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Is God an astronaut?
UFO's and religion.
One of the most sensitive aspects of the UFO enigma is its association with organised religion. Indeed the very identity of God is often talked of in terms of an ancient
astronaut - a super endowed being that in the eyes of primitive society took on the dimensions of a pan-galactic creator.
So is God an astronaut?
To answer this let us look at the respective elements that define religion and the UFO enigma.
Sky Visitors.
The fact is that as more and more becomes known of the UFO phenomenon a growing number of people believe that the entire development of religion as we know it today has been
influenced by extraterrestrial visitation. These theorists maintain that aliens from other star systems were mistaken for gods, and worshipped accordingly. They also maintain that our entire perception
of deity is not so much an appreciation of the Divine Creator, but of highly sophisticated beings from other worlds.
So where lies the truth? Are our principal religions inspired by visitors from other planets, or are they indeed the result of Divine inspiration? Here we find a trail of
evidence leading to the very essence of our life on Earth! A planet that for some reason finds itself the focus of intense interest from beings we do not understand. But are these beings gods?
Von Daniken.
One writer with a great deal to say on the subject is the best selling author Erich Von Daniken. He insists that the arrival of "sky gods" - ancient astronauts as
he terms them - poses a significant dilemma for the entire world of religious belief! In fact the cover of his best selling book Chariots of the Gods poignantly asked the question: "Was God an astronaut"?
It is Von Daniken's belief that religion and "sky gods" are inextricably linked, and are accountable for a wide body of religious belief! Moreover Von Daniken
believes the arrival of extraterrestrials at crucial points in Earth's history, led to the formation of our principal religions!
Gods, but not God.
The evidence of ancient texts and writings points unmistakably to the arrival of beings from other worlds. These beings were capable of astonishing feats of power and magic,
and were clearly highly advanced! Even so this does not make them God! In fact there is a clear and obvious distinction between the powers of God, and the powers of these "ancient astronauts".
Explained one church-man: "With the powers that he has, God certainly wouldn't need a space-ship to travel around in, and it would be ridiculous to think of him in this way"!
An echo of these sentiments are to be found in the Star-Trek movie The Final Frontier. Here the Enterprise is hijacked by a well meaning "space hippie", who believes he can fly it to a semi-mythical location said to be the home of God! When he gets there, they land on a desert-like planet, hot and arid, and completely unlike the Paradise they imagined! Suddenly the vision of a wizened old man booms out from a thunder storm. Awe struck, the crew believe they are talking to God! In turn the apparition asks the crew if he may "borrow", the Enterprise to fly beyond the barrier that now separates him from the rest of creation! At this point Captain Kirk begins to have doubts! "Tell me", he asks. "What does God want with a star-ship? Aren't you the Almighty? Can't you do everything?
As it turned out they weren't talking to the great Almighty, but a supernatural being with delusions of grandeur.
No God here then, but the question remains: "What does God want with a spaceship"? If as so many insist, the concept of God and the foundation of religion are due
to Earth's visitation by aliens, why would they need the confines of a spacecraft for their missionary travels?
World of the Spirit.
The fact is, that to any thinking person it must surely be laughable to imagine that the creator of the universe would choose to travel about his creation in a space craft!
There is even a contradiction here of the separate dimensions marking the material and spiritual worlds. We belong to one dimension, and God to another! Similarly the Bible makes it clear that the world
of God is the world of the spirit. On the other hand UFO's and space visitors, as we understand them, belong to a more material existence. They may possess astonishing powers, but like us they are
created beings. This means they are born and they die, and although they may have astonishing intelligence they are not omnipotent, and nor are they infallible!
Ancient gods.
Ancient societies like the Egyptians, the Greeks and the those of the Indus Valley, worshipped a host of anthropomorphic gods, endowed with incredible powers and attributes.
In fact it was imagined that different facets of our character i.e., love, sensitivity, violence, anger, and a vast range of special talents were the influence of special deities! Many of these gods
seemed to hold sway between the terrestrial domain of the Earth and unspecified celestial worlds, to which they frequently journeyed back and forth!
In China "heavenly emperors" ruled for incredibly long periods, and in ancient Sumer it is reported that "the kingship arrived from the skies"! In Hindu
mythology the imagery of sky gods is especially strong. Yet here again they were neither all-knowing nor invulnerable to death or injury.
This evocative imagery of celestial rule on Earth, present in countless ethnic mythologies appears to be indicative of a long existing link between our planet and other
worlds. This link was kept alive by beings we now refer to as aliens. At various times these beings have widely been acknowledged as gods, but fall far short of our image of an all powerful deity! The
fact is that loaded though the ancient pantheon was with gods of all descriptions, there was invariably a provision for the Almighty creating spirit, the fashioner of the universe! Someone who did not
need "celestial chariots" to travel his domain!
Culture Bearers.
Another element of ancient belief was the educating influence of culture bearers. These were benign beings, frequently "sky visitors", credited with civilising
Mankind, and teaching him the rudiments of agriculture, politics, and the appreciation of a better life. There are elements here of religious influence, but these visitors came and went almost like
charitable strangers, who tip a beggars bowl with a few needy coppers. Following this there was no continuity of contact, and no exhortation to worship them in perpetuity.
Contrast this to the methods of the Biblical prophets. They operated not so much from their own volition, but as a conduit of a channelled message. Invariably this message
came as a voice in their head, audible only to themselves. Similarly their visionary experiences, including Ezekiels "visions of God", was something that only they themselves perceived! Others
around them were completely unaware of anything extraordinary. As Ezekiel explains it, these were flights of the spirit! This is quite unlike ancient Mesopotamia where the educating Being Oannes, (a sky
visitor ) was seen by the entire population. In contrast to the Biblical "visions" of Ezekiel, this was a full corporeal encounter! In addition the Biblical prophets did not arrive from outside
our planet, but were born and died here!
Christ.
There is no greater example of this than Christ. Called by some "The astronaut Jesus", he was born on Earth, and died on Earth! Yet throughout his ministry he
preached a most unusual message - entry to a Kingdom that was not to be found through effort of travel, but a spiritual understanding that was open to everyone! This was a message quite unlike that
brought by any "sky visitors"! Appropriately we have no record of aliens claiming to be the emissaries of the Creator as Jesus did. In other words we see a clear separation between the role of
"sky visitors" as educating beings, and that of Messianic figures like Jesus whose mission was one of spiritual fulfilment.
Mystery upon mystery.
The mystery of Christ hides many secrets. For instance the miracle of the resurrection was a clear illustration of our dual identity - a spiritual inner being within a
material shell. In this respect Christ identifies "alien worlds" as being as much a part of the physical reality, as we ourselves. It means that far from being the bringers of religion, aliens,
or "sky visitors",are just as much in need of this spiritual awakening as we ourselves.
For some peculiar reason we harbour an image of other habited worlds as being more genteel than our own. This of course is flawed logic. The reality is that if alien worlds
exist aplenty, they are bound to consist of a cross spread of different temperaments and characteristics! And far from being a halcyon place of great tranquillity, the habited universe might well turn
out to be a ruthless killing ground of unprecedented violence! For instance numerous scientists have interpreted mysterious deep space explosions as the evidence of stellar warfare! Nuclear physicist
Stanton T. Friedmann is on record as saying that: "Tremendous activity of this sort could well be life out there involved in a war"!
Numerous mythological references speak of similar encounters between celestial worlds using weapons "with all the power of the universe"! What this means is that
alien worlds are probably just as much in need of a civilising message as we are on Earth!
Kingdom of the Skies.
The fact that Christ saw his mission as one not limited solely to this planet is evident from a passage in 13th chapter of the Gospel of Mark. Here Jesus is saying that when
he comes for the second time he will send out his angels to gather his followers "from the further-most parts of the Earth, to the further-most parts of heaven."
The incredible thing about this verse concerns the word "heaven." The dictionary lists two meanings for it. One is "the expanse of space that surrounds the
Earth like a dome", and the other is the "dwelling place of God, his angels, and the spirits of those who have received salutation"! In the original Greek however "heaven" means
simply "the sky"! There is only one meaning.
It is important to understand this because to the average English reader , heaven is a vague almost meaningless word that is hard to relate to. If on the other hand we substitute the Greek meaning "the skies", then "heaven" immediately loses its quaint sentimentality! Suddenly we are faced with a descriptive term that opens doors to a much wider comprehension!
Thus substituting the words "skies" for heaven in the appropriate texts gives us a fuller understanding of certain key passages of scripture! In this light we can see these writings not just in terms of an Earthly belief, but a wide-spread truth encompassing the whole of the universe.
Other Civilisations.
In the verse from the Gospel of Mark quoted above, Christ sends out his angels to gather his followers "from the further-most parts of the Earth, to the further-most
parts of heaven." But of course "heaven" really means skies, and the original Greek should be translated, "he will gather his followers from the further-most parts of the Earth, to
the further-most parts of the skies"! Now the meaning hits out like a fist! This reference to people in the skies must be a reference to civilisations on other planets, in other solar systems,
spread throughout the whole of the universe. As the gospel tells us "to the further-most parts of the sky"!
In this light Jesus's frequent references to the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Kingdom of the Skies, as we should now call it, acquires a much deeper significance. Suddenly we
are presented with a whole new dimension of meaning. An enlightenment that goes far beyond our world to the enormity of creation, and the possibility of thousands of habited worlds that may be part of
the "Kingdom of the Skies"!
Celestial Fellowship.
It is obvious from these passages that far from alien worlds being the originators of our religion and beliefs, they are themselves targeted in the vast uniting concept of
the "Kingdom of the Skies"! Biblical scripture fully accepts the existence of these worlds, and it is clear that one day they will form a vast confederation united under one ideal!
The illumination of this insight reveals much about the world and its religions. The fact is that right back to earliest times there is to be found a fundamental core of
belief that has remained surprisingly similar. Over 5000 years ago ancient Egypt possessed beliefs that are strikingly similar to those of Christianity ! The Greek philosopher Plato frequently talks in
profoundly Christian terms! Zoroastrianism of ancient Persia is another instance. In fact well over 500 years before Christ, their writings foretold the coming of a world saviour born to a virgin.
Amazingly the three wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus came from the Zoroastrian heartland!
This continuity of purpose and belief, proves that throughout history there has existed underlying beliefs that have remained essentially unchanged. These are not beliefs
that have staggered from pillar to post under the influence of passing aliens or trendy philosophers, but have been carefully guided and nurtured in a particular direction, by the hand of one so much
greater! In this context it seems significant that at a time when Christianity is being attacked and criticised, and made to seem completely irrelevant, that this should also coincide with a time
prophesied for the fulfilment of its mission. A mission to unite not only this world, but the whole of the universe in one belief and purpose, and one vision of a Divine Creator!
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Some chapters of the first part of the book have been adapted from material
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