| Revision as of 23:12, 7 August 2006 edit68.225.235.12 (talk) →See also← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:47, 8 August 2006 edit undoKmarinas86 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users14,959 edits Make known your opposing views so that this will be closer NPOV. But back up yourself with verifiable sources.Next edit → | ||
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| In 1991, the symbol was finally changed to remove the swastika to help in negotiations with building the "Third Temple of Israel", since the symbol has been associated with ] since the 1930s. The original symbol is still in use in parts of Asia. The official reason given was a request from the Elohim to change the symbol in order to help in negotiations with ] for the building of a Raëlian "embassy" or 'third temple of Israel' to greet the anticipated Elohim space vessels, although Israel still flatly denies their request. | In 1991, the symbol was finally changed to remove the swastika to help in negotiations with building the "Third Temple of Israel", since the symbol has been associated with ] since the 1930s. The original symbol is still in use in parts of Asia. The official reason given was a request from the Elohim to change the symbol in order to help in negotiations with ] for the building of a Raëlian "embassy" or 'third temple of Israel' to greet the anticipated Elohim space vessels, although Israel still flatly denies their request. | ||
| ====Criticism==== | |||
| ===The '']'' and their ''Message'' to ''Humanity''=== | ===The '']'' and their ''Message'' to ''Humanity''=== | ||
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| The Raëlians believe, furthermore, that the Elohim will visit the earth officially when enough of its population is peaceful and come to know about them. They believe this is foretold in all religious texts - the predicted "Age of Apocalypse" or "Revelation" (unveiling of the truth). They say these humans from the sky will meet in the embassy they have asked Rael to build for them and share their advanced ] knowledge with us, their creation. Thus one of their major goals is to inform as many people as possible about this extraterrestrial race. | The Raëlians believe, furthermore, that the Elohim will visit the earth officially when enough of its population is peaceful and come to know about them. They believe this is foretold in all religious texts - the predicted "Age of Apocalypse" or "Revelation" (unveiling of the truth). They say these humans from the sky will meet in the embassy they have asked Rael to build for them and share their advanced ] knowledge with us, their creation. Thus one of their major goals is to inform as many people as possible about this extraterrestrial race. | ||
| ====Criticism==== | |||
| ===''Human Society''=== | ===''Human Society''=== | ||
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| The Raëlians promote the idea of a new form of governmental philosophy that they refer to as '']'', or rule by geniuses. It advocates a requirement of having at least 50% more than the average intelligence potential (though not IQ) as based on a test in order to run for office, and at least 10% above average in order to vote. Thus, geniocracy is a form of selective democracy as opposed to the conventional form of liberal democracy typical of western cultures as it does not include the concept of ]. | The Raëlians promote the idea of a new form of governmental philosophy that they refer to as '']'', or rule by geniuses. It advocates a requirement of having at least 50% more than the average intelligence potential (though not IQ) as based on a test in order to run for office, and at least 10% above average in order to vote. Thus, geniocracy is a form of selective democracy as opposed to the conventional form of liberal democracy typical of western cultures as it does not include the concept of ]. | ||
| ====Criticism==== | |||
| ===The ''Individual''=== | ===The ''Individual''=== | ||
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| Individual potential should be realized, which according to Raelians, requires that one must be harmonious with the ] surrounding he or she bathes in. | Individual potential should be realized, which according to Raelians, requires that one must be harmonious with the ] surrounding he or she bathes in. | ||
| ====Criticism==== | |||
| ===''Human Cloning''=== | ===''Human Cloning''=== | ||
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| The memories and DNA of human beings for the past thousands of years are allegedly recorded by advanced supercomputers of the ] relatively close to our solar system. After the coming of the some 40 other prophets of Elohim, if that occurs, Raëlians believe, this information will be accessible to scientists on Earth who will perform resurrections of many billions of individuals either for long-term reward or short-term punishment. Raëlians do not believe in sadisms such as eternal suffering and punishment, but they believe in eternal life of pleasure for those that want it. It is said in the Raëlian Messages that those who are neutral in their ways would not be resurrected, however, what it takes to be "neutral" in the case here is not really known. Raël, the founder of the Raelian Movement, has an interest in bringing back famous individuals such as ] or ], either for inspiration or to allow for retroactive punishment, but this is a low priority for him at this time. Raël also proposes cloning as the solution to ] by ], as the perpetrators wouldn't be able to escape punishment by killing themselves if they could be recreated after their attacks. | The memories and DNA of human beings for the past thousands of years are allegedly recorded by advanced supercomputers of the ] relatively close to our solar system. After the coming of the some 40 other prophets of Elohim, if that occurs, Raëlians believe, this information will be accessible to scientists on Earth who will perform resurrections of many billions of individuals either for long-term reward or short-term punishment. Raëlians do not believe in sadisms such as eternal suffering and punishment, but they believe in eternal life of pleasure for those that want it. It is said in the Raëlian Messages that those who are neutral in their ways would not be resurrected, however, what it takes to be "neutral" in the case here is not really known. Raël, the founder of the Raelian Movement, has an interest in bringing back famous individuals such as ] or ], either for inspiration or to allow for retroactive punishment, but this is a low priority for him at this time. Raël also proposes cloning as the solution to ] by ], as the perpetrators wouldn't be able to escape punishment by killing themselves if they could be recreated after their attacks. | ||
| ====Criticism==== | |||
| ==Historical Highlights== | ==Historical Highlights== | ||
Revision as of 17:47, 8 August 2006
- This article gives an overview of the beliefs of the Raëlian Movement. For the current organization of the International Raëlian Movement, see Raëlian Church. For the history of Raëlism, see History of Raëlism.
Raëlism is the philosophical belief system promoted by the Raëlian Movement, a humanist new religious movement founded in the 1970s which believes that scientifically advanced humanoid extraterrestrials, believed to be known by our primitive ancestors as Elohim (or "those who came from the 'sky'"), synthesized life on Earth through mastery of genetic engineering, and that a combination of human cloning and "mind transfer" can ultimately provide immortality to those currently alive or passed away. Raëlians focus on the social ideas of sexual self-determination and a spirit of sharing and responsibility, which, they claim, will bring a new age of wealth and peace as predicted by the main religions. The philosophy is based on humanitarian and individual values including human rights and freedoms, and the belief that the role of humanity's leadership should be based on the merit of intelligence.
Claude Vorilhon (born 1946), the founder of the Raelian Movement, also known as Raël, was an aspiring entertainer and performer who had produced an automobile racing magazine entitled Auto Pop, before he allegedly was contacted by a representative of an extraterrestrial civilization called the Elohim on December 13, 1973 in the crater of a volcano near Clermont-Ferrand in central France. Following what he claimed were the instructions given to him, he founded the Raëlian Movement, which claims to have about 65,000 members from 86 countries. Membership is particularly high in France, Japan, Canada (especially Quebec), and the United States (especially Miami, Las Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles). The Raelian Movement spreads its philosophy through many books, e-books, press releases, and websites, as well in public urban areas where pedestrian traffic is common.
The International Raelian Movement is classified as a new religious movement by some scholars and governments but has been perceived by some people and governments as a cult. It has been characterised by some observers as a type of "UFO religion", although the group itself does not focus on UFOs.
Beliefs
The Infinite
Main article: Raelian cosmology
The symbol initially chosen by Raël for his movement is a stylized version of the symbol allegedly seen on the Elohim spaceship, and can be found on the book cover of some old editions of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. It was the source of considerable controversy since it resembled a Star of David with the image of a swastika embedded in its center. The swastika "represents infinity of time, and trace its origins to Sanskrit and Buddhist symbols, to the Chinese character for temple, and to ancient catacombs, mosques, and synagogues."
In 1991, the symbol was finally changed to remove the swastika to help in negotiations with building the "Third Temple of Israel", since the symbol has been associated with Nazism since the 1930s. The original symbol is still in use in parts of Asia. The official reason given was a request from the Elohim to change the symbol in order to help in negotiations with Israel for the building of a Raëlian "embassy" or 'third temple of Israel' to greet the anticipated Elohim space vessels, although Israel still flatly denies their request.
Criticism
The Elohim and their Message to Humanity
According to Raël, a message explaining our origins and future was dictated to him in December 1973 during personal meetings with a 25,000-year-old extraterrestrial named Yahweh who came in a UFO. Details of this epic were later published by Rael in the book The Message Given to me by Extra-terrestrials (now republished as Intelligent Design: Message from the Designers 2006 ISBN 2940252203). The story goes that after terraforming the Earth, human beings from another planet—the "Elohim" (Hebrew for the word "God" as found in the Hebrew Old Testament, which the alleged extraterrestrial himself translated as meaning those who came from the sky in ancient Hebrew) —created humans and all life on earth using DNA manipulation and genetic engineering. The message dictated to Raël during his encounter with the Elohim states that the Elohim contacted some forty people to act as their prophets on Earth, among which are those who founded the world's major religions (Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, etc.)
The Raëlians believe, furthermore, that the Elohim will visit the earth officially when enough of its population is peaceful and come to know about them. They believe this is foretold in all religious texts - the predicted "Age of Apocalypse" or "Revelation" (unveiling of the truth). They say these humans from the sky will meet in the embassy they have asked Rael to build for them and share their advanced scientific knowledge with us, their creation. Thus one of their major goals is to inform as many people as possible about this extraterrestrial race.
Criticism
Human Society
Main article: GeniocracyRaelians believe that only love can stop war and injustice that currently persists in today's world. The form of love in which Raelians are interested not only includes emotional intelligence, but the also the science of the future that will enable mankind to reach a stage of bliss, in a unified world that embraces science and the many potential pleasures and solutions it may provide to remove suffering. For Raelians, happiness and love are the key to success.
The Raëlians promote the idea of a new form of governmental philosophy that they refer to as geniocracy, or rule by geniuses. It advocates a requirement of having at least 50% more than the average intelligence potential (though not IQ) as based on a test in order to run for office, and at least 10% above average in order to vote. Thus, geniocracy is a form of selective democracy as opposed to the conventional form of liberal democracy typical of western cultures as it does not include the concept of universal suffrage.
Criticism
The Individual
Raelians believe in the individual responsibility, happiness, well being, as well as the right to believe as one wishes, as long it does not promote violence and injustice. The ones who "pull the trigger" are just as responsible as the ones who give the order to do so. This line of thought can be derived from the Raelian belief that everything that we do, including what we tell people, we are responsible for.
Individual potential should be realized, which according to Raelians, requires that one must be harmonious with the infinite surrounding he or she bathes in.
Criticism
Human Cloning
It is important not to be confused by different uses of the word "cloning". In the scientific community, cloning refers only to the creation of a genetically identical individual. Note that "genetically identical" does not mean altogether identical; this kind of cloning does not reproduce a person's memories or experiences, for example.
In discussions of Raëlism, cloning sometimes seems to refer not only to biological cloning, but to biological human cloning plus mind and/or brain transfer, or to a process where adult clones can be directly made.
Immortality through Science
The Raëlians believe that immortality through science will one day be possible. The prophet Raël explains that this will be achieved in three stages:
Step One
1) Create a genetically identical copy of someone by human cloning. The first step, human cloning, while certainly not trivial, is widely recognized as a goal science is capable of pursuing, despite being thought of as science fiction only 20 years ago. Some scientists and many non-scientists, however, find both ideas ethically troublesome. Raëlians do not share these scruples, and followers of Raël, including trained scientists, are actively researching this first step.
Step Two and Three
2) Cause the clone to mature much, much faster than normal. Raël makes the statement that in the future, scientists will discover an "accelerated-growth process" in which a process like guided self-assembly of rapidly expanded cells or even nanotechnological assembly a whole human body may be created in a very short time.
3) Transferring the memory and personality of the original person to the mature clone by some kind of scientific process, presumably through a computer back up of the person's brain waves, which is then downloaded onto the fresh clone.
It is unclear to many non-Raëlians how the second or third step could be accomplished, but there does appear to be growing research in Asia and other places concerning both accelerated growth and brain-computer communication. It is theorized that human memory and personality could be backed up on silicon.
Reincarnation of Consciousness
Raëlians do not believe in reincarnation as dictated by mystical writings because they do not believe that an ethereal soul (free of physical confinements) exists. In Raëlian books, the soul is defined as primitive man's term for DNA. Raëlians consider human cloning as the only step toward everlasting life. It is clear that in the final stages, DNA alone would be enough to bring someone back. Prior to the final stage, reincarnation would require a "recording" of the individual's mind, for use in mind transfer into a fully grown adult clone which has not been exposed to any sensory input.
The memories and DNA of human beings for the past thousands of years are allegedly recorded by advanced supercomputers of the Elohim relatively close to our solar system. After the coming of the some 40 other prophets of Elohim, if that occurs, Raëlians believe, this information will be accessible to scientists on Earth who will perform resurrections of many billions of individuals either for long-term reward or short-term punishment. Raëlians do not believe in sadisms such as eternal suffering and punishment, but they believe in eternal life of pleasure for those that want it. It is said in the Raëlian Messages that those who are neutral in their ways would not be resurrected, however, what it takes to be "neutral" in the case here is not really known. Raël, the founder of the Raelian Movement, has an interest in bringing back famous individuals such as Jesus or Hitler, either for inspiration or to allow for retroactive punishment, but this is a low priority for him at this time. Raël also proposes cloning as the solution to terrorism by suicide attacks, as the perpetrators wouldn't be able to escape punishment by killing themselves if they could be recreated after their attacks.
Criticism
Historical Highlights
Main article: History of RaëlismOrganizational Structure
Main article: Raëlian ChurchTrivia
- Every year in the United States, a meeting of Raelians and Non-Raelians take place in a multi-day event known as a Raelian Seminar (or Festival) - in the city of Las Vegas, NV .
- Raelians have been participants in events such as gay pride parades and other festivals such as Burning Man and the Cannes Film Festival.
- The continent with the strongest growth in Raelian Membership is Africa. On the day of April 1, 2006, Africa officially had 251 new Raelians receive their Raelian "Baptism" (also known among the Raelians as a "Cellular Transmission"), and 121 of those transmissions took place in Burkina Faso.
See also
- Rael (aka Claude Vorilhon)
- Geniocracy
- Raelian cosmology
- An image of the Raelian symbol in manga.
- Biogenesis
- Directed Panspermia
- Cosmic ancestry
Related Religious Movements and Beliefs
The following religious movements have facets of similarity either in realm of philosophy of creation or general religious belief.
- Aetherius Society
- Ancient astronaut theory
- Intelligent design
- Scientology
- Swedenborgianism
- Unarius Academy of Science
In fiction
The 2005 book The Possibility of an Island - (translated by Gavin Bowd, original title La Possibilité d'une île) by the French writer, Michel Houellebecq is seen by several reviewers as a description of Raëlism in the future.
Further Reading
- Rael, Geniocracy. The Raelian Foundation, 2004.
- Rael, Maitreya. The Raelian Foundation, 2003.
- Rael, Sensual Meditation. Tagman Press, 2001.
Footnotes
- The Raelian Movement: Downloads, The International Raelian Movement. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
- Raelian Press Site, The International Raelian Movement. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
- International Religious Freedom Report 2003, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. 18 December 2003. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
- Sect leader: Cloning is just the beginning, Cable News Network. 31 Dec 2002. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
- The LAS VEGAS Seminar.... A Hit, Raelian Contact Newsletter 309. 23 May 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
- A VERY SPECIAL SEMINAR IN LAS VEGAS, Raelian Contact Newsletter 273. 26 May 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
- Lara, Burning Man Diffusion, Raelian Contact Newsletter 310. 3 June 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
- Demba, Guillaume, The Cannes festival.. a good year, Raelian Contact Newsletter 310. 3 June 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
- First Sunday of April celebrations. 378 new Raelians on the planet!, Raelian Contact Newsletter 304. 8 April 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
- Houellebecq, prêtre honoraire du mouvement raëlien, Le Nouvel Observateur. 19 October 2005. Retrieved 2 August 2006.
References
- Rael, Intelligent Design: Message from the Designers. Nova Dist., 2006. ISBN 2940252203. - the messages given to Rael in 1973.
- Raël, Yes to Human Cloning: Immortality Thanks to Science. Tagman Press, 2001. ISBN 1903571057; ISBN 1903571049.
External links
Official Raelian Sites
- Rael.org - Web site of the Raëlian Movement
- Intelligent Design Theory - Another Official Raelian website
- RaelRadio.net - Official Raelian Radio station and podcast
- Raelianews.org - Official News and Views of the Raelian Movement
- Raelafrica.org - Official Raelian Website for Africa
- Rael.jp - Official Raelian Website for Japan
- E-book Downloads of the Raelian Books
- ARAMIS international-set up by Raelians to support Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender rights
- Rael's Girls - Official Raelian site reaching out to those who wish to be a part of the Sex Industry.
- Selected scientific news from the internet related to the RAELIAN MOVEMENT
Unofficial Raelian Sites
- Unofficial web site about the Raëlian Movement (with forum and videos)
- Raelian website made by Glenn Carter, who is also known for his role in Jesus Christ Superstar
- Raelian website for speakers of Korean
Study concerning this New Religious Movement
Criticism from Skeptics
- Raëlism Robert T. Carroll's skeptic dictionary entry
- Rise of the Raelians: flying saucers, science, sex, and religion, Vern Bullough, Skeptical Inquirer, July-August, 2002
- Raelian information page, Rick A. Ross Institute
Odd Connection...
Raelian Research Interests
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