I encountered a recent Guardian U.K. article about a group of scientists who’ve urged the United Nations to make contingency plans to deal with aliens in case they someday make contact with Earth in a recent edition of a scholarly journal. One of the scholarly articles the Guardian U.K. article mentioned concerned what might happen to the world’s religions if extra-terrestrial intelligence (aliens) was officially confirmed to exist.
The Guardian U.K. article gave a very brief summary of the author’s conclusion, which was the following:
"Theologians will not find themselves out of a job. In fact, theologians might relish the new challenges to reformulate classical religious commitments in light of the new and wider vision of God's creation".
Unfortunately, the Guardian U.K. article failed to report the research that the author based his conclusion on. The author’s actual research study contained some interesting findings that might give us some idea of what could happen in the future if “aliens” (which some prominent Christian and non-Christian researchers conclude are actually evil spiritual entities attempting to lead people astray and is a view I agree with) were to make contact with Earth/arrive on Earth.
- A scenario where beings descend to Earth may be possible in the future because Revelation 12:7-9 mentions that Satan and his angels will someday be thrown out of Heaven and cast into the Earth:
“(v7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (v8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (v9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
- People on Earth at that time could identify the fallen angels being cast to Earth as "aliens".
The author and a research assistant surveyed over 1,300 people of a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds worldwide about their views concerning what would happen if there was official confirmation that extra-terrestrial intelligence existed.
- One key research finding was that between 80% and 95% of people from a variety of religious backgrounds (Catholics, Hindus, Jews, Protestants, Evangelicals, etc) do not expect their beliefs would be so undermined that they would experience a “crisis” in faith following the official confirmation of the existence of extra-terrestrial intelligence.[1]
- Another key research finding was that 69% of non-religious people believe a global religious crisis would arise while only 34% of religious people believe a global religious crisis would arise following the official confirmation of the existence of extra-terrestrial intelligence.[2]
The research suggests that a vast majority of religious people would not suddenly lose faith in religion if extra-terrestrial intelligence was officially confirmed to exist. This refutes the notion that people would suddenly lose faith, which seems to be an expectation that a majority of non-religious people hold.
The author of the article used the research findings to forecast/speculate what may happen if aliens made contact with Earth. The author forecasted/speculated that alien contact would open up an opportunity for theologians to re-explain or redefine the religions they promote if people maintain faith in religion like the research findings suggest they will.
- I think this potential need to re-explain or redefine religion would provide an opportunity for “aliens” to persuade people to believe in a one-world religion by arguing that all religions are the same and all divisions were man-made. These “aliens” could claim that they once observed a great one-world religion on Earth and saw it crumble with man-made divisions. The “aliens” could even claim that they were the ones that gave man religious teachings or that Antichrist is promoting religious/spiritual practices consistent with their own beliefs. There are many possible explanations that “aliens” could use to lead people astray…
Do not underestimate Satan’s ability and willingness to use his resources and his minions to deceive people in the future. Paul warned us that the unveiling of the Antichrist would come at a time when Satan will do all he can to deceive people.
- 2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
- 2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- 2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- 2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
- 2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Keep in mind that having “aliens” contact Earth is just one potential option that Satan could use to persuade people to follow the upcoming one-world religion and/or to follow the Antichrist. Satan has a lot more tricks/deceptions than this at his disposal…
References
[1] Peters Ted. 2011 The Implications of the Discovery of Extra-Terrestrial Life for Religion Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 369 Pg 646
[2] Ibid. Pg 646
