S5 E18: Are Aliens the Next Satanic Panic?

Season 5 covers the supernatural and paranormal from a Spirit-led perspective. In this episode, Glenn wonders if the interest in aliens bears a resemblance to the "Satanic Panic." The Satanic Panic took place in the 80's and 90's and was a season where Christians saw demonic influence everywhere. Christians blindly accepted testimony without any critical thinking. Could the discussion of aliens today be similar? As someone old enough to remember the Satanic Panic, Glenn explains some current things that concern him, and a reasonable approach that Christians can take today when discussing aliens.

The Bible will be the source of truth for this season, even though extra-biblical books and podcasts will be discussed. As discussed in Episode 1, Glenn will be kind to the authors and podcast hosts discussed throughout the season.

This episode has a transcript. If your podcast player does not support transcripts, please go to the Transcripts section of https://spiritledhope.com/ These transcripts have been edited for accuracy and are typically of higher quality than those produced automatically by many podcast apps.

Transcript

S5 E18 TRANSCRIPT 

ARE ALIENS THE NEXT SATANIC PANIC?

INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone, and welcome to Spirit-Led Hope. My name is Glenn Erichsen, and in this episode, we are asking the question…

     ARE ALIENS THE NEXT SATANIC PANIC?

In this season, as I have studied paranormal and supernatural topics, I have been amazed at the interest in aliens. At least every few days, I read an article, or listen to a podcast, which discusses the search for life on other planets, or the possibility that earth is routinely visited by intelligent non-human beings.

In fact, just recently, the Trump administration released declassified UFO/UAP data. There is so much happening right now that it is very possible this episode will be outdated before you hear it. I could end up eating a lot of the words I say in the next few minutes. But that is okay. That is how our walk with God is, and how science is. We learn as we go. 

One of the most surprising things to me, is that some of the loudest voices on this topic, are members of the Christian community. This is becoming more than a fringe topic in the global Church right now, and I thought it would be good to take a deep breath and consider how we should view this interest from a Spirit-led perspective.

I may ruffle a few feathers saying this, but I see similarities between where we are now with aliens, and where we were in the 80’s and 90’s with what is now called, the “Satanic Panic.” I do not think it is quite the same, but there are enough similarities that I believe we need to be thoughtful and careful in how we approach this season.

THE SATANIC PANIC

The Satanic Panic was most predominant in conservative Christian groups. It seems to have been triggered, in part, by a book called “Michelle Remembers.” The book came out in 1980, and it was supposed to be a factual account of a woman undergoing psychiatric treatment in Victoria, British Columbia, not far from where I live in Washington State.

During the treatment sessions, the woman underwent hypnosis and the psychiatrist was convinced that he had uncovered subdued memories. Well, these memories supposedly revealed that the woman had experienced Satanic Ritual Abuse from a satanic cult in Victoria. And her accounts of what had been done to her were horrific.

There was no hard evidence to support any of this, but the book became well-known. The psychiatrist and patient eventually got married, and they presented their findings to various church authorities. They even ended up going to the Vatican and the patient was a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which was one of the biggest shows in its day. Their reports of ritual abuse became material for newspapers, magazines, and talk shows…this was all before the early days of the world wide web.

As this story spread, more people came forward with their accounts of Satanic Ritual Abuse. Again, there was no hard evidence to support what people were saying, but things snowballed. At the McMartin preschool in California, things got totally out of control. Some of the teachers were charged with ritually abusing the children. It just got weird. There were accusations that witches were present and even that one of the teachers could fly.

Some of the accused teachers were put on trial, and you can imagine how badly their lives were affected, with one of them spending 5 years in jail without ever being convicted. Ultimately, all charges were dismissed, and the school was eventually torn down.

During this same time, fingers were pointed at anything that seemed like it could be demonic. Heavy metal music and games like “Dungeons and Dragons” were automatically considered tools of the devil.

I remember Mike Warnke, a Christian comedian, telling his stories about how he used to be a Satanic high priest. I do not like to admit it, but I trusted him and I believed his stories. He seemed sincere and he pointed people to Jesus. Unfortunately, it turned out that he had made up all his stories about being a satanist. None of it was true. 

This is really the way to summarize the Satanic Panic…nearly everything that was said about Satanic Ritual Abuse, and the widespread prevalence of satanic cults was unsupported and unproven. Many good people got hurt in the fallout, and the Church lost credibility because people were accused and statements were made without any supporting facts.

Now before I start talking about aliens, I want to acknowledge that Satanic Ritual Abuse does occur. The bible mentions child sacrifice, so we know abuse does happen. And that is probably one of the contributors to why the Satanic Panic got out of control…to a Christian it sounds plausible. But blind acceptance, and the lack of proper checks and balances in the Church let it go way too far.

ALIENS AND THE SATANIC PANIC

Having just given a short history of the Satanic Panic, let me explain some of the similarities I see between the Satanic Panic and what is happening in the Church with aliens.

First, let me explain why Christians are so vocal right now when it comes to aliens. Because of the perceived presence of alien ships and unexplainable phenomena right now, it seems possible that the earth may soon have a real, public, visible, provable, encounter with intelligent non-human extra-terrestrial beings. From a Christian perspective, this has already happened because angels are intelligent non-human extra-terrestrial beings and they have appeared to people as noted in the Bible. So, it is not far-fetched to think that this could happen on a much larger scale if a fallen angel, or a demonic being, makes its presence known to the larger public. This is possible from a Christian perspective.

And because this is possible, there is a real concern by Christians, that this could be the moment in our history, where a great deception occurs that is part of end-times. If a demonic being appeared as a technically advanced being, it could present a view that is opposed to Jesus. In other words, be antichrist. That is the reasoning that has many Christians concerned, and explains why there are books, and YouTube videos, and podcasts by Christian content creators warning us of what could happen.

I understand this and they could be right. It sounds plausible from a Christian perspective.

But here are some things that are like the Satanic Panic…and they make me a bit uncomfortable.

The first point of discomfort for me is the lack of physical evidence. Many people talk about tangible spacecraft wreckage, or alien bodies…but where is it? If you listen to the experts being interviewed, they typically say things like, “My confidential source says that he has seen the bodies.” They themselves never have. Or, if there is some data, there are other clear explanations that can equally explain what was seen. There seems to be blind acceptance of data that is unsupported. That does bother me.

The same thing happened during the Satanic Panic. There was a lot of evidence that was presented only by testimony. For a long time, no one bothered to check Mike Warnke’s story to see if there was any truth to it. This lack of evidence became very apparent at the McMartin trial because all charges were eventually dropped.

The second point of discomfort for me is the way things are being blown up and made larger through various media outlets. Recently there was a rumor that a group of pastors had met with the U.S. government and that government officials told them to prepare their churches for the reality of aliens. That story took on a life of its own, only to be quickly followed up with a disclaimer that it was not true. I listened to at least four different content creators trying to shut down the bad information. But these disclaimers provide more content and add to the volume and spread of material. Of course, it is not lost on me that this episode might be doing the same thing.

This is exactly what happened with the Satanic Panic. In many ways, what we see now may be worse because of social media and the increased number of outlets available to content creators. Content creators work hard to create content, and stories of aliens give them appealing material. The internet and smart phones reach an audience that was not available at the time of the Satanic Panic.

Something else which reminds me of the Satanic Panic is the feeling of something dark and secret going on. With the Satanic Panic, it was believed that satanic cults were everywhere and operating under the radar. The idea of a government cover-up and aliens monitoring the earth unseen, gives a similar creepy vibe. From a Christian perspective, the predominant feeling of aliens leans towards one of darkness and evil. To be fair, not all alien encounters are described as evil or bad. That said, the feeling of evil is certainly present with the many stories of alien abductions and experiments done on humans.

I am sure there are other similarities between the Satanic Panic and aliens we could talk about, but I believe that the trickiest thing is the plausibility of an alien deception. When we look back at the Satanic Panic, it is not hard to see that Mike Warnke’s stories, and the accusations of Satanic Ritual Abuse at the McMartin school were possible. There are satanists who become Christians. And there are people who have suffered ritual abuse. And there are teachers who abuse children. That is what made the Satanic Panic possible. Christians could believe what they were hearing because there were elements to the stories that sounded possible. I know this from experience because I got tricked by part of it.

 We have the same issue with the belief of an upcoming alien deception. In the late 1990’s, a Christian named Chuck Missler co-authored “Alien Encounters” which was a book that attempted to systematically connect Scripture with data about aliens. This book was very influential and discusses the things we looked at earlier this season like the Nephilim and the Unseen Realm. Missler tied all these things together and made a strong case for an alien deception. Chuck Missler is no longer alive, but many other Christians and Christian ministries are following suit with books and podcasts warning that Satan will use the story of aliens to deceive the world. And, from a Christian perspective, it all sounds very possible.

HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND TO THE WARNINGS OF AN ALIEN DECEPTION?

Before I tell you how I think we should respond to the threat of an alien deception, let me quickly tell you one difference between the Satanic Panic and the UFO/UAP narrative.

With UFOs and UAPs, there seems to be a technical physical element. In other words, much of the narrative is around crashed spacecraft, or tracking objects through the air or underwater. These things create the possibility that there may be absolute physical proof that aliens exist. And that is something very different than the shadowy implication of an underground satanic cult pulling strings to abuse children in a daycare.

And I think this gives us something to think about when it comes to leading a Spirit-led life in a world where aliens are discussed on a regular basis. I am not arrogant enough to say that I know exactly what Christians should do, but I can tell you what I think is a reasonable approach for now. 

The first thing is that we should keep humble. This is a complex topic, and we should not oversimplify it. It will not do us any good to simply dismiss the possibility of aliens, or to think that we have it all figured out.

The second thing is to not get caught up in all the hype. Christians already believe that extra-terrestrial beings exist because we believe in angels and demons. But with respect to UFOs and UAPs there is no scientifically verified public data that proves these vessels or associated non-human beings exist. Could they exist, sure. But until the data comes out, why get caught up in all the speculation? 

Instead of focusing on government conspiracies and a big plan by Satan, let’s keep focused on our relationship with God. If physical evidence appears, like a spacecraft lands at the Whitehouse, then it is not the spacecraft or the alien that we will be worried about.

Do you know what it is that we need to keep alert for? It is not an alien. It is what the aliens say that matters. The universe is as big place, and we do not know what God has created in addition to humans and all the spiritual beings we have talked about this season. 

But we know this...if an intelligent being does appear, then whatever it communicates must line up with the truth of Scripture. That is what we need to be concerned about. It is not the alien or their vessel that is the deception. It is what they say that has the potential to deceive God’s elect, if possible.

Is it wrong for us to think about the possibility of aliens or have ministries dedicated to calling out a possible alien deception? No, I do not think so. But I can tell you that your relationship with God is way more important. If you find yourself fearful that you will be deceived and led astray by extra-terrestrial creatures, then I propose that you spend more time getting to know God. And if you see a ministry that deviates from being Jesus-centric, or God-centric, then they may have lost their way a bit.

Spirit-led people can be confident in knowing that God will help us recognize any false teachings that will lead us away from God. Let us keep focused on our love for Jesus and each other, as we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us. That is where our energy should go.

CLOSING

Let us finish this episode by answering the question, “Are Aliens the Next Satanic Panic.”  I think the answer is, “not yet.” I believe there are some distinct differences that will make it harder for the alien phenomena to act just like the Satanic Panic. Now that said, I do see pockets where Christians are believing everything they hear from the Christian UFO/UAP experts without any critical thinking. And I do see some visible Christians advocating that churches teach more about UFOs and UAPs. These things do feel a bit like the Satanic Panic.

But if Jesus is kept in focus, things will be okay. And that is our job as Spirit-led believers. We can keep in the loop with the latest news about UFOs and UAPs but let us keep Jesus first and encourage our fellow believers to do the same. If we do that, we will be ready if an alien deception truly takes place.

And we will avoid another Satanic Panic.

That is it for this episode. For the next 1 to 3 episodes, I am going to take a short season break. I will keep you informed through mini-casts, and then we will resume Season 5.

As always, you can send me comments by email at glenn@spiritledhope.com. You can also send me a text message or voicemail by going to the episode show notes and clicking on the link with your smart phone. Please spread the word and share this podcast with your friends. 

As you keep Jesus as your focus…

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Until the next episode, take care.

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