Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke, 91, has claimed that UFOs are demonic spirits sent by the devil to trick humanity. During an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Duke referenced 2 Corinthians 11:14 to support his theory that mankind is being deceived by dark forces.
Duke's biblical warning
"The Lord says what we're seeing is real, but the devil can appear as an angel of light, the Bible says," Duke said. He added that mysterious flying objects are designed to strip people of their faith and lure them into obsessing over fake extraterrestrials. "UFOs are trying to turn us away from the truth," he said. "They're demonic."
The former astronaut revealed he has held this belief for years after asking God for a specific sign. Duke claimed he prayed for a close friend, a business associate who had never spoken about aliens, to bring up the topic at breakfast the next morning. According to Duke, his prayers were answered when his friend greeted him saying, "Charlie, come on over. I want to start talking to you about UFOs." He took the coincidence as proof of a demonic origin.
High-profile supernatural theories
Duke's claims mirror biblical warnings from the Apostle Paul about deceitful forces. They come as other figures embrace supernatural explanations for UFOs. US Vice President JD Vance previously suggested that powerful supernatural beings could fool humans by looking like technologically advanced aliens. Tucker Carlson told The Joe Rogan Experience podcast: "They're from here, and they've been here for thousands of years, whatever they are. And it's pretty clear to me that they're 'spiritual entities,' whatever that means."
Vicar challenges the theory
Not everyone agrees. Father Lee Taylor, a UK vicar who leads three churches in North Wales, pointed to passages in Genesis, Ezekiel, and Jesus' statement that "in my Father's house are many rooms" as evidence that God's universe could be bigger than we realise. "A bigger universe, or the discovery of a bigger universe, doesn't make God smaller," he told the Daily Mail. "It just makes creation bigger."
Father Taylor warned that branding UFOs as satanic causes unnecessary panic. "I don't think it's a challenge to faith. I think it's a challenge to the limits of our theological imagination. I think a larger universe demands a larger theology." He added, "I don't think it's the most helpful framework for discussing an unknown phenomenon. It can encourage people to project fear or certainty onto something we don't yet understand."
