UFOs
On June 27, 1959, Rev. William Gill, a missionary and teacher, walked out
of the dining hall of his missionary school at Boiani, New Guinea, looked up
and saw a large, shining object. Rev. Gill was joined by 28 other adult
witnesses, including five teachers and two medical assistants, who all signed
a statement attesting to the reality of the incident.
The strange craft hovered close to the observers, accompanied by two
other UFOs. Four humanoid creatures appeared on top of the object. Gill and
several of the others began waving their arms. Two of the creatures returned
the greeting, waving their "arms." Gill and his friends observed the UFO from
6:45 to 7:20 p.m. when the object finally took off and disappeared.*
One evening in 1961 Barney and Betty Hill were driving along a deserted
highway when they saw an unidentified flying object apparently following them.
As they pulled their car over and stopped, the UFO landed and took them
aboard. The Hills had no memory of what took place and simply found
themselves again in their car.
In one of the most baffling aspects of this case, Betty Hill, under
hypnosis, reproduced a star map which had been shown to her by the UFO's
commander. The map consisted of 27 stars, several of which were unknown to
astronomers and the others difficult to place in known star configurations.
This was immediately assumed as evidence of the falsity of the entire story.
In 1969, though, Marjorie Fish, research specialist for MUFON (Mutual UFO
Network), found many of the stars located in the constellation Reticulum. By
1972, all the stars had been located. In effect, Betty Hill, a housewife, had
drawn a diagram in 1964 of star configurations that were completely unknown to
astronomers until 1972.**
Even the Air Force, and in fact, the White House, are not immune to UFO
sightings. On July 20, 1952, several UFOs were picked up on radar -- directly
over the nation's Capitol. As would be expected, jet fighters manned by ace
pilots were scrambled to intercept the objects. While the whole scene was
being monitored on radar, the jets entered the vicinity of the UFOs, only to
have them escape at a speed of several thousand miles per hour. The mystified
pilots were called in.
However, the night was still young. The UFOs returned several times and
each time the fighters were sent to meet them. When the planes got close, the
UFOs would take off at their phenomenal speed. This cat and mouse game
continued until almost daybreak.
A few days later, the mysterious blips again appeared on radar. Once
more, jets were scrambled to pursue them. This time, the UFOs surrounded one
of the planes and flew with it in full view of the pilot for several seconds
before making their getaway. This was confirmed by ground radar tracking.***
History of UFOs
Increased public interest in spiritual phenomena has made UFOs common
knowledge and the subject of intense research. Since the development of radar
and sophisticated air forces, thousands of UFO sightings have been discovered
and verified. Today they can no longer be explained away. UFOs are out of
the natural realm and because of their sensational nature, they have created
their own cult following. As Christians, we should have some kind of
intelligent answer.
There is no need for Christians to get nervous over UFOs or have their
faith shaken. The Bible has always spoken about evil supernatural forces and
acknowledged supernatural occurrences which were separate from God.
UFOs are nothing new. Ancient Hindu literature refers to celestial cars
and flying discs. Several very distinguished Roman historians such as
Tacitus, Seneca, and Pliny mentioned UFO sightings in the third and fourth
century B.C. Eight specific locations of sightings dating up to 16 B.C. are
given by Titus Libins and Julius Obsequeno.
The great explorer Christopher Columbus saw an unidentified light moving
up and down the sky the night before he discovered land on his famous voyage.
1896-97 saw one of the major UFO flaps (heavy concentration of sightings in a
given time period) in history.****
What are UFOs and where do they come from? Dr. J. Allen Hynek, a world
famous ufologist and head of Northwestern University's Astronomy Department,
Astronaut James McDivitt, Marine Corps Major Donald Keyhoe and many other
researchers believe the UFOs are probably interplanetary spacecraft manned by
intelligent beings. Their hypothesis is based on such examples as the
Pascogoula, Mississippi incident.
On October 11, 1973, two shipyard workers, Charles Hickson and Calvin
Parker, were fishing when a UFO landed close to them. They were "floated"
into the craft where they were examined by humanoids with strange equipment,
then let go after some twenty minutes had passed. No one has ever come up with
justifiable evidence that the incident was a hoax or a simple hallucination.
An incredible outgrowth of this thinking is the popular "Chariots of the
Gods?" idea expounded by Erich Von Daniken.
Von Daniken, a self-proclaimed expert in nearly everything, postulates
that spacemen visited the earth in ancient history, teaching people and
helping them produce certain mysterious wonders, such as the Great Pyramid,
the highly civilized Mayan culture, and the Nazca lines. Dr. Clifford Wilson,
Ph.D. and former director of the Australian Institute of Archaeology, brings
up many problems and inconsistencies in Von Daniken's conjectures.
Wilson charges that Von Daniken is at odds with the sciences of
archaeology and anthropology as he ignores common plausible explanations and
substitutes his own wild assertions. Von Daniken presents certain isolated
facts to the uneducated public and then asks "What does it look like to you?"
It's a good thing we don't approach medical science in that way.
Operation Cover Up
The U.S. government has initiated four major reports since 1947 to
investigate UFOs. The results of the 1947 Project Sign revealed the validity
of UFO sightings and offered the tentative explanation of extraterrestrial
spacecraft. Out of the unpopular reception of these results by Air Force
hierarchy, Project Grudge in 1949 was born. Grudge proceeded to discredit
sightings as hallucinations or hoaxes and to provide natural explanations.
Despite the negative viewpoint established by Grudge, continued and
increased UFO sightings necessitated Project Bluebook. Bluebook's purpose was
to gather additional data for analysis. Each time the UFOs were spotted on
radar, jets would scramble in pursuit of the "natural phenomenon."
During the famous New York blackouts of November, 1965, there were
several UFO sightings including a rather dramatic one by actor Stewart
Whitman. He looked out the window of his 12th story hotel suite and saw two
shining discs. A voice came from the objects with a warning that the space
visitors had perpetrated the blackouts as a small example of their power to
paralyze our world.*****
Shortly after the blackouts in 1966-68, the government instituted the
controversial Condon Report. It came up with the startling conclusion that
all UFO sightings that cannot be explained by natural phenomena are para-
physical manifestations similar to those experienced in spiritism.
Who Are Those Guys?
John Keel, another foremost ufologist, agrees in part with the Condon
Report, that UFOs cannot be explained in terms of manufactured spacecraft from
other planets and are most likely deceiving spirits playing games with
mankind. States Keel, "Demonology is not just another crackpot-
ology...thousands of books have been written on the subject, many of them
authored by educated clergymen, scientists and scholars, and uncounted numbers
of well-documented demonic events are readily available to every researcher.
The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are
similar, if not entirely identical, to the UFO phenomenon itself."
The UFO contact reports seem extremely similar to spirit manifestations
experienced by mediums. They seem to have no consistent form. There are
almost as many different descriptions of UFOs as there are detailed sightings.
The tremendous speed and maneuverability of these objects defies all known
natural laws operating in our realm. We cannot scientifically conceive of any
being or material that could survive the gravitational shock of a 90 degree
turn made at 5,000 miles per hour.
Uri Geller, sensational occult personality and keybender extraordinaire,
claims that his unusual powers come from extra-terrestrial beings. In
experiments with Dr. Andrija Puharich, an Israeli physician, Geller functioned
as a medium for creatures supposedly from "Hoova," a distant planet, to
communicate with Dr. Puharich.****** This is not an isolated incident. In
the files of contact cases, there are many examples of trances, contactees
being used as "mediums," paralysis, hypnotism, etc.
Christian UFO researchers such as Dr. Walter Martin and Dr. Wilson
propose by theory that UFOs are demons, who can assume material forms
temporarily, and whose goal it is to confuse, deceive, and prepare mankind for
the coming of the anti-Christ. They point to the many false prophecies and
the anti-Christian theology usually included in the messages by UFO occupants.
If UFOs are demon manifestations, where do they come from?
Powers of the Air?
A great host of angelic beings led by Lucifer (or Satan) were defeated in
an attempt to usurp God's authority and were confined to the atmospheric
heavens of earth awaiting God's final judgment. (Ez. 28:11-19, Isaiah 14:12-
17, Eph. 2:2, Rev. 12:7-12).
Christians are instructed to put on God's whole armor so that they can
"stand up against (all) the strategies and deceits of the devil. For we are
not wrestling with flesh and blood -- contending only with physical opponents
-- but against the despotisms, against the powers, against (the master spirits
who are) the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces
of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere." (Eph. 6:11b,12)
Christians have authority over all evil spiritual beings. Jesus said,
"Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and
over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you." (Luke 10:19)
In I John 4:1-3, we are told not to believe every spirit, but to test
them to see whether they are of God. The scriptural test is, "By this you may
know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which
acknowledges and confesses (the fact) that Jesus Christ, the Messiah,
(actually) has become man and has come in the flesh is of God -- has God for
its source.
"And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus
Christ has come int the flesh (but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him)
is not of God -- does not proceed from Him. This (non-confession) is the
spirit of anti-Christ, (of) which you heard that it was coming, and now it is
already in the world."
The Great Deception
In what category does this leave the UFO? These supposedly
"interstellar" visitors tell us their life span is thousands of years or that
they are immortal. They speak of their advanced civilization where everything
is perfect. For example, Uri Geller's cosmic companions from "Hoova" claim to
have solved all life's problems and are willing to share their knowledge with
mankind. Other "intergalactic" representatives give ominous warnings of doom
for earth and her citizens.
Finally, and most important, UFO messages have denied a supernatural,
all-powerful God who works in individual lives, instead offering a do-it-
yourself program for perfection and immortality.
This non-confession of Jesus Christ and God's plan of salvation for us
classifies UFOs of the spirit of anti-Christ. UFOs present a diversion
keeping us from the reality of our spiritual crisis and the reality of the
living God.
In contrast with the facts on UFOs, we have unified historical evidence
and testimony of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While UFOs
are doing cute maneuvers in the skies and talking about interplanetary
organizations. Jesus teaches of love, peace, honesty, self-control, helping
the poor, justice...the very things we desperately need. Beyond that, He
offers to make these things a living reality in our lives through an
individual, personal relationship with Himself.
Rather than hiding and playing games with man, the Lord has offered
Himself for us and opened His kingdom to us. He made it simple, as simple as
turning from our sinfulness and asking Jesus into our lives. Realistically,
the UFO question may never be answered once and for all. In the meantime, we
have much more important things to deal with.
Footnotes
* Frank B. Salisbury, "The Scientist and the UFO," Symposium on
Unidentified Flying Objects: Hearing before the Committee on Science and
Astronautics, U.S. House of Representatives (Washington, D.C., 1968), p. 244.
** John Weldon with Zola Levitt, UFO's: What on Earth is Happening?
(Irvine, Calif., 1975), p. 137.
*** Ibid., pp. 35, 36.
**** Ibid., pp. 23,25.
***** John A. Keel, UFO's...Operation Trojan Horse, p. 198, as found in
Dr. Clifford Wilson, UFO's and Their Mission Impossible (New York, 1974), pp.
96, 97.
****** Weldon, op. cit., p. 112.
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