A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact

by Richard Dolan

  Religious truth, on the other hand, at least when it is based on revealed statements from Holy Books, is not so easily subjected to modification. As a result, we may expect certain of those religions to push back when confronted with a reality as shattering as Disclosure. Many of their adherents will undoubtedly see this unbending quality as a strength, a firm shelter within the raging storm around them. Even so, there is reason to believe that many of the world religions will show the ability to adapt.

  The End of Religion?

  Many analysts have concluded that the announcement of intelligent life in the universe would destroy traditional religious faith. They point out that many of Earth’s religions continue to be heavily anthropomorphic, seeing humanity as the center of God’s plan. The announcement (or arrival) of sentient beings, therefore, would be too much for them to bear.

  Other analysts, such as astrobiologist Paul Davies, theorize that visiting aliens might have discarded theology and religious practice “as primitive superstition,” and would persuade humanity to do likewise. Or, “if they retained a spiritual aspect to their existence, we would have to concede that it was likely to have developed to a degree far ahead of our own.”2

  These assumptions seem to have become a mantra in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) community and elsewhere, repeated so often that it feels as though they were established fact.

  No Fear

  In 1994, researcher Victoria Alexander conducted a survey of clergy from Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish congregations that asked, “Would you agree that ‘official confirmation’ of the discovery of an advanced, technologically superior extraterrestrial civilization would have severe negative effects on the country’s moral, social, and religious foundations?” She concluded that ministers did not feel this would threaten their faith or that of their congregations. Religions would not collapse.3

  Eight years later, in 2002, a Roper Poll similarly asked, “Would an announcement of extraterrestrial Intelligence precipitate a religious crisis?” Not only was the answer overwhelmingly “no,” it actually rose with age. Ninety-three percent of respondents over age 65 said it would not be a big deal. Roper concluded that “very few” Americans thought that an official government announcement on extraterrestrials would cause them to question their religious beliefs.4

  In early 2010, another survey examined the issue, this time with respondents from around the world. The results put another nail in the coffin of the SETI claims of religious berserkers running amok over Disclosure.

  The survey was designed by Ted Peters, a professor at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California, and was called The Peters ETI Religious Crisis Survey. With his colleague Julie Froehlig, Peters interviewed 1,300 respondents, including believers from Roman Catholicism, mainline Protestantism, evangelical Protestantism, Orthodox Christianity, Mormonism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Atheists and agnostics were also included. The survey tested this hypothesis: “Upon confirmation of contact between Earth and an extraterrestrial civilization of intelligent beings, the long established religious traditions of Earth would confront a crisis of belief and perhaps even collapse.”5

  Here are some of the responses they received.

  “Finding ETI, I believe, would be a profound and wonderful event.”

  “Extraterrestrial religious beliefs and traditions will differ, perhaps greatly in some ways. However, they live in the same universe with the same God, and a similar array of religious responses and developments would likely have developed on their world.”

  “Nothing would make me lose my faith. God can reach them if they exist.”

  “I believe that Christ became incarnate (human) in order to redeem humanity and atone for the original sin of Adam and Eve. Could there be a world of extraterrestrials? Maybe. It doesn’t change what Christ did.”

  The authors concluded: “Religious persons, for the most part, do not fear contact.”

  A small minority did not believe in extraterrestrials. These respondents, in what can be described as the “rare Earth” camp, believe life on Earth to be so rare that a second creation of life is unlikely to have occurred elsewhere. Even this belief, however, does not necessarily make people fragile. One evangelical Protestant remarked, “I don’t think they are out there. But if they are, that’s cool.”

  The only respondents who predicted the collapse of religious belief systems were self-described atheists and agnostics. Believers expected to carry on with their lives. Many even expected some form of Disclosure within their lifetimes.

  The acknowledgment of Others demands that we look at our universe as larger, more crowded, and less Earth-centered than we have in the past. That, by itself, is not a fatal blow to any institution.

  The Vatican Moves Toward Disclosure

  The world’s largest church seems to be positioning itself to be at the forefront of Disclosure. The Vatican has long maintained several major astronomical observatories and a collection of radio telescopes. In recent years, its hierarchy has stated, in one form or another, that we have company. Perhaps they know something is afoot, or suspect its inevitability.

  Until his death in 2008, Monsignor Corrado Balducci, long-time friend of Pope John Paul II, and the Vatican’s leading exorcist, had stated his personal opinion many times about the reality of extraterrestrial life. “There must be something between us and the angels,” he told an interviewer. “If there are other beings, they are surely more evolved than we are…. It is illogical and a bit arrogant to believe that we are the only intelligent beings in God’s creation.” Balducci believed that Jesus died for these beings, just as he did for humanity. “He is called King of the universe,” emphasized the Monsignor. “Never underestimate the great mercy or compassion of God.” Balducci was not speaking in purely theoretical terms. He stated more than once his belief that contact between humans and extraterrestrials was real.6

  The Vatican’s astronomers have also expressed their belief in extraterrestrial life. In 2005, Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno concluded that chances are better than ever that humankind is facing a future discovery of extraterrestrial intelligence.7 In 2008, Vatican chief astronomer Father Jose Gabril Funes granted an interview to the L’Osservatore Romano newspaper that made headlines around the world. Father Funes stated his opinion that intelligent life may exist elsewhere in the universe, and that such a notion “doesn’t contradict our faith.”8 The same year, the Reverend Christopher Corbally, the vice director of the Vatican Observatory, said, “How wonderful it would be to have other life beyond our own world because it would show how God’s creation just flows out without abandon.”9

  It is doubtful that all of these Vatican authorities would speak so openly if they felt they were in conflict with official doctrine. Quietly, a policy appears to have been decided upon.

  Christians and Aliens

  Some Evangelical Christians have placed the Bible squarely into the middle of the UFO issue. They have no problem believing UFOs are real, and some even welcome the idea of extraterrestrial visitors. One respondent of the Peters Religious Crisis survey wrote, “From an evangelical Christian perspective, the word of God was written for us on Earth to reveal the Creator. Why should we repudiate the idea that God may have created other civilizations to bring him glory in the same way?”

  Yet this viewpoint is a minority among Biblically-based Christians. The Bible makes no reference to other worlds. Such Christians who do believe in UFOs usually interpret them as demonic, not as extraterrestrial. One respondent of the Peters survey spoke for many Christians when he stated, “I personally believe that Satan, the enemy of Jesus, will attempt to deceive the world into believing he is an ET and many will fall for it.”

  Charles (Chuck) Missler is one of the world’s leading Christian ufologists. He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Air Force flight training, and holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering from UCLA. He also knows as much about UFOs as most n
on-Christian ufologists. He is well-informed about their history, the cover-up, and specific cases. He knows about the testimony from astronauts, radar controllers, and jet pilots. He simply explains UFOs and aliens through the lens of Biblical interpretation as inter-dimensional beings that have a physical reality.

  In his book, Alien Encounters (coauthored with Mark Eastman), Missler argued that what we call UFOs are not aliens from another planet, but demonic entities described in the Bible. Read the Book of Genesis and you will find this passage: “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the Earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the Sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair, and they took them wives of all that they chose.”10

  The offspring of these encounters were known as the “Nephilim” or “Fallen Ones.” Some ufologists interpret this passage as interbreeding between humans and extraterrestrials posing as “the Sons of God.” Missler replies that the truth is the other way around: what people think to be aliens are actually “the Fallen Ones.” They are not from another planet, but have been here all along. They oppose the will of God and seek to undermine God’s creation, humankind.

  That UFOs often appear to be physical and are even tracked by the world’s militaries does not alter this. Such entities, according to Christian ufologists, can be completely physical, and there is nothing stopping them from appearing to use technology. During abduction experiences, they also manifest in physical form, yet this remains a form of spiritual attack. Christian ufologist Dr. Michael Heiser describes these as most likely “an inter-dimensional (that is, spiritual) reality… one that can manifest in truly physical form, and not beings from another planet.”11

  There is also a Christian school of thought in ufology that claims abductions can be fought with prayer, specifically by invoking the name of Jesus Christ.12 Not surprisingly, this has been rebuked by non-Christian abduction researchers, and is questionable by a review of abduction literature. One of the most famous of all abductees, Betty Andreasson Luca, was a devout Christian who experienced multiple abductions spanning most of her life. She also certainly did not interpret her experiences as demonic.

  In the post-Disclosure world, many Christians will see the Others as demonic beings. To them, the Bible is not a matter of interpretation or conjecture, but the unerring word of God for all time. Christian author and former television producer Coleman Luck recalled that the New Testament speaks of a “great deception” to take place during the “End Times.” At that time, the Anti-Christ will appear and will deceive most Christians away from their faith. He added that “an essential part of that deception will have to do with what appears to be alien contact.” Beings claiming to be extraterrestrials will seem to prove that Jesus was not the savior of mankind. “Ultimately,” Luck concluded, “that lie will be overthrown.”13

  It is a clear that most evangelicals will interpret the “Others” according to strongly held Biblical-based beliefs. In this context, some of the most relevant passages in the Bible will be:

  “For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”14 This is from Ephesians, a letter from the Apostle Paul, and one of the earliest Christian documents. What Paul appears to be saying here is that humanity’s great struggle is against spirits that are literally “in the heavens.” In the same letter, he refers to Satan as “the prince of the Power of the Air” and “the prince of the aerial host.”15

  Another passage from Paul, this one from Thessalonians, will resonate with Christians in the post-Disclosure world, as it speaks of the arrival of “Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”16 Might the shock and awe of a more technologically advanced civilization be interpreted in this way?

  Another passage, this one from Matthew, will surely be read in Churches around the world: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”17

  Ultimately, many Christians will interpret a Disclosure announcement in light of the Book of Revelation, which discusses the Second Coming of Christ being preceded by natural disasters, famines, the arrival of the Anti-Christ, and a war in the heavens.18 During the Cold War, it was easy for Christians to interpret this last as a nuclear exchange between the United States and Soviet Union. However, the announcement of extraterrestrials could provide just as much fodder for interpretation. What this means is that Christians will be wary, at the very least, of a major Disclosure statement. They may well take on a more serious opposition as matters develop, expecting that the battle of Armageddon is at hand.

  People do not change overnight. For better as well as for worse, during times of stress, during periods of great uncertainty and even fear, believers will hold more closely than ever to their faith. One key article of faith among Christians is that God will not allow his creation, humankind, to be possessed by dark, Luciferian forces. Instead, it remains within the power of all souls to accept God and reject Satan.

  If the Christians are right about how they interpret the UFO phenomenon, it is hoped that the rest of humanity will thank them for their stand against a demonic presence masking as extraterrestrials. If they are wrong, or even incomplete, in their analysis, they will be seen as obstructionist or even dangerous, refusing to see the truth that stares them in the face.

  Disclosure may not resolve this matter. The dispute may continue for a long time.

  Other Faiths, Easier Transitions

  Some faiths appear positioned to accept the reality of “Others” arriving or living on Planet Earth.

  Belief in extraterrestrial life is integral to members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. In Chapter One of the Mormon Book of Moses, we find this explicit statement: “And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten. And the first man of all men have I called Adam, which is many. But only an account of this Earth, and the inhabitants thereof, give I unto you.”19

  God tells Moses that there are other worlds and other peoples. These other worlds are God’s business, and need not concern Moses or people on Earth. Yet Mormons do believe that they will have interaction with extraterrestrials after their death. Similar to other Christians, and like people of other faiths, Mormons see themselves as children of God. Unlike other versions of Christianity, however, they believe they will become God—who, according to their belief, was once a man. Members of the Latter Day Saints believe they are Gods in training, so to speak, who will rule a world with its own population in their next incarnation. How this might affect their attitude toward extraterrestrial or interdimensional entities that are here on Earth would certainly be interesting.20

  Islam, with 1.5 billion adherents, is the world’s second most-practiced religion (after combining all the various Christian faiths). It does not have a strong position on the existence of extraterrestrial life; belief one way or the other is not related to the fundamentals of its creed. But neither does the religion provide any roadblocks toward accepting an extraterrestrial or interdimensional reality. One respondent of the Peters survey stated, “Islamically, we do believe that God created other planets similar to Earth.” Another wrote, “Only arrogance and pride would make one think that Allah made this vast universe only for us to observe.”

  The texts of the Koran give support to these positions. “All praise belongs to God,” states Islam’s holy book, “Lord of all the worlds.” One commentator on this verse continues: “Worlds of Matter and Force, worlds of Spirits and Angels, worlds of Beauty and Goodness, worlds of Right and Law—worlds that we can imagine or understand and worlds which we cannot comprehend even in our imagination.”21

  The Islamic scholar Mirza Tahir Ahmad quotes another verse in the Holy Koran discussing the creation of “the heavens
and the Earth, and of whatever living creatures He has spread forth in both….”22 Islamic scholars have long commented on the extraterrestrial implications of this verse. During the 1930s, Abdullah Yusuf Ali commented, “It is reasonable to suppose that Life in some form or another is scattered through some of the millions of heavenly bodies scattered through space.”23

  Passages such as these will certainly hearten Muslims in the face of the acknowledged presence of Others on our world, whether they be extraterrestrial, interdimensional, or anything else. Allah rules over all, and may introduce them to humanity at His discretion.

  The post-Disclosure world will also prompt many Islamic scholars to re-examine the nature of the jinn, commonly translated into English as genie. The jinn are frequently mentioned in the Koran as creatures occupying a parallel world to that of humankind. Along with humans and angels, they are one of the three sentient creations of God. Interestingly, only humans and jinn have free will. The jinn live in their own communities and, similar to humans, can be good or evil. The Koran mentions that they are made of “smokeless flame.” In other words, a source of heat or light.

  Unlike Christianity, where the devil is a fallen angel (Lucifer, or “light bearer”) who had rebelled against God, the Islamic devil is a jinn named Iblis. He was granted the privilege to live among angels, then rebelled against God, and ever since—like his Christian counterpart—has continued to lead humans astray, which he will do until the Day of Judgment.

  We can easily see, then, how other beings that become known to humans in the world AD, might be interpreted as fallen angels by Christians, or as jinn by Muslims. In the case of Muslim believers, however, the attitude may well be less antagonistic than those of Christians, because some jinn are said to be good. Furthermore, according to Islamic belief, while the jinn Iblis may be a deceiver, he has no power to mislead true believers in God.