Hollywood has given us all sorts of aliens over the years, from the little guy who wanted to phone home to the ones who vaporized the White House. But one of the few humans who’s actually walked on the moon has another explanation for what’s flying around up there, and it involves Satan.
Charlie Duke, the Apollo 16 astronaut who became the youngest person to walk on the moon at 36, is now 91 and convinced UFOs are the work of the devil. “The Lord says what we’re seeing is real, but the devil can appear as an angel of light, the Bible says,” he told the Christian Broadcasting Network.
And he’s been trying to convince people of this for years, with mixed results.
Duke recalled discussing his theory at Rotary Club events, where “people were laughing me off the stage.” Eventually, he asked God to confirm it. His request was oddly detailed: If a businessman friend who never discussed UFOs brought them up the next morning, Duke would consider that proof.
An Apollo Astronaut Thinks Satan Is Behind UFOs. Here’s His Explanation.
According to Duke, that’s exactly what happened. His friend brought up UFOs over breakfast, and Duke took it as the answer he’d been looking for. He also cites 2 Corinthians 11:14, the biblical passage warning that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.
Duke has said, however, he never saw a UFO while he was in space. He did notice some strange flashes, but those have been attributed to cosmic particles. For a man who’s actually walked on the moon, it’s funny that his strongest evidence for demonic UFOs comes from a conversation with a businessman over breakfast.
And this is a man who helped make history. During Apollo 11, Duke was the voice in Mission Control who famously told Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin they had “a bunch of guys about to turn blue” while waiting for confirmation that they’d landed safely.
He’s also got some company in the demon theory department.
Vice President JD Vance told podcaster Benny Johnson in March that he believes UFOs are demons. Meanwhile, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, an exorcist with the Archdiocese of Washington, was removed from that position in June after claiming that many UFO sightings were demonic. Catholic officials weren’t thrilled with his public comments.
Religion scholar Diana Walsh Pasulka sees a fascinating connection between the growing interest in UFOs and people’s religious beliefs. “Belief in UFOs is really one of the best things that’s happened to religion in a long time,” she told the Associated Press.
For Duke, though, the question seems settled. “You can laugh at me if you want to, but that’s what God showed me, and I’m sticking to it,” he said.
And considering he’s been laughed off actual stages for saying this, I doubt another round of skepticism is going to change his mind.
The post Astronaut Who Walked on the Moon Says UFOs Are Actually Demons appeared first on VICE.
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