Customer Reviews

Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men: A Rational Christian Look at UFOs and Extraterrestrials

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Thirty years ago I read a pamphlet written by a fundamentalist author (who inundated the Christian market with such pamphlets back in those days) who asserted that the UFOs that weren't out-and-out hoaxes to be the work of the demonic realm. When I discovered this book, co-written by an evangelical scientist that I highly respect (Hugh Ross), I was interested to see what conclusion would be reached by these highly educated authors. Guess what? Same conclusion! However, painstaking scientific knowledge and logic are brought to bear on this issue, to the point where it's impossible (for me, at least) to doubt that this really is the case.

The sections of the book written by Ross were the most compelling for me. He lays out the utter impossibility of travelers from other galaxies making the trek from earth. In fact, he makes a strong case for the view that earth is the only planet in the universe capable of sustaining intelligent life. After he fully convinces the reader that UFOs are not carrying interstellar visitors, he uses the interdimensional model, accepted by many non-religious researchers, to explain the small percentage of UFOs that are actually legitimate. He ties in the fact that most alien abductees have a background in the occult (not necessarily ALL of them, with due respect to a previous reviewer) to conclude that demons are behind the UFO phenomenon.

This is a fascinating book, and I'm sure some people will shake their heads, but the authors make what seems to be an air-tight case. So enjoy watching Star Trek, but keep in mind that it's just a fantasy, and those Klingons could not possibly be from another planet.

Most UFOs are just naturally occurring events, hoaxes, or military aircraft as we all know but what about those few that really cannot be explained? What about the claims that people make that have encountered alien life forms visiting Earth?

You can find a lot of UFO book on the market that claim they hold the answers to this puzzling phenomenon but they usually only leave you with more questions then answers.

Lights in the sky breaks the trend. It proves the answers to the UFO mystery.

It starts by making the case that life on other plants is highly improbable and interstellar space travel is even more improbable and borders on impossible due sheer distance and the dangers of space travel. These claims are backed up with science and it goes into some depth. Meanwhile, the idea of a government cover-up can be chalked up to simple slow moving bureaucratic procedures.

Lights makes the claim that real UFO encounters are of a more super nature occurrence and are usually experienced by people who have a connection with the Occult. That these experiences are of demonic origins. Before you scoff at this idea keep in mind that idea of UFOs as we know them became popularized as the human race pioneered space travel. Pervious to then, people claimed to have seen "air ships" at the turn of the century and "fairies" and other mystical beings before then.

Lights in the Sky is well written and well research and is a must read for anybody interested in UFOs. Its aimed for a Christian audience but its not at all preachy. Its a work that should be taken seriously by both Christian and non-Christians.

If it is true that a book that both stimulates and irritates is a good read, then this book certainly qualifies. Finally, the Christian publishing community has (briefly) taken its head out of the sand and invited us to a serious academic treatment of the UFO / ET question. I'll cut to the chase and try to be brief (a full ten page review is available on my website, www.facadenovel.com): This is an important book that everyone interested in ufology - Christian or otherwise - should read and digest. With the exception of the two chapters by Mark Clark (chs. 7-8), this is a sterling example of both introducing a topic to readers unfamiliar with the subjects and judicious evaluation of those subjects. The first two chapters are written by Sample, and form an introduction and an overview of the various types of UFOs. The second chapter articulates the two basic categories into which Ross and Sample group all UFO encounters. First, there are the IFOs - UFOs which are actually Identifiable Flying Objects. Most UFOs (and I would agree) can reasonably be identified as: natural phenomena misunderstood by the observer; misidentified man-made flying objects (often of classified military origin); hoaxes; and psychological dysfunction (which does not translate into some sort of mental illness). Second, there are the small number of sightings that simply defy these explanations. These are referred to throughout the book as RUFOs ("Residual UFOs"). These UFOs, the book argues (and again I concur) are non-physical but absolutely real. The question, then, is not whether there are genuine UFOs, but what exactly those UFOs (better, RUFOs) are. Sample informs us that the book will subsequently test two hypotheses for answering this question: the ETH (Extraterrestrial Hypothesis) and the IDH (Inter-dimensional Hypothesis). The former argues that RUFOs are interplanetary; the latter argues they come from another dimension (ultimately, a "spiritual plane" in religious language) and can manifest in both physical and non-physical states. Chapter 6 (written by Ross) complements the brief discussion of the IDH in Chapter 2 by overviewing the evidence for the reality of RUFOs. Sample's later discussion of abductions follows the IDH as an explanation.
The next three chapters (3-5) are written by Ross, and deal with (respectively) "Life on Other Planets," "Evolution's Probabilities," and "Interstellar Space Travel." The material in these chapters amounts to a forceful challenge of the ETH. Indeed, I would argue that any ufologist or UFO enthusiast who refuses or fails to engage Ross's material in these chapters should politely excuse themselves from the field of inquiry and the debate. Chapter 3 puts forth the argument that the probability that there are other planets capable of supporting life is extremely slim - the exact opposite of the widespread argument of ufologists that the universe is teeming with life. Ross utilizes his scholarly background as an astronomer to set forth his case, but his presentation is quite readable for the layperson. His work is drawn from the very best of scholarly journals in astronomy. Chapter 4 sets forth the apologetic for the intelligent design of the universe and life on earth. Ross has become chiefly known for his research and writing in this area - the "intelligent design" view of old-earth creationism. In this chapter he confronts the assumption that since life evolved on earth it must have evolved on other planets. Chapter 5 addresses both the logic and possibility of interstellar space travel, which is glibly assumed by proponents of the ETH. In both cases, Ross argues that such journeys by alien creatures are illogical (why would they bother given the difficulties?) and mathematically and physically impossible. All this leads Ross and the reader to consider the more likely IDH.
Clark's chapters are the low point of the book. ALL (and I mean all) of the major sources that address the government documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) relating to UFOs are absent from his chapters and bibliographies. As an example of his poor argumentation, he assumes that Jesse Marcel, Roswell's intelligence officer charged with protecting our country's nuclear secrets, could not identify scotch tape and balsa wood (the alleged remains of the crashed saucer). He also never mentions, for example, that the Project MOGUL explanation offered by the US Air Force is actually the Air Force's third variation of its "official" explanation for the Roswell event. He neglects to tell readers that the Majestic-12 documents ridiculed by Clark have nearly unanimously been dismissed by what Ross and Sample call "professional ufologists."
I do have a problem with the contention put forth in the final chapter that basically all people who experience RUFOs have occult activity in their background. While I would agree with Ross and Sample that RUFOs are best explained by evil spiritual forces, this is an overstatement. Ross's statement on page 124 illustrates our difference of opinion here: "According to the Bible, demons can attack only those individuals who, through their activities, invite the attacks." Ross cites several passages in defense of this view, but none of his references actually makes the point that dabbling in satanic activities will produce RUFO experiences. Christians are not immune from any other type of evil whether it is "invited" or not. Christians are the victims of random violence (witness Columbine); they suffer at the hands of corrupt and evil people through no fault of their own. Ross's position simply does not reflect the worldview of either the Old or New Testament. We are told in I Peter 5:8 that Satan is OUR adversary, and so naturally he seeks to devour Christians. The text does not qualify his destructive appetite by noting "only if we invite his attacks." Must Christians invite "the fiery darts of the wicked" (Eph. 6:16) for them to come? This view is theologically incoherent. Again, my point is only that occult exposure is not a NECESSARY PREREQUISITE for such visitations. (Mike Heiser, PhD candidate in Hebrew and Semitic Languages; author of The Facade).

LAST SUMMER, ATTENTION was focused on the southern skies, where Mars appeared brighter than usual. Its orbit had placed it within 35 million miles of Earth, the closest the two planets have been in 60,000 years. The curious were drawn outdoors, hoping to catch a brighter than normal glimpse of the red planet. Some, no doubt, came away pondering the existence of extraterrestrials. Interest in UFO phenomenon continues to fuel the success of movies such as "Signs," and "Contact" as well as TV Shows like "The X-Files" and more recently, Steven Spielberg's "Taken." For millennia, man has wondered whether he is alone in the universe. Organizations such as the SETI Institute (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence), founded in 1984, employs more than 100 scientists, educators, and support staff in its quest to "explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe." To date, they've come up empty. The assumption that there must be life somewhere else in the universe is rooted in the philosophies of evolution and naturalism. It goes something like this: Given the sheer numbers of stars and the possibilities of planetary systems orbiting them, the probabilities of there being another earthlike planet where evolution occurred is significant. Swiss author Erich Von Daniken - founder of the Archaeology, Astronautics, and SETI Research Association - has been weighing in on the subject since the 1970s with his bestseller "Chariots of the Gods: Unsolved Mysteries of the Past." "On a clear night, the naked eye can see about 4,500 stars, so the astronomers say. The telescope of even a small observatory makes nearly 2,000,000 stars visible and a modern reflecting telescope brings the light from thousands of millions more to the viewer," writes Von Daniken, and he concludes there must be at least 100,000 planets upon which "civilizations more advanced than our own could have developed." Much of the book cites "dramatic discoveries" such as "an alien astronaut preserved in a pyramid" and "a giant spaceport in the Andes" that Von Daniken offers as "irrefutable evidence that Earth has been visited repeatedly by advanced aliens from other worlds." Though Von Daniken's claims have been debunked by reputable experts, he continues to promote his theories by writing, lecturing, appearing in films and TV specials, and maintaining a multilingual Web site (www.daniken.com). This year, he even launched a Mystery Park in Switzerland. The Bible is silent about the existence of life on other worlds. With the exception of the angelic host - both good and evil - nowhere in Scripture is it explicitly stated that there are other races of beings anywhere in the universe that might give rise to UFOs. Genesis simply states God created celestial objects solely: "to divide the day from the night ... for signs and seasons ... for days and years ... to give light on the earth," (Genesis 1:14-15). This thesis is supported in this book The authors of "Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men," demonstrate convincingly that "both physical and nonphysical data argue against an extraterrestrial hypothesis for UFOs," while claiming the evidence supports the "extradimensional hypothesis ...a scientifically and biblically credible view of reality." The authors are Hugh Ross, who holds a Ph.D. in astronomy; Kenneth Samples, a theologian; and Mark Clark, a professor of political science and director of the national security studies program at California State University in San Bernardino. Their diverse backgrounds provide a balanced, thorough understanding of the UFO-extraterrestrial phenomenon, which is composed of many different elements, among them: natural phenomena, belief in government coverups, and the cultic nature of many human-UFO interactions providing strong evidence for their interdimensional and demonic origin. The first two chapters are written by Samples. They explain the UFO craze and the different types of UFOs. "Most UFOs become IFOs (identified flying objects)," he writes. "In fact, John Spencer, British ufologist and the editor of The UFO Encyclopedia asserts, 'It is important to note that over 90 percent, possibly 95 percent, of UFO reports received are turned into IFOs and explained satisfactorily.'" In the three following chapters, Ross addresses whether life on other planets is possible, the probabilities of evolution, and the difficulties associated with interstellar space travel. He demonstrates that the number of stars in the cosmos with planets of any size is significantly less than Carl Sagan's ubiquitous estimates. In a section titled "Hospitable Habitats," he makes this statement: "A calculation of the probability for there existing just one naturally occurring planet anywhere in the observable universe with the capacity to support physical life is less than one chance in 10 raised to the 174th power.," a conclusion he backs up in a substantial appendix. Other topics in the book include UFO cults, alien abductions, government conspiracies, the Bible and UFOs, the interdimensional hypothesis, and RUFOs -residual unidentified flying objects or those UFOs "that make repeat visits to certain witnesses and sites." The writers of "The X-Files," portrayed many of these elements in the weekly television series that had FBI agent Fox Mulder (played by David Duchovny) attempting to expose a government coverup to breed alien-human hybrids. "The truth is out there" was the caption on a poster depicting a famous photograph of an alleged UFO on the wall in Mulder's office. I was a loyal fan of the show for much of its nine seasons. Despite the fact that it was science fiction, Agent Mulder was right about one thing: The truth about UFOs can be known. Ross concludes: "Indeed, the UFO mystery is a mystery solved. Earth is not being visited by aliens from another planet but some people are being visited by spirit beings who want everyone to think they are aliens from another planet. By trusting the revelation given by the Greatest Transdimensional Being of them all, people never need wonder about UFOs again. When people put their lives in the hands of this Cause of human existence, this God who loves every person, the fear of UFO demons and what they can do evaporates."

Gregory J. Rummo is a syndicated columnist. E-Mail Rummo at GJRummo@optonline.net

An outstanding presentation by three exceedingly competent authors, the book is ideal for non-thesists, Christians, UFO aficionados, scientists, lay persons, or those who are merely intrigued by UFO claims. The authors don't just make claims, they give outstanding, well-documented evidence for them, and unlike other books on the subject, there is no hype or exaggeration. The scientific evidence is detailed enough in the appendices to invite scientists, but in the main body copy it is simple enough to keep the attention of non-scientists.

The arguments are well-formed and sound. The theology expresses a Christianity that all major historical Christian denominations can agree on. The writing is interesting and flows nicely. Overall, this book is a rare, level-headed find in the genre of UFO studies, and should be a high-scorer among popular and technical readers. Excellent book.

Hugh Ross is the only author on the subject of UFOs and extraterrestrials (that I am aware of) that avoids both the unsubstantiated claims of the "true believer" as well as the unsubstantiated skepticism of the typical "scientist."

He is able to unravel truth from fiction, and like the good scientist (astronomer) that he is, looks hard at the data without trying to make the data fit a preconceived framework.

He comes to the conclusion that, though most UFO "sightings" can be explained by natural causes, there are a small but substantial number that cannot be explained naturally, but that the evidence, nevertheless, supports as being real. This leads to the conclusion that some UFO phenomena are real but not natural, i.e. not of the physical dimension, nor subject to the laws of physics that govern the entire universe. Therefore they are of another dimension, not simply from another part of the universe.

Ross and his co-writers bring out thoughtful and orthodox Biblical teaching to explain what these "beings" could possibly be, and why some people seem to be more subject to their spooky visitations than others.

I found the book well-reasoned and well-researched. I feel satisfied that it offers the only reasonable explanation that encompasses all of the data, and explains all of the unusual phenomena.

Even for those who do not believe in anything spiritual, the clarity of the research and the collection of data alone is worth the price of the book for those interested in this issue.

I was very impressed with this book. I have long respected the works of Dr Ross and he has yet again proven his outstanding ability to cut through fodder and sensationalistic nonsense right to the heart and truth of the matter on UFO's and ETs. I have no doubt that some people will be dissapointed that the book has not played more to their personal fancies on this subject, but it is hard to deny that the authors have given us a very thorough and rational explanation of UFO's.

I also recommend Dr Ross' latest book on a controversy that is raging in the church at the moment over the age of the Earth. The book is called A Matter of Days, in this book you will find some fantastic evidence for the Christian worldview from science that doesn't have to be forced and deformed into a particular 'Christian' mold.

Overall, I was impressed by the way this book was organized. The authors investigate the probability of rudimentary and advanced life existing in other parts of the universe, looking at the many challenges of intergalactic space travel, and government conspiracy theories (among other topics). Before fully delving into the extra-dimensional explanation, the readers have been lifted to a level where they can step back and see the UFO phenomenon through the scope of rational thinking. The real experience of abductees and those who claim to have had close encounters are not ridiculed nor dismissed.

The authors address a topic that I have wondered about for many years. Is it possibile for travel between (theoretically backed) existing dimensions - outside of x,y,z, and time - which we as humans are limited?

The scientific claims and theories regarding RUFOs (residual UFOs) are backed up by using Biblical scripture and scriptural accounts. If you profess to be a Christian you will take from this book ample evidence linking the demonic powers described in the Bible with RUFO encounters. If you are not a Christian, this book will be an excellent beginning resource to see the utter uniqueness of our solar system, our earth, the existence of life, and the very real possibility that an intelligence beyond our universe exists.
A fascinating read!

This book provides an incredible insight to the issue of UFOs and a Christian's response. It gives a fair analysis of all the relevant scientific data, a look at alleged government cover-ups, and ties it all up with a theological outlook that is consistant with sound Christian doctrine.

Collaboratively written by Hugh Ross, Kenneth Samples, and Mark Clark, Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men: A Rational Christian Look at UFOs and Extraterrestrials is a straightforward presentation on the issue of life on other planets from a Christian perspective. Essays by the three authors discuss the topics of alien abduction, government conspiracies and cover-ups, UFO cults, and more, with a strong eye toward Biblical scripture and the tenets of traditional Christian faith. Lights In The Sky & Little Green Men offers a unique and highly recommended perspective on a contemporary and often controversial issue.