UFOs: What On Earth Is Happening?

by John Weldon, Zola Levitt

With startling evidence that is multiplying daily, it's urgent that everyone evaluate what he thinks about UFO's. How do they effect our previous conceptions of God - science - the origin of the universe - man? John Weldon gives plausible answers to all these questions. But most importantly, he shows an amazing connection between the rising interest in the occult and phenomena associated with UFO sightings.

175 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Sean Spooner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, not at all what I was expecting going into it. It's written by a Christian fundamentalist who makes the claim that the UFO phenomenon is simply demons setting up for the coming end of times. There was a good discussion of many past UFO stories, even mentioning a few from centuries ago.
They do a good job describing how improbable it is that UFOs are extraterrestrial beings from other planetary systems. They discussed how varied the craft were, how the "beings" were very commonly humanoid etc. I won't knock them for it since this book was written decades ago, but they very clearly claim that there is no reason to think that there are other planets in the Universe. I don't think that was the scientific consensus back then, even if there was no evidence for them, it was certainly thought of as at least a possibility, if not a probability/certainty.
The entire book it feels like they are poking holes in the classic UFO theories such as them being extraterrestrials etc. Then he immediately jumps to the UFOs being demons, using "magic" to instantly fix all possible problems that he sees with UFO theory. It's like an impossible thing to disprove if you claim that the UFOs are or are made by demons with supernatural powers. He can claim every facet of the UFO phenomenon isn't realistic, and then just jump to claiming that they're demons so it makes perfect sense.
I certainly see the logic of UFOs preparing the world for the coming end of days. UFOs would be used to introduce a "new God" to rule the world, and they would help to hurt Christianity's power over the public. I certainly understand the logic there. The one problem I have is that he repeatedly discusses the increased frequency of UFO contactees/viewers in recent times. I would argue that the world becoming more digital and more open lines of communication around the world would certainly cause a similar trend (if not explain the entire increase).
I wish there was a deeper description of how demons are related to the UFOs. He just says that it's possible but doesn't go into as much detail as I would like there.
Overall, the book was enjoyable to read, I just have a hard time getting behind his logical leap to UFOs being demons that is so clearly because of his faith.

[Stephanie Sanders-Jacob]

This is, quite possibly, the weirdest, most entertaining UFO book I’ve read. Written by a Christian fundamentalist known for his contributions to the Satanic Panic (he’s got a book about the evils of Dungeons and Dragons!), the book asserts that UFOs are real and populated by demons. It sounds wild, and it is, but this was also a weirdly well-researched piece of ufology. All the right names are dropped, the right books and government programs are referenced. It was kind of startling to see that level of seriousness and I feel weird admitting I learned a lot from this book. I got a really nice feel for the climate of the mid-seventies - from the scientific discoveries of the age (and those that feared them), to the anticipation/fear of the age of Aquarius, to the obscure bits of ufo pop-culture/lore that I’m gonna track down and read more about, this was much more informative than I expected. There was a lot of bs and fear-mongering, but even that was an interesting learning experience.