http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piri_Reis
I had an experience that totally changed my life. For credibility before I had a near death experience I would agree with your statement about having no integrity. After this experience, I live a different lifestyle and beliefs. My honor and living a Christ like life means more to me than all the gold in the World. Having wealth is so far down on the list of life for me, now I would not be opposed to a couple of million dollars but it's not necessary for my life. For me, the confirmation of God was/is a life changing event. In my mind, I have 100% proof of God and the existence of an afterlife. I will never have that scientific proof of God for anyone else but I have 100% faith in him. It's like atoms, we can not see them but science knows they exist. I understand and have compassion for you beliefs or lack of beliefs. I do not have the power to heal your hurts within your spirit. I encourage you to have a relationship with God but I warn you that challenging the Lord to prove himself to you will be very painful ride. This is from personal experience. That's what so great about the US and the Constitution. This document guarantees a person the right to worship God or not to worship God!
Daryl, I envy you in this respect that you actually got to see either an alien ufo or terrestrial based spacecraft. A part of my being would desperately want to see a ufo and meet an alien. Another part would be absolutely terrified of meeting an alien or seeing a ufo.
Daryl wrote:SMR, you do seem to be an intelligent and good person, and I don't want to hurt your feelings, but have you considered that you may have a somewhat credulous nature?
From previous threads you say that you are a "born again" evangelical Christian, believe in previous lost civilizations, and believe in visits from star travelling aliens. All or some of these beliefs may be true, but none of them have actual verifiable scientific physical proof. Nastier, more cynical people like me require proof to believe.
I have had a first hand experience of an Unidentified Flying Object, that didn't match anything I could conceive as coming from earth technology, however I would need much more evidence to believe in alien visits. Incidentally I wasn't analy probed, so that may explain my scepticism.