22. How Do Christians Discern UFO Accounts in Light of Scripture?

Aliens. Oh snap. Audiences love aliens. Aliens! Aliens, from space. Ancient aliens. I don’t know, therefore: aliens. Zack and Stephen launch this latest fantastical truth-finding with clips from U. S. Navy pilots who encountered UFOs. We’ll explore those reports, other alien stories, and how Christians can respond to the very notion of life and even sentient life beyond our planet. People tend to take two sides on UFOs. Denial. This side unites materialists like Bill Nye with creationists like Ken Ham, although they dismiss the alien explanation for entirely different reasons. Belief. On this side, folks will teach you how to communicate with aliens (for a small fee), as well as Christians who say they would gladly baptize an alien. Here’s why we’re talking about this. The issue of whether aliens exist and visiting Earth is becoming a huge topic. The Pentagon has released some absolutely bonkers press releases about UFOs. President Trump has been asked about UFOs multiple times and he’s given some interesting answers. Scientists have discovered over 4,000 exoplanets. Soon our telescopes will tell us what might be located on these worlds. Christians should take the forefront of these discussions. Let’s closely survey these issues, using our imaginations and thinking biblically. Our own perspectives differ. Zack is a fan of stories about aliens and UFOs, and has been researching the nonfiction accounts about UFO sightings. Zack doesn’t have strong beliefs about whether aliens exist. Zack enjoys this topic because of its weirdness and mystery. Stephen is UFO-agnostic, and enjoys aliens as just another essential element of fantasy and science fiction. Stephen believes sentient alien life would contradict Scripture’s emphasis on the earth, humankind, and Christ’s incarnation. Stephen also enjoys this topic, partly because of wishful thinking that people have developed better space-faring technology. Concession stand: hazards of UFO exploration. Many UFO theories directly contradict Scripture, such as the “ancient aliens” idea. A lot of paranormal interests coincide with UFO research about which most Christians are rightly wary. We must be careful when exploring this entire cottage industry built around UFO research or experiences. We explore three big topics. UFOs are real and under investigation. UFOs and the idea of alien invasions (or alien saviors) reveal our deepest fears and dreams about human society. We get clearer glimpses of our own humanity and eternal issues through stories about aliens. Watch Zack’s playlist about military UFO-sightings. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcCfUv9OlClNwWH351BtDI4o1glxth10d Take action on aliens. Read more SpecFaith blog articles about aliens, such as this one from Shannon McDermott. Read the original New York Times article that broke the story about the Pentagon’s UFO program. Read the newer Popular Mechanics article by Tim McMillan that takes a deep dive into the AATIP program. Follow Zack on Twitter @ztrussell. He posts a lot of UFO news and other fun things about astronomy. Visit the Lorehaven store to get our special t-shirt that celebrates God as the Creator of the cosmos: “He made the stars.” Read Christian books about aliens. Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis For Us Humans, by Steve Rzasa The Façade, by Michael Heiser Alien Intrusion, by Gary Bates Fantastic fans From Sheri, listening to Episode 20: I got to the Fantastical Truth podcast through Kerry Nietz’s post on Facebook about the episode about his book. I have been [binge]-listening to the podcast while sorting papers in my office–you have made a task I don’t enjoy much more enjoyable. Thanks! I look forward to reading the magazine. Next on Fantastical Truth We’ll explore The Weaver Trilogy with fantasy novelist Lindsay A. Franklin, whose heroine, Tanwen, has the ability to turn stories into scupltures.