children
today believe that there is some kind of evolutionary Star Wars-like ‘force’
behind the universe, and many think that highly evolved and technologically advanced
aliens created (or ‘seeded’) life on earth. Just try asking a few teenagers
what they believe. Even many Christian youth readily believe in extraterrestrial
life. It is a subject that is shaping the worldview of future generations. CMI is
the only creationist organisation to have a specialist researcher into UFO claims.
The rapid take up of Gary’s book (it’s been an Amazon top-50 best-seller—and
one would reasonably assume that it’s mainly non-Christians who buy from Amazon)
demonstrates that this is a much bigger area of interest than the Church realises.
It’s important for this ministry to be at the front line of another great
battleground of deception spawned from evolutionary beliefs.
Many secular researchers have similarly concluded that this is the same old phenomenon
dressed up (as aliens) to suit contemporary beliefs.
Dear Gary Bates,
I have had an interest in UFOlogy for decades. As a child I recall reading The Encyclopedia
of Unexplained Mysteries packed with documented UFO case scenarios, and
as a teenager being an avid fan of the popular television show The X-Files.
At the same time as a devout Christian I have had a voracious interest in all things
as they relate to the Bible, such as government, economics, jurisprudence, science,
medicine, culture and eschatology for instance.
It is good that you balanced your interest in such things by searching the Scriptures
(cf. John 5:39). One of the greatest deceptions about the UFO
phenomenon is that many people base their worldviews on UFO experiences
(which can be very real) alone. However, to be deceived effectively means to be
‘conned’ into believing something that is not true, and the reality
is that our very senses can be deceived. The experience itself can become
the filter for truth instead of God’s Word, which is the truth. God’s
Word is the only source that can truly help us spiritually discern such things (1 Corinthians 2:14).
In this way I have been intrigued by the UFO phenomenon and have always sought the
Biblical perspective on such.
That’s good to hear, as we need to be able to give a credible answer (1 Peter 3:15) to those who are caught up in UFO beliefs.
If we make an uninformed opinion to those who are deeply involved in this phenomenon,
we will just be written off as debunkers. By demonstrating that we have a good understanding
of the subject matter we will appear credible and folk will seek an answer from
us. This has been the case with the book.
I read various Christian articles that highlighted the occult connection with UFOs,
but my search for a comprehensive book on the subject failed time after time—the
only book that came close was John Ankerberg’s The Facts on UFOs
[actually a booklet], which left me thirsting for more
information—until I came across your Alien Intrusion at my local Christian bookstore.
What can I say that has not already been said about your book!
Great! We wish even more Christians (and bookstores) would realise the potential
of the subject matter to reach others.
In my own experience I could not put it down! It was an exciting page-turner that
has reinforced my deep respect for the Bible and its immediate relevance to our
times. Your impeccable research, lucid style, and solid support—all from a
Biblical perspective—made for a powerful and persuasive tome that will take
pride of place on my bookshelf on this fascinating topic for years to come! I cannot
recommend it enough!
Thank you very much.
What I found unbelievable was the mind blowing mention of Bill D’s testimony
concerning his attempted abduction and the relationship the UFO culture has with
the occult (p. 257). When I read his account I thought to myself ‘I knew it!
I knew it.’ Over the past four years I’ve had at least three ‘dreams’
wherein I felt tormented by what I can only describe as demons and the symptoms
described were similar, including the feeling of paralysis and being incapable of
speaking. All I could do in such a situation was mentally pray in Jesus name for
deliverance. I would then feel the ‘presence’ leave and I’d wake
up. To this day I do not know if these experiences were merely nightmares or actual
manifestations of demonic activity—I don’t know.
It is of course possible that they are nightmares, but I have personally met dozens,
and have heard of many more, who have had very similar experiences—with some
‘visitors’ masquerading as aliens. It seems to depend upon what you
might fall for, and Christians are not necessarily immune from these experiences
(just because one is a Christian it does not mean that the Devil won’t try).
Many sceptical researchers have claimed naturalistic interpretations that are not
credible. The striking similarity of these experiences, the things people claim
they are told by these entities, and the fact they can be halted in the name of
Christ, clearly points to a supernatural explanation.
But, this has confirmed my understanding of the veracity of God’s Word that
‘whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Acts 2:21; cf. Mark 16:17–18).
Indeed. Bill D. was not a Christian at the time but halted his experience in the
name of Christ. He was familiar with Christian ‘things’ because he used
to occasionally attend church with his wife.
I cannot thank you enough for reprinting this testimonial, as it is my conviction
that aliens, and historically faeries, goblins, and the like are all related to
the occult and are manifestations of the spirit world, in other words proof of demonic
activity.
I showed in my book that many secular researchers have similarly concluded that
this is the same old phenomenon dressed up (as aliens) to suit contemporary beliefs.
But sadly, they are unable to accept a spiritual explanation due to their pre-existing
evolutionary worldview. They have an a priori commitment that causes them
to ‘dream up’ a naturalistic interpretation. However, when they invoke
unseen other dimensions or parallel universes to explain how, they are in fact delving
into the supernatural. World-renowned and respected UFOlogist Dr Jacques Vallée
wrote (the lead character in Spielberg’s movie Close Encounters of the Third
Kind was based upon Dr Vallée) of his conclusion:
‘… that what takes place through close encounters with UFOs is control
of human beliefs, control of the relationship between our consciousness and physical
reality, that this control has been in force throughout history and that it is of
secondary importance that it should now assume the form of sightings of space visitors.’1
And by the way I thought your explanation of an interdimensional
Creator was brilliant! I’ve always wondered why isn’t there
a ‘scientific’ explanation for Christ’s ability (and by extension
all beings from the spirit world like angels) to transform himself to eat a meal
with his disciples and at the same time walk through walls and fly in the clouds?
This is a very big area to discuss. Many assume that angels, for example, are some
sort of ethereal-like spirit beings that never have any material substance. However,
this is inconsistent with the Scriptures. For example, the three visitors who met
Abraham (Genesis 18:2) were most likely theophany (a physical manifestation
of God) and angelophany, and they actually ate food with Abraham. Does this mean
they had stomach organs and a digestive tract? It is my personal view that they
emanate from another reality, unlike our own, a dimension that can interact with
our own. It appears that spirit beings are able to manifest as physical entities
in our realm.
Finally, if you’ll allow me I have a question, which I’d be especially
grateful if you could please answer for me if you are able. I am researching for
an e-booklet on 9/11 synchronicities and am interested in the occult aspect of the
media, like films, TV, etc. What caught my attention in the first few pages of your
book was the intriguing account you related how after Steven Spielberg’s film
‘CE III’ [Close Encounters of the Third Kind] alien descriptions
were modified to the extent they were manifesting themselves like those depicted
in the movie and yet prior to the film they had been described differently (pp.
24–25). I was wondering if you would happen to know where I might be able
to study this further? Is there any Internet source that I might refer to concerning
this discovery? Do you know of other similar reports that seem to connect the media
with the occult like this event?
This is a most bizarre reality. I recall counselling a middle-aged man after a meeting
one night in New Zealand. He shared his ‘contact’ experience with me
that occurred when he was a young boy. It was back in the mid ‘60s and I dared
to ask him (testing my hypothesis): ‘Was the entity wearing a one-piece jumpsuit
similar to the characters in the TV series Lost in Space or something like
that?’ I recall him saying something like, ‘How on Earth could you possibly
know that? And he was shocked to the core. Although it seems laughable by today’s
standards (special effects etc), that’s how science fiction stories and movies
portrayed space visitors at the time, and such images were entirely believable to
that culture. In other words, how would the young boy have been tricked into believing
it was a space visitor if it appeared as something he could not even conceive? Many
sightings of so-called extraterrestrials in that period appeared in such a form.
Today the most common description is the ‘gray’ that features in countless
modern science fiction movies.
I can recommend The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters
for your research. It has a history of UFOs and alien descriptions throughout the
ages. There are diagrams of the changing shapes of UFOs and aliens. The writings
of secular researcher John Keel also strongly link UFOs to the occult. He wrote,
‘The Devil and his demons can, according to the literature, manifest themselves
in almost any form and can physically imitate anything from angels to horrifying
monsters with glowing eyes. Strange objects and entities materialize and dematerialize
in these stories, just as the UFOs and their splendid occupants appear and disappear,
walk through walls, and perform other supernatural feats. … The manifestations
and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar, if not entirely
identical, to the UFO phenomenon itself. Victims of demonomania [possession] suffer
the very same medical and emotional symptoms as the UFO contactees. …’2
I feel that it has some relation to your thesis, which I concur with, how abductees
are actually supplanted with ‘images’ rather than physically being transported
to spaceships, planets, etc.
There is very little physical evidence to support the idea of people going aboard
a real physical spaceship. For example, no one has brought back a towel from the
flying saucer’s bathroom as a souvenir etc. As the wise King Solomon once
said, ‘ … there is nothing new under the sun’ (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Like Solomon I have found that the simplest
explanations are often the best, and have been developing a theory that hypnosis
can simply implant the most incredible false memories into the experiencer’s
mind. This is science fact as it has been performed by human beings upon one another.
So how much more credible is it to think that powerful, fallen angelic beings could
do the same. It falls nicely within the pattern of ‘missing time’ that
experiencers cannot account for, and also the fact that many experiences are not
readily recollected until one undergoes hypnosis once again.
The human mind can be tricked into thinking that the person has even undergone physical
experiences. For example, I’m sure many are familiar with ‘falling dreams’
where many recall the actual sensation of falling. This is just our brains being
tricked into a kind of false reality.
and how they are capable of manipulating matter to project things that aren’t
really there, physically that is.
Photo after vla, from www.sxc.hu
We cannot empirically test spiritual things so one cannot say for sure whether satan
or angelic beings have the power to manipulate matter. I certainly don’t attribute
them with the power to create matter. Only the Creator can do that. However, there
is a passage of Scripture that might suggest such manipulation has taken place.
In Pharaoh’s court Aaron threw down his staff, which God duly turned into
a snake. Then Pharaoh’s magicians, Jannes and Jambres (2 Timothy 3:8) did the same thing with their own staffs.
Was it sleight of hand? An illusion? Possibly, but trickery is not mentioned, and
we read that Aaron’s snake ate up the conjurers’ snakes (Exodus 7:12), and it’s hard to see a real snake eating
up an illusion.
Anyway I look forward to your response and thank you very much for your time. Keep
up the Good Work!
Thanks again. Of course, I try to base my theories on what I can glean from the
Scriptures but the reality is none of us can be absolutely sure what the spirit
realm is really like. However, I’m glad that my research is helping folks
like you.
Sincerely,
John V
Australia
In Christ
Gary Bates
Related Articles
Related resource
References
- Jacques Vallée; in: Ronald D. Story (Ed.), The
Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters, Robinson, London, p. 753–754,
2001. Return to Text
- John Keel, Operation Trojan Horse, Illuminet Press,
p. 192, 1996 edition. Return to Text
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