How Science May Be Clearing Up Our Understanding of Eternal Matters

Photo by Lee Jin-man / AP

"Science can in no way establish the claim that nothing supernatural or eternal can be real." Walter R. Hearn

On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Gabi, a Buddhist monk in the largest sect of Buddhism in South Korea, pledged his devotion to Buddha and his teachings. This is news because Gabi is a humanoid robot manufactured by Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company that makes civilian robotics.

Before Wednesday, a robot taking religious vows was not on my bingo card for 2026. But neither was the claim that the Trump Administration invited a (select) group of pastors to an Airbnb in Tennessee (reportedly) to discuss alien disclosures ready for public release.

I'm not sure how I feel about not getting an invite. I like a good episode of Ancient Aliens

as much as anyone, but I suppose there weren't many Baptists in the room, anyway.

The first of the files were released on Friday, May 8, 2026, with the promise of more to come.

The proximity of a humanoid robot being ordained into a religious order and the release of UFO files by the United States government in the same week is not lost on me, my Baptist status notwithstanding. The more I read of scripture, the more I can faithfully agree with Hamlet, who tells his friend Horatio, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." (Hamlet, Act 1, scene 5). It is worth noting that Hamlet says this after his encounter with the ghost of his deceased father.

Horatio is a skeptic who finds it difficult to accept anything that he cannot reason away. Hamlet, on the other hand, is struggling because his experience with the matter has set his mind on another reality altogether.

For many of us - Baptists included! - we tend to use evidence and observation over experience when trying to reason out if a thing is true or not. When we look into scripture, however, we will find passages that, when we employ critical thinking, help us to see deeper into the realm of God-sized things.

Consider how Paul talks about the unseen world.

Colossians 1:15-16, NLT

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see- such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

Paul is clear. There is an unseen world and there are systems and structures in that unseen world.

There are also supernatural things that occur in our visible world. Consider the story of miraculous military maneuvers in 2 Kings. The prophet Elisha seemed to have inside intel on the maneuvers of Israel's enemies. But when we look into scripture, we find that Elisha's supernatural abilities are from God.

2 Kings 6:8-17, NLT

"When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, "We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place."

"[9] But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, "Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there." [10] So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there."

"[11] The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, "Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?"

"[12] "It's not us, my lord the king," one of the officers replied. "Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel even the words you speak in the privacy of your bedroom!"

"[13] "Go and find out where he is," the king commanded, "so I can send troops to seize him." And the report came back: "Elisha is at Dothan." [14] So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city."

"[15] When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. "Oh, sir, what will we do now?" the young man cried to Elisha."

"[16] "Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" [17] Then Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!" The LORD opened the young man's eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire."

This God sighting in scripture reminds me of something from the Book of Psalms. Dad recited this passage a few days before he passed, and it has stuck with me since.

Psalm 91:11, NLT

"For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go."

God allowed Elisha to see the army around his camp, and when Elisha asked God to open the eyes of his servant, the other man saw them, too.

What does any of this have to do with Buddhist robots and aliens?

Part of the reason (allegedly) that government officials wanted to meet with pastors was to (allegedly) inform them that some of the information about alien encounters would be unsettling. People may need to be prepared, and the Church needs to be ready for questions from those seeking answers.

One pastor went as far as to suggest that this information may cause a great falling away of people from the faith. For example, he said, people may question the need for a creation account by a Divine God.

There has been a lot of volleying back and forth over this whole X-files thing. Full disclosure - I attempted to read through the files but quickly stopped. The files really weren't that interesting. But the larger point remains - we are a culture that is fascinated with tales of the supernatural and local legends and myths. I have Bigfoot and UFO t-shirts on my summer rotation!

U.S. Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Missouri) said this in response to a "he said, he said" kind of thing. "I could not tell you all that was said at that meeting because I was not there and did not hear much of what was said. When I had a chance to speak, I expressed my views which is that we Christians tend to get dug into our personal world views even if they have nothing to do with what has actually been written in the Bible." (Newsweek, May 7, 2026)

Again, looking into scripture shows us that this kind of falling away is expected in the last days.

1 Timothy 4:1, NLT

"Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons."

In the last days, people will turn away from truth. They will be deceived by demonic spirits spreading lies. The apostle Paul reminds us that this must happen before the second coming of the Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, NLT

"Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. [2] Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don't believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. [3] Don't be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed-the one who brings destruction. [4] He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God."

Scripture says there will be demonic spreading lies and people will fall for it. Why? Because Satan is the god of this world and he is able to make himself appear to be full of light and goodness.

Remember how Satan deceived Eve in the garden?

2 Corinthians 11:3, NLT

"But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent."

2 Corinthians 11:14, NLT

"But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."

Now about that Buddhist humanoid monk. There are preachers, many of whom have prominent platforms as television evangelists and prophecy teachers, who claim that Artificial Intelligence will be a tool masterfully used by Satan in the end of days. They point to Revelation 13.

Revelation 13:1-2, NLT

"Then I saw a beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. [2] This beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the beast his own power and throne and great authority."

Some scholars believe this to be a reference to a revived Roman empire that is given supernatural strength from Satan.

Revelation 13:11-15, NLT

"Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon. [12] He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. [13] He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching. [14] And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life. [15] He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die."

It is largely agreed that this second beast is a human, maybe even a person of Jewish descent, who is given power by Satan. He will require the people of earth to worship the first beast, and he will be successful, largely because he will have power to perform miracles and to do things that seem supernatural. In verse 15, which states he is permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak, we see something that could refer to the use of robotics and A.I. - perhaps.

Revelation 13:16-18, NLT

"He required everyone-small and great, rich and poor, free and slave-to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. [17] And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name. [18] Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666."

What would it take to manage global commerce and tracking of people on this order?

A.I. would be a good start. Consider this, "Artificial intelligence has the potential to be the most transformative technology since the internet, and if deployed globally, it could help coordinate and manage a one-world economy — a system where global supply chains, markets, and policies are integrated under shared governance and shared benefits." (A.I. AND OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE, Charles I. Jones, Working Paper 34779, http://www.nber.org/papers/w34779, NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, January 2026)

It doesn't take the mind of a science fiction writer to imagine the implications.

This is interesting to think about, and the bible nerd in me likes the mental exercise of looking for connections and trying to understand the "why" of what scripture says "is" or "will be."

But I don't have to fear it.

If I am alive when this occurs - or if you are alive when this occurs - we need only know and trust in Jesus, and in the hope He alone gives us.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, NLT

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. [14] For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. [15] We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. [17] Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. [18] So encourage each other with these words."

Satan is already defeated. Christ is the victor, and His victory is our victory when we believe and stand firm.

We must not be deceived by the tools and tactics of Satan, even when they may come wrapped in rumors of alien life forms or the merging of robotics and A.I.

And for the record, I don't believe in aliens. I believe in God and the angels He created. Some of these angels followed Lucifer in rebelling against God, and they were defeated. They roam around now looking for those they can destroy. Don't be one of their victims.

Scripture doesn't say aliens exist, but scripture does say that supernatural spiritual entities exist.

There are angels.

Psalm 91:11, NLT

“For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.”

And there are demons.

Ephesians 6:12, NLT

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

How do you make sure you are ready to stand against the schemes of Satan, regardless of the form they take?

Ephesians 6:10-11, NLT

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. [11] Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil."

Get into God's Word and study it. Pray with fervor. Get into a church that will challenge you and help you grow.

Don't be afraid of science or technology. But use this news to sharpen and clarify your view of the world, using scripture as your lens. What do you believe, and why?

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet says.