(NewsNation)—Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., has been part of a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers seeking information on unexplained aerial phenomena and demanding more transparency from the Pentagon. But is his belief in UFOs at odds with his religious faith?
Burchett joined NewsNation correspondent Ross Coulthart to discuss the latest on congressional inquiries into UFOs after a Pentagon report denied it had ever recovered any alien technology.
Burchett, a devout Christian, told NewsNation his belief in possible extraterrestrial activity isn’t at odds with his faith.
“I have no problem believing that there’s mentions of extraterrestrials in the Bible, and it doesn’t question my faith one bit. It doesn’t hurt or damage it,” he said.
Burchett has spoken about his views on religion and UFOs before, specifically citing the first chapter of Ezekiel in the Old Testament.
The early verses in the chapter, which contain prophecies, mention a cloud of fire from which emerge winged beings described like this: “As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle.” The verses then go on to describe wheels covered in eyes that accompany the creatures.
The congressman has suggested those creatures could be extraterrestrial in nature.
The topic of UFOs has gained traction in Congress following a whistleblower complaint from former intelligence official David Grusch, who said the Pentagon is hiding a secret program to retrieve UFO technology. Grusch has gone as far as to suggest the government has recovered alien remains, which the Pentagon denies.
Burchett and others in Congress aren’t giving up on investigations into UFOs. As for his faith, Burchett said his belief in the unexplained makes it stronger.
“It makes it a lot more vast than we as Christians sometimes make it,” he said. “This comfortable little box on this round rock we call Earth.”