I started to ask Steve this - because he mentioned that "sharing a pew" would put the members of his wife's church ah, was it over the moon? Something like that.
I imagine that many of us (if not all) are partnered or best friended with someone who has dismissed the topic of UFO's as ridiculous or crazy or anti-church. Or they just don't get why we/I continue to pursue the topic.
What are your collective experiences?
Common sense would be not to answer your question Paulette.
I am supportive of my wife, and she is supportive of me. Married 28 years. Her world has it's dogmas, and the UFO community certainly has it's dogmas. Egotistical people with really only a good loud voice and no substance afflict every circle. She believes the Earth and the Universe was created in 5000 BC, about the time the wheel was developed in Mesopotamia and India, and rice was domesticated in China.
I hold to a scientific view going considerably very much farther back in time. We seldom ever debate these things, just talk about other things.
A few have secretly come to me in her church with UFO experiences, which they see as a risk in doing so. Her fundamentalist church publicly would regard UFO's as anti-church. There are even Christian produced films which circulate through the Christian community that all UFO's and abductions are really a vale by the devil to steal their souls. I watched one such film, and never saw so much 'BS' in my life. I wonder how many UFO cases they have personally investigated -not from books - but in the trenches?
On a personal level though, most are intelligent enough I would hope to dare gaze at the stars through more scientific glasses. Christians are from all walks in life. Many with scientific backgrounds, nurses for example. Others have very anti-science views too, yet they are to first to ask you to pray for them their MRI exam will turn out okay.
Hopefully break their 'stepford wife syndrome' in church following the flock blindly and dare to use their imagination and hold broader views I hope. We all, me included hold beliefs to give us comfort and assurance in an uncertain world....or Universe.
Many experiencers often come to me or Mary, many which have Christian views. This would be only natural in the population statistically at least. I to a great extent unconsciously share these beliefs. They can't go to their pastor, priests or rabbis. And those that have are given preposterous advice or views, only to be gently ostracized over time.
One preposterous view by Christian leaders about UFO's often is that UFOs themselves are it's own belief and religious system. You can't deny 'Heavens Gate' happened, a tragedy of a horrible mindless cult - you can say they literally BS'ed themselves to death. Christians see UFOs as a potential distraction in general in ones 'spiritual journey with Christ'.
Also you can't deny many New Age beliefs surround UFOs and aliens too, which Christians frown on as well. Most fundamentalist Christian leaders may confuse in their counseling those coming to them with their UFO experience must be all due to reading 'the wrong books'. The phenomenon always finds you, reading the 'wrong books' is the result trying to find an answer.
Many experiencers are faced with important personal dilemmas due to their religious beliefs - and in reality, not just their beliefs, but their whole paradigm about life and Universe in general maybe challenged. I know happily at least once or twice, witnesses have shared with me in private meetings, their pastor will confide privately even they have had a UFO experience too at least. I would hope this was more than just a psychological ploy to find commonality in what is admittedly uncommon.
Coming from a background perhaps once like theirs, I take the positive with me from my past, discard the negative and closed mindedness, the egotistical dogmas....and substitute science and objective common sense I hope. It is also important however others in the field who may regard you as being some kind of expert - which I am very embarrassed about - these 'toxic egos' must learn if nothing else their is still so much in humility we really still do not know.
Perhaps as a result, I have found from my curious amalgamation of views in my life, a unique empathy to listen and not laugh or discount. And to love God and others in tolerance.
Steve