What About ETIs? | thebereancall.org

What About ETIs?

April 1, 1995
Hunt, Dave

Many deceptive lies are instilled in the minds of today's youth via schools, literature, films and television. Popular delusions abound which deny God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Two are now held generally worldwide: 1) evolution (taught as fact in public schools); and its corollary, 2) the existence of intelligent life on other planets. If life evolved on earth by chance, then why not elsewhere? The possibility that some beings may even possess science and technology far beyond ours is extremely exciting to mankind: we're not alone in the universe!

Robert Jastrow, founder and for many years director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (which played a key role in the Pioneer, Voyager and Galileo space probes) suggests that life could have been evolving on some planets 10 billion years longer than on earth. Those beings could be as far beyond man on the evolutionary scale as man is beyond a worm and would seem like gods to us when we meet them—an exciting but also terrifying thought.

Serious international efforts have been underway for years to contact extraterrestrial intelligences (ETIs). In the US the program is titled Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). Many nations pour huge investments into sending radio signals into space and listening for some coherent message in return. The Voyager spacecraft, which by now may have left our solar system to probe deeper into space, carried this message on a gold record affixed to its exterior which, it was hoped, some friendly life might encounter and as a result contact earth in reply:

We cast this message into the cosmos...this is a present from a small, distant world....We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. [signed] Jimmy Carter, president of the USA, June 16, 1977

It is also popularly believed that beings from other planets have been visiting earth for some time in spacecraft the composition and propulsion of which our scientists can't explain. These craft are therefore called Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). Thousands of sightings are reported annually around the world, most of which have some earthly explanation. That still leaves numerous sightings which, upon careful investigation, seem to indicate that something "not of this earth" is visiting us for unknown reasons.

There have been several government investigations of UFOs. The results remain secret. According to files released under the Freedom of Information Act, the FBI was involved in the search for evidence at alleged UFO crash sites. However, in a letter dated September 27, 1947, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover wrote to Air Force Major General George C. McDonald that he was directing the Bureau "to discontinue all investigative activity regarding the reported sightings of flying discs," and to refer inquiries to the Air Force.1 Nevertheless, the FBI continued to be involved. Consider the following FBI interoffice memorandum dated 10/2/62 from W. R. Wannall to W. C. Sullivan: "There appears to be no necessity for additional instructions...relative to flying saucers. This matter will again be reviewed on or about 10/1/63." 2

FBI files of which I have copies include numerous reports of mysterious flying objects seen by competent observers, including Air Force pilots and FBI personnel. The great speed of the objects, the absence of any means of propulsion known on earth, and maneuvers impossible for earth craft indicate an origin beyond this planet. The reports also include observations of indentations from a heavy object as well as burned and radioactive areas where the UFOs allegedly landed. A CIA (date obliterated) memorandum from the Deputy Director to the Director of Central Intelligence states,

Reports of incidents convince us that there is something going on that must have immediate attention. The details of some of these incidents have been discussed by AD/SI with DDCI. Sightings of unexplained objects at great altitudes and traveling at high speeds in the vicinity of major U.S. defense installations are of such nature that they are not attributable to natural phenomena or known types of aerial vehicles. 3

Any possibility that intelligent life on earth or elsewhere evolved by chance can be quickly dismissed. Eminent British astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle points out that "even if the whole universe consisted of organic soup" from which life is made, the chance of producing the basic enzymes of life by random processes without intelligent direction would be approximately one in 10 with 40,000 zeros after it. The impossibility of that number can be seen in the following illustration. The likelihood of reaching out and by chance plucking a particular atom out of the universe would be about 1 in 10 with 80 zeros after it. If every atom in this universe became another universe, the chance of reaching out at random and plucking a particular atom out of all of those universes would be 1 in 10 with 160 zeros after it.

Hoyle then explains why this completely impossible theory is still honored, and accuses the evolutionists of self-interest, unfair pressure, and dishonesty:

This [mathematical impossibility] is well known to geneticists and yet nobody seems to blow the whistle decisively on the theory...because of its grip on the educational system....You either have to believe the concepts, or you will be branded a heretic.4

In Chance and Necessity, Nobel molecular biologist Jacques Monod gives a dozen or more reasons why evolution could not occur. For example, the essential characteristic of DNA is its perfect replication of itself. Evolution could only occur through a DNA failure, and it is absurd to imagine evolving even a single cell, much less the human brain, from a series of random and harmful mistakes in the DNA. Yet, after giving many reasons why life could not develop by chance, Monod concludes that it must have.

Monod has no valid reason for his "faith." He simply refuses to accept divine creation. British Museum of Natural History senior paleontologist Colin Patterson declares,

Evolutionists, like the creationists... are nothing more than believers themselves. I had been working on this stuff [evolution] for more than twenty years, and there was not one thing I knew about it. It's quite a shock to learn that one can be so misled for so long. 5

A compromise belief is becoming popular in the church: that God allowed evolution to proceed, then transformed an ape-like creature into Adam. But the Bible says that the moment God breathed life into the form He molded from dust it was a man, Adam (Gn 2:7). So he couldn't have been transformed from something already alive. Furthermore, death did not invade earth until Adam sinned ("by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin" - Rom:5:12), so prior species could not have gone through the alleged process of dying and "evolving higher."

Couldn't God have created intelligent life on other planets? Yes, but the Bible declares that this earth alone has intelligent physical life. It is to this earth that Satan came to spread his rebellion; and to this earth Christ came to die for man's sin. The battle between God and Satan for the universe is centered here. Christ's sacrifice on the cross purified the entire universe and heaven itself of sin (Heb:9:23):

That...he might gather together in one all things in Christ,...in heaven, and...on earth...(Eph:1:7,10).

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth...(Philippians:2:10).

And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;...things in earth, or things in heaven (Col:1:20).

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth ...heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever (Rev:5:9, 13).

...all things shall be subdued unto him [Christ]...that God may be all in all (1 Cor:15:28).

Contrast the above with the Mormon belief in trillions of gods, and trillions of Christs who died on trillions of planets beside our own. It is clear from Scripture that the only reconciliation to God in the entire universe is through Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross a sacrifice that was not repeated on any other planet:

...by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us....once in the end of the world hath [Christ] appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself....

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God....For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified [and]...there is no more offering for sin (Heb:9:12,26; 10:12,14,18).

Any intelligent created beings with the power of choice would sin. God does not need to experiment ("Man sinned, but let me try again on another planet...," etc.). Thus if there are other sinners scattered throughout the universe, God put them there intentionally. But why? Surely one planet of rebels is enough!

Sinners need redemption, and redemption for the entire universe has been provided through Christ's sacrifice on this planet. We earthlings have the testimony of eyewitnesses, archaeological evidence, historical evidence, and fulfilled prophecies. Such proofs would not be available to beings on distant planets who had to believe in a Christ who died on this planet.

Moreover, for Christ to redeem us, He had to become one of us, a man who died in our place. To redeem any beings on other planets, He would have had to become one of them also. But the Bible says that Christ is the God-Man forever; and that He died only once, and it was here on earth. It is upon earth that Satan will attempt to establish his counterfeit kingdom through a man, Antichrist. To this end, Satan may use UFOs and the belief in ETIs to establish his false Christ. (See When Will Jesus Come?) Interestingly, Robert Jastrow suggests that life beyond earth

...may be far beyond the flesh-and-blood form that we would recognize. It may [have]...escaped its mortal flesh to become something that old-fashioned people would call spirits. And so how do we know it's there? Maybe it can materialize and then dematerialize. I'm sure it has magical powers by our standards....7

What a great idea for Satan to use in putting Antichrist in power! Who needs God and Christ if ETIs have magic powers?! Not only spirit mediums, psychics and kooks, but now scientists, who have rejected God, are trying to contact "spirit beings," whom they believe are highly evolved entities with greater knowledge and powers than humans possess. Surely if contact were made with "friendly" ETIs, earth's leaders would want to "benefit" from their counsel and help! Syrian President Hafez Assad, long fascinated by UFOs, believes that "only an extraterrestrial power could make peace between the superpowers." 8

But there are no physical ETIs. The only intelligent life beyond earth is all in spirit form: God, angels, Satan and demons. Satan and his minions are able to invade the physical realm. Satan put boils on Job, caused Sabeans and Chaldeans to rob Job and kill his servants, caused a "great wind" to destroy a house and kill Job's children—and in each case one person was left alive to bring the news to Job. Satan took Christ to the top of a mountain and to the pinnacle of the temple. Jannes and Jambres (2 Tim:3:8) were able to duplicate by the power of Satan many of the miracles Moses and Aaron performed by the power of God.

What limits there may be upon satanic "power and signs and lying wonders" (2 Thes:2:9) we don't know: Satan will cause the whole world to worship Antichrist as "God" (Rev:13:8). The fact that mankind is now open to contact and receive advice and help from demons who are manifesting as UFOs and masquerading as ETIs helps to set the stage for the last days "great delusion" (2 Thes:2:11).

It was here on earth that Christ defeated Satan on the cross, and it is here to earth that Christ will return to destroy Satan. It is on earth that Christ will reign for 1,000 years; it is to the new earth that the heavenly Jerusalem will descend (Rev:21:1-2) and from there Christ will rule the new universe for all eternity. No other planetary civilization exists.

Satan's clever lies have one purpose: to divert man from God's truth that alone will set him free from sin and self (Jn:8:31-32). We believers in our Lord Jesus Christ must have biblical answers for our loved ones to deliver them from Satan's seductive lies, whatever they may be. Be Bereans. Know the Scriptures. Declare God's truth boldly and live it consistently. TBC

Endnotes

  1. Copy of letter on file.
  2. Copy of memorandum on file.
  3. Copy of memorandum on file.
  4. From interview by AP correspondent George Cornwall, quoted from Times-Advocate (Escondido, CA, Dec. 10, 1982), A10-11.
  5. Harpers (Feb. 1985), 49-50.
  6. Douglas Dewar and L. M. Davies, "Science and the BBC," The Nineteenth Century and After, (Apr. 1943), 167.
  7. "GeoConversation," interview with Dr. Robert Jastrow, GEO (Feb. 1982), 14.
  8. Interview, Time (Oct. 20, 1986), 56-57.

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