The Empire strikes back? (First notes on the emerging stories on the to be released UFO/UAP Files held by the US Government)

Overnight, during my usual insomnia struggle session, I ran across claims that the US Government had called a meeting with pastors, to discuss emerging news regarding extraterrestrials, described as “transdimensional.” This is obviously connected to the recent discussion to release UFO and UAP files, and -- this is an inference on my part, given timing -- may be tied to Secretary of State Rubio’s upcoming visit to the Vatican.

Here, is a Youtube video:

A UK Daily Mail article adds:

Influential pastors are claiming that they have been told to prepare their followers for shocking revelations about UFOs which may upend belief in the Bible.

Perry Stone, a well-known evangelist, author and Bible teacher from Tennessee, warned that fellow pastors were recently invited to a secret meeting with US intelligence officials to prepare for the release of secret files on extraterrestrials.

According to Stone, the officials warned a small group of pastors with a large reach in the Christian community that the government was about to release reports and possibly videos of aliens and spacecraft which were not from this planet.

In the April 27 video posted to his YouTube channel, the evangelist claimed that pastors were told about the existence of 'reptilian' creatures, UFOs and materials from a non-human origin and 'other things that almost sound like something out of a sci-fi movie.'

On February 19, President Trump ordered the Pentagon and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to release all information the government possesses regarding UFOs and alien life.

Last week, Trump said that the first files would be released 'very, very soon' and would contain some 'very interesting' things for the public.

However, officials in this secret meeting allegedly said the information on its way may cause some Christians to question how the universe was created and even lose faith in religion.

Stone said: 'You're going to have people who are going to say if there are galaxies and there are allegedly other creations in the galaxies, then the whole creation story is a myth, and you're going to have people that's going to apostatize and turn from the Christian faith because they have no answer for what they're about to hear.'

What are we to make of this? 

(Clearly, there are scientific, historical, evidence/warrant, credibility, theological/Christological, worldviews and apologetics issues here.)

First, that the US Government is reaching out to Pastors tells us they are concerned this might be disruptive to the Christian Faith, and to many sitting in our pews, where the Judaeo-Christian tradition is a key stabilising buttress for our civilisation, especially for families. That is a key clue.

How should we respond as Christians, as Church leaders, as thinkers and leaders in the community?

(For, I am not impressed by the sort of podcast responses that I am seeing, we need something deeper, sounder, more substantial. In absence of more august personages, kindly, ponder the following.)

Let us suppose that indeed, evidence emerges of dragon-like reptilians (or greys, or little green men or more humanoid creatures or of androids etc). That would mean, we see material creatures, with intelligence and obviously much more advanced science and technology. Which instantly would warrant concern, gven the history of the past 500 years as to what happened when dugout canoes, spears and arrows encountered sailing caravels armed wth cannon and arquebuses. Including, the question of novel diseases to which we have little or no natural immunity. (Actually, from H G Wells’ War of the Worlds, both ways.)

That already points to the possibility of consulting with the speculative, science fiction and fantasy community. They have been contemplating such first contact scenarios for generations.

However, there is a deeper issue.

The Ciceronian first duties apply to any responsible being

For, presumably embodied creatures would be contingent beings, and with intelligence, would be equally governed by the ciceronian first duties: 

1st: to, truth

2nd: to right reason

3rd: to warrant (and wider prudence)

4th: to sound conscience

5th: to likewise morally governed neighbour

6th: so too, to fairness, and to

7th: Justice 

. . . 

xth: etc.

That is, they would be morally governed creatures.

So, they would be subject to critical truth tests, outlined in 1 John 4:1 – 4,

1 Jn 4: 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

This framework is of course rooted in the good, structural reasons we have to believe in and know the reality of the good, loving God, and to receive the gospel of his crucified, risen Christ. Obviously, any intelligent being that rejects – as opposed to is ignorant of -- God and Christ, then, we have reason to see as in grave error, including the possibility of being an agent of a false, counterfeit spiritual message, the spirit of antichrist.

Let us assume, our putative extraterrestrials exhibit moral struggle, much as we do. In that case, the gospel is for them, too! (Perhaps, as with the Narnians in Lewis’ Chronicles, in another form, as with Aslan.)

If they are open to God and the gospel, fundamentally, all is well; but, we must be aware of the dangers of first contact, and must manage the process prudently.

If they do not have or are not open to the good news of the Kingdom of God, then, we are in a different situation.

One, where, we would have to take some readings of the early chapters of Genesis and related passages in the revelation, etc., far more literally and seriously than we may be wont to. Which, would also be a strong sign of how late it is on the Biblical prophetic clock.

Maranatha!

As/if events develop, I intend to follow up, DV. END