Is Ufology becoming a religion?

Originally posted by mikellmikell
Well UFO's exist it's as simple as that. Once you've seen one and you know beyond any doubt in your mind what you saw it's deeper than any religon. Allmost as good a feeling as sex.

Really? That's what they say about heroin, too--at least the first time or two. Maybe we're getting to the bottom of why people believe so ardently that lights in the sky mean aliens from another galaxy. It just feels really good.

reply to post by schuyler


Schuyler, I haven't ever conclusively seen anything in the sky that I could say, for sure, was an extraterrestrial craft. Nevertheless, there are so many unanswered questions about strange occurrences, such as Roswell, Shag Harbor, Rendleshem Forest, so on and so forth, that I think it's wrong to adopt a dismissive attitude towards UFOlogy. Nevertheless, I think it is becoming increasingly more treated like a religion and not the science that it should be treated as.

reply to post by Jim_Kraken

Kraken, anyone who accuses me of being an ardent or dismissive skeptic is not familiar with my posts on the subject. The particular cases you cite are my favorites as well--unexplained, not debunked, good evidence, even if circumstantial in some cases. They have not been explained.

However, when someone says looking at a UFO is like sex, I feel compelled to respond. The issue here is not whether UFOs are 'untrue,' but whether Ufology is like a religion. That is the essence of the OP's original post and question and I should hope we keep that in mind. I think there is a big difference between studying compelling cases and treating the subject in a cult-like religious manner. Indeed, I expressed that at length just a couple of posts up. Perhaps that will be more to your liking. So yes, I will continue to be dismissive of religious-like treatment of the subject both because I think it is silly and because it detracts from more serious study of the subject and brings discredit on the field. Is Ufology turning religious? No, but it still attracts that element, to its detriment.

Actually,
it's already a religion for some people.

Just check out Prophet Yahweh on the net.

I just wish someone with a tripod would help him out.

This is my first post on this website, so please be gentle.

I think there are many people who wisely keep their distance with the spiritual side of this phenomenon. However, some do get drawn into it and often end up into New Age or other cult like followings.

What really bothers me is how these "aliens" represent themselves. Some of these beings say they are our creators, while others talk of a cosmic consciousness that created all things. In the case of George Adamski, he was in contact with beings who said that Jesus was our savior. Even still, others contactees have been told that Jesus was not the son of God, but rather was just an "ascended master". Either way you look at it, there is much deception concerning our origins, and who "they" are.

As a Christian, I know these beings are not our creators. In mind, I can only come up with 2 possibilities of what they are. They are either not "aliens' but rather spiritual beings (angelic) who pop in and out of our dimensions, or they are indeed physical life forms created by God (although not directly mentioned in the scriptures). If it is the later, it could be that those life forms who were corrupted by and follow Satan are what the bible call "fallen angels". These are the ones who carry out his will and attack humanity.

In either case, how do we know good beings from evil? I believe God has given us two keys in his Word:

1 John 4:1-3 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."

Galatians 1:8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

If any being whether physical or spiritual denies the deity of Jesus, or maligns the gospel (tell of other means of salvation), they come from the Devil. Only those that remain true to God's word are ministering sprits, or angles, as the Bible calls them.

Also, those that want to stop abductions from happening have to look to Phillipians 2:10 “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth”. These beings HAVE TO stop when the name of Jesus is used, in fact, they HATE it!

-Kevin

reply to post by kevinl


Well said. It seems that the ufo contactees form a sort of quasi-religion that all has very similar doctrines. The 'aliens' always seem offended by Jesus Christ and make the claim that either they invented him or he was just an alien and never really died. Thus they fail the antichrist test mentioned by kevin.

Also lets not forget that we do have several well known cults based on UFOs.
The most famous is perhaps the Scientologists. However there is also the suicide cult Heaven's Gate and then the Raelians. It seems UFO cults are prone to violence and manipulation like any other cult. In my opinion they are highly demonic. I have a friend of the family who died under mysterious circumstances after joining such a cult.

reply to post by kevinl


Welcome to ATS and thanks you for a very meaningful post, we need more like you in this corners.

reply to post by kevinl


How can you believe this stuff with no proof? Adamski has been long discredited as a fraud...

If you are referring to "the sons of God" being captivated by the beauty of "the daughters of men", then you are 2,000 years too late.

I think Global Warming is already way on its way to becoming a major religion. I mean it already has millions of zombified followers.
Maybe Al Gore is the high priest/anti-Christ

Wow generated some good posts and opinions on my initial thread. You guys have some interesting points on the subject...just to clarify my thoughts: Understandably people are interested in UFO-logy for many different reasons, and in no way would i group all enthusiasts together under the blanket of religious worship. although i Do feel, however, that this phenomenon is being absorbed in a potentially dangerous way by many, and i only say this due to the nature of most posts found here-in by the ardent believer as opposed to the casual agnostic (ufo believer: needs proof)....many many posts are laden with passionate rebuttals to skepticism, which is fine, but again its the passion that frightens me...as we really have no scientific proof aside from postulating upon speakers anecdotes and out of focus images as well as blurry questionable videos. It seems harsh to believe so emotionally in something could turn out to be innocuous and explainable...thats all.

Originally posted by kevinl
What really bothers me is how these "aliens" represent themselves. Some of these beings say they are our creators, while others talk of a cosmic consciousness that created all things. In the case of George Adamski, he was in contact with beings who said that Jesus was our savior. Even still, others contactees have been told that Jesus was not the son of God, but rather was just an "ascended master". Either way you look at it, there is much deception concerning our origins, and who "they" are.

Two points, and I hope they are gentle enough for you.

One is, your taking the Adamski story, and perhaps others like it, at face value, but it begs the question of whether he was telling the truth. Adamski comes from what I call the Naive Period of the contactee movement. Supposedly he rode around in spaceships, visited Venus where there were cities and a civilization, and made contact with people just like us who live on Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and the Moon. Others picked up on this and told similar stores: Fry and Bethurum are two of them.

These people told silly stories which are naive from today's perspective where we know a lot more about the nature of the solar system. You will find and odd person here or there who will still stand up to defend people like Adamski, but most people will write them off as opportunistic charlatans, if somewhat benign. What these 'aliens' said needn't be analyzed as if they really said it any more than Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles needs to be analyzed for the truth of Golden Bees. They are science fiction stories.

Secondly, as a Christian you see the world through a Christian lens. You have a right to do that and I'm sure you are ardent in your beliefs. You argue with alien sentiment as if it was a religion of its own and condemn aliens to the Devil if they don't agree with your Chrstian thoughts. That's not really a criticism of your beliefs but a statement of fact as I read your post. I think maybe you would even agree with my summary.

However, to people who are NOT Christians and who do NOT treat the Ufo phenomenon in a religious manner, Christians arguing with UFO cultists about who is righteous and who will be sent to Hell is like watching two kids fighting in a sandbox. There's not much difference between them. And neither side advances our understanding of UFOs.

Well it's nice to see the thread didn't turn into a bout of skeptic bashing....

I read posts here mentioning all the proof and calling deniers "idiots". What proof?

I see parallels with the fables of the christian bible...which many take as gospel..(pun intended). It's full of stories like a bloke saying a burning bush spoke to him or some old geezer parted the waters for an elite few to escape there masters. It goes on about a galilean who disapears for 30 or so years and gets the blind to see and the dead to rise...apparently.

Not one of the people, alive today, who believe the christian indoctrination were witness to the fairy stories of the bible. Yet they believe. A few characters of the bible may have witnessed events..but essentially it is a belief that what third parties are saying is correct.

This is what I see with the UFO cult. Yes, people see strange things in the sky and on the land. Are these things Aliens or E.T.? No-one knows. A very small number (in proportion) of people claim they have seen, met, spoken with or been probed by Alien entities. We have their testimony for it..that's all. Humans are liars, exagerators and delusional...not all..but most of us

So like the bible, someone says something, so it must be true. To believe without evidence is just faith...therefore religion...imho.

The faith was "evidenced" by some wonderful and fanciful stories and publications...that are doubted by many today...The fact that someone would go to the expense of publishing a book that god was an astronaut or that you meet venusians in your backyard...fanciful and doubtful notions...yet the UFO / Alien believers have not learnt.

Any fool can "create" an event and publish it on the internet...as useful as the internet can be...a lot of it's info is false.

On these pages I have seen an obvious picture of a Seagull...defended as a UFO...The whole field is subjective...most of us biased one way or another....the believers will never believe that UFO's/Aliens etc do not exist..like christians will never believe there is no god. The believers can't be swayed....faith is all they got and need.

An honest sceptic, would have no choice than believe, if ET arrived on their lawn and had a cup of tea..of course some will still disbelieve..but not the honest ones..but at least some of the sceptics can be swayed..not so the believers.

I would be thrilled to know that extraterrestial entities exist....but I need more proof than dodgy, grainy video, some social isolates testimony or most things that I have not witnessed personally.

The UFO cult is in itself it's own worse enemy...it's williness to believe beyond decent proof or logic.

This forum makes me more and more sceptic. The quantity of tinfoil wearers and absolute believers here is high. People can't seem to understand why a sceptic comes to a UFO forum..if they don't believe. I want to know not believe...I come here time after time to see the latest "smoking gun" "100% proof" evidence..and am yet again dejected. The fact that amongst believers first posts are comments pre-empting any debunking...to me states deep down insecurity as to the strength of evidence.

I will believe when I know the truth....whatever the truth is...be it a burning bush giving me racing tips or ET dropping in for a cup of tea and a scone...

Just my .02

People like polomontana already said this, but there's a huge amount of evidence for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Crop circles, photos, video footage, declassified documents, millions of UFO eyewitnesses, major sightings like the Phoenix Lights, thousands of alleged Contactees/Abductees, military/intelligence witnesses and whistleblowers coming forward, the Disclosure Project and the more recent Symington press conference etc.

IMO that's far more than enough evidence to prove ETI in a court of law. There's much more evidence for ETI than say, Jesus, Atlantis, Bigfoot....

So to equate people who review the available evidence and make the logical jump to BELIEVING in ETI, to equate them with "cult followers" etc is quite unfair.

Also there's an unfortunate tendency to label anyone who gets into discussions of spirituality and the spiritual aspects of Ufology as "cultists".

Where does it end?

I mean, if a dozen people go off into the woods and dance naked in a circle around a campfire, should we see that as them enjoying their connection to God and Nature and each other, or should we chant "CULT! CULT!", tie them up and set them on fire?

If Greer Inc are going off into the desert or to the mountain and praying together and communing with extraterrestrial people, should we see that as a beautiful and wondrous thing, or should we go on the witchhunt, "CULT! CULT!"?

Has our society really become so cold and jaded and secular that we need to persecute people who try to explore their connection to God?