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Aliens, evolution and the occult

Photo by Cheryl Empey, from www.sxc.hu PicDescription

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.


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 UFO

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

Published: 24 February 2007

References

  1. Jacques Vallée; in: Ronald D. Story (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters, Robinson, London, p. 753–754, 2001. Return to Text
  2. John Keel, Operation Trojan Horse, Illuminet Press, p. 192, 1996 edition. Return to Text