DEMONS -ALIENS- DEGREE : STUDENTS CROWN ESSAY

IN U.F.O FILES - some Christians see not aliens, but demons. A fringe theory on life elsewhere in the universe becomes more and more prominent. ' Welcome to !WOW! '.

The dozens or so pastors and podcasters who arrived at the Airbnb in Nashville one night in February weren't sure exactly what they were in for. An organiser asked them to turn their phones on airplane mode.

Snacks were served. Then, for at least two hours, two mysterious men presented a slide show laying out the evidence, as they saw it, for some kind of extraterrestrial life and the spiritual confusion that coming revelations could sow among the Christians.

'' It was the weirdest meeting I've ever been part of, '' said Alan Didio, a pastor at North Carolina who attended. '' You've never seen that many Pentecostals in a room that quiet.''

For many of the pastors in the room, and some other Christians, there's only one possible explanation for extraterrestrial beings. They are not neutral visitors from other planets or dimensions, but demonic entities.

As the pastors left the meeting and turned on their phones, they began receiving news alerts that confirmed for many of them that something significant was happening.

That very day President Trump had directed his administration to begin releasing files related to extraterrestrial life.

The disclosure began last month, with the Pentagon's release of murky '' new-never-before-seen '' images whose significance is so far unclear.

But for some conservative Christians, who are among Mr. Trump's most loyal supporters, the prospect of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe has some unsettling theological implications.

Some worry that it undercuts the Bible's account of the Earth and humanity as the centerpiece of God's plan for the universe.

Christians in the United States are significantly less likely than the general public to say intelligent life exists on other planets, according to a 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center.

This students' crown essay continues into the future. !WOW! thanks Ruth Graham.