Alien Arrivals

               Are we alone in the universe? Do aliens exist? Have aliens visited Earth? Have people encountered them? What about UFOs? What about abductions? What about crop circles? What about cattle mutilations? Are these things really happening or are they frauds?

               These are some fascinating questions, and this a controversial topic, to be sure. Then add to that the conspiracy theories. Does our government cover-up extra-terrestrial existence? Do aliens work with human governments? Are the rapid technological developments of the last century the result of recovered and reverse-engineered alien technology? What about Area 51? Was Hitler under alien influences during World War II? Is Hollywood pushing an alien agenda?

               Well, this is the subject matter of this blog post. I will provide some answers to these questions, at least answers that I think are correct. Whether you have strong opinions on the subject, or haven’t really given it much thought, these answers, if correct, have serious implications for humanity. Of course, not everyone will agree with my conclusions. And, of course, I will present some theological perspective. As always, I will try to form articulate and rational arguments, and attempt to be logical in my reasoning. I will begin by making some assertions regarding some of the questions above, in order to help provide context for the rest of this post.

• Are we alone in the universe? I don’t think so.
• Do aliens exist? I don’t know.
• Have they visited Earth? Yes and no; but in the traditional sense, I highly doubt it.
• Have people encountered them? Again, yes and no; but again, in the traditional sense, no.
• What about UFOs, abductions, crop circles, cattle mutilations; are these things really happening or are they frauds? They are both real and fraudulent.

               Now, it would appear that I have made some contradictory assertions here. But if you stay with me through this discussion, my answers will make sense. First, before we can have any meaningful discussion, we need to divert a little into the realm of vocabulary, etymology, and definitions. A large part of my discussion relies upon understanding the distinctions between terms. So let’s clarify some of these terms and their distinctions.

               When people speak of aliens, they are typically referencing them in the sense that they are most commonly understood to be within the terms of our cultural discourse, as extra-terrestrials. An extra-terrestrial, typically speaking, is an intelligent (sentient or self-aware, if you prefer) being that exists as part of, or as a product of, the natural universe. By this I mean that they are beings that have a body that exists, and is measured by and within, the three spatial dimensions and the fourth dimension of time. Whether they were created by a supreme being, or were the product of evolutionary process is immaterial to this definition. Likewise, whether or not they have a dualistic nature, physical body and non-physical soul, is likewise immaterial to this definition. If one believes humans were created or evolved, or if one believes humans are body only or body and soul, then one’s intellectual construct of an extra-terrestrial being is typically a perceptual extension of the same understanding. The biggest difference between humans and extra-terrestrials is that one species (humans) originated on Earth and the other species (extra-terrestrials) did not. Thus, beings that originated from a place in the natural universe other than Earth, are, by definition, “extra-terrestrial.” This makes them “alien.”

               Contrast this with another concept, one of an extra-dimensional being. Such a being maintains its existence, and has its origin, in a realm, or realms, of hyper-dimensionality. This means that they exist as part of, or as a product of, dimensions beyond, or outside, of the three spatial dimensions and the fourth dimension of time. They originate from, can perceive of, are measured within, and have existences defined by these dimensions that are beyond our ability to observe and measure. Again, whether they were created or evolved, and whether they have a pluralistic nature or not is immaterial to this definition. (Although these considerations will factor into our conversation elsewhere.) These beings would not be extra-terrestrial by definition, but rather, extra-dimensional. But, to us they would still be quite alien.

               By the way, these concepts of hyper or extra-dimensionality are explored within the scientific discipline of physics, and specifically the theory of quantum mechanics. Now, with this background in mind, let’s re-examine the questions I answered above, but in more detail.

• Are we alone in the universe? No, I don’t think we are. In fact, I am convinced we are not.
• Do aliens exist? Do extra-terrestrials exist? I don’t know. And that is an honest answer. I will make no assertions that they do or do not. But I will make some assertions related to their existence as we continue. Do extra-dimensionals exist? I absolutely think they do.
• Have they visited Earth? In the traditional sense, as extra-terrestrials, I doubt it, for reasons I will explain. In the less common sense, as extra-dimensionals, I have no doubt.
• Have people encountered them? Extra-terrestrials? I don’t think so. Extra-dimensionals? Yes.
• What about UFOs, etc.? Are these things real or fraudulent? I think they are both real and fraudulent. I think sometimes they are misinterpreted, or faked by humans for various reasons. But I also think sometimes they are the results of extra-dimensional activity, with both practical and fraudulent, but usually sinister, intentions. I will explain.

Now I will begin to build my case. It should be no surprise to my readers that I believe in a supreme being, namely the Judeo-Christian God of the Bible. I have also previously expressed (in prior blog posts) my belief that both the natural universe and all it contains, including human beings, were created by God. I have also expressed (in prior blog posts) that we have a dualistic nature with both a physical body and non-physical (by our current understanding) soul.

I believe in at least three orders of sentience. The first and highest order being the Triune God. I will not explain the doctrine of the Trinity here, so let’s just say the first and highest order of sentience is God. Not only is He the first and highest order, but He is the necessary order. Without Him would exist nothing. It is impossible for us to truly understand the concept of nothing. We can only really perceive it in a context of opposition to something else; in other words, nothing is the absence of something. But this is a crude and only partial understanding. Nothing is nothing. God is eternal and self-existent, and He has created all things. He is immutable and beyond full comprehension to us within our current constraints. But His existence is required for all else. He is the necessary Being, the necessary Fact, the Necessary. I have discussed this subject, ontology, and this concept, known as the ontological argument, in previous blogs.

The second order of sentience is the Angelic Host. Angels, both heavenly and fallen, are beings of intelligence that are of a different created order than humanity. For matters of our understanding, they seem to have been created prior to humanity, but this understanding comes from our concept of time which restricts our thinking, but unfortunately is the operative mode we work within. But angels, like humans and unlike God, are created beings. And they are Biblically divided into two camps, one that is loyal to God and one that is in rebellion against Him. From different Biblical passages it is understood that when Lucifer, who was once chief among the angels, rebelled against God, about one-third of the angels rebelled with him while two-thirds remained loyal to God in service. Some people think that angels do not have free will, or free agency if you prefer. I disagree, based upon the fact that some rebelled and some did not. But that discussion is not relevant here.

The third order of sentience is Humanity; the pinnacle of God’s work of creation described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. Humanity is described in the Bible as having been made by God in His own image. Angels are not so described. Humans have bodies which were formed by God using the same components used to form the Earth, which is part of the natural universe. However, God breathed life (the soul) into human beings. I discuss this in detail in another blog, so I will not do so here. We don’t know too much about the creation and nature of angels, but the Bible gives us some information, which we will explore as we continue.

So we are not alone in the universe. We are not the only intelligent life. God exists. And so does at least one other order of intelligent life created by God, the angels. Whether or not God has created sentient life like humanity on other planets within the natural universe, I do not know. And the Bible (at least from my studies) is silent on the matter. So I will not claim to make an assertion about the existence of extra-terrestrial beings. But I will make the following assertions.

If they exist, then they are creations of God. If they are sentient, then it stands to reason that they would have agency like angels and humans. If they do not have agency then I have no capacity for defining their existence. If they have agency then they are either fallen or loyal to God. (Humanity, by the way, is fallen, but not without hope. There is a Savior for humanity, who I have discussed in my other blogs; Jesus.) If they are fallen then they are without a savior. Here is the theology: humanity is eligible for salvation through the propitiation (substitutionary sacrifice) of the God-man Jesus. Jesus is both the Second person of the Triune Godhead (the Trinity) and He is also the human male child born to a human mother through miraculous conception. Being fully man, Jesus was able to die as a perfect sacrifice for a man. And being fully God, the application of His sacrifice can be extended to all mankind. The Bible makes no provision for the redemption (salvation) of angels. Those that remained loyal to God have no need of saving. Those that rebelled have no opportunity.

Before one accuses God of partiality (being unfair), let me point out that Lucifer (Satan) and the angels that rebelled with him were all alive and conscious when they chose rebellion; presumably, they knew the consequences of their actions and each one of them made a fully informed decision. Human beings are born depraved (in a fallen state with a sin nature) according to the decisions made by their ancestors, the original two humans, Adam and Eve, who were themselves tempted into sin by Lucifer. Some accuse God of unfairness related to the inherited depravity of humanity, but God sacrificed all and provided an escape from said depravity through Jesus. Read my other blogs for more information. All that being said, the Bible is clear that Jesus’s work of salvation only extends to humans. If fallen extra-terrestrials exist, they are not eligible for salvation through Jesus, as He was/is a human. And the Bible is clear that the second person of the Trinity died once and rose from death never to die again. Per the Biblical definition of propitiation, extra-terrestrial beings are not eligible for salvation. If another way of salvation exists for them, I know not of it. But I know that had another way been possible whereby mankind could be saved, then Jesus need not to have died. Of that, the Bible is clear.

I do not claim to know if extra-terrestrials exist or if they can be saved if they are fallen, but I have no frame of reference to believe so. I make no assertions to have full knowledge of God, but if extra-terrestrials exist as do the angels, some fallen, some not, then what is the purpose for their existence when angels exist? I make no assertions to have full knowledge of God, but if extra-terrestrials exist in a fully fallen state as humanity, but without a path for salvation, then I have intellectual difficulty rationalizing that with my understanding of God from the Bible. That doesn’t mean that I am correct, but that is my current position. If extra-terrestrials exist in a completely perfect (non-fallen) state, as created beings of the same God who created us and explained Himself to us through the Bible, then rationally I do not think that they would behave the way aliens are believed to behave—abductions, experimentations, mutilations, etc. As loyal servants of God, they would have no purpose in visiting us and interfering with our development until God’s plans for us, as outlined in the Bible, are complete. One might assert that they could be used by God to fulfill His plans for us, but I don’t think that is the case. Of course, I recognize that all of these assertions are the by-product of my particular understanding of God and the Bible.

On the other hand, angels, based upon their description in the Bible, are extra-dimensional beings. They appear and vanish. They have abilities beyond natural explanation. They exist in a way that we would explain as immortal, or more accurately, outside of the limitations of the dimension of time. They have qualities and abilities that defy the physical laws of the three spatial dimensions of the natural universe. Modern society has come to reject their existence and assert that they are products of myth because they cannot be observed, or measured, or explained by our science. I assert that they are extra-dimensional and are beyond the methodology of our current scientific knowledge. One thing we do know about angels from numerous places in Scripture is that, when allowed by God, they can choose to be visible to humans, even taking the form and appearance of humans. We also know that they can interact with humans, and that such interactions can physically affect humans.

I do not think that humans have contact or interactions with extra-terrestrials, if they even exist. I do think that humans have had, and continue to have contact and interactions with extra-dimensionals—angels—both fallen and not. Those angels that are loyal to God may visit us in ways of which we are unaware. They may help us or test us. There is Biblical precedence for such visitations. But in most cases we probably don’t even realize that we have interacted with them, instead thinking we have interacted with other humans. Although it seems that sometimes people know after an encounter that something was different, at least based upon stories that are told.

My assertion is that those angels that are fallen interact with humanity in ways (among others) that are perceived as alien encounters. In fact, my overarching assertion, or thesis if you prefer, is that the alien encounters which occur—UFO sightings, abductions, etc.—are the result of human observation and interaction with fallen angels. Why would fallen angels bother with such masquerades? The possible explanations are numerous. They have agendas that are contrary to God’s purposes. Ultimately, Satan and his followers will do whatever they can to draw or lead people away from God. If they can make people question belief in God by believing in life having evolved on other planets, then they will. If they can cause people to believe that human beings originated as the creation of highly evolved extra-terrestrial beings rather than as the creation of a loving God, then they will. If they can organize cultures to worship them as gods rather than worshipping the one true God, then they will. If they think they can interfere in the destiny of mankind, or even cause the destruction of the human race, then, as enemies of God, they will try to do so. As a believer in God’s Word, I am assured that their plans will fail. But that doesn’t mean that they won’t try. Finally, if they can convince the world that they exist as extra-terrestrial beings, rather than the extra-dimensional angelic beings that they are, then they can be operative in the lives of humans and attempt to implement their designs without exposing their true nature, which if exposed would give credence to the Bible and to the existence of God, which would work against their ultimate agenda of deception.

That is my position on aliens and the alien phenomenon. I think the ones known to humanity are real, but not as beings that fit the traditional extra-terrestrial model. Rather, they are extra-dimensional beings, classically known as angels, and specifically known as fallen angels. Their existence and behavior are explainable through both scientific (quantum mechanical) theory and theological (angelological) understanding. As always, thanks for reading and considering.