UFO religion

A  is any religion in which the existence of extraterrestrial (ET) entities operating unidentified flying objects (UFOs) is a major element of belief. Typically, adherents of such religions believe the ETs to be interested in the welfare of humanity which either already is, or eventually will become, part of a pre-existing ET civilization. Other religions predate the UFO era of the mid 20th century, but incorporate ETs into a more supernatural worldview in which the UFO occupants are more akin to angels than physical aliens, but this distinction may be blurred within the overall subculture.

Quotes

 * What made UFO literature less tolerated in China was the government’s decision to crack down on in 1999. Since Falun Gong also includes UFO themes among its beliefs and literature, any other groups mentioning contacts with the aliens become suspicious. In the 21st century, discussing theoretically the possibility of extraterrestrial life was still permitted, but literature and groups who claimed that “contactees” were in touch with the aliens were much less tolerated and often labeled as xie jiao (“heterodox teachings,” sometimes translated as “evil cults”). …The new popularity of UFO theories and messages among young Chinese is part of their attempt to find answers to their questions, which they feel the [Chinese] Communist Party is not delivering. Some of these answers may appear to many as strange or even ridiculous. However, in democratic countries, stories about the UFOs are freely discussed, and those who tell them do not risk [being sent] to jail.
 * Zhao Zhangyong (pseudonym), "UFO Beliefs Growing (and Increasingly Repressed) in China", Bitter Winter (January 29, 2022)
 * Curator's Note: For the term "xie jiao" and its etymology, see the entry at Wiktionary.