Why do Christians reject the testimony of Alien Abduction victims?

[IWantGod]

So, what do you propose be done?

Ed

I don’t think anything can be done. If they exist they are superior beings at least in terms of technology.

What do we do with those cases like the Travis Walton case and the case i presented in the OP? In my book these are credible testimonies, at least i cannot think of a credible reason to think they are lying.

Should we just say they are liars? If so why should we dismiss them as liars just because they claim to be witness’s to something out of this world and cannot be measured? I would think anybody that believed in spiritual reality and testimonies in that regard would be sympathetic to these so called “experiencers”.

 

[boomerang]

It could be the evil one trying to distract us.

I’ve been watching the Ancient Alien programs on Fri. on the History channel. They are now saying Jesus may have been taken up in a space craft at the Ascension. It’s getting out of hand. Our faith is being replaced with Alien theories.

These reasons sum up why most Christians don’t believe in alien abductions. The “father of lies” will stop at nothing to lure us away from salvation.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

Whats that suppose to mean?

are you Catholic?

 

[tamedlion]

I’m gonna say it like it is, what is the the purpose of some one superior to you? To help you or to hurt you, nothing in between. Apparently this aliens have been coming to earth since the Incas, Egiptian, Mayans and so on and they don’t do nothing but to probe a couple of people, let them loose and then make a fool out of themselves. If those aliens have been coming to earth since a long time ago, then they would certainly be smarter than humans but since they don’t do anything, the idea of their visit to us is very stupid.

 

[IWantGod]

These reasons sum up why most Christians don’t believe in alien abductions. The “father of lies” will stop at nothing to lure us away from salvation.

Its a possibility that these abductions are nothing more than a demonic attack. I suppose fallen angels can present themselves as alien beings. I’m not discounting that.

I just think the idea that it can all be explained away as a hoax or a psychotic delusion or something to that effect cannot explain all abduction cases especially those cases which involve multiple witnesses. The best you can do is say that they are all liars.

 

[IWantGod]

I’m gonna say it like it is, what is the the purpose of some one superior to you? To help you or to hurt you, nothing in between. Apparently this aliens have been coming to earth since the Incas, Egiptian, Mayans and so on and they don’t do nothing but to probe a couple of people, let them loose and then make a fool out of themselves. If those aliens have been coming to earth since a long time ago, then they would certainly be smarter than humans but since they don’t do anything, the idea of their visit to us is very stupid.

If they are real i wouldn’t claim to know or even understand what a superior being would want with us. I don’t know their purpose or why they are abducting humans, and neither do i know if they have been visiting us since the incas.

If we were the aliens studying the development of beings on another planet would we do the same thing? I don’t know.

I have presented a few cases that i think are credible and cannot be easily dismissed. That’s all.

 

[Gertabelle]

I don’t think an alien abduction event would yield any scientific evidence, at least not the kind of evidence that can be measured and used to make an inference. We are of course talking about beings that must be way more advanced technologically then we are. What evidence can one expect?

Why shouldn’t we expect some sort of evidence for an alien abduction? And why would advanced technology be inconsistent with us not having evidence?

Seriously, some “alien abductees” claim to have been subjected to medical testing and experimentation. But the aliens are so advanced that they leave no sign on the body of anyone they abduct? Sorry, but no. I’m not putting my faith the testimonies of these people without any sort of physical evidence. Nope.

Now of course you can choose to have faith in their testimonies if you like. But I am too much of a skeptic by nature.

Which only leaves us the testimonies of the alleged abductees. Surely they can’t all be lying. Especially in cases where there is more then one witness and they have willingly taken Lie detector tests. The Travis Walton case is a case in point.

Actually, they could all be lying. They could also be suffering from mental illness or hallucinations. They could be inventing “recovered memories.” And it certainly could be a combination of possibilities.

But as for alien abductions, why in the world – in a universe so vast, with such enormous distances of nothingness – would aliens seek out such a primitive planet to “research?”

And how would they even have found us?

“Because the universe is really small and there’s always somebody nearby.” (~ Doctor Who)

 

[IWantGod]

Actually, they could all be lying. They could also be suffering from mental illness or hallucinations. They could be inventing “recovered memories.” And it certainly could be a combination of possibilities.

They could be all lying but is it reasonable to think they are lying about their experience simply because the subject matter involves aliens? I don’t find ideas like hallucinations and inventing recovered memories credible arguments when dealing with multiple witnesses who are all describing the same exact thing or events. See the video in the OP. Read about the Travis Walton case.

The only option is to say they are all lying. And then one has to ask why do you think they are lying, and i think people who think they are all lying simply have a prejudice or discriminate in principle against any testimony that is not consistent with everyday human experiences. Which is fine, nobody wants to be hoodwinked or made a fool of. But for those who accept testimonies of a spiritual or religious nature without any scientific evidence i have wonder why we don’t offer the same respect for those who experience alien abduction?

 

[ericc]

Why don’t we accept claims of alien abduction?

Here is a testimony. Are these people lying?

The Allagash Abductions - An OpenMinds.tv Documentary

youtube.com/watch?v=10PL0o8ZJHI

Because the testimony is not backed by evidence nor was it divinely revealed? I can accept that the abductee may sincerely believe to have undergone such an experience but why should I be required to accept that the experience was actually true?

But I will take note of what you claim and that’s the limit I can afford to be open-minded.

 

[Gertabelle]

The only option is to say they are all lying. And then one has to ask why do you think they are lying, and i think people who think they are all lying simply have a prejudice or discriminate in principle against any testimony that is not consistent with everyday human experiences.

Why is the only option to say they are all lying? That’s a non-sequitur to be sure.

There are so many people with claims of some sort of alien encounter. Yup. Some may be lying – attention, fame, money from books, whatever. Some may be giving in to the power of suggestion. Some may have some sort of mental illness.

But please don’t tell me that my only option is to say they’re all lying. That’s your conclusion, not mine.

But for those who accept testimonies of a spiritual or religious nature without any scientific evidence i have wonder why we don’t offer the same respect for those who experience alien abduction?

Are you seriously comparing belief in the existence of the One True God with belief in the stories of those who claim to have been abducted by aliens?! Seriously?

Oh my goodness.

Simply put, I put no more faith in people claiming to have had encounters with aliens than I do in the promises of politicians or the postings of random people on Facebook.

My faith in God, and in the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church, and in the writing of Scripture – all of that does not contradict reason.

There is historical (and ongoing) proof of the existence of the Jewish people.

There are documents going back thousands of years that are consistent with our current scriptures – proving that the texts were not altered in the copying before the days of the printing press.

There is archaeological evidence of cities and villages that existed in alignment with the writings of scripture and the history of the Church.

Our faith in the Triune God through the teachings of the Catholic Church is based on thousands of years of evidence and “a cloud of witnesses” – not just a few people who experienced something they can’t understand and so claim “Aliens!”

And if you really believe that faith in alien abductions is on par with faith in God, then I have to ask with Roseeurekacross: “Are you Catholic?”

 

[BroIgnatius]

Given that there is not a single shred of credible evidence that ET has ever visited earth, and that there is not a single shred of credible evidence of abductions, it begs the question of the validity of these accounts.

These people are not necessarily lying as there are explanations to account for these visions with neuro-chemistry of the brain. The people reporting this may truly believe it and have actual memories of it, but that does not make it so. Emotions and brain chemistry can create false memories that are going to seem absolutely true to the person.

So, it is not a matter of lying. Rather, it is a matter of the origin of the experience, which is not ET.

 

[IWantGod]

Given that there is not a single shred of credible evidence that ET has ever visited earth, and that there is not a single shred of credible evidence of abductions, it begs the question of the validity of these accounts.

So what we are left with is testimonies.

These people are not necessarily lying as there are explanations to account for these visions with neuro-chemistry of the brain. The people reporting this may truly believe it and have actual memories of it, but that does not make it so. Emotions and brain chemistry create false memories that are going to seem absolutely true to the person.

So, it is not a matter of lying. Rather, it is a matter of the origin of the experience.

As i said its an unreasonable rationalization to say that multiple witnesses had the same experiences due to the neuro chemistry of the brain. Perhaps that works for one person, but when you attribute this to multiple witnesses all you are really saying is that you would rather believe that than think that they really had an alien encounter. That’s like saying all the apostles had a shared hallucination of the risen Jesus. It just doesn’t work as a reasonable explanation. Its Just an explanation that someone is comfotable with.

 

[3DOCTORS]

Finally, some rationality on this topic, thanks to z_0101, Gertabelle, and BroIgnatius! :tiphat: :clapping:

All I can add is my strong suggestion to read the following:

For a cogent explanation of the mental processes that result in the beliefs of abductees check out Susan Clancy’s book Abducted: How People Come To Believe They Were Kidnapped By Aliens amazon.com/Abducted-People-Believe-Kidnapped-Aliens/dp/067402401X

I enjoy science fiction and I like to wonder about real aliens, if there are any. I’d find it exciting if we discovered ET life during my lifetime. But I don’t for one minute believe the whole UFO mythos that has been around since the 1940s. Another book I’ve found explains the cultural milieu in which it originated and grew. That book is Little Gray Men: Roswell and the Rise of a Popular Culture, by Toby Smith amazon.com/Little-Gray-Men-Roswell-Popular/dp/0826321216

Between these two books, and a few similar ones whose titles I can’t recall at present but have written down somewhere, one can find simple and reasonable explanations for the so-called “unexplained” UFO/alien abduction cultural narrative.

 

[IWantGod]

Finally, some rationality on this topic, thanks to z_0101, Gertabelle, and BroIgnatius! :tiphat: :clapping:

All I can add is my strong suggestion to read the following:

For a cogent explanation of the mental processes that result in the beliefs of abductees check out Susan Clancy’s book Abducted: How People Come To Believe They Were Kidnapped By Aliens amazon.com/Abducted-People-Believe-Kidnapped-Aliens/dp/067402401X

I enjoy science fiction and I like to wonder about real aliens, if there are any. I’d find it exciting if we discovered ET life during my lifetime. But I don’t for one minute believe the whole UFO mythos that has been around since the 1940s. Another book I’ve found explains the cultural milieu in which it originated and grew. That book is Little Gray Men: Roswell and the Rise of a Popular Culture, by Toby Smith amazon.com/Little-Gray-Men-Roswell-Popular/dp/0826321216

Between these two books, and a few similar ones whose titles I can’t recall at present but have written down somewhere, one can find simple and reasonable explanations for the so-called “unexplained” UFO/alien abduction cultural narrative.

Then you can provide a reasonable explanation of multiple eye witness accounts of an alien encounter.

 

[Gertabelle]

Then you can provide a reasonable explanation of multiple eye witness accounts of an alien encounter.

You have been given multiple links to help with the psychology of group witnesses, including by 3Doctors herself.

Instead of asking this question, why not actually check out the links first?

 

[IWantGod]

You have been given multiple links to help with the psychology of group witnesses, including by 3Doctors herself.

Instead of asking this question, why not actually check out the links first?

Where is the link that proves that multiple eye witnesses of any unusual phenomenon is having a shared hallucination due to brain chemistry?

 

[boomerang]

So what we are left with is testimonies.

As i said its an unreasonable rationalization to say that multiple witnesses had the same experiences due to the neuro chemistry of the brain. Perhaps that works for one person, but when you attribute this to multiple witnesses all you are really saying is that you would rather believe that than think that they really had an alien encounter. That’s like saying all the apostles had a shared hallucination of the risen Jesus. It just doesn’t work as a reasonable explanation. Its Just an explanation that someone is comfotable with.

You are right. It is unreasonable to assume multiple witnesses are sharing the same hallucination. But it could be possible that multiple witnesses are induced to have similar visions by multiple demons, giving the illusion that all the witnesses are really seeing the the same thing at the same time.

Have you ever seen this website?: alienresistance.org/ce4.htm

There are many witness testimonies of people stopping “alien abductions” in their tracks by calling out the Holy Name of Jesus. Nothing clears a room of demons quicker than calling upon Jesus, praise Him!

 

[IWantGod]

You are right. It is unreasonable to assume multiple witnesses are sharing the same hallucination. But it could be possible that multiple witnesses are induced to have similar visions by multiple demons, giving the illusion that all the witnesses are really seeing the the same thing at the same time. !

Thanks for not taking me for idiot.

I am not against the possibility that Aliens are really demons, or that demons are making them see things they are not really there. But why is this explanation the best explanation?

There are many witness testimonies of people stopping “alien abductions” in their tracks by calling out the Holy Name of Jesus. Nothing clears a room of demons quicker than calling upon Jesus, praise Him!

Yes i have heard this before. I guess this lends support to the idea that they are in fact fallen angels.

 

[Gertabelle]

Where is the link that proves that multiple eye witnesses of any phenomenon is due to brain chemistry?

As for multiple witnesses, again, even multiple eyewitness testimony has been found to be un-reliable
Scientific America: Why Science Tells Us Not to Rely on Eyewitness Accounts
(I’ll only link to the article here, after reading it, I feel that to pull anything out of context would do the article a dis-service: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-the-eyes-have-it/)

They may really believe what they are saying is true, yet, the idea may have been suggested and grown in their mind.

All I can add is my strong suggestion to read the following:

For a cogent explanation of the mental processes that result in the beliefs of abductees check out Susan Clancy’s book Abducted: How People Come To Believe They Were Kidnapped By Aliens amazon.com/Abducted-People-Believe-Kidnapped-Aliens/dp/067402401X

…[snip]…

That book is Little Gray Men: Roswell and the Rise of a Popular Culture, by Toby Smith amazon.com/Little-Gray-Men-Roswell-Popular/dp/0826321216

Between these two books, and a few similar ones whose titles I can’t recall at present but have written down somewhere, one can find simple and reasonable explanations for the so-called “unexplained” UFO/alien abduction cultural narrative.

Similarly, even on science-related shows like “Brain Games” (currently available on Netflix), they’ve done experiments showing how groups of people will change their eye-witness accounts of an event depending on how questions are asked.

Regarding memory, the brain does not operate like a digital recording that has perfect, identical playback each time.

If you are truly interested in current scientific understanding of brain function with regard to memory, I highly recommend you do a little simple research of your own, starting with Google. If you have access to a college or university library, you could really delve into memory formation and recall.

 

[IWantGod]

Similarly, even on science-related shows like “Brain Games” (currently available on Netflix), they’ve done experiments showing how groups of people will change their eye-witness accounts of an event depending on how questions are asked.

Regarding memory, the brain does not operate like a digital recording that has perfect, identical playback each time.

If you are truly interested in current scientific understanding of brain function with regard to memory, I highly recommend you do a little simple research of your own, starting with Google. If you have access to a college or university library, you could really delve into memory formation and recall.

Multiple eye witnesses mistakenly identifying a person as a rapist is not the same thing as multiple eye witnesses seeing the same object and having the same experiences of abduction involving the same beings. You were doing better when you suggested that they were having a shared hallucination.

Perhaps that’s why the poster didn’t want to quote anything from the link since it could be “taken out of context”.