In the narrative of the first Eden, the serpent claimed, “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Christians should heed the lessons and consequences of that first promise of self-fulfillment by replacing God as they consider the entire UFO/UAP/Extraterrestrial Alien discussion and movement.
Just for the record, the Catholic Church does not have “a position” on the existence of extraterrestrial aliens. As Catholic Answers points out, “ To insist there must be intelligent life elsewhere in the universe is to overstate the case. It’s also theologically irrelevant because the central tenets of Christianity remain intact with or without little green men.”
Regardless, many followers of the UFO/UAP phenomena flatly reject the biblical absolute that humans on Earth are fashioned uniquely in the divine image and stand as God’s highest creation (Genesis 1:27). By exalting hypothetical entities from other worlds above humanity, the movement attempts to overthrow the special, exalted status God granted to earthly mankind, who was crowned with glory and honor to rule over the works of His hands, as stated in Psalms 8:5-6. (This group of followers will be referred to as the “UAP movement” from hereon.)
At the same time, there are also serious followers of the UAP phenomena that see things quite differently. This group of people fear that the higher evolved beings from another world have sinister plans for humanity and our planet. The focus of this essay, however, is on the first group of followers – the UAP movement.
The Emergence of a Counterfeit Hope
The modern UAP movement operates as a sophisticated surrogate religion to millions living in a secularized, post-Christian world. Consciously or unconsciously seeking the fill the place once held by religion, these people happily embrace the idea that higher evolved beings from another world will soon arrive to save humanity from self-destruction. They will cure diseases and bring in a new golden age of cosmic enlightenment. For them, this cosmic shell game is the new fruit, demonically offered to once again lead us away from God.
However, when examined through the lens of historic Christian orthodoxy, the whole of the UAP movement is not a neutral scientific curiosity, nor a harmless fantasy. In my opinion, it runs completely counter, contradictory, and antithetical to Christian theology. By replacing the biblical narrative of creation, fall, redemption, and consummation with a technological myth of cosmic evolution, the UAP movement represents a subtle, deceptive threat to the Christian faith. In a real sense, it offers a “New Eden” – a counterfeit paradise promised by entities that mimic the divine but lead humanity away from the true Creator.
The Roots of This New Deception
To understand why the UAP movement is contrary to Christianity, one must recognize its core promise: the restoration of paradise without God. This is the essence of the “New Eden.” In the biblical Genesis, Eden was a place of perfect fellowship between God and man, characterized by immortality, peace, and divine wisdom (Genesis 1:31, Genesis 2:8-9). Man’s rebellion fractured this reality, introducing sin, death, and decay into the cosmos (Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 8:20). The gospel of Jesus Christ declares that the restoration of this broken world comes exclusively through the sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Christ, culminating in a future new heaven and new earth (Colossians 1:19-20, Revelation 21:1-4).
The UAP movement offers a parallel, counterfeit eschatology, positing that humanity is on the brink of self-induced apocalypse. Instead of looking to the Creator, adherents look to the skies for an “Intergalactic Confederation” or “Space Brothers” cast as cosmic saviors who will descend to cleanse the planet. They will also upgrade human consciousness, and grant entry into a utopian galactic community. This is a technological, materialistic paradise where salvation is achieved through advanced science. It completely bypasses human sin, repentance, and the cross of Calvary.
H.G. Wells, in many ways the father of this movement[i], was a passionate social engineering theorist. He also maintained an intimate personal, romantic, and intellectual relationship with Margaret Sanger, the anti-Christian founder of Planned Parenthood [ii]
They both shared a vision of a human race stripped of traditional Christian morality. Wells recognized that to dethrone the Creator from the minds of modern men, a new cosmic myth had to replace Divine Providence. Today’s aggressive supporters of this movement carry this exact secular mindset. Their public rhetoric is marked by cynical ridicule and a profound disdain for the Church. They deliberately frame Christian theology as an obsolete relic of an unevolved species to bully believers into abandoning their faith.
Hollywood’s Hijacking of Christian Symbolism
One need only look at the famous ads for Steven Spielberg’s 1982 “ET the Extra-Terrestrial.” ET is Spielberg’s Christ-like figure, complete with a glowing heart and upraised finger, pointing upward. This alien descends from the heavens, demonstrates supernatural healing powers with a glowing, sacred heart-like finger. He gathers disciples in the form of innocent children, and then is hunted and effectively prosecuted by evil authorities. He is physically resurrected, and ultimately ascends back into the heavens leaving behind the commandment of love (“Be good”) to his young follower.
Spielberg effectively continues this mocking, cynical assault on Christian symbolism and belief in his recent movie “Disclosure Day.” In promos for the movie, Spielberg explicitly questioned whether God is merely the local ruler of this planet or the God of every alien civilization. Spielberg openly boasted that the film was designed to shake the foundations of traditional dogma and would cause Christians to radically question their faith.
By presenting a cosmic reality that Christian theology supposedly cannot account for, “Disclosure Day” attempts to create apostasy under the mask of intellectual enlightenment. In a sense, Hollywood has happily embraced and promoted the new fruit promising that we have matured and no longer need God!
Echoes of the First Eden: Satan’s False Promises Dressed as Sweet Fruit
In the first Eden, God established boundaries of paradise (Genesis 2:16-17). Satan, however, subtly twisted God’s words, questioning His goodness and motives. Then he offered a false path to enlightenment promising that “You will not certainly die” (Genesis 3:1-5).
When we break down Satan’s original lie, we see the promise of divinity without God (Genesis 3:5). We also see the Gnostic promise of hidden knowledge that is clearly warned against by Scripture (Colossians 2:8, 1 Tim 6:20). And we see the denial of consequence and judgment (Genesis 3:4).
Scripture also warns us that false teachers will promise peace when there is no peace (Jeremiah 6:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Contradicting Scripture: The Exclusivity of God and the Nature of Creation
The central error of the UAP movement lies in its definition of salvation and the savior. Christian scripture is unyielding on the exclusivity of Jesus Christ as the sole source of redemption for the world. The Apostle Peter boldly declares: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The UAP movement views the main problem of humanity as a lack of evolutionary advancement or technological intelligence. However, Christianity sees humanity’s main problem as sin, the moral rebellion against a holy, all knowing and loving God (Romans 3:23 and 5:9, Ephesians 2:8-9). The UAP movement’s promise of a physical or intellectual rescue by space beings ignores the blood of Christ and replaces spiritual rebirth with cosmic evolution (Hebrews 9:22, Titus 3:5).
Demonic Mimicry
Paul warns that the Satan himself will masquerade as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). And fallen angelic forces can manifest in physical reality. They can manipulate human perception, produce false signs and wonders, and offer hidden knowledge designed to move us away from God (Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10).
The messages delivered by alleged extraterrestrials to those contacted over the past several decades consistently echo gnostic heresies such as denying the divinity of Christ, claiming that humanity is divine of itself, and asserting that traditional biblical religions are no longer necessary. These lies tie perfectly with Scriptural warnings of false teaching (1 Timothy 4:1).
The devil is no fool. He knows that he must dress his new fruit as the promises of special beings and technology ready to fool minds empty of a firm foundation in Christ. This ties into the warning that the evil one will adjust and mask the same lies in popular ways likely to fool current willingness (Ephesians 6: 11-12, 1 John 4:1).
Expert Testimony from All Sides
Theologian Dr. Taylor Marshall, Exorcists Fr. Chad Ripperger, Fr. Carlos Martins, and Msgr. Stephen Rossetti have all publicly stated that UAP claims, beliefs, and manifestations are mostly of demonic nature and consistent with demonic warfare. Marshall provides nine distinct reasons why the UAP phenomenon is demonic.[iii]
In his book “The First and Last Deception: Aliens, UFOs, AI, and the Return of Eden’s Demise” [iv], Daniel O’Connor proves that the extraterrestrial alien narrative is a trap, showing how the Devil utilizes the modern myth of science fiction. Connor cites the Catechism (CCC 675) regarding a religious deception offering an apparent solution to problems at the price of apostasy. He also documents how abduction accounts mimic demonic infestation, instantly ceasing when victims invoke the Holy Name of Jesus.
Orthodox monk Fr. Seraphim Rose tied telepathic extraterrestrial encounters to demonic sorcery in saint’s lives[v] connecting to Scriptural warnings (Ephesians 6:12). Protestant researchers Chuck Missler and Gary Bates present these UAP beliefs as a surrogate religion undermining creation.[vi] Scripture is clear on this: God created Earth uniquely to be inhabited (Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 45:18), man was made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), and Christ died once for all (Hebrews 9:26 and 10:10, Romans 6:9, 1 Peter 3:18).
Secular Ties and the Hijacking of Christian Hope
Respected secular skeptics, atheists, and agnostics independently share this religious verdict as well. Astronomer Carl Sagan[vii] and Dr. Michael Shermer[viii], certainly not to be confused with religious fanatics, both have seen the UAP phenomenon as a modern manifestation of ancient demonology. They see it as a religion in disguise, cleverly fashioned to fool non-religious people eager to project their longing for a higher power to come and save them.
This clever threat hijacks genuine Christian longings and re-attaches them to a cosmic framework. It replaces the very God who placed these desires within the human heart to point mankind toward Himself (Ecclesiastes 3:11) with cute ETs or big-eyed, large-headed creatures who are the new serpents offering false fruit.
Ultimately, the entire UAP Phenomenon is an “instead,” as in instead of Christianity. Instead of waiting for Christ’s return (Acts 1:11, Revelation 1:7) the UAP movement waits for “disclosure” and an ET landing. Instead of a glorified resurrected body (1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Philippians 3:20-21) the UAP movement looks to the promise of cybernetic or evolutionary transitions into light-bodies. Instead of Christ’s messianic reign establishing peace (Isaiah 9:6-7, Revelation 20:4), the UAP movement awaits a utopian golden age via galactic alignment.
By replacing God’s Kingdom with a technological replacement, this demonic deception satisfies religious impulses while steering the mind away from repentance, submission to Christ, and moral accountability (Mark 1:15, Hebrews 9:27).
Conclusion: The Ultimate Question for Any Christian Follower
The biblical narrative begins in Eden and ends in the New Jerusalem (Genesis 2, Revelation 21). It is a journey defined by God’s sovereign grace, human redemption through the blood of Christ, and the ultimate destruction of evil. The UAP movement seeks to flip to road signs from God to eternal destruction. It promises a false, man-made new Eden, run by beings whose true identity remains masked in darkness. It promises enlightenment without holiness, salvation without a Savior, and a paradise without God.
There are those who will say this is all overblown drama, pointing to the fact that Spielberg’s new movie failed at the box office and it is all about mere entertainment. Still others argue that this UFO stuff makes more sense to them than a Savior hanging on a cross.
But make no mistake about it, the devil is as clever as he is evil. He knows that we will not likely fall for shiny fruit offered by talking serpents. He comes at us with a new shiny lie, tailored to our so-called sophisticated minds. But it is the same lie as the ancient one. As long as we firmly rely and trust on the unchanging Word of God and the absolute, exclusive supremacy of Jesus Christ, we will keep our eyes on the path God has in store for us through the storms, clouds, and waves of a world too easily infatuated with the latest new toy and promise.
[i] Wells, H.G. The War of the Worlds. London: William Heinemann, 1898
[ii] Sanger, Margaret. The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger, Volume 1: The Woman Rebel, 1900-1928. Edited by Esther Katz. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2003
[iii] Marshall, Taylor. Antichrist and Apocalypse: The 2 Thessalonian Deceptions and the Demonic UAP/UFO Phenomenon. Dallas, TX: Media John Paul, 2023
[iv] O’Connor, Daniel. The First and Last Deception: Aliens, UFOs, AI, and the Return of Eden’s Demise. Independent Publishing, 2023
[v]Rose, Seraphim. Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. Platina, CA: Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1975
[vi] Bates, Gary. Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Perspective. Powder Springs, GA: Creation Book Publishers, 2005.
[vii] Sagan, Carl. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. New York, NY: Random House, 1995. Source
[viii] Shermer, Michael. “Sky Gods for Skeptics: Is Belief in Aliens a Religious Impulse?” Skeptical Inquirer 31, no. 4 (2007): 22-25
