Posted on 10/11/2002 6:10:44 AM PDT by apackof2
Scientific Approach
The founder of Reasons to Believe presents a rational Christian look at UFOs and extraterrestrials.
Hugh Ross has a B.S, Physics, University of British Columbia; M.S. & Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Toronto.
Mr. Ross is the co-author of, Lights in the Sky & Little Green Men (NavPress, 2002)
Hugh has been stargazing since he was a young boy, and by the age of 17, he had become director of observations for the Royal Astronomical Society in Canada. As an astronomer, Hugh has logged thousands of observation time and has learned that science can and does address the possibility of life’s existence elsewhere in the universe. In the mid-'70s, Hugh was assigned the task of processing UFO reports at CalTech. At the same time, Hugh began an intense study of the Bible. "Secular society is gullible about the possibility that extraterrestrial life exists without having scientific evidence to prove it," says Hugh. "The motivation for this book is the need to communicate clear, satisfying explanations from scientific, theological, philosophical, and political standpoints."
Hugh says that he uses the scientific approach called "the process of elimination" to answer the question Is there a place where extraterrestrials could live in the universe? Over the years, science has made some significant advances. "The number of candidates for life sites within the Milky Way grows smaller each day," says Hugh. At one time, biologists speculated that extraterrestrial life forms might be based on exotic chemistry, not carbon as earthly life is. But today the conclusion is that all conceivable life forms must be carbon-based. And if life forms exist on other planets, they must be planets like Earth, orbiting a star like the sun in a galaxy like the Milky Way. "Ongoing research shows that this seems less possible as each year passes," says Hugh.
Residual UFOs
Most people think UFOs are physical. "But they can’t be physical," says Hugh, "because they defy gravity." While Hugh does not say that UFOs aren’t real, no physical object can move like UFOs have been reported to move. Respected UFOolgists agree that there must be something real at the bottom of some UFO reports. Residual UFOs (RUFOs) is a terminology that refers to the UFOs that are left over after all the others are explained away. There is quite a bit of evidence that UFOs are real, such as crash sites. There are over 1,000 sites where allegedly the UFOs have crashed. "The ground is depressed, the trees and grass are burnt," says Hugh. "In these scenarios, we are dealing with non-physical reality." What this evidence suggests is that RUFOs are capable of producing physical effects, such as burnt grass, but are not physical themselves.
Hugh says the Bible proclaims the existence of a personal Creator who can act independently outside the cosmos and who is not restricted by the four, large space-time dimensions (length, width, height or time). The Bible also describes the spirit realm (the realm beyond matter, energy and space-time dimensions) and declares the existence of God and two or more distinct creatures: humans and angels. Hugh explains that humans remain physically restricted to the dimensions of the cosmos and cannot account for the unexplained phenomena. Angels, or fallen angels, remain as possible links. Fallen angels, or demons, intent on distorting God’s authority and purpose, draw attention away from God and the gospel and are an identifiable source of explanation.
The conclusion that demons are behind the RUFOs phenomenon is testable. According to the Bible, demons attack only those individuals who invite the attacks. "All that is necessary to further prove the conclusion of demonic involvements," says Hugh, "is to continue surveying people to ascertain who has encounters with RUFOs and who does not." Researchers continue to observe a correlation between the degree of invitations in a person’s life to demonic attacks (séance, Ouija boards, astrology, witchcraft, palm or psychic reading). One reason why research scientists may be reluctant to say specifically that demons exist behind the RUFOs is because that answer points too directly to a Christian interpretation of the problem.
Reasons to Believe is an interdenominational ministry that communicates the basis for belief in the Bible as the true Word of God.
www.reasons.org
Why?
I think you're running the risk of taking the bible, um... er... metaphorically if you think that the water described is really only in the form of ice on the bottom of lunar craters.
We don't know the structure of everything in the universe. The bible says there is a separation of waters and the dome is the separation. Maybe it's talking of the water in space, or maybe there's water under the dome of the shell of the earth. Maybe there's water in another dimension. In these verses the bible talks of heaven, no flesh man has been to heaven. How is it constructed? We don't know yet.
I don't think you understand. You got two supernatural beings whom you claim can see everything. If that were the case, why couldn't Satan show Jesus every nation on earth from the inside of a dark closet? Why bother hiking up a mountain in the first place?
They were in the spirit. They didn't have to "hike". LOL
Onew of the forces. It's one of the forces of the atom also. You didn't know that?
What are you talking about?
[Sigh] As the earth spins, the oceans create a friction as the tides go up and down. A couple billion years of this should've stopped the rotation of the earth. All things being equal, the earth should orbit the sun as the moon orbits the earth, locked into place, rotationwise.
By repeating your words, according to your impeccable logic, I am worshipping you, my master. And how did you discover that I engage in tarot reading and sniper-shooting in my spare time? Take two aspirins, call your doctor in the morning and ask for a referral.
Because if there isn't water just there, the "dome" of the atmosphere isn't separating the waters.
We don't know the structure of everything in the universe. The bible says there is a separation of waters and the dome is the separation. Maybe it's talking of the water in space, or maybe there's water under the dome of the shell of the earth. Maybe there's water in another dimension.
Alternate dimension? Methinks you're getting desperate.
They were in the spirit. They didn't have to "hike". LOL
So maybe Jesus stayed home on a couch and played video games, while his "spirit" wandered the wilderness for 40 days.
Can you specify which "teachings of Christ" Hugh Ross avoids?
He buys into the millions of years evolution theory where dinasauers were here first and people evolved.
If you're going to criticize someone, you should at least correctly represent their position. Hugh Ross is not an evolutionist. He holds to an old earth view where God created both simple and advanced life.
He pruposes misreads Genesis to fit HIS theory. He refuses to believe God created in seven days and ignores the order of creation as stated by God.
The Hebrew word "yom", translated as "day", can have several LITERAL (not figurative) meanings, and in fact, Dr. Ross doesn't ignore the order of Biblical creation; he shows how well it fits with what has been scientifically deduced about the history of earth and life on it.
This is not a recently born idea; the early church fathers were not in complete agreement on the length of creation time - yet it was no big deal for them either. It's not a lynchpin of Christian theology.
Please stop reffering to these charltons as "Christians". Hugh Ross is NO Christian. He claims to believe in Jesus but his theories and rantings bear NO resemblence to the teachings of the Bible. NONE!
Hugh Ross, and other Christians who hold an old earth view, believe that Jesus was the eternal son of God, was crucified, buried, rose again and ascended into Heaven. It is thru Christ's atonement alone, and acceptance of that gift, that people can be saved. God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit make up the Trinity. The Bible is the inspired word of God, inerrant in it's original language.
Now, what other stipulations would you use to declare someone a Christian?
I'm only barely aware that the guy exists, and have not read him. My impression is that he comes at things from a considerably different angle than my approach.
That very positive statement brings to mind all of those cave paintings that show guys with hats that positively look like space helmets.
Leviticus was a rulebook to tell people how to live. People were told that it's OK to eat animals that chewed their cud. People thought that rabbits chewed their cud, the bible had to tell them not to eat rabbits because the way they chewed might have fooled the people. The bible had to be written for people to understand.
But I don't understand. How can creatures with two or six legs walk on all fours?
It was a figure of speech.
And if the Bible were really written with clarity (and not accuracy) as its main goal, how come its chock full of all sorts of unclear peculiarities (like the origins of the wives of Cain and Abel)?
Abel had a wife? Cain's wife came from the sixth time period creation. Adam was created in the eighth time period. The bible was written so that only those that had ears to hear would hear. It wasn't meant for everyone. Obviously, it wasn't meant for those that can't apply common sense.
Maybe it is. It's correct either way.
But you don't repeat me, you repeat a murdering nutcase.
And how did you discover that I engage in tarot reading and sniper-shooting in my spare time?
I didn't. I say you're revering a murdering nutcase by repeating his words in the fashion you did.
I don't deny that electromagnetism exists. But you're saying that it governs the movement of the planets or something, which doesn't make any sense at all.
[Sigh]
Albert Gore II? Is that you?
As the earth spins, the oceans create a friction as the tides go up and down. A couple billion years of this should've stopped the rotation of the earth. All things being equal, the earth should orbit the sun as the moon orbits the earth, locked into place, rotationwise.
Yes the earth's rotation is slowing down, but very very slowly. A 1963 study of 370 million year old coral indicates that a day then was only about 22 hours. 4.6 billion years ago, Earth probably had 14-18 hour days.
You use the Velikovskian jargon word "uniformatarian" which raises eyebrows.
So you admit that the Earth could be 4.6 billion years old, and that evolution may be responsible for life on Earth? GREAT! We're making progress.
North America and Europe are separated by the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean isn't physically holding the two continents apart. The atmosphere is between the waters of space and the waters of earth, if that's what it's talking about.
Alternate dimension? Methinks you're getting desperate.
The bible speaks of dimensions. It talks of where the dimension separating heaven and earth was allowed to be rent to where a couple of people could see God's army.
So maybe Jesus stayed home on a couch and played video games, while his "spirit" wandered the wilderness for 40 days.
His body wandered. When He was with Satan, He probably went with him in the spirit, since Satan was in the spirit.
Not all the time. Since the earth should've stopped rotating due to friction, there must be another force keeping it going.
Albert Gore II? Is that you?
I'm amazed that you don't understand the concept of tidal friction.
Yes the earth's rotation is slowing down, but very very slowly. A 1963 study of 370 million year old coral indicates that a day then was only about 22 hours. 4.6 billion years ago, Earth probably had 14-18 hour days.
It should be slowing down faster than that.
I've said all my life that the earth is 4 billion years old. The bible doesn't dispute this.
See above. That's repeating your words. Everytime anyone quotes a source, that's a repetition of someone else's words. If I quote Charles Manson, according to your twisted thinking, then I am a "worshipper" of Manson. I have rarely read a sillier statement than that.
As I said in my original reply to you, you did not understand my post of the tarot card. Just forget about it, it requires a modicum of wit on the reader's part.
I also see that you, andy card, are not interested in the truth, but only in your own finite attempts to disprove (using picky and error filled presumptions) what, somewhere inside you, you must surely know to be true.
You are familiar with Scripture, so that you obviously have read some of it, but your only purpose is to pick it apart, and prove how clever you are. ........ You have failed.
The Scripture is full of parables and is filled with very clear scientific facts. There is nothing in it that is not truth, because it is God's word. If you see it as false, it is because you are not able to see because of your own spiritual condition.
I will go back to a point in my post to you, and use a couple of questions that have been around for years.
If you are right, and the Bible is not true, we, who believe it are fools, but our future and our fate will be unaffected. If we are right, and the Bible is true, you will spend eternity in horrible punishment because you have scoffed at the Creator, and not accepted the redeeming Love of His Son, Jesus Christ. Reason will not affect someone like you, whose heart is sealed shut.......only a spiritual awakening to a God who is at this moment, reaching out to you in love.
Sooner or later, you will find out that the Word of God is true. I pray, for your sake, that it is sooner.....rather than later.
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