Alien Belief - Is it a religion?

I have been reading these forums for a year or so now, and been a member for a few months. My 'question' or 'statement' is one I think has been touched on before, but I wanted to try and start an intelligent thread about it that does not get filled up with one liners and unfounded comments.

I believe in life other than our own existing in this universe. I can not infer or suggest anything other than that based on the information I have - this statement is only based on knowing certain things about the universe and the implied probability of other intelligent life and the fact I know probability to exist.

However, do we push the topic of 'Aliens' into the realms of religion by drawing the comparison of requiring 'faith' to accept any other statements on the subject. This is a strong statement I agree, but I base it on the simple fact. No one person on these forums can prove to me anything relating to the existence of Alien life other than they in fact believe in it. There is no proof that is undeniable. I can prove to myself what an apple tastes like by taking a bite, who here can prove Alien existence without a single doubt or unarguable point? The fact that A N Other government doesn't tell you something about an event you do not understand is not proof of such things, it is just proof that you haven't been told something.

Intelligent comments and arguments are welcome... the 'My grandaddy was a reptile so there!' comments are not.

Put your thinking caps on.

[edit on 25-8-2006 by Quackmaster]

It's not a religion to believe aliens exsist, it's the urge to know the truth. And i have digged to much. Aliens exsist, but do not believe everything thats ment to come from them, like Star Nations etc. You have to keep your head clear and look through everything. Some threads on these forums got important information, specialy this one: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I also know that 9/11 is connected to things that has to do with the aliens aswell (stargates)

I can give you one 100% true fact atleast: We are not alone in the universe.


[edit on 25-8-2006 by InSaneTK]

[edit on 25-8-2006 by InSaneTK]

Your comment about knowing that 9/11 had something to do with Aliens is the core of what I am trying to get at. How do you know? What undeniable proof do you have except for cleverly constructed theories tied to unrealted events through history that have generated the sort of discussions seen on the pages of ATS. It is from these discussions that peoples perceptions of what is real and not real evolve from folk lore to suggested fact.

I am digging for the holy grail perhaps in trying to purify the oh so many stories flying around to find that one piece of information that can not be refuted.

Strange, no replies.... would it be because the topic is proving the contents of most of the other threads in here?

Well, you certainly got a point there, with what you said about not being able to prove alien existence, and not having been told something, etc. To prove that they don't exist is also quite difficult, heh heh.

In the end it comes down to the simple fact that we do not know. MAYBE certain institutions know, certain governments, and the likes, but WE, we do not know. And I bet it's gonna be a long time before we do. Maybe won't even live to experience it.


To include things like faith or belief is nonsense for they don't provide anything but faith or belief, and maybe some other things such as to ease the mind, the ability to sleep, feeling of safety, or you name it.

The urge for truth is something we must follow, though - keep it alive and such, and to drive at it. And when doing this truth-seeking we must totally exclude belief and other irrelevant nonsense.


By the way... the fact that "a government doesn't tell you something about an event you do not understand is not proof of such things, it is just proof that you haven't been told something," doesn't only imply one hasn't been told something, but it possibly implies said government could be hiding something from the public for various reasons. There's always reason to question what an authority says, or to question anything that's said whoever the speaker might be.

Obviously, it's not a religion.

It's not a religon, but certainly the answer to where all religons stem from.

It's as close to a religion without being organized as one can get. There is btw, no more proof that it's the origin of any past or current religion then there's proof that "it" even exists. Thats a convenient way out for people who dont believe faith is needed in

I dont say anyone worships aliens or UFOs, although some groups do and have. Most people with the belief or interest I dont think worship anything like that. Although more often then not, a sighting or experience...or even just reading information will ultimately make them question their faith, whatever it may be.

I have seen people ask on the forums about "calling" UFO's or "aliens" by meditation. Thats just shy of praying, if it isnt outright.

In some cases, just as in religion, you have the extremists. The cults. They have their own symbology, beliefs and teachings...which often try and negate other religions and beliefs to support and further their own. Sometimes, they have "rules" which is even further into religion.

One only need look at people who freak out on you when you dont believe the case they do. How defensive and vindictive are they when you provide proof of fakery, or any other answer? Why? Because youre destroying their belief system, upon which their lives and actions are based.

Sound familiar? It's happened in human history countless times. (Albeit the UFO thing is a microcosm example)

It functions as a religion to many, because it exists largely as an article of faith.

So as far as the original question, my reply would be:
If youre not careful, yes. And, it may be the very reason we see and experience anything at all, because of the belief. Not to say we're deluding ourselves, but that the phenomena demands belief to manifest anything to be noticed.



[edit on 25-8-2006 by jritzmann]

UFO/ET opinions considered faith? Last time I checked people who did think the subject had validity have at least a few undebunked UFO cases to hang their hat on as well as the reports of several credible sources. Of all conspiracy theories, UFOs have some of the most evidence towards their existence. Even the U.S. government claimed for a day that they had the wreckage of a flying saucer before finally reversing the claim.

I could be wrong and all the good cases and reports could be complete bunk designed as some grand government scheme to keep the public confused and divided, but I do not think this is the case.

If this is a religious faith, I have never seen anything like it before. There is little to no organized activities concerning it, no worshipping of any deities, and nothing else that I would consider comparable to anything resembling contemporary religious beliefs.

One thing that is indisputable about this ufo phenomenon is that millions of people have seen them, and thousands have allegedly interacted on a personal basis with the aliens. This much, at least, is not a matter of faith.

There IS a religious aspect to the ufos and the aliens that are supposed to be piloting them, and that is the claim that aliens make that they are our creators, or at least that they have genetically engineered human beings from apes. The creation of man is a "fundamental" tenet of Christianity, so we could say that there is an aspect of the alien cults that tries to rival Christianity.

I don't believe that it would be a religion. Aliens would imply other life forms such as ourselves. With religion, people are looking for a higher power outside of the universe, that created everything. A reason why everything exists, along with ourselves. I think alien life would disprove God, considering we are supposedly the "chosen ones," and Earth is the only place of life.

The whole Iraq has a stargate under it, well researched, but it's based off of interpretation, not fact. I wouldn't call it 100% fact. That's a huge claim.

Intelligent comments and arguments are welcome... the 'My grandaddy was a reptile so there!' comments are not.

Granted, however this only holds to proving it to others. Had I seen my grandaddy go lizzie in front of me, well, guess I'd have to accept the Reptoids, hehe... I haven't though, so I'm on a strict No-Icke diet....

Anyhoo, while there is no "proof" for all to see, there certainly is "evidence", and far more of it than there is for any religion. Therefore, while not fact, it isn't total myth either. There is evidence. It's kind of like the Big Bang. There is no "proof" so at this time it's a "theory", but it's not exactly myth either. It too requires "belief", but a belief based on observation, not wishful thinking. I'm sure there are those who believe their religions based on observation too. Who is right, who is wrong? Hopefully, we'll find out someday, one way or another.

In addition to evidence of other cases, I had a sighting as a child that first got me started on this road. Being a military brat, I was no stranger to seeing all manner of flying craft, but what I saw that night still defies belief, and I simply "know" it (they) wasn't anything we built.

So for me, there is the evidence, and the first hand experience that form my opinion. Is it enough to prove to others? No. But then, hopefully it is enough to show the importance of keeping an open mind. The chances of us being alone in the cosmos are pretty remote. We're postulating that water is all over the solar system (the moon, other moons, Mars, Pluto, etc.) Where there is water on Earth, we find life, so life may be even more common than we thought. And intelligent life, well....the Universe could be teeming with it. And with that, there is some chance that it is equally longing to find others.

im gonna go with
Urge for knoledge is why people reseaerch ufos..
i know i do...

I'm sure given enough asking, and witness testimony to "religious" occurances there's enough to support religion just as much as UFOs.

The "evidence" no matter how much we want it to...well lets put it this way, show me any picture of an alien, or any other "evidence", you want that proves the point.

Right, you cant. Yet you believe in "aliens", due to all the data collected from eyewitnesses, and so on. But you dont know it as fact. If we didnt believe there was something to it, we wouldnt be here.

So is it what you believe or what you know.

If you believe, thats faith. Because no one "knows".

EDIT: Please know I'm not trying to say any of us is a member of the "UFO Church", just that certain functions of the UFO/ alien question operate much the same way as religion.

[edit on 25-8-2006 by jritzmann]

A few points to consider here (taken from my thread reply at www.abovetopsecret.com...' ).

1. When someone earlier was talking about "calling down UFOs and meditating" etc, you are talking about an entirely different thing to religion. It is becoming a scientifically provable fact that life exists as a massive system of energy fields and resonating frequencies. One thing we have known ET to have is the ability to communicate telepathically, and all of us have the ability inside to communicate psychically, because we have a consciousness. Your consciousness is your spirituality and it is real, it is your light. Your 'inner voice'. It's how we relate to eachother.

2. Religion and spirituality are two totally different things to me. Religion is the con-job on humanity to keep us all in line, to divide us and conquer us. It is a tool of social control. It is the oldest and most blatant form of mind control, the oldest trick in the book. So let's not confuse this. Let's not confuse an artificial belief system imposed on our 5 sense world, with an energy field which is tangible and is our spirituality (for want of a better word).

3. Similarly, I think there has been sufficient evidence put forward by the truth-seekers of our world that there is proof and not so much "faith" involved. To name a few:
*Dr Steven Greer - Disclosure Project - this guy has the bulk of the evidence - pretty much all you need to say "yes here are the cases and this is the reason it's been hidden from public view". TDP testimony is proof enough for me.
*David Icke - he provides the reasoning why we are kept captive from the few in power and it is all based on historical and scientific facts, there's no fairy-story nor does he have it in for the Jews, despite those who ignorantly protest that he is a nutjob and want him silenced. Sure, nobody wants to believe the Reptoids side of it all (including David himself, he stresses this that it is unthinkable), but consider the historical and scientific record once again. Also consider the interview with Arizona Wilder and you soon start to realise the old adage that truth can be stranger than fiction.
*Phil Schneider. He was killed when getting too dangerous for the authorities. Dulce was real in my book. He knew too much.
*Dan Burisch. Watch his July 2006 interview here. Crazy but true? Who knows? Maybe you need a little bit of faith, but it's not like you have to start your own nutso cult around it or change the way you live your life or whatever organised religion dictates you to do. At the end of the day, you are still free to make your own personal choices and nobody gets harmed in the process. Doesn't sound like religion now, does it?

4. There is also the prospect (if you go along with the Icke and / or Raelians way of thinking) that yes we did come from outer space. We were put here. The Aryans from Mars settled here and then the Reptilians swooped and interbred with us. This doesn't rule out the prospect of a 'god' existing, but that god all along could just be that inner light (haha thinking of the Beatles B-side) within us all - that consciousness that we all have the ability to unclock.

Whatever the 'truth' is, the conjecture and discussion is fascinating. The point being though, let's not treat all this stuff as a religion in itself - to do that is glib and not comprehending the wider possibilities that may exist within us all. We should deny ignorance and expand possibilities right? Leave all options open and on the table. Well that's what I think anyway.



[edit on 25-8-2006 by RiotComing]

Originally posted by Quackmaster
However, do we push the topic of 'Aliens' into the realms of religion by drawing the comparison of requiring 'faith' to accept any other statements on the subject. This is a strong statement I agree, but I base it on the simple fact.

Some people go as far as believing in aliens as a 'religious' person, others use their special mental capabilitiess to know things without any proof, others simply disagree with those believing in them, some simply pretend to be a believer, and so on.

As for me, a little bit of everything. That will surely do. I think, it is too stupid to form a religion about the existance of aliens. People need to think logically, one thing to believe in: Their own mind, awareness. It will explain everything.

If you believe yourself, your own knowledge and soul will never let you down.

Apologies for not replying to the repplies so far, mad at work, but thank you all for your considered answers. Working my way through them now.

Thanks.

I think we're confusing 'faith' and 'religion'.

Religion is born out of something which is tangible. Like Christianity because Christ existed, Islam from Muhammed and so on.

However, 'God' isn't tangible. But you believe. So that's faith. What you cannot see, feel or hear but believe it to exist is faith.

Now turning to aliens, you aren't sure. You haven't seen them. But you believe in them. So this is faith and not a religion.

My two bits.

well ppl that take alliens and UFO-s as a religion are wacky thats my opinion .. i beleave alliens exist not because i have seen them but because if u calculate all the probabillity for hem not existing is verry small.... and i want to know the truth about them because i wnat to know whats beyound earth as alot of other ppl want to know... but from the urge of knowing more about the universe and even us to considering alliens a religion si a BIG difference.
for me god isn't a verry poverfull entity that created all beings and so on, for me god is a concept of good , love and beleaving in that and beeing a god man is alot better than beleaving in a god that is a poverfull entity and going to church just to see some pictures on a wall......
and i even got one for you ..... how about if our univers is actualy a mycrouniverse for other worlds ... ave u ever thaugt of that?? what if we are for other beeing as cells and micro organisms are for us?? maybe thats why the universe is infinite too....

Some very interesting and well presented thoughts - thanks.

I think my initial statement was geared towards getting some discussion going. I personally dont believe you can class the 'UFO' field as a religion. True it displays some of the same characteristics as Religion, but ultimately the word 'Religion' desribes more than just believing or not believing something. The UFO topic requires you to answer a simple question... Do I believe it or not? The complex bit comes when you try to quantify why it is you believe or dont believe.

Unfortunately the whole UFO topic suffers a lot in terms of proof because even if an event is quite real a proportion of the community will embelish such events to try and add excitement or catch the general publics attention and this leads to mistrust.

I also agree with the evidence vs. proof argument. I read Gaz's Roswell threads - and I admit I came away from them believing if Roswell. I still had no proof that Aliens crashed etc, but the evidence suggests that they did.

I suppose what might be an interesting slant on things is to have peoples reasons for belief rather than, is often the case, their attempts to create belief in others.

Looking forward toreading your views.

Thanks.