Spielberg Says Alien First Contact Could Shake Faith in 'Disclosure Day' as Jewish Thinkers Push Back
Updated
Updated · Forward · Jun 15
Spielberg Says Alien First Contact Could Shake Faith in 'Disclosure Day' as Jewish Thinkers Push Back
3 articles · Updated · Forward · Jun 15
Summary
79-year-old Steven Spielberg stirred controversy on the “Disclosure Day” press tour by arguing that proof of intelligent alien life could trigger a religious crisis, asking whether God is only “on this planet.”
The film itself centers on a whistleblower exposing a U.S.-linked cover-up of extraterrestrial life, with a former nun character fearing people might treat aliens as deities once the truth emerges.
Rabbi Josh Breindel and other Jewish voices rejected that premise, saying classic Jewish thought treats new reality as part of creation and has long allowed for life beyond Earth.
That pushback draws on older Jewish sources—from Hasdai Crescas in the 14th century to later rabbinic views—framing extraterrestrial life as compatible with faith rather than a threat to it.
The dispute extends Spielberg’s latest public turn toward UFO belief after he said earlier on Monday that decades of reports, videos and official testimony had convinced him sightings are credible.