The appointed delegate was in awe. Not only did these extraterrestrials possess advanced technology that unlocked the secrets of interstellar travel. Not only that, but these beings spoke English and were Christian!? What luck! The delegate himself was a Catholic, born and raised in New Jersey to a very Irish family that took its religious roots seriously.

It was then that he realized he hadn’t replied. He looked at the alien- no. Not an alien. What stood before him was a brother in Christ. The delegate almost smiled, but remembered the warning he had received earlier, that it might be seen as aggressive. “Yes. Forgive me if I appear doubtful, but I am curious; how is it that you came to learn of Christ?”

The being wasted no time before responding. “We have been observing you for many of your years. Your emissions provided all the information we required to understand Earth customs.”

The delegate hesitated. The way the being said “Earth Customs” made him question if this being truly believed or if it was merely adopting the guise of religion to appear more relatable. His confidence began to falter. He didn’t really want this to devolve into a theological debate, especially if the basis of his position doubted the potential beliefs of this being. But he had to know. When would any other person have such an opportunity? Why not take advantage of it while it was his? He took a breath, and began.

“I see. But… you have accepted Christ into your heart, right? You’ve heard of the Ten Commandments, the crucifixion and resurrection?”

The being took a few moments to consider his words. It spoke a few times into its wrist, possibly communicating with its friends in their ship. The delegate’s heart pounded in his chest. He wondered what the people watching were thinking of him. The biggest moment in human history, and here he stood, questioning their beliefs. At last, it spoke.

“We do not understand your questions. Our records show that the Ten Commandments was a motion picture that depicted the life of Moses. Crucifixion was one of your ancient execution methods, and resurrection is nothing but a fiction. To return life to dead beings. We do not see the connection between these topics and accepting Jesus Christ as your lord and savior.”

The delegate panicked. He wasn’t sure what was worse, that they weren’t actually Christians, or that he had just made a fool of himself in front of another sentient species. And everyone watching at home. Okay. He may have just botched the first conversation, but he had questions that needed answers, now more than ever. If it was already ruined, what harm was there in pressing a bit further? He took a few deep breaths before speaking again.

“If you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, why are you asking if I have done the same?”

Again, the alien communicated with its kin. Its response came faster this time. “After careful study of Earth culture, we found that this greeting was the traditional phrase your species used upon arrival at a stranger’s dwelling.”