Editing Aetherius Society (section)

===Criticism===
Many of King's claims, particularly claims to various titles and honors, have been shown to be questionable at best.<ref name=B2011pp119-120>Barrett, David V. (2011) pp119-120</ref><ref name=Smith2003pp94-5>Smith, Simon (2003) pp.94-5</ref>

Simon Smith states that the Aetherius Society has to bridge a number of credibility gaps exacerbated by scientific and technological advances, and mentions some seemingly insurmountable problems facing its world view, such as the non-existence of life on the other planets of the Solar System, and scarce evidence of spacecraft visiting Earth. The society uses the concepts of 'higher spheres of existence' to explain life on the other planets, and the 'lowly karmic position' of mankind to explain why extraterrestrials do not land openly.<ref name=Smith2003pp94-5/> Hence the movement, while failing to keep pace with science and technology, has tried to explain consequent incompatibilities. However, explanation has become increasingly unnecessary for adherents due to their growing acceptance of King's charismatic authority.<ref name=Smith2003p98/>

Rothstein suggests that the Aetherius Society touted a 1959 BBC television appearance of King <ref>{{cite web |title=Lifeline: Mars and Venus speak to Earth |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e0d931fe04cb41eb8b9e0f787abfdb57 |website=genome.ch.bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref> as a momentous event, whilst in fact contemporary media coverage of King was mostly negative.<ref name="Rothstein, Mikael 2007">Rothstein, Mikael (2007)</ref>{{rp|18}}

In 1958, the society's publication ''Cosmic Voice'' claimed to give details transmitted by the Cosmic Masters of an atomic accident in Russia, i.e. the [[Kyshtym Disaster]], that was not known about in the West until 1976 when revealed by the ''[[New Scientist]]'' magazine.<ref name=B2011p125/><ref name="Scooped by a UFO">{{cite journal |title=Scooped by a UFO |journal=New Scientist |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YvpI6azxNaoC&pg=PA241 |date=27 April 1978 |publisher=Reed Business Information |volume=78 |issue=1100 |page=241 |issn=0262-4079 |access-date=4 August 2014}}{{dead link|date=December 2024}}</ref> The magazine, after receiving a claim about the transmission from the Aetherius Society, entered a two-paragraph item under the title "Scooped by a UFO!", next to other news items intended to be humorous, such as a report of a "Dolphin Embassy."<ref name=" Scooped by a UFO"/>{{dead link|date=December 2024}} The Aetherius Society, however, interprets the ''New Scientist'' coverage as recognition of King's integrity, and admission by the magazine that they had been scooped by a UFO.<ref>[http://www.aetherius.org/index.cfm?app=content&PageID=653] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130430084852/http://www.aetherius.org/index.cfm?app=content&PageID=653|date=April 30, 2013}}</ref> The Cosmic Voice reported, early in its history, that King's mother was often a passenger in the flying saucers from various planets, was once in a Martian spaceship when she was introduced to a Venusian whom she recognized as "our dear Jesus", who solemnly declared of one of George King's books,{{efn|The Twelve Blessings (1958)}} "this book is now and forever will be – Holy."<ref>Nebel, Long John, ''The Way Out World'' (hardcover, 1961, NY, Prentice-Hall) page 53, (paperback, 1962, NY, Lancer) page 48.</ref>

King claimed that Aetherius enabled him "to speak all terrestrial languages"—although he seemed unable to respond when asked questions in [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] and [[French language|French]].<ref>Moore, Patrick, ''Can You Speak Venusian?'' (1972, London, Wyndham Publ'ns) pages 97-98, also in Moore, Patrick, ''Countdown! or How Nigh is the End?'' (1983, rev. 2009, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK, The History Press) pages 137-138.</ref>