(This post is an excerpt from a book I’m writing.)
In 1979, I met Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. We were flying through the air with the greatest of ease, but it wasn’t on a spaceship. We were on a big, 747 Boeing jet airliner flying from New York City to Morocco, North Africa. I was going to to play in a golf tournament hosted by the king of Morocco.
I was told that Mr. Roddenberry was on the plane to participate in the king’s golf tournament, too. So, I located him and introduced myself. We shook hands and I said, “I think we have common interests. I’m a student of Bible prophecy.” Mr. Roddenberry smiled and graciously invited me to sit in the empty seat beside him. I gladly did. We then had a most interesting, private conversation that lasted for almost an hour. We talked the whole time about outer space, mysterious things on earth, and spiritual matters.
Gene Roddenberry made that famous statement about outer space—“to boldly go where no man has gone before.” As might be expected, he was obsessed with the idea of whether there are other intelligent beings in the universe besides us humans. So, he asked me, “Do you believe in aliens in outer space.”
I answered, “Yes.”
Gene’s eyes got big and he was all ears. He excitedly said, “Really?”
I explained, trying keep back a grin, “Yeah, they are angels.”
Mr. Roddenberry’s countenance dropped like an astronaut falling out of the sky in a spacesuit. He annoyingly replied, “Oh, I’m not talking about that.”
I smiled and said, “Oh,” as if I didn’t know.
Gene inquired again, “Besides that; do you think there are aliens, intelligent beings, out there?”
I answered seriously, “I’m not sure, Gene, but I doubt it. It’s mostly because of one verse in the Bible.”
He asked, “What does it say?”
I answered, “It says God created the heavens and the earth and that he made the earth to be inhabited.” I explained that I thought it means God didn’t make any other planets in the universe to be inhabitable by intelligent life forms comparable to us humans or superior to us.
I didn’t have that verse memorized, and I don’t recall if I knew its reference. It is Isaiah 45.18, and it reads in the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it a chaos, he formed it to be inhabited!).”
Gene and I then talked about angels, demons, and UFOs. He was especially interested earthly evidence that purportedly reveals extraterrestrial beings have visited earth. I knew a little about this. So, I cited the Australian archaeologist Dr. Clifford Wilson and his small book, Gods in Chariots and other Fantasies (1975). I had it in my library at home, and I had read it, probably more than once. It provides what I thought are worthy explanations for some of these earthly mysteries. I explained that the title of this book means it was a rebuttal of the then popular book written by Erich von Daniken—The Chariots of the Gods (1968).
Mr. Roddenberry knew about von Daniken’s book quite well since it was about a subject most dear to Gene’s heart. In this book, Erich von Daniken offers some bizarre interpretations about certain Old Testament texts in the Bible. For example, he asserts that the Prophet Ezekiel describes angels landing spacecrafts on earth and posing as men. And Erich says during antiquity that extra-terrestrials visited earth and imparted to human beings knowledge with which to build the Pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England. That is similar to inter-testamental, apocalyptic, Jewish literature, especially 1 Enoch 6-19, saying fallen angels visited earth and taught humans how to sin, including how to make weapons for war.
After The Chariots of the Gods was published, the consensus among scientists and historians was that von Daniken had conducted pseudo-science and even plagiarism in it. Nevertheless, this book was adapted as a film documentary in Germany and, later, as a television documentary in the U.S.
Gene Roddenberry and I had rather opposite philosophical and theological views about some of these matters. So, I don’t think we persuaded each other about much or anything. And I didn’t know much about Star Trek at that time. When I later saw some TV episodes of it, I realized that I agreed ethically with much of it.
Mr. Roddenberry and I certainly had a stimulating conversation that helped pass the time during that long, nine-hour airplane flight to Morocco. And heh, all you trekkies out there, I had the privilege of talking to your hero—the creator of Star Trek—about God, angels, aliens, UFOs, and other sci-fi stuff.
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