Reflection on Ancient Aliens
This blog has had its share of UFO and alien related blog posts. Though in all of them i have tried to demonstrate a Christian perspective, i have frankly had my fill of aliens and so-themed blogs for a while. So, this post is announcing my moratorium on blogs about UFOs, aliens and the like UNLESS i get a specific leading from the Lord. So who knows, there may be one next week. But i'm not planning any more for now.
That said, i wanted to maybe reflect on my experiences debunking Ancient Aliens. Though much of the work i've done on that doesn't really point back to Jesus directly, hopefully it shows that a follower of Jesus is dedicated to truth. The truth is that the ancient astronaut theory (and by proxy ancient high-technology theory) has been proven to be a lie.
My experience with ancient aliens goes back to my teenage years, and maybe further. Perhaps my whole life has been covered by its shadow. As a child i watched Star Wars ("long time ago, galaxy far far away) and Transformers (they are robotic aliens who crashed in prehistoric times) so the seed was always there. In my later years, it got me wondering if fact shared anything with fiction.
As a teen, i was introduced to the works of Erich von Daniken. I'm not sure how, i probably saw his books at the library. I've never been one to read a whole book from their, so i probably looked at the pictures and captions and bought into the ancient astronaut lie there. This was further reinforced through Fate magazine, the videogame Illusion of Gaia and numerous science fiction novels.
Into adulthood, even after becoming a Christian i recall reading a book on time travel which cemented the idea that there were OOPARTs (out of place artifacts) so the idea of time travel and/or ancient aliens was stuck even deeper.
However, once my faith had withered from 2004 - 2008 or somewhere in there, i repented and turned back to Jesus Christ and I re-learned that aliens were a demonic deception through Joe Jordan's, Rev. Radio and LA Marzulli's work among others but then what about these OOPARTs? Though there weren't aliens, i wondered if the ancients were merely super smart. Especially since some Christian theories allow ancient high-technology on account of fallen angels giving it to us or through nephilim-einsteins.
How else can we explain the pyramids, ancient structures (Baalbek) and clear proof of ancient flight? Nephilim and angels of course. Just swap out aliens for fallen angels/nephilim, and i can keep my comfortable world view of an ancient sci-fi world
Same lie, different cause.
After researching even just a few ancient alien claims in-depth, i've had to completely reject the entire concept of ancient high-technology. The evidence for AA is the same for high technology (from angels) and unfortunately the evidence is completely ridiculous.
I've found that all of the evidence for both theories to be at best, a misrepresentation or of a given event/evidence and at worst (and more often than not) a complete fabrication. Facts are taken out of context or embellished. Often they are just made up.
The saqqara bird and Tolima figures are completely taken out of context. The skyanchor stories are too, as they are contained right next to stories about sailors dropping knives in the sea only to land on their kitchen table back home.
Space suit figures shown on TV, when viewed from a different angle have skin showing and toes.
Meanwhile sitchin makes up his own translations and uses 25 year old plaster statues and von daniken use sci-fi magazine pictures as cave paintings.
Even worse, the theories and evidence contradict each other. Sure, aliens may need space suits to get through space (unless they've heard of pressurized ships like our space shuttle), but how is it they need one in our atmosphere? They don't breathe oxygen? OK, then how do they get their pants of do mate with human women? The whole point of a space suit is to protect the body.
And how many kinds of aliens supposedly have their fingers in our pie? Each theory proposes a new species, surely one ET experiment is already a stretch, the dozens or hundreds already out there make it even more so, especially when each one (or at least several) claim to have made us? Each individual Kachina of the Pueblo looks completely different, and those differ from the aliens in Egypt and so on and so on
They can't all have created us, and by the way. Who created the aliens?
So, with all of that said, the ancient alien theory offers no concrete answers merely half-truths and contradictions. It also offers no hope. After all, the aliens merely made us from apes to be a slave race. Great. If we're lucky enough to even have souls, then when we die all we have to look forward to is endless reincarnations. If we're lucky, we'll evolve to another rung on the ladder. Except the ladder is endless, and we are finite.
But the Bible on the other hand, tells us exactly where we come from and why we're screwed up. It also tells us how to fix the screw up - Jesus Christ. It also tells us exactly where we are going. And by the way, God's plan of redemption through Jesus Christ was foretold innumerable ways in the old testament, both through symbolism (covering nakedness with animal coverings, serpent in the wilderness) and encoded (the names of all of the patriarchs. Check out Chuck Missler's take on that) all CENTURIES before they happened.
Like atheism, the big bang theory, and evolution it takes more faith to believe in the ancient alien theory than it does to believe what it says in the Bible. The AA theory has proven itself wrong time and time again, or at best proven that there is a shadow of a doubt.
The Bible on the other hand has a proven track record across MILLENIA. To paraphrase Chuck Missler "66 books by 40 author written across centuries and yet there are consistant idioms and symbolism tying each book together.
Jesus Christ is the only hope for man kind, His Word, the Bible is the only possible explanation for what happened in the past and what will happen in the future.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Hope for the Hopi: Following the Hopi Life Plan to Eternal Life
This message is to the Hopi Natives, other Pueblos and anyone else interested in Hopi teachings.
First, as a white person, i sincerely apologize to you and all Natives for how the white people have dealt with you. There are no excuses for what happened, and i recognize that it was wrong, and on behalf of white people, i ask your forgiveness.
So, here we go. In my studies of cave paintings, i've come across the "Hopi Life Plan" which was painted on a rock somewhere in Hopi territory. It depicts the Creator leading the Hopi out of the ground and the possibility that the Hopi will be offered a chance to get onto the straight path for eternal life. Here is one interpretation, which i will build upon. The graphic and description are from the same place.
“Symbol a represents the Creator pointing down close to the ground from where the Hopi claim to have come. The short vertical lines near the Creator's hand b represent the Hopi people. The Creator is holding in his left hand "the life plan" or "trail" c upon which the Hopi are to embark. Near this hand is a circle d which represents "holding" of the entire continent in trust for the Creator, as he had instructed. (Since this photograph was taken, viewers of this panel have added a bow to the right hand of the Creator which was not apparent when Martineau surveyed the carving.)
Point e on the trail or life plan represents a time when it was predicted by the Creator that the Hopi would digress from the true path given to them and pursue another way. The square f is said to represent Oraibi, and the line or path g coming down from the square represents the false path of the wicked Oraibi . . .
The figures h standing upon the false path represent the wicked themselves. Older Hopi claim that heads have recently been added to these symbols, for they remember a time when no heads existed on these figures. The absence of heads would represent the punishment or death that the wicked must undergo as a result of following the false path.
The two zigzag lines I stemming from the false path represent the careless and different paths to permanent destruction pursued by the wicked. . . .
Symbol k is the true path of everlasting life, symbol l, which is shown at four points along this true path. The incorporation of the symbol old age (a cane) with life (a branching corn leaf) represents everlasting life. . . . The Hopi say that they are gourds which are shaken, thus representing three great wars or shakings that will transpire before the everlasting life is reached. The last circle represents the "final war" of purification in which all evil will be destroyed.
At point n on this panel the false path connects with an everlasting life symbol, showing that some may return to the true path and to everlasting life. The two zigzag lines which extend beyond this point of possible return to the path of everlasting life thus truly indicate permanent destruction, since the wicked have gone beyond this point of no return. Symbol o, at the end of the path is the great spirit holding an everlasting life symbol in his hand. He is shown waiting here at the end of the trail just as he was shown at the beginning of it. For this reason he is called the first and the last.[35”
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
Now, here is my interpretation.
You Hopi and Pueblo believe that you were led out of an underground cave by the creator. That's represented by the picture of the Creator pointing to the ground in picture "a".
But consider this instead. The picture of the Creator (God) pointing to the ground may be indicating that human beings were created from the dust of the Earth.
Genesis 2:7
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
"B" represents not just the Hopi, but all people and "C" is the path that God laid out before us. We were to obey God by not eating the fruit of the tree that was forbidden.
Genesis 2:15 - 17
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
I will confess that i do not know what "D", the circle represents, other than perhaps human beings were meant to rule and be caretakers of God's creation, the Earth. Had we remained on the right path, obeying God we would have.
Then "E" happened, human beings (adam, the first man) sinned (disobeyed God) because of "F" Oraibi (Satan?). (http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=3&v=1&t=KJV#1) As a result, ALL human beings walk the path of the evil one, and walk in disobedience. Because of this, ALL humans die, because through one person (Adam) sin entered the world. Because we are all his decendent, we are all guilty of sin.
Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Because of this, we are all on the path of the wicked one, "G" and "H" all on this path are subject to death and are dead spiritually represented by headless people. (Note, the heads are said to have been recently added.) I agree that "I" and "J" represent that the wicked will pursue many paths, possibly to try to restore themselves to the true path, but they will actually lead to nowhere but destruction and death.
But there is good news. The path marked by "K" tells us there is a way to eternal life and abundance, symbolized by the corn and old man. "L". "M" is said to represent three great wars before the end. Notice after the second war, there is an "L" that connects to the wicked path. This possibly represents that there is a last chance to turn from the path of the wicked before the final war. The final war may be what we Christians refer to as "The Great Tribulation." Anyone who has not turned from evil to the true path "K" before this, will not be given another chance to do so.
But how does one turn to "K", the true path?
The true path "K" is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God became a human being and lived a perfect life, and gave His life willingly to pay the death cost of our wicked ways. This was prophesied throughout the Bible. Not only did Jesus die according to the Bible, but He also rose from the dead, because there was no sin in Him. With no sin in Him, death had no rights to Him, and so He rose from the dead. This too was foretold in the Bible.
John 3:16 - 18
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
1 Corinthians 15:3 - 8
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Now is the time to leave the wicked path, and move to the path of Everlasting Life. Believe in Jesus, put your faith in Him and ask Him to forgive you for your sin (wickedness) and put you on the path to righteousness. By doing this, by believing and putting your faith in Jesus Christ and turning from your wickedness you can be saved.
To read more about Jesus you can do so in the Bible. You can get a hard copy from any church or book store (King James version is good, i personally use the New Living Translation and King James). You can also read the Bible here:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
You can also use Google to learn what books are in the Bible and use Blue letter to search and read those books.
First, as a white person, i sincerely apologize to you and all Natives for how the white people have dealt with you. There are no excuses for what happened, and i recognize that it was wrong, and on behalf of white people, i ask your forgiveness.
So, here we go. In my studies of cave paintings, i've come across the "Hopi Life Plan" which was painted on a rock somewhere in Hopi territory. It depicts the Creator leading the Hopi out of the ground and the possibility that the Hopi will be offered a chance to get onto the straight path for eternal life. Here is one interpretation, which i will build upon. The graphic and description are from the same place.
“Symbol a represents the Creator pointing down close to the ground from where the Hopi claim to have come. The short vertical lines near the Creator's hand b represent the Hopi people. The Creator is holding in his left hand "the life plan" or "trail" c upon which the Hopi are to embark. Near this hand is a circle d which represents "holding" of the entire continent in trust for the Creator, as he had instructed. (Since this photograph was taken, viewers of this panel have added a bow to the right hand of the Creator which was not apparent when Martineau surveyed the carving.)
Point e on the trail or life plan represents a time when it was predicted by the Creator that the Hopi would digress from the true path given to them and pursue another way. The square f is said to represent Oraibi, and the line or path g coming down from the square represents the false path of the wicked Oraibi . . .
The figures h standing upon the false path represent the wicked themselves. Older Hopi claim that heads have recently been added to these symbols, for they remember a time when no heads existed on these figures. The absence of heads would represent the punishment or death that the wicked must undergo as a result of following the false path.
The two zigzag lines I stemming from the false path represent the careless and different paths to permanent destruction pursued by the wicked. . . .
Symbol k is the true path of everlasting life, symbol l, which is shown at four points along this true path. The incorporation of the symbol old age (a cane) with life (a branching corn leaf) represents everlasting life. . . . The Hopi say that they are gourds which are shaken, thus representing three great wars or shakings that will transpire before the everlasting life is reached. The last circle represents the "final war" of purification in which all evil will be destroyed.
At point n on this panel the false path connects with an everlasting life symbol, showing that some may return to the true path and to everlasting life. The two zigzag lines which extend beyond this point of possible return to the path of everlasting life thus truly indicate permanent destruction, since the wicked have gone beyond this point of no return. Symbol o, at the end of the path is the great spirit holding an everlasting life symbol in his hand. He is shown waiting here at the end of the trail just as he was shown at the beginning of it. For this reason he is called the first and the last.[35”
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
Now, here is my interpretation.
You Hopi and Pueblo believe that you were led out of an underground cave by the creator. That's represented by the picture of the Creator pointing to the ground in picture "a".
But consider this instead. The picture of the Creator (God) pointing to the ground may be indicating that human beings were created from the dust of the Earth.
Genesis 2:7
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
"B" represents not just the Hopi, but all people and "C" is the path that God laid out before us. We were to obey God by not eating the fruit of the tree that was forbidden.
Genesis 2:15 - 17
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
I will confess that i do not know what "D", the circle represents, other than perhaps human beings were meant to rule and be caretakers of God's creation, the Earth. Had we remained on the right path, obeying God we would have.
Then "E" happened, human beings (adam, the first man) sinned (disobeyed God) because of "F" Oraibi (Satan?). (http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Gen&c=3&v=1&t=KJV#1) As a result, ALL human beings walk the path of the evil one, and walk in disobedience. Because of this, ALL humans die, because through one person (Adam) sin entered the world. Because we are all his decendent, we are all guilty of sin.
Romans 5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Because of this, we are all on the path of the wicked one, "G" and "H" all on this path are subject to death and are dead spiritually represented by headless people. (Note, the heads are said to have been recently added.) I agree that "I" and "J" represent that the wicked will pursue many paths, possibly to try to restore themselves to the true path, but they will actually lead to nowhere but destruction and death.
But there is good news. The path marked by "K" tells us there is a way to eternal life and abundance, symbolized by the corn and old man. "L". "M" is said to represent three great wars before the end. Notice after the second war, there is an "L" that connects to the wicked path. This possibly represents that there is a last chance to turn from the path of the wicked before the final war. The final war may be what we Christians refer to as "The Great Tribulation." Anyone who has not turned from evil to the true path "K" before this, will not be given another chance to do so.
But how does one turn to "K", the true path?
The true path "K" is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. God became a human being and lived a perfect life, and gave His life willingly to pay the death cost of our wicked ways. This was prophesied throughout the Bible. Not only did Jesus die according to the Bible, but He also rose from the dead, because there was no sin in Him. With no sin in Him, death had no rights to Him, and so He rose from the dead. This too was foretold in the Bible.
John 3:16 - 18
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
1 Corinthians 15:3 - 8
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Now is the time to leave the wicked path, and move to the path of Everlasting Life. Believe in Jesus, put your faith in Him and ask Him to forgive you for your sin (wickedness) and put you on the path to righteousness. By doing this, by believing and putting your faith in Jesus Christ and turning from your wickedness you can be saved.
To read more about Jesus you can do so in the Bible. You can get a hard copy from any church or book store (King James version is good, i personally use the New Living Translation and King James). You can also read the Bible here:
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
You can also use Google to learn what books are in the Bible and use Blue letter to search and read those books.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Apologies to Feed Subscribers
Sorry to anyone who got my gay blog with kind of bad stuff in the beginning. I had been trying to type in search terms like "God hates gays, God loves gays, etc." To grab audience readers. Unfortunately, the search terms typed in the wrong spot, making it look like I was typing something hateful, when such was not my intent. It should be fixed now, please re-read my gay post.
Keep it Gay: Christianity and Homosexuality
(There is good news at the end)
There are some (seemingly) in the body of Christ that are a little more left leaning when it comes to societal issues. This is certainly a good thing when it comes to war and justice issues. But the problem comes from when we take this sort of stance on what are clearly moral issues, like homosexuality. While i have addressed this issue before as it relates to gay clergy, an online chat i had with someone has led me to revisit the general issue from a Biblical viewpoint.
Those who claim to be Christians, yet support homosexuality and gay rights often cite that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality, so therefore it must be OK. What they neglect to notice is that the Old Testament and even parts of the New Testament are quite clear on the matter. That is, homosexuality is a sin.
BUT, this does not give us the right to protest pride parades and tell them that God hates them and they are going to Hell. Without Jesus Christ, we'd be headed there too.
The problem with Christians saying homosexuality is OK is that God's Word is clear that it's not. That's what I'll focus on here. As i have heard Derek Gilbert say: "You can't pick and choose what parts of the Bible you want to follow. It's either God's inerrant Word, or it isn't. If you pick and choose, you can't in any meaningful sense call yourself a Christian."
Those that argue that Jesus did not explicitly say anything about homosexuality in His time incarnated are absolutely correct. He didn't address it. But he also did not address witchcraft, child sacrifice or selling your daughter into prostitution - all forbidden by the Law. In short, He did not mention alot of stuff, because He came to save, not condemn and judge at that time.
Just because Jesus was silent on an issue does not mean it's OK for us to do it when the Law clearly forbids it. That's how i ended up backsliding into some New Age stuff years ago.
Though Jesus was silent on gay-ness in His ministry, He did address it as the Word of God in the Old Testament and He did not invalidate the OT, but in Matthew 5:18 emphasized that the Law was valid.
About Homosexuality, the Law says:
Leviticus 18:22
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
The argument i saw the other day mentioned that near this was the commandment not to eat shellfish, so people that do are sinners in need of repentance. However, Acts 10, Jesus told Peter that all animals were basically OK to eat. (At least that's my understanding.
So if we want to cast aside the rest of the Law because Christ didn't mention a specific piece of it, or that we now disregard some of it due to dietary considerations we had better be careful. After all, immediately preceding Leviticus 18:22 is verse 21 (obviously). But verse 21 forbids child sacrifice to Molech (or via Molech if you see my star of David article). If you want to throw out one, then what about the other?
No, we can't throw out the Law, even though none of us can keep the Law, and even missing but one part of the Law, makes us a sinner. You can exchange homosexuality for any other sin listed in the Law from petty theft to child sacrifice, sin is sin. You do one sin in the Law, you are guilty of them all.
I've stolen before, i've looked at women with lust in my heart, i have broken God's Law. All of it, and thus need a savior.
James 2:10
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Notice, it doesn't tell us to take out the parts of the Law that we don't like or can't attain. Though we can't keep the Law tells us where we have sinned, and what we need to repent of. The entire book of Galatians is about not being able to meet the Law, yet that it is still valid. If the Law doesn't convict us of sin, what will?
Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Jesus condemned sin, but He met the sinner where they were and helped them. That's what He's done in my life. That's what He did in the Bible. The Samaritan woman at the well, He pointed out her sin, yet at the end of that encounter my suspicion is that she repented and became a believer. In the event where another woman was caught in adultery, Jesus saved her from being stoned. Jesus said to the adulteress:
John 8:10 - 11
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
We also can't throw out the Law, because Paul (who was commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself!) said we can't. If you throw out Paul, you throw out the one who chose Him to spread the Gospel - Jesus Christ
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
And Paul also said:
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11
Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(Blueletter Bible, NLT)
Homosexuality is no worse than any other sin. To God (a Holy God), ALL sin is disgusting. From the time i look at a woman with lust in my heart, to theft to homosexuality. All sin must be dealt with by Jesus Christ. His Word, the OT tells us what sin is so we know what to repent of.
If you are a homosexual, and want out of that lifestyle, if you feel shame or feel it's wrong. There is hope. Jesus Christ loves you, He died for you. Ask Him into your life, turn from your sin and follow Him. He can and will set you free!
Here is the testimony of an ex-homosexual who came to Jesus. Please share more if you know of good ones.
The same one
http://vimeo.com/10554921
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEzSoGroPxA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
There are some (seemingly) in the body of Christ that are a little more left leaning when it comes to societal issues. This is certainly a good thing when it comes to war and justice issues. But the problem comes from when we take this sort of stance on what are clearly moral issues, like homosexuality. While i have addressed this issue before as it relates to gay clergy, an online chat i had with someone has led me to revisit the general issue from a Biblical viewpoint.
Those who claim to be Christians, yet support homosexuality and gay rights often cite that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality, so therefore it must be OK. What they neglect to notice is that the Old Testament and even parts of the New Testament are quite clear on the matter. That is, homosexuality is a sin.
BUT, this does not give us the right to protest pride parades and tell them that God hates them and they are going to Hell. Without Jesus Christ, we'd be headed there too.
The problem with Christians saying homosexuality is OK is that God's Word is clear that it's not. That's what I'll focus on here. As i have heard Derek Gilbert say: "You can't pick and choose what parts of the Bible you want to follow. It's either God's inerrant Word, or it isn't. If you pick and choose, you can't in any meaningful sense call yourself a Christian."
Those that argue that Jesus did not explicitly say anything about homosexuality in His time incarnated are absolutely correct. He didn't address it. But he also did not address witchcraft, child sacrifice or selling your daughter into prostitution - all forbidden by the Law. In short, He did not mention alot of stuff, because He came to save, not condemn and judge at that time.
Just because Jesus was silent on an issue does not mean it's OK for us to do it when the Law clearly forbids it. That's how i ended up backsliding into some New Age stuff years ago.
Though Jesus was silent on gay-ness in His ministry, He did address it as the Word of God in the Old Testament and He did not invalidate the OT, but in Matthew 5:18 emphasized that the Law was valid.
About Homosexuality, the Law says:
Leviticus 18:22
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
The argument i saw the other day mentioned that near this was the commandment not to eat shellfish, so people that do are sinners in need of repentance. However, Acts 10, Jesus told Peter that all animals were basically OK to eat. (At least that's my understanding.
So if we want to cast aside the rest of the Law because Christ didn't mention a specific piece of it, or that we now disregard some of it due to dietary considerations we had better be careful. After all, immediately preceding Leviticus 18:22 is verse 21 (obviously). But verse 21 forbids child sacrifice to Molech (or via Molech if you see my star of David article). If you want to throw out one, then what about the other?
No, we can't throw out the Law, even though none of us can keep the Law, and even missing but one part of the Law, makes us a sinner. You can exchange homosexuality for any other sin listed in the Law from petty theft to child sacrifice, sin is sin. You do one sin in the Law, you are guilty of them all.
I've stolen before, i've looked at women with lust in my heart, i have broken God's Law. All of it, and thus need a savior.
James 2:10
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Notice, it doesn't tell us to take out the parts of the Law that we don't like or can't attain. Though we can't keep the Law tells us where we have sinned, and what we need to repent of. The entire book of Galatians is about not being able to meet the Law, yet that it is still valid. If the Law doesn't convict us of sin, what will?
Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Jesus condemned sin, but He met the sinner where they were and helped them. That's what He's done in my life. That's what He did in the Bible. The Samaritan woman at the well, He pointed out her sin, yet at the end of that encounter my suspicion is that she repented and became a believer. In the event where another woman was caught in adultery, Jesus saved her from being stoned. Jesus said to the adulteress:
John 8:10 - 11
10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? 11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
We also can't throw out the Law, because Paul (who was commissioned by Jesus Christ Himself!) said we can't. If you throw out Paul, you throw out the one who chose Him to spread the Gospel - Jesus Christ
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
And Paul also said:
1 Corinthians 6:9 - 11
Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,
or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(Blueletter Bible, NLT)
Homosexuality is no worse than any other sin. To God (a Holy God), ALL sin is disgusting. From the time i look at a woman with lust in my heart, to theft to homosexuality. All sin must be dealt with by Jesus Christ. His Word, the OT tells us what sin is so we know what to repent of.
If you are a homosexual, and want out of that lifestyle, if you feel shame or feel it's wrong. There is hope. Jesus Christ loves you, He died for you. Ask Him into your life, turn from your sin and follow Him. He can and will set you free!
Here is the testimony of an ex-homosexual who came to Jesus. Please share more if you know of good ones.
The same one
http://vimeo.com/10554921
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEzSoGroPxA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Does Not Compute: Common Memes in Sci-Fi Programming us for the Future
Science Fiction Memes, and the Bible
There are probably hundreds of movies about aliens, and even more that feature at least even one alien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_featuring_extraterrestrials) so it's safe to assume that this is something potentially significant and relevant to end times events or a Biblical worldview in general. But it doesn't stop with just aliens.
Having spent much of my time watchin, reading (low bar) science fiction (mostly Star Wars, Aliens/Predator, and Edgar Rice Burroughs books), comics and the like, I've sort of noticed a few things. In many of these stories, there are similar themes at work in each one of these widly different tales. For example, "Frankenstein" and "Terminator" have a similar thing going on. Man creates "life," and it bites him in the butt. The tie into the Bible would be that man's pride in playing God leads to trouble, or something like that.
With that in mind, here's a few memes in sci-fi and comics, along with some analysis and hopefully a Biblical answer or thought to go along with it.
#1
Global war interrupted by aliens (Also just a general War of the Worlds situation where aliens invade)
The world is at war, things aren't looking good. Suddenly, out of the sky alien ships appear, humans realize we're not alone, and join together to defend against an alien threat. Aliens are sent packing and dragging their tentacles behind them.
In Robotech, the Superdimensional Fortess crashes on an island and humans of earth band together to fix the ship and defend against any would-be earth conquering aliens.
This is dealt with in a more mature manner by Arthur C. Clarke in "Childhood's End". If memory serves, the world is nearly on the brink of WWIII or in the middle of it, when alien ships appear over each city. Long story short, the aliens are revealed and are here to help humans evolve. Highlights are an alien witnessing a ouija board session, an alien reading an occult library and thinking that both are indications of higher conciousness, humanity evolving psychic powers and merging into a global collective conciousness and did i mention the aliens look like demons?
The original "V" series featured a similar opening with spaceships, and reptilian looking aliens bent on eating us all. That was also similar to the Twilight Zone's "To Serve Man". Aliens showed up, gave us world peace, then started to cart us off to Interstellar Buffet. Noth situations resulted in world peace.
Alternately, aliens show up to invade earth and are stopped by people as we overcome our differences, ala "Idependence Day" and to some lesser extent "War of the Worlds". Probably "Skyline" and "Battle LA" which i skipped because they the invasions have been done to death.
What is that all about? Why would sci-fi want to drive this point home?
To program us to accept some variation of this.
LA Marzulli has probably done the most in uncovering this sort of thing. He calls it the "great deception" wherein "aliens" (really fallen angels or demons, appear and say they created us let us evolve and created earth's religions, now they're here to do X, Y or Z.
His basis for this is
2 Thessalonians 2:11 - 12
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
And what better way to unite people? Ronald Reagan is famous for a quote that a threat by aliens would help us unite. (That happened in the Watchmen comic).
http://www.gotquestions.org/one-world-government.html
The sad thing is people want to believe it and proof of alien life, or aliens showing up on our doorstep would probably rattle a few cages, and cast a Biblical worldview into doubt. In reality, the aliens would likely be demonic and result in people worshipping them or embracing whatever spiritual ideas ET brings along. Usually, in abductions, it's a New Age pantheistic, Christ denying sort of thing.
#2
"Magic" is really advanced science, aka gods are merely advanced beings. (Thor, Star Gate)
I don't recall seeing this one alot, and it sort of ties in well with the ancient aliens/astronaut thing which we'll get to later. But i figured it sort of deserves some face time as the idea is out there alot. How this typically works is something looks like its magic, but in reality it's some sort of advanced science.
I suppose it's the basis of the Prime Directive in Star Trek.
Anyways.
In Philip Jose Farmer's "World of Tiers" series, which is quite good, an old dude ends up in some sort of parallel universe on a world that's really too hard to explain briefly. He learns the "the Lord" lives somewhere in this world, and so the protagonist seeks him out.
He finds that there are mythical creatures like harpies, centaurs and a ton of preserved primitive earth cultures. The lord of that world also is able to bestow longevity and reverse aging (basically immortality) through drugs. But the people of that world all fear the lord as a divine being, but the lord is revealed to be a normal man using advanced technology, and the creatures were made with genetics. You get the idea.
This also happened with C3P0 in "Return of the Jedi" where the ewoks thought he was a god when he was really a robot.
Why is this anything to take notice of?
Probably to get people doubting the miracles in the Bible. After all, if one believes that science is magic and vice versa, then God and His power are reduced to parlor tricks generated by alien technology. This is something like the manna machine in Ancient Aliens. Obviously an all powerful God who spoke creation into existence wouldn't need a machine to make manna.
Psalm 14:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
#3
Mono cultured planets/societies (star trek/wars)
Ah, the old staple of "Star Trek". This one isn't as obvious in some ways. The Enterprise ends up in the orbit of a planet, they make contact and the whole planet is basically united and of one culture. It's not explicitly stated, but implied. All Bajorans, are religious nuts who worship wormhole aliens. All Ferengi a greedy, large lobed parodies of Jews. All Klingons are war like. All (alien of the week) are representatives of a whole planet or species. Generally.
In relation to the human/earth capacity this is actually a huge deal. The whole point of Star Trek is that humanity nearly destroyed itself, and under its own power decided to stop being evil and killing ourselves. In short, Star Trek says we don't need God or Jesus to straighten our act up, because deep down we all will pull it together eventually if we almost get wiped out.
Then of course section 31 comes along and proves that a tiger can't change its stripes, but you get the point.
This is sort of also done in Star Wars to an extent, but George Lucas takes it a step further. Not only are the aliens on a given planet one culture (Though a planet might be mostly united, not all members are always following along.), the whole planet is also essentially a single ecosystem. But thats not terribly relevant.
That's sort of an absurd notion, given that on earth, humans (one species) has such a diversity in language, culture, dress, religion, etc. How can a species of aliens have so little variation?
Of course this ties into a one world government mentioned earlier. If all aliens are one-world governments, that must be the evolved thing to do. It implies humans ought to follow along. but also:
Genesis 11 (note that the people are one, but rebelling against God)
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
We also see in Revelation 13 the entire world is amazed at the beast and worships the evil power behind him. Yet another uniting of humanity without turning to God and in rebellion to God.
#4
Space Eugenics
For every Harry Kim, or Mace Windu, there are 15 types of aliens. It seems that most of outerspace seems to be populated solely by white people. Star Trek is better about this, featuring racial diversity in humans, but genearlly, where are the non-whites?
Besides the occasional Lando Calrissian, Mace "BMF" Windu or Benjamin "losin' his temper" Sisko or a token minority character, there are few other "minorities" in sci-fi. Why?
It's probably a eugenics thing. It's no secret that a majority of abortion clinics are in poor areas with high non-white populations. (Blackgenocide.org) It's also no secret that most rich "elites" are white. Satan and his followers use racial diversity as a wedge to enhance the differences and foment conflict.
God on the other hand unites us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. ALL nations and tribes, etc. have a place in God's Kingdom, whereas the evil one plays favorites.
#5
Galactic federations (star trek, star wars, teacher is an alien series)
Of course, with one-world governments and a group of such (one-world governed) worlds in space, a governing body is needed to make sure that all the planets play nice with each other. Because, although one species has overcome their differences and united, now there are aliens that are different. And those difference cause friction in the happy intergalactic/interstellar family. The next logical step after becoming united on a given planet (fulfilling Nimrod/Satan's goal) is for a galactic government to extend its hand. It's the icing on the poison one world government cake.
Star Trek has the Federation. Star Wars, the Republic, the Senate and the empire. The "My Teacher is an Alien Series" has a galactic federation of some sort. Isaac Asimov has the Foundation. I'm sure there are others.
In the real world, New Agers (Channelers, Mediums, etc.) receive messages from beings claiming to be aliens. Often times they claim to be from the federation of light, the galactic federation or Ashtar command. These beings often make outlandish claims, sometimes promising to appear and then of course, they never do. They explain their lack of follow through usually as a test, or that their purpose was achieved in a higher plane, anything but actually delivering on what they promised. Blossom Goodchild's been on this yo-yo ride for several years now, and her FoL has yet to follow through on any promise in a material way.
The Bible addresses these messages from "aliens" except in the Bible these "higher" beings are called demons, and communication with them is called divination. God forbids it in His word because He knows these beings lie habitually and hate us, and therefore forbade contacting them as a way to protect us from being hurt by their lies. Ephesians 6 tells us all we need to know about these characters.
This meme is basically a carrot on a stick, selling the idea that the people of earth ought to unite, and evolve to the next level. After all if we don't, how can we expand to the stars? But we cannot evolve on our own, or even with their help. As Russ Dizdar says, "how can the finite become infite?" Only by repenting of our sin, and believing in God's Son Jesus Christ can we become more than the imperfect creatures we are. He alone can restore us (and indeed more than restore!) to what we ought to be - a creation in perfect fellowship with God. Uniting with "aliens" will never bring us what we truly need.
#6
Intergalactic Police force -
Of course an interstellar government needs a police force. There are the Jedi, Green Lantern Corps, the Lensmen. These fine folks are at the beck and call of the galactic governing authority, and always do what it takes to restore order and get rid of the bad guys.
Not alot to say here except that it's just a little more incentive for the world to unite, so it can join the galactic federation. The cherry on top of the icing of the one world government cake. The whole one world/galactic senate thing sort of go together alot, and my opinion is that this just sells it a bit more. Though Jedi at least are basically interstellar pantheists. And i say this as a HUGE fan of Star Wars.
#7
Human-like aliens and near humans
This is in just about every sci-fi to an extent, but Burroughs' Mars series, Star Wars and Star Trek did it the best. Essentially, all aliens are just like us human beings.
Translation, humanity is not unique. We're not a unique creation made in God's image as other beings are able to think rationally and have true sentience.
In all liklihood, this is satan's stab at de-valuing the unique creation of man, who is made in God's own image. After all, if man is not unique, then we're not anything special.
If we're not special to God, why did He become flesh and die as Jesus Christ?
Genesis 1:26 - 27
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Still, even CS Lewis, in his space trilogy had sentient
aliens, but from a Christian perspective. They were indeed sentient, but not fallen like us. "Out of the Silent Planet" really gives the most feasible Christian perspective on genuine, flesh and blood aliens. If aliens exist, my money is on something close to his thoughts.
#8
Ancient aliens - star wars, 2001, transformers, Prometheus, Alien, Predator, star trek, H.P. Lovecraft, Indiana Jones 4, Marvel Comics (Celestials, etc.), Erich von Daniken, Scientology (oh, wait, those last two think they're not science fiction)
This one's just about everywhere, isn't it? Frankly, i've had my fill of it.
Alex Jones (for whatever his opinion is worth) even called this out.
http://www.infowars.com/secrets-of-prometheus-film-leaked/
This is essentially one big push to discredit the Bible and God's divine nature. It also helps sell: the galactic federation, science is magic and human-like aliens. Probably among other things, but the main point seems to be in de-deifying God and His power by making Him a space alien.
The funny thing is, most, if not ALL claims by the ancient alien theorists can be disproven. Many of their claims are fraudulent, or solely conjecture. September 2012 should see the release of Chris White's "Ancient Aliens" debunked. I've posted a number of my contributions here, to help promote that and provide details the show won't be able to delve into.
Furthermore, Ancient Aliens "experts" like Sitchin and von Daniken lie habitually or make stuff up. (Www.sitchiniswrong.com) and i highlighted known von Daniken frauds a couple posts ago.
#9
Humanity is like a virus or there are too many people - the Matrix, Absolute Justice comic, Terminator, Firefly (overpopulation drove us to space)
This one goes hand in hand with stuff like the Georgia Guidestones and Illuminati conspiracies to depopulate the world. It also goes with Bill Gates' goal to reduce the world's population thru vaccines. It's essentially more propaganda for eugenics.
This is cemented further by Discovery TV's "After People" (title?) Series and this recent photo collection.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2122554/At-worlds-end-Artists-reveal-stunning-post-apocalyptic-images-worlds-major-cities.html
It also walks hand in hand with Satan's goal. When he manifests as the Antichrist, he will destroy as much of humanity as he can.
Matthew 24:22 (paralleled in Mark 13)
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
#10
Intelligent machines that eventually overtake us or are better than us. - terminator, matrix,
Not alot here. It's sort of a twist of the "man is not unique" alien bit, with a pinch of eugenic population reduction.
# 11
Death's Revolving door - (Every comic EVER, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek 3, Buffy the vampire slayer)
To heighten drama, andcement the seriousness of a given situation, a hero often times gives their life in the line of duty. Of course, in comics especially (I'm talking to you foremost Jean Grey) this never is permanent. Even Jason Todd and Bucky came back.
I really think that in addition to this being an obvious marketing/business decision, this is basically a cheap shot at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promised resurrection of us believers one day.
Not much else to say there.
# 12
Zombie Apocalypse
This really needs no introduction. It's been seen in countless movies, from Night of the Living Dead, to 28 Days Later. It's the dead risen from the grave returning to eat us.
I believe this to be one of several things:
1) A mockery of the curse outlined in Zechariah 14:12
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
2) a general mockery of resurrection.
3) Some sort of pre-conditioning for the Black Awakening as described by Russ Dizdar.
http://www.futurequake.com/Audio/FQShow145.mp3
And here's Russ on Zombies
http://www.shatterthedarkness.net/zombification/
I honestly don't know what to make of Russ' claims for the BA. He's pretty sound on some teaching, i just haven't done enough study to to form an opinion on this one. Listen to his stuff, or that FQ episode.
So there you have it, if i find more, I'll add more.
There are probably hundreds of movies about aliens, and even more that feature at least even one alien (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_featuring_extraterrestrials) so it's safe to assume that this is something potentially significant and relevant to end times events or a Biblical worldview in general. But it doesn't stop with just aliens.
Having spent much of my time watchin, reading (low bar) science fiction (mostly Star Wars, Aliens/Predator, and Edgar Rice Burroughs books), comics and the like, I've sort of noticed a few things. In many of these stories, there are similar themes at work in each one of these widly different tales. For example, "Frankenstein" and "Terminator" have a similar thing going on. Man creates "life," and it bites him in the butt. The tie into the Bible would be that man's pride in playing God leads to trouble, or something like that.
With that in mind, here's a few memes in sci-fi and comics, along with some analysis and hopefully a Biblical answer or thought to go along with it.
#1
Global war interrupted by aliens (Also just a general War of the Worlds situation where aliens invade)
The world is at war, things aren't looking good. Suddenly, out of the sky alien ships appear, humans realize we're not alone, and join together to defend against an alien threat. Aliens are sent packing and dragging their tentacles behind them.
In Robotech, the Superdimensional Fortess crashes on an island and humans of earth band together to fix the ship and defend against any would-be earth conquering aliens.
This is dealt with in a more mature manner by Arthur C. Clarke in "Childhood's End". If memory serves, the world is nearly on the brink of WWIII or in the middle of it, when alien ships appear over each city. Long story short, the aliens are revealed and are here to help humans evolve. Highlights are an alien witnessing a ouija board session, an alien reading an occult library and thinking that both are indications of higher conciousness, humanity evolving psychic powers and merging into a global collective conciousness and did i mention the aliens look like demons?
The original "V" series featured a similar opening with spaceships, and reptilian looking aliens bent on eating us all. That was also similar to the Twilight Zone's "To Serve Man". Aliens showed up, gave us world peace, then started to cart us off to Interstellar Buffet. Noth situations resulted in world peace.
Alternately, aliens show up to invade earth and are stopped by people as we overcome our differences, ala "Idependence Day" and to some lesser extent "War of the Worlds". Probably "Skyline" and "Battle LA" which i skipped because they the invasions have been done to death.
What is that all about? Why would sci-fi want to drive this point home?
To program us to accept some variation of this.
LA Marzulli has probably done the most in uncovering this sort of thing. He calls it the "great deception" wherein "aliens" (really fallen angels or demons, appear and say they created us let us evolve and created earth's religions, now they're here to do X, Y or Z.
His basis for this is
2 Thessalonians 2:11 - 12
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
And what better way to unite people? Ronald Reagan is famous for a quote that a threat by aliens would help us unite. (That happened in the Watchmen comic).
http://www.gotquestions.org/one-world-government.html
The sad thing is people want to believe it and proof of alien life, or aliens showing up on our doorstep would probably rattle a few cages, and cast a Biblical worldview into doubt. In reality, the aliens would likely be demonic and result in people worshipping them or embracing whatever spiritual ideas ET brings along. Usually, in abductions, it's a New Age pantheistic, Christ denying sort of thing.
#2
"Magic" is really advanced science, aka gods are merely advanced beings. (Thor, Star Gate)
I don't recall seeing this one alot, and it sort of ties in well with the ancient aliens/astronaut thing which we'll get to later. But i figured it sort of deserves some face time as the idea is out there alot. How this typically works is something looks like its magic, but in reality it's some sort of advanced science.
I suppose it's the basis of the Prime Directive in Star Trek.
Anyways.
In Philip Jose Farmer's "World of Tiers" series, which is quite good, an old dude ends up in some sort of parallel universe on a world that's really too hard to explain briefly. He learns the "the Lord" lives somewhere in this world, and so the protagonist seeks him out.
He finds that there are mythical creatures like harpies, centaurs and a ton of preserved primitive earth cultures. The lord of that world also is able to bestow longevity and reverse aging (basically immortality) through drugs. But the people of that world all fear the lord as a divine being, but the lord is revealed to be a normal man using advanced technology, and the creatures were made with genetics. You get the idea.
This also happened with C3P0 in "Return of the Jedi" where the ewoks thought he was a god when he was really a robot.
Why is this anything to take notice of?
Probably to get people doubting the miracles in the Bible. After all, if one believes that science is magic and vice versa, then God and His power are reduced to parlor tricks generated by alien technology. This is something like the manna machine in Ancient Aliens. Obviously an all powerful God who spoke creation into existence wouldn't need a machine to make manna.
Psalm 14:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
#3
Mono cultured planets/societies (star trek/wars)
Ah, the old staple of "Star Trek". This one isn't as obvious in some ways. The Enterprise ends up in the orbit of a planet, they make contact and the whole planet is basically united and of one culture. It's not explicitly stated, but implied. All Bajorans, are religious nuts who worship wormhole aliens. All Ferengi a greedy, large lobed parodies of Jews. All Klingons are war like. All (alien of the week) are representatives of a whole planet or species. Generally.
In relation to the human/earth capacity this is actually a huge deal. The whole point of Star Trek is that humanity nearly destroyed itself, and under its own power decided to stop being evil and killing ourselves. In short, Star Trek says we don't need God or Jesus to straighten our act up, because deep down we all will pull it together eventually if we almost get wiped out.
Then of course section 31 comes along and proves that a tiger can't change its stripes, but you get the point.
This is sort of also done in Star Wars to an extent, but George Lucas takes it a step further. Not only are the aliens on a given planet one culture (Though a planet might be mostly united, not all members are always following along.), the whole planet is also essentially a single ecosystem. But thats not terribly relevant.
That's sort of an absurd notion, given that on earth, humans (one species) has such a diversity in language, culture, dress, religion, etc. How can a species of aliens have so little variation?
Of course this ties into a one world government mentioned earlier. If all aliens are one-world governments, that must be the evolved thing to do. It implies humans ought to follow along. but also:
Genesis 11 (note that the people are one, but rebelling against God)
4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. 6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.
We also see in Revelation 13 the entire world is amazed at the beast and worships the evil power behind him. Yet another uniting of humanity without turning to God and in rebellion to God.
#4
Space Eugenics
For every Harry Kim, or Mace Windu, there are 15 types of aliens. It seems that most of outerspace seems to be populated solely by white people. Star Trek is better about this, featuring racial diversity in humans, but genearlly, where are the non-whites?
Besides the occasional Lando Calrissian, Mace "BMF" Windu or Benjamin "losin' his temper" Sisko or a token minority character, there are few other "minorities" in sci-fi. Why?
It's probably a eugenics thing. It's no secret that a majority of abortion clinics are in poor areas with high non-white populations. (Blackgenocide.org) It's also no secret that most rich "elites" are white. Satan and his followers use racial diversity as a wedge to enhance the differences and foment conflict.
God on the other hand unites us through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. ALL nations and tribes, etc. have a place in God's Kingdom, whereas the evil one plays favorites.
#5
Galactic federations (star trek, star wars, teacher is an alien series)
Of course, with one-world governments and a group of such (one-world governed) worlds in space, a governing body is needed to make sure that all the planets play nice with each other. Because, although one species has overcome their differences and united, now there are aliens that are different. And those difference cause friction in the happy intergalactic/interstellar family. The next logical step after becoming united on a given planet (fulfilling Nimrod/Satan's goal) is for a galactic government to extend its hand. It's the icing on the poison one world government cake.
Star Trek has the Federation. Star Wars, the Republic, the Senate and the empire. The "My Teacher is an Alien Series" has a galactic federation of some sort. Isaac Asimov has the Foundation. I'm sure there are others.
In the real world, New Agers (Channelers, Mediums, etc.) receive messages from beings claiming to be aliens. Often times they claim to be from the federation of light, the galactic federation or Ashtar command. These beings often make outlandish claims, sometimes promising to appear and then of course, they never do. They explain their lack of follow through usually as a test, or that their purpose was achieved in a higher plane, anything but actually delivering on what they promised. Blossom Goodchild's been on this yo-yo ride for several years now, and her FoL has yet to follow through on any promise in a material way.
The Bible addresses these messages from "aliens" except in the Bible these "higher" beings are called demons, and communication with them is called divination. God forbids it in His word because He knows these beings lie habitually and hate us, and therefore forbade contacting them as a way to protect us from being hurt by their lies. Ephesians 6 tells us all we need to know about these characters.
This meme is basically a carrot on a stick, selling the idea that the people of earth ought to unite, and evolve to the next level. After all if we don't, how can we expand to the stars? But we cannot evolve on our own, or even with their help. As Russ Dizdar says, "how can the finite become infite?" Only by repenting of our sin, and believing in God's Son Jesus Christ can we become more than the imperfect creatures we are. He alone can restore us (and indeed more than restore!) to what we ought to be - a creation in perfect fellowship with God. Uniting with "aliens" will never bring us what we truly need.
#6
Intergalactic Police force -
Of course an interstellar government needs a police force. There are the Jedi, Green Lantern Corps, the Lensmen. These fine folks are at the beck and call of the galactic governing authority, and always do what it takes to restore order and get rid of the bad guys.
Not alot to say here except that it's just a little more incentive for the world to unite, so it can join the galactic federation. The cherry on top of the icing of the one world government cake. The whole one world/galactic senate thing sort of go together alot, and my opinion is that this just sells it a bit more. Though Jedi at least are basically interstellar pantheists. And i say this as a HUGE fan of Star Wars.
#7
Human-like aliens and near humans
This is in just about every sci-fi to an extent, but Burroughs' Mars series, Star Wars and Star Trek did it the best. Essentially, all aliens are just like us human beings.
Translation, humanity is not unique. We're not a unique creation made in God's image as other beings are able to think rationally and have true sentience.
In all liklihood, this is satan's stab at de-valuing the unique creation of man, who is made in God's own image. After all, if man is not unique, then we're not anything special.
If we're not special to God, why did He become flesh and die as Jesus Christ?
Genesis 1:26 - 27
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Still, even CS Lewis, in his space trilogy had sentient
aliens, but from a Christian perspective. They were indeed sentient, but not fallen like us. "Out of the Silent Planet" really gives the most feasible Christian perspective on genuine, flesh and blood aliens. If aliens exist, my money is on something close to his thoughts.
#8
Ancient aliens - star wars, 2001, transformers, Prometheus, Alien, Predator, star trek, H.P. Lovecraft, Indiana Jones 4, Marvel Comics (Celestials, etc.), Erich von Daniken, Scientology (oh, wait, those last two think they're not science fiction)
This one's just about everywhere, isn't it? Frankly, i've had my fill of it.
Alex Jones (for whatever his opinion is worth) even called this out.
http://www.infowars.com/secrets-of-prometheus-film-leaked/
This is essentially one big push to discredit the Bible and God's divine nature. It also helps sell: the galactic federation, science is magic and human-like aliens. Probably among other things, but the main point seems to be in de-deifying God and His power by making Him a space alien.
The funny thing is, most, if not ALL claims by the ancient alien theorists can be disproven. Many of their claims are fraudulent, or solely conjecture. September 2012 should see the release of Chris White's "Ancient Aliens" debunked. I've posted a number of my contributions here, to help promote that and provide details the show won't be able to delve into.
Furthermore, Ancient Aliens "experts" like Sitchin and von Daniken lie habitually or make stuff up. (Www.sitchiniswrong.com) and i highlighted known von Daniken frauds a couple posts ago.
#9
Humanity is like a virus or there are too many people - the Matrix, Absolute Justice comic, Terminator, Firefly (overpopulation drove us to space)
This one goes hand in hand with stuff like the Georgia Guidestones and Illuminati conspiracies to depopulate the world. It also goes with Bill Gates' goal to reduce the world's population thru vaccines. It's essentially more propaganda for eugenics.
This is cemented further by Discovery TV's "After People" (title?) Series and this recent photo collection.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2122554/At-worlds-end-Artists-reveal-stunning-post-apocalyptic-images-worlds-major-cities.html
It also walks hand in hand with Satan's goal. When he manifests as the Antichrist, he will destroy as much of humanity as he can.
Matthew 24:22 (paralleled in Mark 13)
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
#10
Intelligent machines that eventually overtake us or are better than us. - terminator, matrix,
Not alot here. It's sort of a twist of the "man is not unique" alien bit, with a pinch of eugenic population reduction.
# 11
Death's Revolving door - (Every comic EVER, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek 3, Buffy the vampire slayer)
To heighten drama, andcement the seriousness of a given situation, a hero often times gives their life in the line of duty. Of course, in comics especially (I'm talking to you foremost Jean Grey) this never is permanent. Even Jason Todd and Bucky came back.
I really think that in addition to this being an obvious marketing/business decision, this is basically a cheap shot at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promised resurrection of us believers one day.
Not much else to say there.
# 12
Zombie Apocalypse
This really needs no introduction. It's been seen in countless movies, from Night of the Living Dead, to 28 Days Later. It's the dead risen from the grave returning to eat us.
I believe this to be one of several things:
1) A mockery of the curse outlined in Zechariah 14:12
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
2) a general mockery of resurrection.
3) Some sort of pre-conditioning for the Black Awakening as described by Russ Dizdar.
http://www.futurequake.com/Audio/FQShow145.mp3
And here's Russ on Zombies
http://www.shatterthedarkness.net/zombification/
I honestly don't know what to make of Russ' claims for the BA. He's pretty sound on some teaching, i just haven't done enough study to to form an opinion on this one. Listen to his stuff, or that FQ episode.
So there you have it, if i find more, I'll add more.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Caves of the Past: Ancient Aliens in Cave Paintings
In September, Ancient Aliens will be debunked. Here's the trailer:
http://conspiracyclothes.com/nowheretorun/video-only-ancient-aliens-debunked-trailer/
And here's some details on one of the claims being looked at in the film.
This particular post is just about cave paintings and rock art in general.
The key thing to note about virtually all artwork is that much of it is open to interpretation. No two interpretations are the same, nor are they all correct. Artists use symbols and colors to depict concepts and ideas making a given artwork mean something other than the obvious. The older the artwork and the further it is removed from its creator, the harder it would be to discern the symbols being used.
Ancient art found in caves or on rock faces is not so easy to break down. Some of it is highly strange to modern eyes and some would speculate that this is proof of ancient astronauts.
Ancient astronaut theorists use a variety of strange petroglyphs and cave paintings as proof of visitation by extraterrestrials in the far past. Rather than disproving each individual piece, or even the most famous pieces, it may be more productive to offer an explanation as to what people were trying to convey through their prehistoric graffiti.
It’s highly possible that all ancient artwork had at least a similar purpose, meaning or intent behind them. One researcher has found and documented a number of identical symbols that have appeared across a number of rock art sites over various spans of time. This suggests that all rock art originated from some common concepts and evolved their own meaning from there based on common symbolic origins.
“26 symbols have appeared repeatedly. These symbols appear in other parts of the world as well, leading to the possibility that symbolic communication through geometric signs arose with early humans. The diagram below shows regions around the world where the these 26 symbols have been found.”
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/geometric_signs/geometric_signs.php
They also provide this interactive map on their Webpage which shows which symbols appear in each location.
Alien theorists though use slightly more complex pictures as proof of their alien visitations. This link provides some of the pictures that are used by alien theorists and many of these are strange enough to be considered “alien” by some, but could mean something else entirely.
http://www.bibleufo.com/anapetro1.htm
And here is perhaps the world’s largest image archive of rock art. Their purpose is preserving rock art and promoting study of it. They provide a small amount of analysis of the art, none of which has anything to do with ancient astronauts. They instead focus more on the artistic merits of the work. Unusual figures are referred to as figurative rather than aliens.
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com
What are cave paintings and petroglyphs really depicting though?
Certainly not every petroglyph or cave painting represents something that the artist saw or encountered. There are examples of that kind of art everywhere, but some of the more unusual rock pictures, rather than being aliens, could merely be symbols or an early attempt at writing.
“The artistic mastery shown in the rendering of the animals cannot be denied, but what about all the geometric signs that so often appear around or near the animals at the same sites?... I believe that the abstract nature of these signs is some of the best proof we currently have that these images were not being made purely for their aesthetic quality. It suggests a more symbolic role for these markings, and a desire to communicate ideas that were not necessarily easy to depict in a physical form.”
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/geometric_signs/geometric_signs_france.php
Perhaps many of these images had some sort of context within their culture. That context may have given rise to symbols or ideas that have simply been lost forever.
“These images probably had deep cultural and religious significance for the societies that created them…Many petroglyphs are thought to represent some kind of not-yet-fully understood symbolic or ritual language. Later glyphs from the Nordic Bronze Age in Scandinavia seem to refer to some form of territorial boundary between tribes, in addition to possible religious meanings.”
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Petroglyph_-_Interpretation/id/5425289
(Emphasis added)
“Perhaps the greatest difficulty in getting at the meaning of prehistoric art is that we do not know the symbolic conceptions which were involved even in naturalistic representations. Are these to be taken literally, that is as signs? Or are they loaded symbols, part of a code to be broken?””
http://archaeology-easterndesert.com/html/rock_art_analysis.html
(Emphasis added)
In addition to the art containing symbols and concepts that were relevant to the culture in question, but have possibly been lost to the centuries, it’s entirely possible that today’s “experts” may be projecting modern ideas into the artwork. Considering this in the light of ancient astronaut theorists with books to sell and an axe to grind against Christianity and the Bible, it’s easy to see how present ideas of ancient aliens can be thrust upon art from long ago. Especially when the artist isn’t around to defend their position.
"However, it is all too easy for modern minds to have culturally determined ideas on ancient art that was produced by very different cultures and lifestyles. Ideologies and values of the modern onlooker may be very alien to those of the artists, and we have no way of knowing what types of image are purely representational or symbolic – and if symbolic, we have no access to the thought behind the symbols…Even the excellent Cyril Aldred, for example (1998) referred to Egyptian rock art as “magic-working rock drawings” (p.66). As Renfrew and Bahn point out, these theories were often speculative and some were undisciplined, and they were in danger of producing, ‘imagining’ what ancient people must have thought or believed” (2000 p.385)."
http://archaeology-easterndesert.com/html/rock_art_analysis.html
(Emphasis added)
Without a reasonably solid understanding of a given culture and what was important to them to inform us of what they were trying to communicate, understanding their cave and petroglyph artwork is made all the more harder. This of course opens wide the door for modern ideas like ancient astronauts to attach themselves to a piece of art.
A good example of this would be the gold figurines of the Tolima in South America. While most of these figures are obviously animals, some of these figures have odd features which make it hard to identify a specific animal. Ancient alien enthusiasts use these gold figures as proof of ancient flying machines provided by aliens. A deeper look however reveals that the “airplanes” are in all likelihood fish (flying fish, stingrays) that the Tolima encountered probably daily in the river. The river was a central fixture of Tolima life. Knowing about their livelihood and environment gives a context for their artwork that makes more sense than the modern idea being projected onto it. This principal can and should easily be applied to cave art and petroglyphs.
Looking at many of the petroglyph and painted figures depicted (http://www.bibleufo.com/anapetro1.htm) in ancient art through the new lens of lost symbolism and lost context should call into question their being proof of alien visitation. Exaggerated or contorted humanoids (people with “antennae” or non-human looking beings) may represent normal people with different skills or positions and even perhaps a message for travelers.
Another hypothesis is that what we think is ancient art may actually have been an ancient form of writing. And why not? That may certainly explain some of the more esoteric looking petroglyphs and cave paintings, the ones that look like aliens.
“It is important to remember that the intent behind what we now call "art" was, in all likelihood, not to create art at all.”
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
Certainly, Chinese language started out as pictograms, that is pictures meant to convey a commonly understood idea, and evolved over time to what it is today. Using pictograms as writing makes a good deal of sense as it possibly lends itself to being interpreted properly by people of different languages and as a good foundation to build a written language from. Here are some examples of original Chinese pictograms, clearly depicting a recognizable idea, and their evolution to today’s writing.
http://www.ancientscripts.com/chinese.html
So if it wasn’t artwork, and it was writing of some sort, what does it mean? Although his views and interpretations are somewhat controversial amongst scholars, LaVan Martineau has possibly identified interpretations for a variety of rock/cave art. Interpretations that make a good deal more sense than the ancient astronaut theory. Martineau was an adopted Paiute Indian who learned a great deal from his time spent with the tribe. He was also a trained cryptographer for the United States Air Force. These two things should lend him some degree of credibility in deciphering Native American cryptograms.
“Martineau learned from the Paiutes that rock writing was based on many of the gestures used in Native American universal sign language. Sign language consisted of a few hundred gestures that could be combined together to communicate complex ideas between the various Native American tribes. Their spoken languages were so very different as to preclude any verbal communication, but the sign language was universal from the Paiutes of Utah, to the Pawnees of Nebraska or the Iroquois in New York.”
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
Some of his interpretations:
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
This one is of particular interest. This pictogram is possibly directing the reader to the other side of a given boulder for some purpose.
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
But it looks slightly similar to this Zuni petroglyph that is espoused as the body of an alien being. A directional marker would make far more sense than an ET visitor.
(photo taken directly of TV screen while watching Ancient Aliens)
Even pictographs of what look like aliens, actually may have a far more mundane meaning. These are reproductions of rock art said to be created by Native Americans in the area of Dalles, Oregon. It is not specified who made the interpretations.
http://www.ancestral.com/art/north_america/pacific_northwest.html
This petroglyph looks incredibly alien, yet a deeper analysis of it reveals something far less incredible.
“The petroglyph shows a man bent-over, signifying "old man", and without a belt or crotch line, signifying "poverty". The upper hand showing the palm at the same level as the heart signifies "good". The key to the meaning is given by the triangular symbol extending away from the buttocks.
Native American fisherman in the area had the custom of leaving their catch on the rocks so that those in need could take a fish to eat. Whenever someone came by, a fisherman who did not have any fish to spare would indicate this by slapping his buttocks loudly since speech could not be heard over the roar of the falls. The slap and gesture, however, were unmistakable. The individual would then move along without taking any fish. This practice is known because of historical records and oral tradition.
The reverse arrow on the petroglyph therefore signifies "please do not let those in need go hungry by slapping your buttocks". While two figures, that of an old man and that of a fisherman, would have been clearer, it would have taken twice as long to make the petroglyph. Shorthand, it appears, is particularly useful when the message must be carved into rock.”
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
Martineau also suggested that some of the rock art is historical record. Even rock art that looks incredibly exotic may be merely a historical record of normal events. The use of symbolism makes this picture looks somewhat fantastical, but it is said to represent Kit Carson’s conquest of the Navajo. It’s doubtful that Carson or the Navajo employed horned giants in this episode. (not pictured, please follow the links)
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
And this one a war between different tribes over resources.
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
And some pictures held religious significance. This piece is interesting, because if one wanted to project an ancient astronaut viewpoint onto it, it would be quite easy. It looks enough like beings coming from the sky and coming to live on Earth. However, the opposite is true. This is a prophecy stone of the Hopi and it depicts the Creator leading the Hopi out of the ground and the possibility that the Hopi will be offered a chance to get onto the straight path for eternal life. When interpreted properly, this is an excellent “Mars Hill” moment to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Hopi.
“Symbol a represents the Creator pointing down close to the ground from where the Hopi claim to have come. The short vertical lines near the Creator's hand b represent the Hopi people. The Creator is holding in his left hand "the life plan" or "trail" c upon which the Hopi are to embark. Near this hand is a circle d which represents "holding" of the entire continent in trust for the Creator, as he had instructed. (Since this photograph was taken, viewers of this panel have added a bow to the right hand of the Creator which was not apparent when Martineau surveyed the carving.)
Point e on the trail or life plan represents a time when it was predicted by the Creator that the Hopi would digress from the true path given to them and pursue another way. The square f is said to represent Oraibi, and the line or path g coming down from the square represents the false path of the wicked Oraibi . . .
The figures h standing upon the false path represent the wicked themselves. Older Hopi claim that heads have recently been added to these symbols, for they remember a time when no heads existed on these figures. The absence of heads would represent the punishment or death that the wicked must undergo as a result of following the false path.
The two zigzag lines I stemming from the false path represent the careless and different paths to permanent destruction pursued by the wicked. . . .
Symbol k is the true path of everlasting life, symbol l, which is shown at four points along this true path. The incorporation of the symbol old age (a cane) with life (a branching corn leaf) represents everlasting life. . . . The Hopi say that they are gourds which are shaken, thus representing three great wars or shakings that will transpire before the everlasting life is reached. The last circle represents the "final war" of purification in which all evil will be destroyed.
At point n on this panel the false path connects with an everlasting life symbol, showing that some may return to the true path and to everlasting life. The two zigzag lines which extend beyond this point of possible return to the path of everlasting life thus truly indicate permanent destruction, since the wicked have gone beyond this point of no return. Symbol o, at the end of the path is the great spirit holding an everlasting life symbol in his hand. He is shown waiting here at the end of the trail just as he was shown at the beginning of it. For this reason he is called the first and the last.[35”
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
It’s interesting to note that some of the Hopi mention that the above petroglyph had been changed even within their own lifetime. So in addition to the above concepts that we are dealing with, lost symbolism or some sort of sign language depicting directions, historical events and religious ideas, we must also consider that the pictures that we see on rock faces and in caves very well could have been changed since they were originally drawn.
The Wondjina (sometimes spelled differently, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wondjina) are rain spirits of the Aborigine people. Obviously rain is highly important in the Australian outback. Of course, even though they are rain spirits, the Wondjina are sometimes alleged to be ancient aliens. Based on their appearance alone, this theory cannot be proven based on the current rock paintings.
“Testing at the Wandjina site showed some drawings had been repainted numerous times over, with the images evolving over time at the artists’ discretion, rendering the original artwork unknown"
http://listverse.com/2010/07/06/10-human-creations-attributed-to-aliens/
Indeed, the painting of the Wondjina every year has created layer upon layer of painting, and as the new portraits are added, no one can be sure what the originals looked like. What is certain is that the Aborigines do admit there are differences.
“Today, certain Aboriginal people of the Mowanjum tribes repaint the images to ensure the continuity of the Wondjina's presence.[2] Annual repainting in December or January also ensures the arrival of the monsoon rains, according to Mowanjum belief.[3] Repainting has occurred so often that at one site the paint is over 40 layers deep. The painting style evolves during this process: the figures of recent years are stockier and some now possess eyelashes.”
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wondjina
Small change after small change for who knows how many centuries and millenia could easily cause a wild departure from the original depictions, like a game of telephone. In any event, one wonders why aliens would demand their portrait be painted every year before sending life giving rain.
Added to the idea of constant revisionism over time is the presence of actual hoaxes and cherry-picked art pieces.
One of the most famous ancient astronaut rock paintings is a great example of this selective representation.
"The popular image of two “alien” figures in Val Camonica was picked out of over 200,000 drawings – a pretty clear sign of confirmation bias.”
http://listverse.com/2010/07/06/10-human-creations-attributed-to-aliens/
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoKlmIbNPthUALOuJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dtwo%2Balien%2Bfigures%2Bin%2Bval%2Bcamonica%26fr%3Dytff1-yff80%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D9&w=320&h=318&imgurl=elbohemio.files.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fpaintings-from-val-camonica-italy.jpg%3Fw%3D450&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Felbohemio.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F08%2Falien-evidence-in-religious-art%2F&size=25+KB&name=paintings-from-val-camonica-italy&p=two+alien+figures+in+val+camonica&oid=f18c35e3dc181126e4a906e36e714db3&fr2=piv-web&fr=ytff1-yff80&tt=paintings-from-val-camonica-italy&b=0&ni=60&no=9&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12a3ajpbv&sigb=13srovcp6&sigi=12hcs83po&.crumb=J29068lQMBu
And of course outright hoaxes. One hoax was perpetrated by none other than Erich “ancient aliens” von Daniken himself. He provides a piece of artwork, allegedly from a cave in Uzbekistan, as proof of ancient visitation both in his book Gold of the gods and his video of Chariots of the gods.
“It's a bit difficult to believe that von Däniken had no doubts about the painting at the time of publication, given that The Gold of the Gods carefully crops the image to hide the most ridiculous and obviously modern parts, and even reverses the image to obscure its origin…But von Däniken cared nothing for the evidence of hoaxing. Even more brazenly than in The Gold of the Gods, the complete image is reproduced… as figure 61 of the follow-up book later editions of Chariots and In Search of Ancient Astronauts: My Pictorial Evidence for the Impossible (1973; English version 1974)--even many years after von Däniken was alerted that the picture was not ancient. In the 1974 book, von Däniken again claims the painting is absolute proof that ancient people witnessed ancient astronauts.”
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/faking-ancient-art-in-uzbekistan.html
Indeed, the ancient alien crowd has falsified a good deal of evidence beyond cave paintings, some of which can be found here.
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/collection-ancient-alien-fraud.html
In looking at cave paintings and petroglyphs as proof ancient visitation by aliens, one is left with many other options to consider before jumping to conclusions about ET. Firstly, Ancient people were likely using symbolism that was relevant to them at the time, but symbolism (including, but not limited to religious) that has since lost its meaning. Second, and somewhat tied into the first idea, cave paintings and petroglyphs easily could have been a rudimentary form of writing to communicate across different spoken languages. There are some pieces that look like an odd creature, yet are actually communicating a complex idea that would have been known by the people who made it. There’s also the fact that rock art does not exist in a secure, sterile environment like a museum. As such, anyone could make changes in the large span of time between the art’s creation and now, thus obscuring the original image. And lastly, at least some ancient astronaut art has been fraudulently presented as evidence. When exposed as fraud, the ET theorists merely ignore the evidence. Viewed in light of these possibilities, the ancient astronaut theory is cast into serious doubt and as “Crazy-haired Georgio” likes to say about two independent “proofs,” “In any court of law, that’s evidence that would hold up.”
http://conspiracyclothes.com/nowheretorun/video-only-ancient-aliens-debunked-trailer/
And here's some details on one of the claims being looked at in the film.
This particular post is just about cave paintings and rock art in general.
The key thing to note about virtually all artwork is that much of it is open to interpretation. No two interpretations are the same, nor are they all correct. Artists use symbols and colors to depict concepts and ideas making a given artwork mean something other than the obvious. The older the artwork and the further it is removed from its creator, the harder it would be to discern the symbols being used.
Ancient art found in caves or on rock faces is not so easy to break down. Some of it is highly strange to modern eyes and some would speculate that this is proof of ancient astronauts.
Ancient astronaut theorists use a variety of strange petroglyphs and cave paintings as proof of visitation by extraterrestrials in the far past. Rather than disproving each individual piece, or even the most famous pieces, it may be more productive to offer an explanation as to what people were trying to convey through their prehistoric graffiti.
It’s highly possible that all ancient artwork had at least a similar purpose, meaning or intent behind them. One researcher has found and documented a number of identical symbols that have appeared across a number of rock art sites over various spans of time. This suggests that all rock art originated from some common concepts and evolved their own meaning from there based on common symbolic origins.
“26 symbols have appeared repeatedly. These symbols appear in other parts of the world as well, leading to the possibility that symbolic communication through geometric signs arose with early humans. The diagram below shows regions around the world where the these 26 symbols have been found.”
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/geometric_signs/geometric_signs.php
They also provide this interactive map on their Webpage which shows which symbols appear in each location.
Alien theorists though use slightly more complex pictures as proof of their alien visitations. This link provides some of the pictures that are used by alien theorists and many of these are strange enough to be considered “alien” by some, but could mean something else entirely.
http://www.bibleufo.com/anapetro1.htm
And here is perhaps the world’s largest image archive of rock art. Their purpose is preserving rock art and promoting study of it. They provide a small amount of analysis of the art, none of which has anything to do with ancient astronauts. They instead focus more on the artistic merits of the work. Unusual figures are referred to as figurative rather than aliens.
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com
What are cave paintings and petroglyphs really depicting though?
Certainly not every petroglyph or cave painting represents something that the artist saw or encountered. There are examples of that kind of art everywhere, but some of the more unusual rock pictures, rather than being aliens, could merely be symbols or an early attempt at writing.
“The artistic mastery shown in the rendering of the animals cannot be denied, but what about all the geometric signs that so often appear around or near the animals at the same sites?... I believe that the abstract nature of these signs is some of the best proof we currently have that these images were not being made purely for their aesthetic quality. It suggests a more symbolic role for these markings, and a desire to communicate ideas that were not necessarily easy to depict in a physical form.”
http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/geometric_signs/geometric_signs_france.php
Perhaps many of these images had some sort of context within their culture. That context may have given rise to symbols or ideas that have simply been lost forever.
“These images probably had deep cultural and religious significance for the societies that created them…Many petroglyphs are thought to represent some kind of not-yet-fully understood symbolic or ritual language. Later glyphs from the Nordic Bronze Age in Scandinavia seem to refer to some form of territorial boundary between tribes, in addition to possible religious meanings.”
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Petroglyph_-_Interpretation/id/5425289
(Emphasis added)
“Perhaps the greatest difficulty in getting at the meaning of prehistoric art is that we do not know the symbolic conceptions which were involved even in naturalistic representations. Are these to be taken literally, that is as signs? Or are they loaded symbols, part of a code to be broken?””
http://archaeology-easterndesert.com/html/rock_art_analysis.html
(Emphasis added)
In addition to the art containing symbols and concepts that were relevant to the culture in question, but have possibly been lost to the centuries, it’s entirely possible that today’s “experts” may be projecting modern ideas into the artwork. Considering this in the light of ancient astronaut theorists with books to sell and an axe to grind against Christianity and the Bible, it’s easy to see how present ideas of ancient aliens can be thrust upon art from long ago. Especially when the artist isn’t around to defend their position.
"However, it is all too easy for modern minds to have culturally determined ideas on ancient art that was produced by very different cultures and lifestyles. Ideologies and values of the modern onlooker may be very alien to those of the artists, and we have no way of knowing what types of image are purely representational or symbolic – and if symbolic, we have no access to the thought behind the symbols…Even the excellent Cyril Aldred, for example (1998) referred to Egyptian rock art as “magic-working rock drawings” (p.66). As Renfrew and Bahn point out, these theories were often speculative and some were undisciplined, and they were in danger of producing, ‘imagining’ what ancient people must have thought or believed” (2000 p.385)."
http://archaeology-easterndesert.com/html/rock_art_analysis.html
(Emphasis added)
Without a reasonably solid understanding of a given culture and what was important to them to inform us of what they were trying to communicate, understanding their cave and petroglyph artwork is made all the more harder. This of course opens wide the door for modern ideas like ancient astronauts to attach themselves to a piece of art.
A good example of this would be the gold figurines of the Tolima in South America. While most of these figures are obviously animals, some of these figures have odd features which make it hard to identify a specific animal. Ancient alien enthusiasts use these gold figures as proof of ancient flying machines provided by aliens. A deeper look however reveals that the “airplanes” are in all likelihood fish (flying fish, stingrays) that the Tolima encountered probably daily in the river. The river was a central fixture of Tolima life. Knowing about their livelihood and environment gives a context for their artwork that makes more sense than the modern idea being projected onto it. This principal can and should easily be applied to cave art and petroglyphs.
Looking at many of the petroglyph and painted figures depicted (http://www.bibleufo.com/anapetro1.htm) in ancient art through the new lens of lost symbolism and lost context should call into question their being proof of alien visitation. Exaggerated or contorted humanoids (people with “antennae” or non-human looking beings) may represent normal people with different skills or positions and even perhaps a message for travelers.
Another hypothesis is that what we think is ancient art may actually have been an ancient form of writing. And why not? That may certainly explain some of the more esoteric looking petroglyphs and cave paintings, the ones that look like aliens.
“It is important to remember that the intent behind what we now call "art" was, in all likelihood, not to create art at all.”
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
Certainly, Chinese language started out as pictograms, that is pictures meant to convey a commonly understood idea, and evolved over time to what it is today. Using pictograms as writing makes a good deal of sense as it possibly lends itself to being interpreted properly by people of different languages and as a good foundation to build a written language from. Here are some examples of original Chinese pictograms, clearly depicting a recognizable idea, and their evolution to today’s writing.
http://www.ancientscripts.com/chinese.html
So if it wasn’t artwork, and it was writing of some sort, what does it mean? Although his views and interpretations are somewhat controversial amongst scholars, LaVan Martineau has possibly identified interpretations for a variety of rock/cave art. Interpretations that make a good deal more sense than the ancient astronaut theory. Martineau was an adopted Paiute Indian who learned a great deal from his time spent with the tribe. He was also a trained cryptographer for the United States Air Force. These two things should lend him some degree of credibility in deciphering Native American cryptograms.
“Martineau learned from the Paiutes that rock writing was based on many of the gestures used in Native American universal sign language. Sign language consisted of a few hundred gestures that could be combined together to communicate complex ideas between the various Native American tribes. Their spoken languages were so very different as to preclude any verbal communication, but the sign language was universal from the Paiutes of Utah, to the Pawnees of Nebraska or the Iroquois in New York.”
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
Some of his interpretations:
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
This one is of particular interest. This pictogram is possibly directing the reader to the other side of a given boulder for some purpose.
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
But it looks slightly similar to this Zuni petroglyph that is espoused as the body of an alien being. A directional marker would make far more sense than an ET visitor.
(photo taken directly of TV screen while watching Ancient Aliens)
Even pictographs of what look like aliens, actually may have a far more mundane meaning. These are reproductions of rock art said to be created by Native Americans in the area of Dalles, Oregon. It is not specified who made the interpretations.
http://www.ancestral.com/art/north_america/pacific_northwest.html
This petroglyph looks incredibly alien, yet a deeper analysis of it reveals something far less incredible.
“The petroglyph shows a man bent-over, signifying "old man", and without a belt or crotch line, signifying "poverty". The upper hand showing the palm at the same level as the heart signifies "good". The key to the meaning is given by the triangular symbol extending away from the buttocks.
Native American fisherman in the area had the custom of leaving their catch on the rocks so that those in need could take a fish to eat. Whenever someone came by, a fisherman who did not have any fish to spare would indicate this by slapping his buttocks loudly since speech could not be heard over the roar of the falls. The slap and gesture, however, were unmistakable. The individual would then move along without taking any fish. This practice is known because of historical records and oral tradition.
The reverse arrow on the petroglyph therefore signifies "please do not let those in need go hungry by slapping your buttocks". While two figures, that of an old man and that of a fisherman, would have been clearer, it would have taken twice as long to make the petroglyph. Shorthand, it appears, is particularly useful when the message must be carved into rock.”
http://www.ancestral.com/meaning.html
Martineau also suggested that some of the rock art is historical record. Even rock art that looks incredibly exotic may be merely a historical record of normal events. The use of symbolism makes this picture looks somewhat fantastical, but it is said to represent Kit Carson’s conquest of the Navajo. It’s doubtful that Carson or the Navajo employed horned giants in this episode. (not pictured, please follow the links)
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
And this one a war between different tribes over resources.
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
And some pictures held religious significance. This piece is interesting, because if one wanted to project an ancient astronaut viewpoint onto it, it would be quite easy. It looks enough like beings coming from the sky and coming to live on Earth. However, the opposite is true. This is a prophecy stone of the Hopi and it depicts the Creator leading the Hopi out of the ground and the possibility that the Hopi will be offered a chance to get onto the straight path for eternal life. When interpreted properly, this is an excellent “Mars Hill” moment to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Hopi.
“Symbol a represents the Creator pointing down close to the ground from where the Hopi claim to have come. The short vertical lines near the Creator's hand b represent the Hopi people. The Creator is holding in his left hand "the life plan" or "trail" c upon which the Hopi are to embark. Near this hand is a circle d which represents "holding" of the entire continent in trust for the Creator, as he had instructed. (Since this photograph was taken, viewers of this panel have added a bow to the right hand of the Creator which was not apparent when Martineau surveyed the carving.)
Point e on the trail or life plan represents a time when it was predicted by the Creator that the Hopi would digress from the true path given to them and pursue another way. The square f is said to represent Oraibi, and the line or path g coming down from the square represents the false path of the wicked Oraibi . . .
The figures h standing upon the false path represent the wicked themselves. Older Hopi claim that heads have recently been added to these symbols, for they remember a time when no heads existed on these figures. The absence of heads would represent the punishment or death that the wicked must undergo as a result of following the false path.
The two zigzag lines I stemming from the false path represent the careless and different paths to permanent destruction pursued by the wicked. . . .
Symbol k is the true path of everlasting life, symbol l, which is shown at four points along this true path. The incorporation of the symbol old age (a cane) with life (a branching corn leaf) represents everlasting life. . . . The Hopi say that they are gourds which are shaken, thus representing three great wars or shakings that will transpire before the everlasting life is reached. The last circle represents the "final war" of purification in which all evil will be destroyed.
At point n on this panel the false path connects with an everlasting life symbol, showing that some may return to the true path and to everlasting life. The two zigzag lines which extend beyond this point of possible return to the path of everlasting life thus truly indicate permanent destruction, since the wicked have gone beyond this point of no return. Symbol o, at the end of the path is the great spirit holding an everlasting life symbol in his hand. He is shown waiting here at the end of the trail just as he was shown at the beginning of it. For this reason he is called the first and the last.[35”
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2006/petroglyphs.html
It’s interesting to note that some of the Hopi mention that the above petroglyph had been changed even within their own lifetime. So in addition to the above concepts that we are dealing with, lost symbolism or some sort of sign language depicting directions, historical events and religious ideas, we must also consider that the pictures that we see on rock faces and in caves very well could have been changed since they were originally drawn.
The Wondjina (sometimes spelled differently, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wondjina) are rain spirits of the Aborigine people. Obviously rain is highly important in the Australian outback. Of course, even though they are rain spirits, the Wondjina are sometimes alleged to be ancient aliens. Based on their appearance alone, this theory cannot be proven based on the current rock paintings.
“Testing at the Wandjina site showed some drawings had been repainted numerous times over, with the images evolving over time at the artists’ discretion, rendering the original artwork unknown"
http://listverse.com/2010/07/06/10-human-creations-attributed-to-aliens/
Indeed, the painting of the Wondjina every year has created layer upon layer of painting, and as the new portraits are added, no one can be sure what the originals looked like. What is certain is that the Aborigines do admit there are differences.
“Today, certain Aboriginal people of the Mowanjum tribes repaint the images to ensure the continuity of the Wondjina's presence.[2] Annual repainting in December or January also ensures the arrival of the monsoon rains, according to Mowanjum belief.[3] Repainting has occurred so often that at one site the paint is over 40 layers deep. The painting style evolves during this process: the figures of recent years are stockier and some now possess eyelashes.”
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wondjina
Small change after small change for who knows how many centuries and millenia could easily cause a wild departure from the original depictions, like a game of telephone. In any event, one wonders why aliens would demand their portrait be painted every year before sending life giving rain.
Added to the idea of constant revisionism over time is the presence of actual hoaxes and cherry-picked art pieces.
One of the most famous ancient astronaut rock paintings is a great example of this selective representation.
"The popular image of two “alien” figures in Val Camonica was picked out of over 200,000 drawings – a pretty clear sign of confirmation bias.”
http://listverse.com/2010/07/06/10-human-creations-attributed-to-aliens/
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoKlmIbNPthUALOuJzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3Fp%3Dtwo%2Balien%2Bfigures%2Bin%2Bval%2Bcamonica%26fr%3Dytff1-yff80%26fr2%3Dpiv-web%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D9&w=320&h=318&imgurl=elbohemio.files.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2Fpaintings-from-val-camonica-italy.jpg%3Fw%3D450&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Felbohemio.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F04%2F08%2Falien-evidence-in-religious-art%2F&size=25+KB&name=paintings-from-val-camonica-italy&p=two+alien+figures+in+val+camonica&oid=f18c35e3dc181126e4a906e36e714db3&fr2=piv-web&fr=ytff1-yff80&tt=paintings-from-val-camonica-italy&b=0&ni=60&no=9&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12a3ajpbv&sigb=13srovcp6&sigi=12hcs83po&.crumb=J29068lQMBu
And of course outright hoaxes. One hoax was perpetrated by none other than Erich “ancient aliens” von Daniken himself. He provides a piece of artwork, allegedly from a cave in Uzbekistan, as proof of ancient visitation both in his book Gold of the gods and his video of Chariots of the gods.
“It's a bit difficult to believe that von Däniken had no doubts about the painting at the time of publication, given that The Gold of the Gods carefully crops the image to hide the most ridiculous and obviously modern parts, and even reverses the image to obscure its origin…But von Däniken cared nothing for the evidence of hoaxing. Even more brazenly than in The Gold of the Gods, the complete image is reproduced… as figure 61 of the follow-up book later editions of Chariots and In Search of Ancient Astronauts: My Pictorial Evidence for the Impossible (1973; English version 1974)--even many years after von Däniken was alerted that the picture was not ancient. In the 1974 book, von Däniken again claims the painting is absolute proof that ancient people witnessed ancient astronauts.”
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/faking-ancient-art-in-uzbekistan.html
Indeed, the ancient alien crowd has falsified a good deal of evidence beyond cave paintings, some of which can be found here.
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/collection-ancient-alien-fraud.html
In looking at cave paintings and petroglyphs as proof ancient visitation by aliens, one is left with many other options to consider before jumping to conclusions about ET. Firstly, Ancient people were likely using symbolism that was relevant to them at the time, but symbolism (including, but not limited to religious) that has since lost its meaning. Second, and somewhat tied into the first idea, cave paintings and petroglyphs easily could have been a rudimentary form of writing to communicate across different spoken languages. There are some pieces that look like an odd creature, yet are actually communicating a complex idea that would have been known by the people who made it. There’s also the fact that rock art does not exist in a secure, sterile environment like a museum. As such, anyone could make changes in the large span of time between the art’s creation and now, thus obscuring the original image. And lastly, at least some ancient astronaut art has been fraudulently presented as evidence. When exposed as fraud, the ET theorists merely ignore the evidence. Viewed in light of these possibilities, the ancient astronaut theory is cast into serious doubt and as “Crazy-haired Georgio” likes to say about two independent “proofs,” “In any court of law, that’s evidence that would hold up.”
Ahhh, The Old Ancient Space Suit Trick
Claim:
Georgio:
Why would ancient astronauts have to wear an astronaut suit that we’re familiar with today? The answer is very simple. Can we go through space without wearing a type of suit? Of course not, we would die. Because, who says that whoever visited us in the remote past that they could breathe in the atmosphere of planet earth? It’s not farfetched to suggest that they did in fact wear some type of suit.
Narrator: Why might these images resemble modern astronauts? If they are aliens, is it possible that they are similar to humans? Could they have come from a planet just like Earth?
Refutation
If the aliens required a suit to be on our planet, one wonders how the stories of “alien visitors” mating with human women worked out. In the Ancient Aliens show, it is claimed that the visitors are like us. If they are, again why the need for a suit?
Ancient astronaut theorists use artwork from the past as proof that aliens have visited earth in the past. Often times, they use cave paintings and petroglyphs which have many interpretations that should be considered before entertaining the thought of aliens. Aside from that “evidence” alien theorists also use statues as proof.
Turkey
One such statue, pictured below, was alleged to be a three thousand year old statue depicting a rocket man. It was claimed by Zechariah Sitchin (who has been sufficiently discredited via www.sitchiniswrong.com) that it depicted a “pilot as sitting with legs folded toward his chest, and wearing a one-piece "ribbed pressure suit" which becomes boots at the feet, and gloves at the hands, and points out that since the pilot’s head is missing, we cannot know whether the pilot wore a helmet, goggles, or other headgear.”
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sitchin/esp_sitchin_13.htm
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sitchin/esp_sitchin_13.htm
Despite its supposed age, evidence to the contrary of its ancient origins has surfaced.
“It became evident that the alleged three thousand year old Space Module that was hosted by the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul was in actuality made from plaster 25 years ago…But conclusions of the Ministry of Arts and Culture Memorial and Museums department chemical and petro-graphical analyses proved that those theories didn’t agree with historical reality…The General Director of the Museum Ph. D. Alpay Pasinli said that, the artifact could not be from three thousand years, but rather from 25 years the most.”
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sitchin/esp_sitchin_28.htm
A post by Elirien on the Project Avalon forum serves as the origin of the above quote. Here is Elirien’s post in its entirety.
“The three thousand year old space module was 25 year old plaster!
It became evident that The alleged three thousand year old Space Module that was hosted by the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul was in actuality made from plaster 25 years ago.
The space module which was found “matchless” by museum curators, found as a three thousand year old space module of the Urartu Kingdom many headlines to news in the western press. But conclusions of the Ministry of Arts and Culture Memorial and Museums department chemical and petro-graphical analyses proved that those theories didn’t agree with historical reality.
There is various and contradicting information concerning how the artifact came to the museum. One of the theories is that an antique merchant brought it to the museum. The space module, which has five engines is 23 centimeters long and 9,5 centimeters high. The General Director of the Museum Ph. D. Alpay Pasinli said that, the artifact could not be from three thousand years, but rather from 25 years the most. Pasinli, who said that we should remember that the western press convinced their public that the space module was three thousand years old, added that they have confirmed that this artifact was made out of plaster and marble dust through the results from analyses.
The space module, which became one of the most popular artifacts of the Istanbul Archeological Museum and was sought after by western scientists and media, was written about in tens of Articles in Europe and became news in many newspapers and television news casts. The space module which was sought after by German and English archeologists in the beginning of the 1990’s was for a long time secured in the preservation unit of the museum. The first who succeeded in photographing the space module was the English Magazine “Fortean Times”. The Magazine, which showed a picture of the sculpture and head lined “Is it an ancient space module?” in their October 1993 issue was followed by the German magazine “Magazin 2000”. After this event the competing firm of Magazin 2000, G.A.R.L. sent their editor to Istanbul and he shared his findings with the public. But almost all of the research and what was presented to the public was written in this manner: “It is confirmed that the space ship that is now in the Istanbul Archeological Museum was found in a archeological dig made in 1975 in the old city of Tuspa that is also known as Toprakkale. It is in the northeast of the Van lake where the Urartu Kingdom spread between 830-612 BC.” After these allegations were made it was written that it was in the Istanbul Archeological Museum but not on public display.
Zecharia Sitchin, linguistic and Bible scholar and writer of the book “The 12th Planet”, made the greatest research on the controversial “Space Module”. Sitchin, who came in the beginning of the 90’s to Turkey came in the forefront of the people that claimed that the Space Module was three thousand years old. Sitchin made these remarks after the sculpture left the preservation unit of the museum and was presented to him on a velvet tray: “The object, was made out of a porous material that could probably be a stone made out of volcanic ash. The bends and amazing amount of detail disproves that it was made from raw labor. Was it really a plaster caste that came out of a plastic toy as claimed by the museums official explanations? It doesn’t seem that way.
There are various and contradicting information concerning how and from where the “Space Module” was brought to the Istanbul Archeological Museum. The most popular idea is that an antique trader brought the sculpture and after realizing that it was fake he didn’t pursue it. The Space module which is 23 centimeters long, 9,5 centimeters high and 8 centimeters wide has five engines. There is also a pilot figure on the small sculpture that has bent his knees reaching its chest. The clothing of the pilot resembles the space suits that astronauts wear.
source: http://arsiv.zaman.com.tr/2003/04/30/kultur/h6.htm (in turkish though, I translated it).”
http://projectavalon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5976&page=3
And here is the text from Zaman.com translated via Google translate. It seems to be the same text that Elirien posted on the forum.
“Three thousand year old space module 'alçıymış 25 years!
Istanbul Archaeological Museum, and three thousand years in the alleged 'Space Module, plaster, made 25 years ago emerged.
Curators 'unique' which he described as a spacecraft, the Western media 'Urartians spacecraft belonging to three thousand years' title was subject to numerous news. However, the Ministry of Culture commissioned by the Directorate General of Monuments and Museums, as a result of chemical and petrographic analyzes, these views are inconsistent with the historical facts understood.
There are conflicting accounts about where it came from the work to the museum. Module according to one of these views has brought to the museum an antique dealer. 23 cm long and 9.5 cm high, the space module has 5 engine. Director General of Monuments and Museums, Dr. Alpay Pasinli of the work, three thousand years ago, but that he might have made more than 25 years ago. Western scientists wrote articles and writings he promotes his own public opinion reminiscent of the space module Pasinli three thousand years, "Reviews of plaster and marble dust as a result of this work have been generated." He said.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which is one of the most popular, and the median Western scientists will pursue to see 'Space Module' in Europe to date related to the article published in dozens, many newspapers and television news. To see themselves in pursuit of the German and British archaeologists in the early 1990s' Space Module ', a long time the Istanbul Archaeological Museums' department of housing was kept hidden. 'Space Module Fortean Times magazine, the British had succeeded in the first viewing. October 1993 along with a photograph of the statue in the number of "Old Is A Space Module?" The title of the magazine who, in 1994 the German magazine 'Magazine 2000' was followed. 'Rival broadcaster Magazine 2000' WITH LAUREL 'after this incident, the editor sent to Istanbul. He reached as a result of the research information shared with his readers. But emerging and Western public opinion is reflected in almost every survey information as follows: "stored in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum spacecraft, now known as the former Tuşpa Toprakkale located in the city in 1975, is confirmed by the excavations of the ordinary. BC It BC 830'dan Dispersed up to 612 of the Urartu civilization in the northeast of Lake Van. "After giving the information in the form of" this extraordinary object, now the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul, but sergilenmemektedir. "Was called.
Controversial 'Space Module' makes the most extensive research and Bible scholar, linguist, '12. Planet ', the author Zecharia Sitchin'di. Sitchin came to Turkey in the early 1990s, 'Space Module, believing that the 3000 year was one of the names. Sitchin, the museum 'housing removed from the Department,' velvet tray in the 'sculpture shown to him had made determinations regarding the following: "The object, presumably consisting of a volcanic ash porous stone that may be made of a substance. Accordance with amazing curves and other details are also refutes the idea that it is a crude product of labor. Removed from the official descriptions of the museum, such as a plaster mold with a plastic toy did? It does not appear at all. "
'Space Module into the Istanbul Archaeological Museum where it came from and how it is in the contradictory opinions. According to the most common opinion, the seller brought an antique statue, and one more on the pursuit of understanding does not fall into being a fake. 23 cm long, 9.5 cm high, 8 cm wide, the 'Space Module'' of the five engines. Heykelcikte, legs curled up toward the chest as a pilot figure is also a sitting. Clothes worn by the pilot of the 'space suit worn by astronot'ların resembles.
Abdullah Kilic / Istanbul”
Unfortunately for Sitchin and the ancient astronaut crowd, the reality of the rocket man statue is that it is unable to hold up to serious scrutiny.
Japan
Another set of statues purported to be a depiction of an ancient astronaut. The Dogu statues of Japan. (http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/jomon-dogu.html) Dogu come in many styles, but the “slitted-goggles” (pictured below) variety are arguably the most famous. Many of them are unusual to be sure, but not all of them look like aliens. Additionally, besides an alien explanation, a more plausible theory has been given for at least some of the figures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog%C5%AB
And a few dogu that are obviously stylized people, and widely ignored by ancient aliens folks.
http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/jomon-dogu.html
A user on abovetopsecret (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread544923/pg1) has cleverly discovered that the Dogu pictured above may actually be a stylized version of one of the Inuit people. The eyes are actually said to be Inuit snow goggles and the puffy “space suit” is actually winter attire.
http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/archiveaids/cordle.shtml
http://www.sinc.stonybrook.edu/Clubs/socia/web_items/old_website/
It’s not completely unfeasible that the Japanese could have encountered Inuit people in the distant past. Certainly it’s more believable than aliens from light years away. There’s evidence to suggest that some Japanese or elements of their culture made it as far as New Mexico, so encountering . The language of the Zuni people in New Mexico may be a variant of Japanese suggesting some relation between the two cultures. After all, the Native Americans had to come from somewhere and it’s commonly accepted theory that they traveled from Asia across the Bering land bridge.
“The Zuni Enigma, by Nancy Yaw Davis offers a comparative of cognates between the Zuni language and another language isolate; the Japanese language. While speculative… it demonstrates a likeness between the Zuni and Japanese languages that may be more compelling than that of the Penutian Hypothesis.”
http://www.amerindianarts.us/articles/zuni_language.shtml
“For example, the Zuni word for "clan" is "kwe," while in Japanese it is "kwai." The word for "clown" is "newe" in Japanese and "niwaka" in Zuni. "Priest" is "shawani" in Japanese and "shiwani" in Zuni…And then there was the whole syntax thing -- both languages use the verb as the last word of a sentence, a feature only 45 percent of languages share.”
http://www.cracked.com/article_19769_5-baffling-discoveries-that-prove-history-books-are-wrong_p2.html
And other evidence is available here:
http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf087/sf087a02.htm
Ecuador
In Cuenca, Ecuador a number of artifacts have been found, most of which were presented to Father Carlos Crespi, Catholic priest/missionary to the Native people of that area. Many of these are metal work, gold, brass and the like. Among the many artifacts given to him by the Natives, often in exchange for money, were figures that appeared in the Ancient Aliens shows. This one was displayed quite prominently, and from the vantage point it was shown does indeed look like a space suit.
screenshot of Ancient Aliens
Apparently the History Channel's penchant for deception still applies here. Here is the same “space suit” seen from a whole body angle.
Notice that this figure has toes that are not protected by the “suit,” in addition to a large amount of what appears to be exposed skin. So if it is a suit, it isn’t going to keep the astronaut alive for very long.
http://aenigmaunveiled.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/ufo-in-prehistoric-art-i/
The below figure, also said to be evidence of an ancient space suit has the same exact problem in addition to missing his face plate.
http://aenigmaunveiled.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/ufo-in-prehistoric-art-i/
There is little to no information available about this statue, or most such figures outside of the connection to the ancient astronaut theory. The only other information that comes up for these two figures is that they are from Cuenca, Ecuador and in all likelihood part of the collection of Father Carlos Crespi. Crespi was a missionary (sometimes rumored to be Hitler in disguise) on assignment from the Vatican and he often took in artifacts found by the native people in exchange for money. He was known to purchase fake artwork from the Natives as a form of charity. This was known to be the case for metal work, but would not be surprising if it extended to statues and other works.
“Regarding fakes (which Crespi knowingly purchases in his casual, humanitarian style, at the same time chiding the seller): “The modern solder and hacksaw marks give them away.” (p. 136)…some of the Indian diggers in Ecuador have cut up and reshaped genuinely ancient and priceless materials in order to get any kind of price at all for it.”
http://chapmanresearch.org/PDF/Crespi%20Ancient%20Artifact%20Collection%20of%20Cuenca%20%20Ecuador.pdf
In addition to Crespi’s penchant for fake art, there is yet another reason to doubt reason to doubt the authenticity of these statues. That reason is the person that he contacted to investigate the bulk of his collection.
“Padre Crespi invited von Däniken to examine his vast store of treasures”
http://thelastdaysoftolemac.com/prophecy/?p=74
The same Erich von Daniken who has been known to indulge in the occasional fraud such as:
• an “ancient” cave painting in Uzbekistan
o “Funny thing, though: this isn't an ancient cave painting. The illustration was drawn to illustrate an 1967 Sputnik magazine story on the ancient astronaut theory.”
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/faking-ancient-art-in-uzbekistan.html
• “ancient” pottery depicting UFOs
o “he produced photographs of pottery that he claimed had been found in an archaeological dig. The pottery depicts flying saucers and was said to have been dated from Biblical times. However, investigators from Nova (the fine public-television science program) found the potter who had made the allegedly ancient pots. They confronted von Däniken with evidence of his fraud. His reply was that his deception was justified because some people would only believe if they saw proof”
http://www.skepdic.com/vondanik.html
• quoting from the book of Dzyan as though it were an ancient book. In fact, it was channeled by New Age guru Blavatsky.
o “the Book of Dzyan is completely made up. It is the product of the imagination of Helena Blavatsky, the Theosophical fraud. Von Daniken merely acknowledges her as the "translator" of Dzyan. Blavatsky herself elliptically acknowledged the problem of authorship in the Secret Doctrine, where the fraudulent Dzyan stanzas appear.”
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/1/post/2012/01/von-daniken-theosophy-and-the-fraudulent-book-of-dzyan.html
and
• a falsified account of visiting an Ecuadorian cave housing the same kinds of artifacts Crespi was storing.
o “A third room contained artifacts that were similar to the objects that von Däniken had seen in the underground cavern that he had explored with Juan Moricz.”
http://thelastdaysoftolemac.com/prophecy/?p=74
o “The man whom he said showed him these tunnels, Juan Moricz, told Der Spiegel that von Däniken's descriptions came from a long conversation and that the photos in the book had been "fiddled".[20] Von Däniken told Playboy that although he had seen the library and other places he had described, he had fabricated some of the events to add interest to his book…Later in 1978 he said that he had never been in the cave pictured in his book but in a "side entrance", and that he had fabricated the whole descend to the cave…A geologist examined the area and found no cave systems.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Daniken#Errors_and_omissions
Although there is little information available – to either prove or disprove – the Cuenca, Ecuador “space suit” figures of Carlos Crespi, one should at least consider the possibility that these are but one of many frauds in Crespi’s collection and one of many frauds being used to perpetuate the ancient astronaut lie. In light of the fact that the “space suit” figures have toes and one has exposed skin, their being proof of space exploration are laughable. Added to this, Crespi’s acquisition of fakes and associations with von Daniken and there is far more evidence against the authenticity of these figures than there are for it.
Georgio:
Why would ancient astronauts have to wear an astronaut suit that we’re familiar with today? The answer is very simple. Can we go through space without wearing a type of suit? Of course not, we would die. Because, who says that whoever visited us in the remote past that they could breathe in the atmosphere of planet earth? It’s not farfetched to suggest that they did in fact wear some type of suit.
Narrator: Why might these images resemble modern astronauts? If they are aliens, is it possible that they are similar to humans? Could they have come from a planet just like Earth?
Refutation
If the aliens required a suit to be on our planet, one wonders how the stories of “alien visitors” mating with human women worked out. In the Ancient Aliens show, it is claimed that the visitors are like us. If they are, again why the need for a suit?
Ancient astronaut theorists use artwork from the past as proof that aliens have visited earth in the past. Often times, they use cave paintings and petroglyphs which have many interpretations that should be considered before entertaining the thought of aliens. Aside from that “evidence” alien theorists also use statues as proof.
Turkey
One such statue, pictured below, was alleged to be a three thousand year old statue depicting a rocket man. It was claimed by Zechariah Sitchin (who has been sufficiently discredited via www.sitchiniswrong.com) that it depicted a “pilot as sitting with legs folded toward his chest, and wearing a one-piece "ribbed pressure suit" which becomes boots at the feet, and gloves at the hands, and points out that since the pilot’s head is missing, we cannot know whether the pilot wore a helmet, goggles, or other headgear.”
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sitchin/esp_sitchin_13.htm
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sitchin/esp_sitchin_13.htm
Despite its supposed age, evidence to the contrary of its ancient origins has surfaced.
“It became evident that the alleged three thousand year old Space Module that was hosted by the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul was in actuality made from plaster 25 years ago…But conclusions of the Ministry of Arts and Culture Memorial and Museums department chemical and petro-graphical analyses proved that those theories didn’t agree with historical reality…The General Director of the Museum Ph. D. Alpay Pasinli said that, the artifact could not be from three thousand years, but rather from 25 years the most.”
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sitchin/esp_sitchin_28.htm
A post by Elirien on the Project Avalon forum serves as the origin of the above quote. Here is Elirien’s post in its entirety.
“The three thousand year old space module was 25 year old plaster!
It became evident that The alleged three thousand year old Space Module that was hosted by the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul was in actuality made from plaster 25 years ago.
The space module which was found “matchless” by museum curators, found as a three thousand year old space module of the Urartu Kingdom many headlines to news in the western press. But conclusions of the Ministry of Arts and Culture Memorial and Museums department chemical and petro-graphical analyses proved that those theories didn’t agree with historical reality.
There is various and contradicting information concerning how the artifact came to the museum. One of the theories is that an antique merchant brought it to the museum. The space module, which has five engines is 23 centimeters long and 9,5 centimeters high. The General Director of the Museum Ph. D. Alpay Pasinli said that, the artifact could not be from three thousand years, but rather from 25 years the most. Pasinli, who said that we should remember that the western press convinced their public that the space module was three thousand years old, added that they have confirmed that this artifact was made out of plaster and marble dust through the results from analyses.
The space module, which became one of the most popular artifacts of the Istanbul Archeological Museum and was sought after by western scientists and media, was written about in tens of Articles in Europe and became news in many newspapers and television news casts. The space module which was sought after by German and English archeologists in the beginning of the 1990’s was for a long time secured in the preservation unit of the museum. The first who succeeded in photographing the space module was the English Magazine “Fortean Times”. The Magazine, which showed a picture of the sculpture and head lined “Is it an ancient space module?” in their October 1993 issue was followed by the German magazine “Magazin 2000”. After this event the competing firm of Magazin 2000, G.A.R.L. sent their editor to Istanbul and he shared his findings with the public. But almost all of the research and what was presented to the public was written in this manner: “It is confirmed that the space ship that is now in the Istanbul Archeological Museum was found in a archeological dig made in 1975 in the old city of Tuspa that is also known as Toprakkale. It is in the northeast of the Van lake where the Urartu Kingdom spread between 830-612 BC.” After these allegations were made it was written that it was in the Istanbul Archeological Museum but not on public display.
Zecharia Sitchin, linguistic and Bible scholar and writer of the book “The 12th Planet”, made the greatest research on the controversial “Space Module”. Sitchin, who came in the beginning of the 90’s to Turkey came in the forefront of the people that claimed that the Space Module was three thousand years old. Sitchin made these remarks after the sculpture left the preservation unit of the museum and was presented to him on a velvet tray: “The object, was made out of a porous material that could probably be a stone made out of volcanic ash. The bends and amazing amount of detail disproves that it was made from raw labor. Was it really a plaster caste that came out of a plastic toy as claimed by the museums official explanations? It doesn’t seem that way.
There are various and contradicting information concerning how and from where the “Space Module” was brought to the Istanbul Archeological Museum. The most popular idea is that an antique trader brought the sculpture and after realizing that it was fake he didn’t pursue it. The Space module which is 23 centimeters long, 9,5 centimeters high and 8 centimeters wide has five engines. There is also a pilot figure on the small sculpture that has bent his knees reaching its chest. The clothing of the pilot resembles the space suits that astronauts wear.
source: http://arsiv.zaman.com.tr/2003/04/30/kultur/h6.htm (in turkish though, I translated it).”
http://projectavalon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=5976&page=3
And here is the text from Zaman.com translated via Google translate. It seems to be the same text that Elirien posted on the forum.
“Three thousand year old space module 'alçıymış 25 years!
Istanbul Archaeological Museum, and three thousand years in the alleged 'Space Module, plaster, made 25 years ago emerged.
Curators 'unique' which he described as a spacecraft, the Western media 'Urartians spacecraft belonging to three thousand years' title was subject to numerous news. However, the Ministry of Culture commissioned by the Directorate General of Monuments and Museums, as a result of chemical and petrographic analyzes, these views are inconsistent with the historical facts understood.
There are conflicting accounts about where it came from the work to the museum. Module according to one of these views has brought to the museum an antique dealer. 23 cm long and 9.5 cm high, the space module has 5 engine. Director General of Monuments and Museums, Dr. Alpay Pasinli of the work, three thousand years ago, but that he might have made more than 25 years ago. Western scientists wrote articles and writings he promotes his own public opinion reminiscent of the space module Pasinli three thousand years, "Reviews of plaster and marble dust as a result of this work have been generated." He said.
Istanbul Archaeological Museum, which is one of the most popular, and the median Western scientists will pursue to see 'Space Module' in Europe to date related to the article published in dozens, many newspapers and television news. To see themselves in pursuit of the German and British archaeologists in the early 1990s' Space Module ', a long time the Istanbul Archaeological Museums' department of housing was kept hidden. 'Space Module Fortean Times magazine, the British had succeeded in the first viewing. October 1993 along with a photograph of the statue in the number of "Old Is A Space Module?" The title of the magazine who, in 1994 the German magazine 'Magazine 2000' was followed. 'Rival broadcaster Magazine 2000' WITH LAUREL 'after this incident, the editor sent to Istanbul. He reached as a result of the research information shared with his readers. But emerging and Western public opinion is reflected in almost every survey information as follows: "stored in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum spacecraft, now known as the former Tuşpa Toprakkale located in the city in 1975, is confirmed by the excavations of the ordinary. BC It BC 830'dan Dispersed up to 612 of the Urartu civilization in the northeast of Lake Van. "After giving the information in the form of" this extraordinary object, now the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul, but sergilenmemektedir. "Was called.
Controversial 'Space Module' makes the most extensive research and Bible scholar, linguist, '12. Planet ', the author Zecharia Sitchin'di. Sitchin came to Turkey in the early 1990s, 'Space Module, believing that the 3000 year was one of the names. Sitchin, the museum 'housing removed from the Department,' velvet tray in the 'sculpture shown to him had made determinations regarding the following: "The object, presumably consisting of a volcanic ash porous stone that may be made of a substance. Accordance with amazing curves and other details are also refutes the idea that it is a crude product of labor. Removed from the official descriptions of the museum, such as a plaster mold with a plastic toy did? It does not appear at all. "
'Space Module into the Istanbul Archaeological Museum where it came from and how it is in the contradictory opinions. According to the most common opinion, the seller brought an antique statue, and one more on the pursuit of understanding does not fall into being a fake. 23 cm long, 9.5 cm high, 8 cm wide, the 'Space Module'' of the five engines. Heykelcikte, legs curled up toward the chest as a pilot figure is also a sitting. Clothes worn by the pilot of the 'space suit worn by astronot'ların resembles.
Abdullah Kilic / Istanbul”
Unfortunately for Sitchin and the ancient astronaut crowd, the reality of the rocket man statue is that it is unable to hold up to serious scrutiny.
Japan
Another set of statues purported to be a depiction of an ancient astronaut. The Dogu statues of Japan. (http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/jomon-dogu.html) Dogu come in many styles, but the “slitted-goggles” (pictured below) variety are arguably the most famous. Many of them are unusual to be sure, but not all of them look like aliens. Additionally, besides an alien explanation, a more plausible theory has been given for at least some of the figures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog%C5%AB
And a few dogu that are obviously stylized people, and widely ignored by ancient aliens folks.
http://www.e-yakimono.net/html/jomon-dogu.html
A user on abovetopsecret (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread544923/pg1) has cleverly discovered that the Dogu pictured above may actually be a stylized version of one of the Inuit people. The eyes are actually said to be Inuit snow goggles and the puffy “space suit” is actually winter attire.
http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/archiveaids/cordle.shtml
http://www.sinc.stonybrook.edu/Clubs/socia/web_items/old_website/
It’s not completely unfeasible that the Japanese could have encountered Inuit people in the distant past. Certainly it’s more believable than aliens from light years away. There’s evidence to suggest that some Japanese or elements of their culture made it as far as New Mexico, so encountering . The language of the Zuni people in New Mexico may be a variant of Japanese suggesting some relation between the two cultures. After all, the Native Americans had to come from somewhere and it’s commonly accepted theory that they traveled from Asia across the Bering land bridge.
“The Zuni Enigma, by Nancy Yaw Davis offers a comparative of cognates between the Zuni language and another language isolate; the Japanese language. While speculative… it demonstrates a likeness between the Zuni and Japanese languages that may be more compelling than that of the Penutian Hypothesis.”
http://www.amerindianarts.us/articles/zuni_language.shtml
“For example, the Zuni word for "clan" is "kwe," while in Japanese it is "kwai." The word for "clown" is "newe" in Japanese and "niwaka" in Zuni. "Priest" is "shawani" in Japanese and "shiwani" in Zuni…And then there was the whole syntax thing -- both languages use the verb as the last word of a sentence, a feature only 45 percent of languages share.”
http://www.cracked.com/article_19769_5-baffling-discoveries-that-prove-history-books-are-wrong_p2.html
And other evidence is available here:
http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf087/sf087a02.htm
Ecuador
In Cuenca, Ecuador a number of artifacts have been found, most of which were presented to Father Carlos Crespi, Catholic priest/missionary to the Native people of that area. Many of these are metal work, gold, brass and the like. Among the many artifacts given to him by the Natives, often in exchange for money, were figures that appeared in the Ancient Aliens shows. This one was displayed quite prominently, and from the vantage point it was shown does indeed look like a space suit.
screenshot of Ancient Aliens
Apparently the History Channel's penchant for deception still applies here. Here is the same “space suit” seen from a whole body angle.
Notice that this figure has toes that are not protected by the “suit,” in addition to a large amount of what appears to be exposed skin. So if it is a suit, it isn’t going to keep the astronaut alive for very long.
http://aenigmaunveiled.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/ufo-in-prehistoric-art-i/
The below figure, also said to be evidence of an ancient space suit has the same exact problem in addition to missing his face plate.
http://aenigmaunveiled.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/ufo-in-prehistoric-art-i/
There is little to no information available about this statue, or most such figures outside of the connection to the ancient astronaut theory. The only other information that comes up for these two figures is that they are from Cuenca, Ecuador and in all likelihood part of the collection of Father Carlos Crespi. Crespi was a missionary (sometimes rumored to be Hitler in disguise) on assignment from the Vatican and he often took in artifacts found by the native people in exchange for money. He was known to purchase fake artwork from the Natives as a form of charity. This was known to be the case for metal work, but would not be surprising if it extended to statues and other works.
“Regarding fakes (which Crespi knowingly purchases in his casual, humanitarian style, at the same time chiding the seller): “The modern solder and hacksaw marks give them away.” (p. 136)…some of the Indian diggers in Ecuador have cut up and reshaped genuinely ancient and priceless materials in order to get any kind of price at all for it.”
http://chapmanresearch.org/PDF/Crespi%20Ancient%20Artifact%20Collection%20of%20Cuenca%20%20Ecuador.pdf
In addition to Crespi’s penchant for fake art, there is yet another reason to doubt reason to doubt the authenticity of these statues. That reason is the person that he contacted to investigate the bulk of his collection.
“Padre Crespi invited von Däniken to examine his vast store of treasures”
http://thelastdaysoftolemac.com/prophecy/?p=74
The same Erich von Daniken who has been known to indulge in the occasional fraud such as:
• an “ancient” cave painting in Uzbekistan
o “Funny thing, though: this isn't an ancient cave painting. The illustration was drawn to illustrate an 1967 Sputnik magazine story on the ancient astronaut theory.”
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/faking-ancient-art-in-uzbekistan.html
• “ancient” pottery depicting UFOs
o “he produced photographs of pottery that he claimed had been found in an archaeological dig. The pottery depicts flying saucers and was said to have been dated from Biblical times. However, investigators from Nova (the fine public-television science program) found the potter who had made the allegedly ancient pots. They confronted von Däniken with evidence of his fraud. His reply was that his deception was justified because some people would only believe if they saw proof”
http://www.skepdic.com/vondanik.html
• quoting from the book of Dzyan as though it were an ancient book. In fact, it was channeled by New Age guru Blavatsky.
o “the Book of Dzyan is completely made up. It is the product of the imagination of Helena Blavatsky, the Theosophical fraud. Von Daniken merely acknowledges her as the "translator" of Dzyan. Blavatsky herself elliptically acknowledged the problem of authorship in the Secret Doctrine, where the fraudulent Dzyan stanzas appear.”
http://www.jasoncolavito.com/1/post/2012/01/von-daniken-theosophy-and-the-fraudulent-book-of-dzyan.html
and
• a falsified account of visiting an Ecuadorian cave housing the same kinds of artifacts Crespi was storing.
o “A third room contained artifacts that were similar to the objects that von Däniken had seen in the underground cavern that he had explored with Juan Moricz.”
http://thelastdaysoftolemac.com/prophecy/?p=74
o “The man whom he said showed him these tunnels, Juan Moricz, told Der Spiegel that von Däniken's descriptions came from a long conversation and that the photos in the book had been "fiddled".[20] Von Däniken told Playboy that although he had seen the library and other places he had described, he had fabricated some of the events to add interest to his book…Later in 1978 he said that he had never been in the cave pictured in his book but in a "side entrance", and that he had fabricated the whole descend to the cave…A geologist examined the area and found no cave systems.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Daniken#Errors_and_omissions
Although there is little information available – to either prove or disprove – the Cuenca, Ecuador “space suit” figures of Carlos Crespi, one should at least consider the possibility that these are but one of many frauds in Crespi’s collection and one of many frauds being used to perpetuate the ancient astronaut lie. In light of the fact that the “space suit” figures have toes and one has exposed skin, their being proof of space exploration are laughable. Added to this, Crespi’s acquisition of fakes and associations with von Daniken and there is far more evidence against the authenticity of these figures than there are for it.
UFO Over Jerusalem: Red Sky or Big Lie?
In September, Ancient Aliens will be debunked. Here's the trailer:
http://conspiracyclothes.com/nowheretorun/video-only-ancient-aliens-debunked-trailer/
And here's some details to one of the claims that will be looked at.
Claim
Bill Birnes Ph.D claims:
During the crusades, over Jerusalem over Turkey, at certain places in battles. There are images captured in texts about a strange cloud in the sky that glowed red.
Refutation
To start with, Dr. Birnes doesn’t give us much to go on here. He probably does have a specific case and situation in mind, but due to the editing that History Channel is notorious for we don’t get to know what he’s talking about.
The most likely scenario being suggest is one recorded by Ekkehard of Aura, the abbot of a monastery. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05371a.htm Ekkehard recorded many events in his life, and one of them was an event of red clouds in the sky.
From "Jerusalem Journey" Ekkehard Aura
“After the sign in the sun that had been foretold was seen, many portents appeared in the sky as well as on the earth and excited not a few who were previously indifferent to the Crusade. We thought that some of these signs could be usefully inserted here: to give all of them would be very tedious. About the fifth of October we saw a comet in the south, its tail extending sideways like a sword. In the third year after these events, on February 24, we saw another star in the east changing its position by leaps and bounds after a long interval.
We and many witnesses attest to have seen blood-red clouds rising from the west as well as the east and rushing together in the center of the sky, as well as brilliant fires from the north in the middle of the night, and frequently even sparks flying through the air.
Not many years before, a priest of venerable life by the name of Siger one day at about three in the afternoon saw two knights charging against each other in the sky and fighting for a long time. The one who was carrying a good-sized cross with which he struck the other turned out the victor.
At the same time the priest G. (now a monk with us, paying the humble service of a proud man to Christ for the sins of our first parents) was walking in the woods with two companions about noon. He saw a sword of marvelous length, arising from an unknown source, borne off into the heavens in a whirlwind. Until the distance hid it, he heard its din and saw its steel. Others who kept watch feeding horses reported that they saw the likeness of a city in the air and that they beheld various crowds hurrying to it from different places both on horseback and on foot.
Some showed the sign of the cross stamped by divine influence on their foreheads or clothes or on some part of their body, and by that mark they believed themselves to be ordained for the army of God. Others who were converted by a sudden change of heart or instructed by a vision in the night sold their manors and household possessions and sewed the sign of mortification on their clothes. In the midst of all of this, more people than can be believed ran to the churches in crowds, and the priests blessed and handed out swords, clubs, and pilgrim wallets in a new ritual.
Why should I report that at that time a woman, pregnant for two years, gave birth to a son already speaking when her womb finally opened? Why should I speak of the infant born with two members in all parts, or of another with two heads, or of the lambs with two heads, or of the foals who at birth put forth the large teeth which are commonly called "equine," and which nature grants only to three-year-olds?”
http://www.futurerevealed.com/christian/catholic/ekkehard-aura.htm
Same text as above
http://http-server.carleton.ca/~jopp/3850/3-1.htm
And here’s a new translation of the above, with commentary by Matthew King the author.
In addition to the sign in the sun that has previously been discussed148 and the many other signs that appeared in the sky and on land, exciting many previously sluggish bodies to this army, I have set forth here a most useful compilation of these omens, since truly explaining all the omens would take a very long time.149 I saw around October 7th a comet standing fixed in the southern sky, its brilliance stretching out like the broad side of a sword.150 Truly after 3 years I saw another star on February 24th, changing its location a great distance with a long leap to the East. I also confirmed red clouds, surging from the West and East, and running together mutually towards the center of the sky. Furthermore, in the middle of the night dazzling fires surged from the North,151 and I saw a little star falling across the sky, along with many other witnesses. Not long before these years a certain priest of a venerable life, by the name of Siggerius, at nearly the 3rd hour of the day, saw two horsemen charging in the sky, who were striving eagerly to fight for a long time. The one who bore the cross was not ordinary. He seemed to cut down the other and emerged victorious over the other horseman. During this same time, the priest Gaius, who now is under the monastic profession with us and has paid in full to Christ a debt of a sheep in exchange for the first born of an ass, while strolling in the forest during a certain midday hour with two companions, saw that a sword of miraculous length was being brought down from on high by an approaching whirlwind. It was lifted from there up to an unknown place, and was hidden from sight because of its altitude. Then, he discerned a crashing sound with his ears as if he saw the
(148 Ekkehard mentioned this sign in his Chronicon Universale during the year 1096. Geoergius Heinricus Pertz, eds. Monumenta Germaniae Historica: SS (Hanover: University of Neudruck Press, 1925), 208.
149 More than any other crusade writer of the early 12th century, Ekkehard is entrenched in eschatological omens. Since he is writing after the success of the First Crusade, he likely sees the capture of Jerusalem as a prerequisite for the commencement of the End of Days. These omens also confirm to Ekkehard that the crusade is indeed a divine endeavor supported by God.
150 The presence of this comet was also confirmed by the anonymous author of the Annalista Saxo, who saw it on October 7th, 1096. MGH, SS, VI, 367.
151 This could be a description of the Aurora Borealis.)
metal with his eyes. Others, who were keeping watch over a pasture of horses, reported that they saw a spectacle in the sky of a city, where they saw diverse mobs of horsemen and foot soldiers hastening in different directions. Some of them even showed the sign of the cross imprinted on their foreheads, garments, or another location on the body. Because of this brand itself, they believed that they were ordained to the same army of the Lord. Likewise, it pleased others, who were either stimulated by a sudden change of mind or instructed by a nocturnal vision, to dissolve their lands and familial property, and to sew the sign of mortification onto their clothing. And in all of these places, beyond what could be believed, when the people were running to the churches in crowds, the priestly blessing, given in accordance with the new rite, dispersed the sword with sticks and reliquaries. Why should I tell you about a certain woman at that time who was pregnant for two full years and finally when her uterus was ripped open, gave birth to a son who could speak, a little infant who was two-limbed throughout, and another one with two heads, and also some lambs who were born with two heads, and even the young of female horses, who brought forth in the midst of birth, larger teeth that they commonly call equine teeth, which nature gives only to three year old pack horses.”
https://digital.lib.washington.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1773/16588/Matt%20King%20Research%20Project.pdf?sequence=1
Well, what’s going on here? Ekkehard is clearly describing natural occurrences and even admits as much when describing the comet. Where it gets colorful is when he sees fire from the north. That on the surface could be sold as a UFO by the ancient aliens crowd, but King postulated that it was merely the northern lights. What of the red clouds then?
It very well could have been a meteorite.
“I saw another star on February 24th, changing its location a great distance with a long leap to the East. I also confirmed red clouds, surging from the West and East”
A long leap to the east could be suggesting that the object had come from the west, then streaked across the sky to the west. If this were the case, the red clouds in the west could be from the object burning up upon entry. The clouds in the east, from its impact with earth. This would also easily explain why the clouds appeared to be joining together as they were both from the same event. Alternately, the object could have broken up on entry with part landing in the east and a smaller part burning up completely on a westbound trajectory.
The city in the sky is indeed a little harder to explain. One key thing to consider though is that in the city that was seen, the witnesses reported that they saw horsemen. If these were aliens or a UFO, why would there be men on horses? Furthermore, there are no details insinuating that the city might be an ET craft. All descriptions of this event sound like a mdieval city, not a space craft. Many UFOs reported now are easily reported as discs, spheres, rectangles, triangles and so on, there have been no cases of a UFO looking like a city, even when they are exceptionally large.
This vision of an army and city in the sky can be seen in one of two ways. Firstly, the real astronomical phenomena were embellished and mixed with religious propaganda to recruit soldiers for the crusades. Secondly, they really did see something but it was neither God nor alien, but perhaps a lying spirit.
Regarding the vision as propaganda. What better way would there be to recruit siege fodder than with a “divine revelation”? Unfortunately, many people have been misled into disaster by following an alleged vision from God. To be sure, the use of alleged spiritual visions was not unheard of in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. It happened as far back as Biblical times, and it happens now.
In Miri Rubin’s "Gentile Tales" numerous examples of impressive and sometimes outlandish visions from the middle ages are presented. They have an obvious feeling of propaganda and were used for the purpose of enforcing Church doctrine and converting Jews. In short, anti-semitism was reinforced with “heavenly visions.” Here are a few examples.
On page 9 of Gentile Tales, there is a story from the twelfth-century range (Ekkehard was eleventh century) which tells of a Jewish boy receiving a vision of the virgin Mary while attending service and receiving the Communion Host. Another tale on the same page tells the story of a Jewish boy who went to a Catholic service and received Communion. As a result, his Jewish father threw him into a fire. Miraculously, of course, Mary saved him from being burnt and the story ends with the wicked father’s death. The story of the Jewish boy, his wicked father and Mary’s timely rescue took on many variations and spread widely.
Later on in Gentile Tales, on page 36, another strange tale is told. Some Jews allegedly wanted a Communion host wafer so badly that they held up a priest for one. The priest claimed that he no longer had one, but that it was instead in his soul and heart. They then killed him and ripped his heart out, but immediately a boy was said to have appeared from his heart. A boy that claimed to be Jesus Christ. After a brief sermon, the boy went back into the priest’s heart and raised him from the dead.
Those are just two examples of divine encounters used by the Church of its day to turn average people against Jews and into the arms of the Church. If they did this for such a small thing as excluding Jews and strengthening their hold on people, it should at least be considered that the same was done for recruiting soldiers.
The second possibility is that the city in the sky (and the other stories presented) did indeed really happen, but as mentioned before were not UFOs. Remember they saw horses and a city. Rather than aliens, any beings seen by these crusaders would likely have been demonic imposters. They have a motive to mislead and destroy humanity, and what better way than to enlist them in a religious war? This is highly possible, as we are not told that anyone tested the spirits.
1 John 4 gives Christians the key to discerning if a spiritual encounter is truly from God or not.
1Jo 4:1 KJV - Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jo 4:2 KJV - Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jo 4:3 KJV - And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Jo&c=4&v=1&t=KJV#1
Furthermore, 1 Timothy 4:1 warns us that seducing spirits would lead people astray and 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 reinforces that. While 2 Thessalonians definitely speaks of the end days, it could be applied to many other situations as well.
1Ti 4:1 KJV - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 KJV - Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Ti&c=4&v=1&t=KJV#1
2Th 2:9 KJV - [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 KJV - And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 KJV - And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 KJV - That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Th&c=2&v=1&t=KJV
The red clouds in the sky can be easily attributed to a crashing meteorite, comets and the Northern Lights, some of which Ekkehard clearly identified. These were given a greater spiritual significance and possible embellishment, potentially for recruiting purposes.
The city in the sky was clearly described as a city and was filled with horsemen. This is nowhere near close to any modern UFO sighting. Even extremely large UFOs (sometimes up to 1 mile in size) are never described as a city but as a large object, usually a disc. This city in the sky was either 1) made up, again to recruit troops for the crusades or 2) was a spiritual vision provided by demonic spirits.
In either situation, there are more plausible explanations that do not necessitate alien visitors, and involve a more likely candidate, human deception for personal gain.
http://conspiracyclothes.com/nowheretorun/video-only-ancient-aliens-debunked-trailer/
And here's some details to one of the claims that will be looked at.
Claim
Bill Birnes Ph.D claims:
During the crusades, over Jerusalem over Turkey, at certain places in battles. There are images captured in texts about a strange cloud in the sky that glowed red.
Refutation
To start with, Dr. Birnes doesn’t give us much to go on here. He probably does have a specific case and situation in mind, but due to the editing that History Channel is notorious for we don’t get to know what he’s talking about.
The most likely scenario being suggest is one recorded by Ekkehard of Aura, the abbot of a monastery. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05371a.htm Ekkehard recorded many events in his life, and one of them was an event of red clouds in the sky.
From "Jerusalem Journey" Ekkehard Aura
“After the sign in the sun that had been foretold was seen, many portents appeared in the sky as well as on the earth and excited not a few who were previously indifferent to the Crusade. We thought that some of these signs could be usefully inserted here: to give all of them would be very tedious. About the fifth of October we saw a comet in the south, its tail extending sideways like a sword. In the third year after these events, on February 24, we saw another star in the east changing its position by leaps and bounds after a long interval.
We and many witnesses attest to have seen blood-red clouds rising from the west as well as the east and rushing together in the center of the sky, as well as brilliant fires from the north in the middle of the night, and frequently even sparks flying through the air.
Not many years before, a priest of venerable life by the name of Siger one day at about three in the afternoon saw two knights charging against each other in the sky and fighting for a long time. The one who was carrying a good-sized cross with which he struck the other turned out the victor.
At the same time the priest G. (now a monk with us, paying the humble service of a proud man to Christ for the sins of our first parents) was walking in the woods with two companions about noon. He saw a sword of marvelous length, arising from an unknown source, borne off into the heavens in a whirlwind. Until the distance hid it, he heard its din and saw its steel. Others who kept watch feeding horses reported that they saw the likeness of a city in the air and that they beheld various crowds hurrying to it from different places both on horseback and on foot.
Some showed the sign of the cross stamped by divine influence on their foreheads or clothes or on some part of their body, and by that mark they believed themselves to be ordained for the army of God. Others who were converted by a sudden change of heart or instructed by a vision in the night sold their manors and household possessions and sewed the sign of mortification on their clothes. In the midst of all of this, more people than can be believed ran to the churches in crowds, and the priests blessed and handed out swords, clubs, and pilgrim wallets in a new ritual.
Why should I report that at that time a woman, pregnant for two years, gave birth to a son already speaking when her womb finally opened? Why should I speak of the infant born with two members in all parts, or of another with two heads, or of the lambs with two heads, or of the foals who at birth put forth the large teeth which are commonly called "equine," and which nature grants only to three-year-olds?”
http://www.futurerevealed.com/christian/catholic/ekkehard-aura.htm
Same text as above
http://http-server.carleton.ca/~jopp/3850/3-1.htm
And here’s a new translation of the above, with commentary by Matthew King the author.
In addition to the sign in the sun that has previously been discussed148 and the many other signs that appeared in the sky and on land, exciting many previously sluggish bodies to this army, I have set forth here a most useful compilation of these omens, since truly explaining all the omens would take a very long time.149 I saw around October 7th a comet standing fixed in the southern sky, its brilliance stretching out like the broad side of a sword.150 Truly after 3 years I saw another star on February 24th, changing its location a great distance with a long leap to the East. I also confirmed red clouds, surging from the West and East, and running together mutually towards the center of the sky. Furthermore, in the middle of the night dazzling fires surged from the North,151 and I saw a little star falling across the sky, along with many other witnesses. Not long before these years a certain priest of a venerable life, by the name of Siggerius, at nearly the 3rd hour of the day, saw two horsemen charging in the sky, who were striving eagerly to fight for a long time. The one who bore the cross was not ordinary. He seemed to cut down the other and emerged victorious over the other horseman. During this same time, the priest Gaius, who now is under the monastic profession with us and has paid in full to Christ a debt of a sheep in exchange for the first born of an ass, while strolling in the forest during a certain midday hour with two companions, saw that a sword of miraculous length was being brought down from on high by an approaching whirlwind. It was lifted from there up to an unknown place, and was hidden from sight because of its altitude. Then, he discerned a crashing sound with his ears as if he saw the
(148 Ekkehard mentioned this sign in his Chronicon Universale during the year 1096. Geoergius Heinricus Pertz, eds. Monumenta Germaniae Historica: SS (Hanover: University of Neudruck Press, 1925), 208.
149 More than any other crusade writer of the early 12th century, Ekkehard is entrenched in eschatological omens. Since he is writing after the success of the First Crusade, he likely sees the capture of Jerusalem as a prerequisite for the commencement of the End of Days. These omens also confirm to Ekkehard that the crusade is indeed a divine endeavor supported by God.
150 The presence of this comet was also confirmed by the anonymous author of the Annalista Saxo, who saw it on October 7th, 1096. MGH, SS, VI, 367.
151 This could be a description of the Aurora Borealis.)
metal with his eyes. Others, who were keeping watch over a pasture of horses, reported that they saw a spectacle in the sky of a city, where they saw diverse mobs of horsemen and foot soldiers hastening in different directions. Some of them even showed the sign of the cross imprinted on their foreheads, garments, or another location on the body. Because of this brand itself, they believed that they were ordained to the same army of the Lord. Likewise, it pleased others, who were either stimulated by a sudden change of mind or instructed by a nocturnal vision, to dissolve their lands and familial property, and to sew the sign of mortification onto their clothing. And in all of these places, beyond what could be believed, when the people were running to the churches in crowds, the priestly blessing, given in accordance with the new rite, dispersed the sword with sticks and reliquaries. Why should I tell you about a certain woman at that time who was pregnant for two full years and finally when her uterus was ripped open, gave birth to a son who could speak, a little infant who was two-limbed throughout, and another one with two heads, and also some lambs who were born with two heads, and even the young of female horses, who brought forth in the midst of birth, larger teeth that they commonly call equine teeth, which nature gives only to three year old pack horses.”
https://digital.lib.washington.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1773/16588/Matt%20King%20Research%20Project.pdf?sequence=1
Well, what’s going on here? Ekkehard is clearly describing natural occurrences and even admits as much when describing the comet. Where it gets colorful is when he sees fire from the north. That on the surface could be sold as a UFO by the ancient aliens crowd, but King postulated that it was merely the northern lights. What of the red clouds then?
It very well could have been a meteorite.
“I saw another star on February 24th, changing its location a great distance with a long leap to the East. I also confirmed red clouds, surging from the West and East”
A long leap to the east could be suggesting that the object had come from the west, then streaked across the sky to the west. If this were the case, the red clouds in the west could be from the object burning up upon entry. The clouds in the east, from its impact with earth. This would also easily explain why the clouds appeared to be joining together as they were both from the same event. Alternately, the object could have broken up on entry with part landing in the east and a smaller part burning up completely on a westbound trajectory.
The city in the sky is indeed a little harder to explain. One key thing to consider though is that in the city that was seen, the witnesses reported that they saw horsemen. If these were aliens or a UFO, why would there be men on horses? Furthermore, there are no details insinuating that the city might be an ET craft. All descriptions of this event sound like a mdieval city, not a space craft. Many UFOs reported now are easily reported as discs, spheres, rectangles, triangles and so on, there have been no cases of a UFO looking like a city, even when they are exceptionally large.
This vision of an army and city in the sky can be seen in one of two ways. Firstly, the real astronomical phenomena were embellished and mixed with religious propaganda to recruit soldiers for the crusades. Secondly, they really did see something but it was neither God nor alien, but perhaps a lying spirit.
Regarding the vision as propaganda. What better way would there be to recruit siege fodder than with a “divine revelation”? Unfortunately, many people have been misled into disaster by following an alleged vision from God. To be sure, the use of alleged spiritual visions was not unheard of in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. It happened as far back as Biblical times, and it happens now.
In Miri Rubin’s "Gentile Tales" numerous examples of impressive and sometimes outlandish visions from the middle ages are presented. They have an obvious feeling of propaganda and were used for the purpose of enforcing Church doctrine and converting Jews. In short, anti-semitism was reinforced with “heavenly visions.” Here are a few examples.
On page 9 of Gentile Tales, there is a story from the twelfth-century range (Ekkehard was eleventh century) which tells of a Jewish boy receiving a vision of the virgin Mary while attending service and receiving the Communion Host. Another tale on the same page tells the story of a Jewish boy who went to a Catholic service and received Communion. As a result, his Jewish father threw him into a fire. Miraculously, of course, Mary saved him from being burnt and the story ends with the wicked father’s death. The story of the Jewish boy, his wicked father and Mary’s timely rescue took on many variations and spread widely.
Later on in Gentile Tales, on page 36, another strange tale is told. Some Jews allegedly wanted a Communion host wafer so badly that they held up a priest for one. The priest claimed that he no longer had one, but that it was instead in his soul and heart. They then killed him and ripped his heart out, but immediately a boy was said to have appeared from his heart. A boy that claimed to be Jesus Christ. After a brief sermon, the boy went back into the priest’s heart and raised him from the dead.
Those are just two examples of divine encounters used by the Church of its day to turn average people against Jews and into the arms of the Church. If they did this for such a small thing as excluding Jews and strengthening their hold on people, it should at least be considered that the same was done for recruiting soldiers.
The second possibility is that the city in the sky (and the other stories presented) did indeed really happen, but as mentioned before were not UFOs. Remember they saw horses and a city. Rather than aliens, any beings seen by these crusaders would likely have been demonic imposters. They have a motive to mislead and destroy humanity, and what better way than to enlist them in a religious war? This is highly possible, as we are not told that anyone tested the spirits.
1 John 4 gives Christians the key to discerning if a spiritual encounter is truly from God or not.
1Jo 4:1 KJV - Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jo 4:2 KJV - Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jo 4:3 KJV - And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Jo&c=4&v=1&t=KJV#1
Furthermore, 1 Timothy 4:1 warns us that seducing spirits would lead people astray and 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 reinforces that. While 2 Thessalonians definitely speaks of the end days, it could be applied to many other situations as well.
1Ti 4:1 KJV - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 KJV - Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Ti&c=4&v=1&t=KJV#1
2Th 2:9 KJV - [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 KJV - And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 KJV - And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 KJV - That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=2Th&c=2&v=1&t=KJV
The red clouds in the sky can be easily attributed to a crashing meteorite, comets and the Northern Lights, some of which Ekkehard clearly identified. These were given a greater spiritual significance and possible embellishment, potentially for recruiting purposes.
The city in the sky was clearly described as a city and was filled with horsemen. This is nowhere near close to any modern UFO sighting. Even extremely large UFOs (sometimes up to 1 mile in size) are never described as a city but as a large object, usually a disc. This city in the sky was either 1) made up, again to recruit troops for the crusades or 2) was a spiritual vision provided by demonic spirits.
In either situation, there are more plausible explanations that do not necessitate alien visitors, and involve a more likely candidate, human deception for personal gain.
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