This article, Aliens, Evolution and the Occult, from creation.com is a free mp3 audio resource produced by Stillwaters Revival Books. SWRB is online at puritandownloads.com. This article is copyrighted by Creation Ministries International, CMI, and is read by permission. The author of the article is basically the staff of CMI, but they're quoting two people, Gary Bates, the author of a new book, and a John V. from Australia. The reader is Bob Faulkner. Visit Creation Ministries International at creation.com for a massive collection of outstanding free online creationist resources, videos, articles, and so forth. At Stillwaters Revival Books, we also highly recommend CMI's professionally produced magazines, the Creation Magazine and the Journal of Creation. CMI speakers also visit churches all over the United States and the world to communicate the importance of the creation issue and the overall authority of scripture at a lay level. And CMI does not charge a set speaking fee. If you're interested in having a CMI speaker at your church, please visit the Contact Us page on creation.com for details of your local office. Now we at Stillwaters Revival Books also make thousands of free Christian resources available online at puritandownloads.com. At puritandownloads.com you will also find our complete online catalog containing classic and contemporary Christian books, digital downloads, mp3s, videos, books, and the Puritan hard drive at great discounts. And now to SWRB's reading of The Aliens, Evolution, and the Occult by CMI staff Gary Bates and John V of Australia. Remembering that God teaches us in the Bible that the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1 20 KJV. Aliens, Evolution, and the Occult. Now this week's feedback comes from a John V. of Australia who comments about Gary Bates' book, Alien Intrusion, UFOs, and the Evolution Connection. And Gary replies. His groundbreaking research clearly demonstrates that evolutionary assumptions coupled with the media's imagination about what alien life might look like have created an almost fever pitch belief that aliens must exist out there somewhere. Informal surveys conducted by CMI have shown that most secular high school children today believe that there is some kind of evolutionary Star Wars-like force behind the universe. And many think that highly evolved and technologically advanced aliens created or seeded life on Earth. Just ask trying a few teenagers or try asking a few teenagers what they believe. Even many Christian youth readily believe in extraterrestrial life. It's a subject that is shaping the worldview of future generations. CMI is the only creationist organization to have a specialist researcher into UFO claims. The rapid take-up of Gary's book, it's been an Amazon top 50 bestseller, and one would reasonably assume that it's mainly non-Christians who buy from Amazon, demonstrate that this is a much bigger area of interest than the Church realizes. It's important for this ministry to be at the front line of another great battlefield, a battleground of deception spawned from evolutionary beliefs. So Gary or John in Australia writes, Dear Gary Bates, I've had an interest in UFOlogy for decades. As a child, I recall reading the Encyclopedia of Unexplained Mysteries, packed with documented UFO case scenarios. And as a teenager, being an avid fan of the popular television show, The X-Files. At the same time, as a devout Christian, I've had a voracious interest in all things as they relate to the Bible. such as government, economics, jurisprudence, science, medicine, culture, and eschatology, for instance. And so Gary now responds, it's good that you balanced your interest in such things by searching the scriptures, compared John 5.39. One of the greatest deceptions about the UFO phenomenon is that many people base their worldviews on UFO experiences, which can be very real, but on that alone. However, to be deceived effectively means to be conned into believing something that is not true. The reality is that our very senses can be deceived. The experience itself can become the filter for truth instead of God's Word, which is the truth. God's Word is the only source that can truly help us spiritually discern such things. That's 1 Corinthians 2.14. John says, in this way I have been intrigued by the UFO phenomenon and have always sought the biblical perspective on such. Gary responds, that's good to hear, as we need to be able to give a credible answer, 1 Peter 3.15, to those who are caught up in UFO beliefs. If we make an uninformed opinion to those who are deeply involved in this phenomenon, we'll just be written off as debunkers. By demonstrating that we have a good understanding of the subject matter, we will appear credible. The folk will seek an answer from us. This has been the case with the book. John says, I read various Christian articles that highlighted the occult connection with UFOs, but my search for a comprehensive book on the subject failed time after time. The only book that came close was John Ankerberg's The Facts on UFOs. Actually, it's a booklet. which left me thirsting for more information until I came across your alien intrusion at my local Christian bookstore. What can I say that has not already been said about your book?" Gary says, great. We wish even more Christians and bookstores would realize the potential of the subject matter to reach others. John writes, well, in my own experience, I could not put it down. It was an exciting page-turner that has reinforced my deep respect for the Bible and its immediate relevance to our times. Your impeccable research, lucid style and solid support, all from a biblical perspective, made for a powerful and persuasive tome that will take pride of place on my bookshelf on this fascinating topic for years to come. I cannot recommend it enough. Gary says, thank you very much. And then John goes on. What I found unbelievable was the mind-blowing mention of Bill Dee's testimony concerning his attempted abduction and the relationship the UFO culture has with the occult. Page 257. When I read his account, I thought to myself, I knew it. I knew it. Over the past four years, I've had at least three dreams wherein I felt tormented by what I can only describe as demons. And the symptoms described were similar, including the feeling of paralysis and being incapable of speaking. All I could do in such a situation was mentally pray in Jesus' name for deliverance. I would then feel the presence leave and I'd wake up. To this day, I do not know if these experiences were merely nightmares or actual manifestations of demonic activity. I don't know. Gary responds, it is of course possible that they are nightmares. But I have personally met dozens and have heard many more who have had very similar experience with some visitors masquerading as aliens. It seems to depend upon what you might fall for. Christians are not necessarily immune from these experiences just because one is a Christian it doesn't mean that the devil won't try. Many skeptical researchers have claimed naturalistic interpretations that are not credible. The striking similarity of these experiences, the things people claim they are told by these entities, and the fact that they can be halted in the name of Jesus clearly points to a supernatural explanation. John says, but this has confirmed my understanding of the veracity of God's Word that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Acts 221, Mark 16, 17, 18. Gary says, indeed, Bill Dee was not a Christian at the time, but halted his experience in the name of Christ. He was familiar with Christian things because he used to occasionally attend church with his wife. And then John, I cannot thank you enough for reprinting this testimonial as it is my conviction that aliens and historical fairies, goblins and the like are all related to the occult and are manifestations of the spirit world. In other words, proof of demonic activity. Gary says, I showed in my book that many secular researchers have similarly concluded that this is the same old phenomenon dressed up as aliens to suit contemporary beliefs, but sadly they are unable to accept a spiritual explanation due to their pre-existing evolutionary worldview. They have an a priori commitment that causes them to dream up a naturalistic interpretation. However, When they invoke unseen other dimensions or parallel universes to explain how, they're in fact delving into the supernatural. World-renowned and respected ufologist Dr. Jacques Vallée wrote, the lead character in Spielberg's movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind was based upon Dr. Vallée, by the way, of his conclusion, quote, that what takes place through close encounters with UFOs is control of human beliefs, control of the relationship between our consciousness and physical reality, that this control has been enforced throughout history and that it is of secondary importance that it should now assume the form of sightings of space visitors." End of quote. John says, and by the way I thought your explanation of an interdimensional creator was brilliant. I've always wondered why isn't there a scientific explanation for Christ's ability by extension all beings from the spirit world like angels to transform himself to eat a meal with his disciples and at the same time walk through walls and fly in the clouds. Gary says this is a very big area to discuss. Many assume that angels for example are some sort of ethereal like spirit beings that never have any material substance. However, this is inconsistent with the scriptures. For example, the three visitors who met Abraham, Genesis 18-2, were most likely Theophany, a physical manifestation of God, and Angelophany, and they actually ate food with Abraham. Does this mean they had stomach organs and a digestive tract? It's my personal view that they emanate from another reality, unlike our own, a dimension that can interact with our own. It appears that spirit beings are able to manifest as physical entities in our realm. And then John says, finally if you'll allow me I have a question which I'd be especially grateful if you could please answer for me if you're able. I'm researching for an e-booklet on 9-11 synchronicities and I'm interested in the occult aspect of the media like films, TV, etc. What caught my attention in the first few pages of your book was the intriguing accounts related how after Steven Spielberg's film, C.E. Close Encounters of the Third Kind 3, alien descriptions were modified to the extent that they were manifesting themselves like those depicted in the movie and yet prior to the film they had been described differently. Pages 24 and 25. I was wondering if you would happen to know where I might be able to study this further. Is there any internet source that I might refer to concerning this discovery? Do you know of other similar reports that seem to connect the media with the occult like this event?" Gary replies, this is a most bizarre reality. I recall counseling a middle-aged man after a meeting one night in New Zealand. He shared his contact experience with me that occurred when he was a young boy. It was back in the mid-60s, and I dared to ask him, testing my hypothesis, was the entity wearing a one-piece jumpsuit similar to the characters in the TV series Lost in Space or something like that? I recall him saying something like, how on earth could you possibly know that? He was shocked to the core. Although it seems laughable by today's standards, special effects and so on, that's how science fiction stories and movies portrayed space visitors at the time. And such images were entirely believable to that culture. In other words, how would the young boy have been tricked into believing it was a space visitor if it appeared as something he could not even conceive? Many sightings of so-called extraterrestrials in that period appeared in such a form. Today the most common description is the gray that features in countless modern science fiction movies. Yes, I can recommend the Mammoth Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters for your research. It has a history of UFOs and alien descriptions throughout the ages. There are diagrams of the changing shapes of UFOs and aliens. The writings of secular researcher John Keel also strongly link UFOs to the occult. He wrote, quote, the devil and his demons can, according to the literature, manifest themselves in almost any form and can physically imitate anything from angels to horrifying monsters with glowing eyes. Strange objects and entities materialize and dematerialize in these stories, just as the UFOs and their splendid occupants appear and disappear, walk through walls, perform other supernatural feats. The manifestations and occurrences described in this imposing literature are similar, if not entirely identical, to the UFO phenomenon itself. victims of demonomania, possession, suffer the very same medical and emotional symptoms as the UFO contactees." End of quote. John says, I feel that it has some relation to your thesis, which I concur with, how abductees are actually supplanted with images rather than physically being transported to spaceships and planets and so on. Gary says there's very little physical evidence to support the idea of people going aboard a real physical spaceship. For example, no one has brought back a towel from the flying saucer's bathroom as a souvenir, etc. As the wise King Solomon once said, there's nothing new under the sun, Ecclesiastes 1.9. Like Solomon, I've found that the simplest explanations are often the best. I've been developing a theory that hypnosis can simply implant the most incredible false memories into the experiencer's mind. This is science fact as it has been performed by human beings upon one another. So how much more credible is it to think that powerful, fallen, angelic beings could do the same? It falls nicely within the pattern of missing time that experiencers cannot account for. and also the fact that many experiences are not readily recollected until one undergoes hypnosis once again. The human mind can be tricked into thinking that the person has even undergone physical experiences. For example, I'm sure many are familiar with falling dreams, where many recall the actual sensation of falling. This is just our brains being tricked into a kind of false reality. And then John says, and how they are capable of manipulating matter to project things that aren't really there. Physically, that is. Gary says, we cannot empirically test spiritual things. So one cannot say for sure whether Satan or angelic beings have the power to manipulate matter. I certainly don't attribute them with the power to create matter. Only the creator can do that. However, there is a passage of scripture that might suggest that Such manipulation has taken place. In Pharaoh's court, Aaron threw down his staff, which God duly turned into a snake. Then Pharaoh's magicians, Janus and Jamber, 2 Timothy 3.8, did the same thing with their own staffs. Was it sleight of hand? An illusion? Possibly, but trickery is not mentioned. And we read that Aaron's snake ate up the conjurer's snakes, Exodus 7.12. And it's hard to see a real snake eating up an illusion. John concludes, anyway, I look forward to your response and thank you very much for your time. Keep up the good work. And Gary responds in conclusion, thanks again. Of course, I try to base my theories on what I can glean from the scriptures, but the reality is none of us can be absolutely sure what the spirit realm is really like. However, I'm glad that my research is helping folks like you. 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