UFO's and Emergent Theology: Giving People Answers

UFO's and ET

UFO's fascinate me.  I'm not really sure why.  I grew up watching Star Trek and have an appreciation for good science fiction.  I don't think that's the reason, though.  I'm not sure I can pinpoint it.  For some odd reason, I find the real stories of UFO's fascinating.  Maybe its UFO stories, and maybe its broader - stories about the paranormal.  That's why stories like this one from cnn.com, on UFO sightings around the world, intrigue me.

Rewind about 7 years.  As I was leaving a Christian book store with a friend, one of the workers ran out behind us to give us copies of a book that the store just couldn't sell.  It was called "Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men: A Rational Christian Look at UFO's and Extraterrestrials".  Of course, it fascinated me.  Christians writing about UFO's!? I mean, I've always joked about Ezekiel 1:4, but this seemed just too good to be true!  As soon as I got home, I started reading the book and was surprised at what I found.  I was expecting half-baked theology using passages like the one from Ezekiel, Daniel or Revelation.  However, what I found made was very reasonable and made a lot of sense.

The book was written by three authors:  one a political scientist, a clergyman-astronomer and lastly a philosopher-theologian.  Here's a summary of what they had to say:

• There are hundreds of thousands of UFO sightings every year.  Most of them can be explained away by natural phenomena.  But some can't.  Thousands in fact. 
• The government can't cover up things like this.  Its just too big and would involve too many people.  It would leak eventually. 
• The phenomena often defy principles of physics.  Therefore they are probably not physical phenomena
• UFO's are not real.  Rather, the 'unexplainable' events (sightings, abductions) very well might be spiritual/demonic activity. 

What's the purpose of having a book about Christian beliefs about UFO's?  Because when someone truly believes they have seen a UFO or have been abducted by aliens, there are two responses that they get from people:

1. You are crazy. Those ideas are foolishness.  Don't bring that drivel here.
2. Your experiences are valid - come join our group and find meaning and purpose!

And so people are left with these two choices.  Outright rejection of an experience that is very real for them, or going down a path that answers their questions, even if it leads to cult.  People, the authors said, needed another option.  One that didn't make light of their experiences, and put those experiences into context of a larger reality.  Specifically, that there are spiritual forces at work in this world (both good and bad), but there is a God who is bigger than that.  So their experiences then are not the result of extra-terrestrials; rather, they are the result of demonic activity.

The Connection with Emergent Theology (yes - I'm getting to the point)
I've not been much connected with Emergent theology - just the random book or article or blog post.  However, Brian McLaren, the un-offiicial 'spokesman' of the Emergent Church has recently written a new book called "A New Kind of Christianity."  I've not read the book itself, though I've read a little bit of what McLaren believes as well as a critique of the book by Kevin DeYoung (Part 1 & Part 2), the pastor at Alison's home church in Michigan.  Overall, I would agree with DeYoung on his analysis and theological position over McLaren's.  (what exactly those things are I'll let YOU find out.  This isn't about McLaren's theology directly).

So the question I want to answer is this:  if McLaren is so wrong (as I believe he is), why are so many people flocking to his ideas about Christianity?

Many people have questions or ideas about Christianity that seem to get pushed to the side, or perceive that they are being harshly dealt with.  I think that there are some valid questions about life, Jesus, God, sexuality and other things.  When these questions are asked, many may feel they are presented with two options:

1. You are crazy. Those ideas are foolishness.  Don't bring that drivel here.
   
2. Your experiences are valid - come join our group and find meaning and purpose! 

My point is not to say that McLaren is crazy like UFO and alien cults.  He isn't and those who ascribe to his ideas are not.  In fact, his ideas are based on specific, well thought out philosophical and theological premises.  My point is this:  how do those of us who adamently disagree with McLaren respond when people come with questions, concerns, hurts and the like? Is our response #1?  If so, we just might be part of the force that drives people to #2.

Here are four very valid questions that need a thoughtful, loving response from the Church.

• How does Christianity fit with justice for the nations? 
• I connect with God in a way that's different than the "head-centered" churches I've been to.  I'm artsy - how do I connect with God in a way that's meaningful to me? 
• I have questions about my sexuality, and am not sure what to do. 
• I'm having a hard time reconciling my experiences of pain, a seemingly 'angry' God in the Bible and my idea of who Jesus is. 

And there are more questions we could add to the list.  These questions MUST be answered.  In fact, they WILL be answered!  And they will either be answered correctly or incorrectly.  But answering them correctly isn't always the entire picture.  Answering isn't just a matter of theological statements of truth (though that's extremely important), its also realizing that behind the questions above, there is often hurt and sorrow that must be dealt with delicately.  And if that's not dealt with, we may inadvertently be pushing people to Answer #2.