Originally Posted by Ad Hominid

I am not too concerned about the reaction these people might have to the physical arrival of ETs, but the far more likely possibility of a "hit" at SETI could bring these views to prominence.
I have no idea whether this kind of religious thinking has been a factor in opposition to SETI funding, but it is easy to see how it might be.
Serious religious philosophers have debated the significance of ETs for at least a hundred years, but fundamentalists could very well be unaware of this. I think they would see ETs as a capital "T" Threat to their worldview and respond accordingly.