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UFO ReligionsUFO ReligionsUFO ReligionsUFO Religions

RELS 225: Cults and New Religious RELS 225: Cults and New Religious

MovementsMovementsRELS 225: Cults and New Religious RELS 225: Cults and New Religious

MovementsMovements

UFO ReligionsUFO ReligionsUFO ReligionsUFO Religions

• UFOs: non-religious? Mythological characteristics:

• spaceborne saviours? Demonic figures? • First sighting: June 24, 1947:

Kenneth Arnold, Boise Idaho.• By early 1950’s: mostly skeptics;

claims to have made contact.

ContacteesContacteesContacteesContactees• George Adamski (1952) Flying Saucers Have

Landed.• In Mojave desert• “Orthon” from Venus • Religion is “science of life, without temples.

• Truman Bethurum (1954) Aboard a Flying Saucer.

• Also Mojave• From Clarion• No war, divorce, taxes

• Fry 1954• Warning from past earth civilization: atomic

warfare• Angelucci 1955

M.I.B.M.I.B.M.I.B.M.I.B.

• Gray Barker, They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers (1956)

• 1953 Three men in black suits visit Albert Bender of Conneticut, director of “International Flying Saucer Bureau”. Bureau ends.

• Mechanical walk and voices.

Early OrganizationsEarly OrganizationsEarly OrganizationsEarly Organizations• Conventions (1954-1977)• Fry: Understanding, Inc.• Amalgamated Flying Saucer Clubs (1957)• Heralds of the New Age (early 1950’s)• Cosmon Research Foundation (1962 martyred

Gloria Lee)• Christ Brotherhood (1956). Halsey disappeared

1963• Association of Sananda and Sanat Kumara (When

Prophecy Fails)• Mark-Age (1956) Charles Boyd Gentzel• Unarius (1954) Ernest L. Norman• Aetherius Society (1955) George King

AbductionsAbductionsAbductionsAbductions

• John Fuller (1961): Barney & Betty Hill abducted in New Hampshire

• Medical experiments• Missing time

• Budd Hopkins & David Jacobs• Laboratory animals?

• Pregnancies• Whitley Streiber: Communion and

Transformation.• Ultimately benign aliens

Explanations:Explanations:Explanations:Explanations:

• Cold War, anticommunism• World can become better

Similarities to 19Similarities to 19thth C. C. SpiritualismSpiritualism

Similarities to 19Similarities to 19thth C. C. SpiritualismSpiritualism

• Descending gods, deliver wisdom and messages of warning, hope, or apocalypse.

• Interstellar abduction• Also Men in Black harass UFO observers.• Appear to chosen few.• Messages passed on to others (by trance, automatic

writing)• Groups tend to be loose and short-lived.

• Presuppose spiritually significant beings between human and ultimate reality (God).

• Expanded consciousness• Psychical phenomena; “signs” producing faith.

• Channelling: Instructions from spiritual teachers• Wisdom tends to Theosophy: karma, reincarnation• Spiritual evolution possible, by effort, initiation, and

acquired wisdom

Similarities to fairy talesSimilarities to fairy talesSimilarities to fairy talesSimilarities to fairy tales

• Otherworldly “little men” (Jacques Vallee)

• Appearance like elves or goblins• Time not passing (like into a fairy

mound)• Changelings (half-human pregnancies)• Experience: subjective or objective

impossible to prove (Thomas Bullard)

1970’s- UFO cults1970’s- UFO cults1970’s- UFO cults1970’s- UFO cults

• “The Four: A Christian Newsletter of the Tribulation” (1980’s) (in Ottawa and Kansas)

• Human Individual Metamorphosis (1975)

• Bo & Peep, “The Two” “to the level above human”

So What?So What?So What?So What?• Concerns expressed by:

• American Humanist Association • Committee for the Scientific Investigation of

Claims of the Paranormal• Skeptical Inquirer• Skeptics UFO Newsletter

• Promotes credulity and authoritarian truth in charismatic figures

• Glorifies pathological psychosis• Are UFO movements religious?

• Use categories from myths & religion• We are not alone• Beings with supernatural abilities to harm & heal,

like angels & demons.

Review: UFO ReligionsReview: UFO ReligionsReview: UFO ReligionsReview: UFO Religions

• UFOs: non-religious? Mythological characteristics:• 1947-early 1950’s: heyday• Similarities to 19th C. Spiritualism: Descending gods,

deliver wisdom • Similarities to fairy tales: Otherworldly goblins; Time

not passing; Changelings• Messages, according to Contactees: Utopia is possible• Diverse Organizations

• Human Individual Metamorphosis (1975)• Men In Black• Abductions: medical? Benign?• So What?

• Promotes credulity and authoritarian truth in charismatic figures

• Glorifies pathological psychosis• Are UFO movements religions?

Heaven’s Gate videoHeaven’s Gate videoHeaven’s Gate videoHeaven’s Gate video

FlyerFlyerFlyerFlyer

1.1.Flyer from Flyer from Atlanta Atlanta

1.1.Flyer from Flyer from Atlanta Atlanta

Flyer, September, 1975Flyer, September, 1975OregonOregon

Flyer, September, 1975Flyer, September, 1975OregonOregon

““Two individuals say Two individuals say they are about to leave they are about to leave the human level and the human level and literally literally (physically) enter the (physically) enter the next evolutionary level next evolutionary level in a space craft (UFO) in a space craft (UFO) within months. within months. Followers of " THE TWO Followers of " THE TWO " will discuss how the " will discuss how the transition from the transition from the human level to the next human level to the next level is accomplished, level is accomplished, and when and when this may be done. this may be done. This is not a religious This is not a religious or philosophical or philosophical organization recruiting organization recruiting membership. However, membership. However, the information the information already prompted already prompted many many individuals to devote individuals to devote their total energy to their total energy to the transitional process. the transitional process. If If you have ever you have ever entertained the idea entertained the idea that there may be a that there may be a real, physical level real, physical level beyond the earth's beyond the earth's confines, you will want confines, you will want to attend this meeting.”to attend this meeting.”

““Two individuals say Two individuals say they are about to leave they are about to leave the human level and the human level and literally literally (physically) enter the (physically) enter the next evolutionary level next evolutionary level in a space craft (UFO) in a space craft (UFO) within months. within months. Followers of " THE TWO Followers of " THE TWO " will discuss how the " will discuss how the transition from the transition from the human level to the next human level to the next level is accomplished, level is accomplished, and when and when this may be done. this may be done. This is not a religious This is not a religious or philosophical or philosophical organization recruiting organization recruiting membership. However, membership. However, the information the information already prompted already prompted many many individuals to devote individuals to devote their total energy to their total energy to the transitional process. the transitional process. If If you have ever you have ever entertained the idea entertained the idea that there may be a that there may be a real, physical level real, physical level beyond the earth's beyond the earth's confines, you will want confines, you will want to attend this meeting.”to attend this meeting.”

USA Today ad, , introductionintroduction

USA Today ad, , introductionintroduction

• The following statements could sound very presumptuous. However, these facts do come into focus or "prove" themselves if they are seriously explored a step at a time. They could also sound very "doomsdayish." Though, in truth, they will be the most joyous "sound of music" to the ears and eyes of those who have been waiting for them.

• The Earth's present "civilization" is about to be recycled - "spaded under." Its inhabitants are refusing to evolve. The "weeds" have taken over the garden and disturbed its usefulness beyond repair.

• The human kingdom was created as a stepping stone between the animal kingdom and the true Kingdom of God (the Evolutionary Kingdom Level Above Human).

• It is the soul that progresses from one kingdom level to another - each kingdom level has its own unique physical containers (bodies) for the souls that reside in that kingdom level.

Heaven’s Gate’s Heaven’s Gate’s Purpose: thenPurpose: then

Heaven’s Gate’s Heaven’s Gate’s Purpose: thenPurpose: then

• Two thousand years ago• Kingdom of Heaven determined some human "plants"

of Garden Earth ready to be "containers" for soul deposits.

• a member of Kingdom of Heaven left His body for a human body "prepped" for this task: Jesus.

• He did so at His "Father's" (or Older Member's) instruction, at baptism by John the Baptist

• His Task: offer membership into the Kingdom of Heaven to those who recognized Him and followed Him.

• Only those with the "deposit" could believe . Get to His Father through total reliance upon Him.

• Leaving behind this world included: family, sensuality, selfish desires, your human mind, and even your human body if it be required of you - all mammalian ways, thinking, and behavior.

Heaven’s Gate’s Heaven’s Gate’s Purpose: nowPurpose: now

Heaven’s Gate’s Heaven’s Gate’s Purpose: nowPurpose: now

• Do’s mission is exactly the same. • Do has the same task as Jesus; Do’s

purposes is to offer the discipline required.

• Do’s “Father”, his Older Member, came to assist in the task, to provide the opportunity to become a new creature, one of the Next Evolutionary Level, rightfully belonging to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The problemThe problemThe problemThe problem• Why Do says It Is Difficult To Believe or

Accept Him• evil spirits, malevolent space aliens, are

"Luciferians," or Satan and his fallen angels.• The space aliens, or Luciferians, use the

discarnate spirits (the minds that are disembodied at the death of a body) as their primary servants - against potential members of the Kingdom of God.

• From our point of view, this "programming" finds that body, and the vast majority of all human bodies, barely usable by students of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The challengeThe challengeThe challengeThe challenge

• Unless you are currently an active student you ARE STILL "of the world.”

• The window of opportunity to go to Heaven requires: • 1) an incarnate (as human) Representative of

the Kingdom of Heaven; • 2) being an active students of that

Representative• 3) enduring the "transition classroom" until

bonding or "grafting" to that Representative.

USA Today ad: USA Today ad: conclusionconclusion

USA Today ad: USA Today ad: conclusionconclusion

• Many say they live only for the "Harvest Time" - the "Last Days" - the "Second Coming." Those are all finally here! - Will you accept us as them? You cannot bypass us even in your prayers - you cannot insult your Creator by refusing to go through the ones He has sent to you. There are souls here now for the express purpose of connecting - and eventually bonding - with the Next Level through us. Those souls will be protected - out of harm's way - and "saved" from the approaching sorting out, recycling, and "spading under" of the Luciferians and their human servants. If you can get your name in our "book," on our spacecraft's computer (and only there), making your actions reflect that desire - then you will go with us.

• SUMMARY: Our surfacing is in reality a test of the public's "civility." Can a society that is still dealing with bigotry and prejudices against races, religions, and sexual preference extend the right of existence to some who see humanity as a stepping stone toward the Kingdom of God, and desire to take that step and briefly offer it to others? Or is Earth's present civilization still as primitive as it was 2000 years ago? We'll see!

• CAUTION: If the above information is consumed or assimilated, you may experience such side effects as loss of marriage, family, friends, career, respectability, and credibility. Continued use could even result in the loss of your membership in the human kingdom.