What's the official stand on aliens

by Eh 42 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  zagor

  It is generally accepted that Jehovah's witnesses are from another planet.

  Try, another universe
• 

  nvrgnbk

  What's the official stand on aliens?

  They can be counted as publishers and even get baptized.

  They cannot have special privileges until they can prove that they're in the in the process of of obtaining legal residency status from the government.
• 

  Eh

  So from what I've read here it would seem that the WTBS has left things vague enough so that if life is found elsewhere, they can add it to their rhetoric without too much trouble. Shame - I was hoping to find something that may happen in my lifetime that would cause a mass exodus. I'll keep looking. Still, there's hope that there are others like jaguarbass who would be shaken by such a discovery. That's good to know.
• 

  jgnat

  I had assumed this thread was about illegal aliens. I remember one article which encouraged Witnesses to remain in their native country, and not pursue the hope of "material gain" by immigrating. In practice, I suspect the society is quite lenient about converts who might also be in the country illegaly. I don't think an elder would counsel them to subject to civil authorities, do you?

  Don't Witnesses come from the

  Pleiades?
• 

  blondie

  *** g96 7/8 pp. 26-27The Bible’s Viewpoint (7/8/1996 Awake)

  UFO’s—Messengers From God?

  AS THE 20th century winds down and conditions on earth steadily deteriorate, belief in unidentified flying objects (UFO’s) and their passengers, extraterrestrial beings, continues to spread. Are UFO’s just fiction, a deception, a hoax perpetrated by people who like to laugh at the public’s gullibility?

  Those who claim to have seen UFO’s or their extraterrestrial passengers include seemingly normal, trustworthy people; in fact, those who believe in these visitors from other planets include well-educated professors and scientists. They are convinced that extraterrestrials are observing humans and, at times, communicating with them. So-called extraterrestrial support groups are available to assist people who claim they have made contact with space visitors.

  Alien

  SurvivalPlan

  In AliensAmongUs, Ruth Montgomery interviews some of a growing number of people who are convinced that they are extraterrestrial visitors residing in human bodies. Some of these who claim to be humanized extraterrestrials foretell that in the year 2000, there will be "a cosmic event that the hierarchies of angels and masters have been preparing for." Some people believe that extraterrestrials are using UFO’s to collect and preserve plant and animal specimens or that UFO’s will be used as rescue ships to transfer millions of humans away from impending desolation of the earth. After the great destruction, humans are to be returned to begin "the New Age and the New Order" of spiritual awareness. One young man from Colorado, U.S.A., a member of a group who call themselves "Alien Youth," told Awake! in all seriousness: "My friends and I are waiting for our alien ancestors to beam us up."

  A few of those who assert that they are extraterrestrials claim that they are led by God, and others claim that they speak freely with him for advice in assisting humanity. Is God working through visitors from other planets to save mankind from an upcoming world catastrophe?

  God’s

  CommunicationsWithMankind

  Early in man’s history, God communicated with humans. The Bible record describes divine conversations with Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, and others. (Genesis 3:8-10; 6:13; 15:1) Dreams, voices, and visions were used to communicate God’s will and to produce the Bible. However, after the Bible was completed, was there a need for direct heavenly communication with mankind? No, since the Bible states that the Holy Scriptures make "the man of God . . . fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:17) According to the Bible, guidance for these troubled times is to come from the written Word of God. Nevertheless, is there any reason to believe that we would receive communication or special instructions directly from God through an extraterrestrial spokesman? No, for the apostle Paul stated: "Even if we or an angel out of heaven were to declare to you as good news something beyond what we declared to you as good news, let him be accursed."—Galatians 1:8.

  Although the assertions of supposed extraterrestrial beings seem to agree with Bible prophecies that the earth is soon to undergo major cataclysmic changes, they offer a method of survival that relies on creatures. The Bible does not urge men to flee to the supposed security of alien spacecraft or any other place. Rather, it tells us to seek protection in a dedicated relationship with God, which dedication is symbolized by water baptism. (1 Peter 3:21; compare Psalm 91:7; Matthew 28:19, 20; John 17:3.) And Jesus said that "he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved."—Matthew 24:13.

  Do not these scriptures emphasize a spiritual relationship with God for survival rather than a physical location of refuge? Therefore, instead of assisting mankind to survive, stories about ‘nonhuman beings’ divert people’s attention away from what God actually requires for their everlasting welfare.

  Who may try to steer mankind away from God’s means of survival, yet claim to represent God? Ed Conroy, in his book ReportonCommunion, states that "serious ufologists [those who study UFO’s] with training in the psychological and social sciences" include comparative studies of "‘bedroom visitors,’ ghosts, poltergeists, apparitions, religious visions, and what have been regarded as demons." Many ufologists and those who claim to be extraterrestrials in human form state that using spaceships to travel is mostly unnecessary. They say that these beings can travel invisibly and materialize anywhere on earth without arriving in spacecraft.

  The Bible warns that Satan and his demons are intent on misleading mankind. They take advantage of mankind’s despair and hopelessness to offer attractive, but false, solutions. (2 Corinthians 11:14) Hence, the Bible warning: "In later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons."—1 Timothy 4:1.

  In like manner today, any supposed visits and seemingly beneficial guidance from such beings should be rejected, whatever form they may take. Those who would rather follow the advice of "extraterrestrials" than God’s Word are bound to be misled—a terrible mistake to make in these critical times.

  [Footnotes]

  For a discussion of UFO’s and extraterrestrial life, see the April 8, 1990, and November 8, 1990, issues of Awake!

  The Bible writer Ezekiel witnessed what some have interpreted as a UFO. (Ezekiel, chapter 1) However, this was one of many symbolic visions described by Ezekiel and other prophets, not an actual physical sighting as claimed in modern times.
• 

  blondie

  *** g90 11/8 p. 11 UFO’s—Can They Be Identified? ***

  Is

  ThereanOccultInfluence?

  When reviewing the mental or psychological experiences of some who have reported contacts with UFO’s, it is also possible to recognize similarities with spiritistic or other paranormal phenomena. One example of this is the testimony of John H. Andrews in his book TheExtraterrestrialsandTheirReality. In his acknowledgments of help in producing the book, he states: "Great appreciation also goes to the four space people ["ET’s in physical human bodies who circulate unnoticed among us"] who told me their stories and who wished to remain unnamed, to the numerous psychics and channels who assisted me with my many experiments, to the extraterrestrials for their many informative messages." Regarding these "space people," he states: "They were all quite intelligent; all were channels for invisible entities."—Compare 1 Samuel 28:7, 8; Ephesians 6:12.

  Andrews also claims to have received messages from extraterrestrials. He lists some of these as: "There is no such thing as death. . . . There is no such thing as good or evil. [Compare Genesis 3:3, 4.] . . . Creation, evolution, and reincarnation are valid processes at work in the Universe. . . . We (the ET’s) are not here to control or rule you, but to guide you. . . . The Earth will soon undergo tremendous, cataclysmic changes. When these changes are completed, less than 1/1,000 of the present population will still be alive!"

  The Bible also speaks of extraterrestrials, spirit creatures, such as obedient angels and disobedient, rebellious angels who became demons. Down through Bible history, God on many occasions used faithful angels to communicate with men. (Genesis 22:9-18; Isaiah 6:1-7) Satan still uses his demon followers to mislead mankind with all kinds of philosophies, fads, messages, communications, and cults that distract from the message that God’s Kingdom, his heavenly government, will soon rule over a restored earth.—Compare Luke 4:33, 34; James 2:19; Revelation 12:9; 21:1-4.

  The Christian apostle Paul gave due warning of demon influence in the last days when he wrote: "The inspired utterance says definitely that in later periods of time some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to misleading inspired utterances and teachings of demons."—1 Timothy 4:1.

  Keeping in mind how deep we are into these apocalyptic days, it would not be advisable for Christians to spend their valuable time investigating in depth matters of this kind. Rather, we should concern ourselves with the more important challenge at hand, that is, obeying the command of the extraterrestrial holy angel who proclaimed: "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of the judgment by him has arrived, and so worship the One who made the heaven and the earth and sea and fountains of waters."—Revelation 14:6, 7.
• 

  Sirona

  Thanks blondie

  The article from 1996 is the one I remember I think

  Sirona
• 

  M.J.

  I really seem to remember a WT study article a couple of years ago which stated that "life doesn't exist on other planets except possibly in microscopic form". Unfortunately I don't have my WT CD with me.
  
  Can anyone confirm this?
  
  
  
  
  
  The premise is that given the right conditions, life has a statistical shot of developing spontaneously. Problem is, JWs or other creationists don't accept this premise. So here would be the hole in the equation from your audience's (JW's) point of view.
• 

  blondie

  *** g81 2/22 pp. 13-14 Evidence Is Available! ***Some scientists faced with this problem are reviving a theory presented in 1908 by Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius. It is called the "panspermia theory." Basically, it holds that the earth may have been accidentally seeded by living cells that are wandering through the universe. Modernizing the idea a bit, Leslie Orgel of the Salk Institute and Nobel Prize-winner Francis H. C. Crick have suggested "directed panspermia." Their idea is that an advanced civilization elsewhere in the universe deliberately may have "infected" the earth with life as an experiment. What do you think of that possibility?

  It becomes clear, does it not, that such theories really do not solve the question of life’s origin. They just sort of avoid the question by transporting the problem off into the distant universe, despite the fact that scientists have not established: 1) that there are planets elsewhere, much less any qualified to support life, 2) that there are civilizations beyond our solar system, and 3) that there is microscopic life on other planets within our solar system.
• 

  Lady Zombie

  *** g81 2/22 pp. 13-14 Evidence Is Available! ***Some scientists faced with this problem are reviving a theory presented in 1908 by Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius. It is called the "panspermia theory." Basically, it holds that the earth may have been accidentally seeded by living cells that are wandering through the universe. Modernizing the idea a bit, Leslie Orgel of the Salk Institute and Nobel Prize-winner Francis H. C. Crick have suggested "directed panspermia." Their idea is that an advanced civilization elsewhere in the universe deliberately may have "infected" the earth with life as an experiment. What do you think of that possibility?

  It becomes clear, does it not, that such theories really do not solve the question of life’s origin. They just sort of avoid the question by transporting the problem off into the distant universe, despite the fact that scientists have not established: 1) that there are planets elsewhere, much less any qualified to support life, 2) that there are civilizations beyond our solar system, and 3) that there is microscopic life on other planets within our solar system.

  Hehehehehe

  Well, they have now indeed discovered planets outside of our solar system. As for microscopic life, I don't believe scientists have come out and said yes definitely because they're still gathering evidence. They have found evidence of what appears to be fossils of microscopic organisms in rocks from Mars, but they're still studying it. I think they're hoping with this latest Mars mission they find definitive proof. Also they're eyeballing Jupiter's moon Europa because they think there's water underneath of its frozen crust.

  What's hilarious is that the Org always leaves enough wiggle room that they'll be able to spin anything. So if........

  1) Definitive evidence is found of microscopic life on other planets, this will probably result in.....

  "proof" of Jehovah's might and how we can't possibly know why Jehovah created microscopic life on Mars, if Jehovah even considers microscopic life as "life" and to "be cautious to not become distracted from spreading the good news by trivial and unimportant scientific discoveries.

  2) No evidence is found will probably result in.....

  the Org declaring smuggly how it should now be obvious to everyone that the Bible is fact, Jehovah only created life on this planet alone, and Satan tries to use scientists and space exploration to lure faithful witness away from Jehovah's organization, and yap yap yap.

  AAAARGH!!! It's maddening.