Aliens, as in extraterrestrials, are popular. The number of sci-fi novels, short stories, films, TV shows, factual documentaries, and the popular non-fiction literature (books and articles) must number in the multi-thousands. Are our interest and belief in, and search for, aliens, just a way of a substitution for a lack of belief in God? Do we have to believe in a higher power (advanced technology?), and if it’s not God, then extraterrestrials?
Continued from yesterday’s blog…
However, part of the overall perception problem doesn’t lie solely with UFO contactees spreading the word about their ‘space brothers’. Some of the ‘aliens as the new religion’ perception must rest with some of the more serious scientist ‘alien hunters’ who seek out new intelligent life forms and their civilizations.
Some of these scientists are partly to blame for this mythology citing as a rational, caught up in their enthusiasm, for their SETI quest, that contact and communication with extraterrestrial intelligence could lead to a Golden Age where we would be given the Encyclopaedia Galactica, the cure for cancer, and pollution free energy. They would, by being their own best example, show us how to avoid war and nuclear Armageddon; give us the ways and means of achieving global peace and disarmament – double balderdash, squared (well, sort of). It’s almost a (albeit slightly tuned down) version of the messages contactees spread.
Personally, I don’t think aliens are going to lift us up by our bootstraps – we’ve got to do that, all by our lonesome. So, whether it is contactees and New Age UFO Cult societies or SETI scientists promoting the salivation-from-the-skies ideas to help justify their work, it’s, IMHO, pure pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking.
What of the general public? There is widespread interest in, and believe in the existence of, advanced extraterrestrial life. Does that mean that millions are leaving their religion; not attending church, instead setting up telescopes at home or go UFO hunting? The truth may be out there, but I seriously doubt its any threat to either organised religion or people’s supernaturally-themed religious convictions.
Okay, so balderdash (well sort of) aside, yes, there is some truth to the perception that belief in aliens can be taken as a form of religion, well quasi-religion, but I see no real evidence that this is in any way detracting from societies’ established supernatural-based religions. I imagine many individuals believe in both aliens and God. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Some people believe in God, not aliens. Others, like me, suggest aliens are infinitely more a probable viability than a supernatural creator God.
Finally, any organisation trying to claim aliens as the centrepiece of their ‘church’ is going to find getting those standard religious tax concessions rather hard to come by!
At least believers in aliens don’t have a history of imprisoning, torturing, murdering or executing, exiling, ridiculing, etc. those who have interests and beliefs more focused in a down-to-earth direction. Alien hunters don’t demand you have some of your private parts snipped off or that you have to observe various foods, dress, time of day/day of week, sexual or other personal relationship ritual do’s and don’ts. SETI scientists have no ‘thou shall or shall not’ demands; ufologists demand no animal sacrifices or attendance at Sunday weekly UFO conventions. There is no such a thing as an infallible alien bible. No hymns are sung in praise of ET. You don’t have to, every hour on the hour, face towards the constellation of Orion, bow down, and give thanks to the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire for your very existence. And nobody wears the Southern Cross on a chain around their neck.
SETI scientists don’t engage in a Holy War against UFO buffs or vice versa; ancient astronauts enthusiasts don’t hold an Inquisition against SETI scientists or vice versa; UFO buffs don’t have Crusades against those who like the idea that ancient aliens assisted a fledging human race thousands of years ago or vice versa. Alien hunters may not always be one happy family, but compared to organised religion(s).
Also, alien hunters don’t go doorknocking trying to convert the unbelievers!
Alas, alien hunters won’t get to heaven (not that there is such a place) by discovering ET, but at least they won’t go to hell (no such place either) if they don’t! There is no 11th Commandment along the lines of ‘Thou shall seek out my other creations among the firmament’; nor a 12th, ‘Thou shall not worship my other creations among the firmament’!
Absolutely finally, if aliens are the new religion, well, they have light years left to travel before overtaking God, and Company as a force to be reckoned with.
But wait – an afterthought. Popularity isn’t the same thing as worship or belief, but in terms of perceptions of the God vs. alien possibilities, despite church attendance, we probably spend more time interacting with aliens than with God – if one interacts with God at all. Of course unless you are a professional astrobiologist or SETI scientist or an avid ufologist or one of those UFO abductees, you probably don’t interact with real aliens (or the concept of real aliens) either. However, over the course of a period of time, we tend to be exposed more to the concept of extraterrestrials than things Biblical; more often as not through films and TV shows. Certainly the amount of shelf space in book stores and libraries (home as well as public) devoted to aliens (usually sci-fi in the main) vis-à-vis the section devoted to religion – well, more people buy and read sci-fi than study their, or any other, religion. I know the Beatles got into hot water for claiming they were more popular than JC, but I’d bet a TV series featuring aliens gets higher ratings than one featuring Christianity.
Further readings:
Curran, Douglas; In Advance of the Landing: Folk Concepts of Outer Space; Abbeville Press , New York
Lewis, James R. (Editor); The Gods Have Landed: New Religions from Other Worlds; State University of New York Press, Albany , New York
Reece, Gregory L.; UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Culture; I.B. Tauris, London
Thompson, Keith; Angels and Aliens: UFOs and the Mythic Imagination; Addison-Wesley, Reading , Massachusetts
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