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Cult

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE

RAËLISM

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  • A ufo religion founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon in Quebec, Canada
  • Structure is hierarchical of 7 levels
  • Members of the Raëlian structure begin as level 0 "trainees". claimed in 2007 to have about 2,300 members,170 "Raëlian guides",and 41 bishops.

HISTORY

  • 13 Dec.1973,Claude Vorilhon, at the time a professional test driver and automobile journalist, had a meeting with an extraterrestrial humanoid, an Eloha
  • alleges that he had alien encounters with beings who gave him knowledge of the origins of all major religions

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  • Later toured the world to spread the raëlian message
  • Returned to racing to get publicity for the movement
  • 26 Dec. 2002, Brigitte Boisselier, a Raëlian Bishop and CEO of a biotechnology company called Clonaid announced the birth of baby Eve, supposedly the first human clone.

BELIFS AND PRACTICES

  • believe prolonged life is possible by brain transplants and the coppying of cells;cloning.
  • Elohim was said to send Jesus, Moses, and Buddha to earth to help guide us humans.
  • Elohim misinformed (on purpose) early humanity that they were angels or gods. Believe these aliens will come back in the year 2025.
  • believe that humanity would be able to create life on other planets only if humanity is peaceful enough to stop war.

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  • do not believe in reincarnation. Instead they think that advanced supercomputers of the Elohim are right now recording the memories and DNA of human beings
  • believe life on earth was scientifically created by elohim
  • advocate sex-positive feminism and genetically modified food and actively protest against wars
  • support all sexual and gender identities

CONTROVERSY

  • Rael and the group attempt to tie their views with topical matters
  • Raëlian organizers made deliberate attempts to "shock and capture the media's imagination"
  • Raëlian Clonaid project has been estimated that the group received free publicity worth $500 million as a result of the Clonaid claim
  • Their symbol, featuring a swastika inside a Star of David, has caused controversy in Israel, among other place

WHY ITS CONSIDERED A CULT

  • founder leader is self-appointed and is viewed as a messiah or prophet
  • believe that the cosmic super-being of Elohim will soon arrive with UFOs and liberate people and that "To die for Elohim, that is the most beautiful thing that this planet has to offer."
  • radically reinterpret the Bible, and other religious works, and insert into them alien-centered interpretations
  • use free sexuality as inducement and recruiting