Raëlism, also known as Raëlianism or the Raëlian movement, is a UFO religion founded by Claude Vorilohn in 1974.
Now known as Raël, Vorilohn was a pop music singer in his teen years, and later a French auto racing journalist, publisher, and test driver, before founding Raelism.
According to his writings, Vorilohn was drawn to a secluded area within a volcanic crater in France. Looking into the sky, he saw a flashing light, which turned out to be an alien spacecraft. A staircase was lowered from the craft, and an alien descended.
The conversation that Vorilohn had with the alien became the foundation for the Raelian movement.
The being told him that all life on earth, including mankind, had been created through advanced cloning methods by extraterrestrial designers known as Elohim. Out of ignorance, people regarded the extraterrestrials as gods, and they were the Elohim of the Hebrew Bible.
Raelians believe that the Hebrew Bible included accurate accounts of many of the activities of the designers on earth, but that they were expressed in light of the limited understanding of the authors. For example, they believe that the Garden of Eden was actually a large laboratory based on an artificially constructed continent, that Noah's Ark was a spaceship that preserved DNA that was used to resurrect the animals through cloning, and that the Great Flood was the result of a nuclear missile explosion sent by the Elohim. They also interpret the biblical story of the Tower of Babel as a rocket that was intended to reach the creator's planet.
Throughout human history, the Elohim had made contact with about forty people, who acted as their prophets on Earth. These included Moses, Elijah, Ezekiel, Buddha, John the Baptist, Jesus, Muhammad, and Joseph Smith, claiming that Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Mormonism were all of Elohimic origins.
The alien made contact with Vorilohn because mankind was now advanced sufficiently, so as to be able to receive the full message from the Elohim. Once an embassy was built to receive them, the Elohim would return to bring mankind the means to establish a utopian civilization and to achieve mortality through the technology of cloning.
Changing his name to Raël, Vorilohn founded the Raelian movement to spread the teachings of the designers, and to prepare an embassy to receive them. The movement is known as the International Raelian Movement.
Membership in the Raelian Church is hierarchical. There are seven levels, from 0 to 6, the top four levels being a series of guides, while the first two levels are organizers, and level 0 is that of a trainee.
Raelian organizations include Clonaid, which was founded in 1997 to conduct research into human cloning. In 2002, it chief executive announced that a human baby had been conceived through cloning, although no proof of this has been offered.
Another is Clitoraid, an organization founded by Raelians to oppose the practice of female genital mutilation.
Raelians believe that the combination of mind transfer and human cloning will allow the human mind and personality to be transferred into new disease-free bodies, offering the promise of immortality. Although Raelians deny the existence of the soul, or of a supernatural god, but hold that human beings from the past will be resurrected through cloning.
Like many other religions, Raelism is a millenarian movement insofar as they look forward to a coming age of spiritual peace and harmony. But rather than looking to an apocalyptic showdown with evil, Raelians look to the joyous welcoming of the Elohim, and a subsequent advance toward a more modern, scientific, and sensual world.
Raelians believe that sex is normal and healthy, including the acceptance and encouragement of most types of sexuality, with the exception of pedophilia.
Although Raël insists that Raelians abhor the actions of the Nazis, the official symbol of Raelism intertwines the Star of David with a swastika. Raelians believe that, in doing so, they are reclaiming the swastika by restoring its original meaning as a symbol of peace.
Raelians have been active in several social causes, including opposition to war and to the Catholic Church, for feminist issues, and in favor of genetically modified foods. The movement has also been characterized by participation in intentional controversy, often for what seems to be publicity seeking.
Headquartered in Switzerland, the Raelian movement claims memberships throughout the world.
Recommended Resources
Believing that extraterrestrials created all life on Earth, the Raelian movement is a worldwide movement. Representing Raelians in Canada, the site chronicles the history and gives a profile of the movement, its organizational structure, dues and donations, and other resources, such as informational articles, a video summarizing the main points conveyed to Rael, a calendar of events, and a blog.
https://raelcanada.org/
Promoted by the International Raelian Movement, the site promotes the construction of an embassy for extraterrestrial visitors, in whichever country will have it. The reasons for an embassy are stated, along with the required specifications and conditions, a preliminary site plan, and a timeline. The site also argues that UFO sightings and crop circles are intended to prepare the people of earth to accept an official visit. Images and videos are included.
http://elohimembassy.org/
Representing the Raelian movement in India, the organization offers general information about Raelism through informational articles and video, news items, and an appeal to those who are willing to help translate the Raelian message into Hindi or other Indian languages. Online study groups are introduced, books on the subject are available for downloading, and a directory of other online resources is included.
https://raelians.in/
Created and maintained by the International Raelian Movement, the worldwide organization of Raelism, the book, “Intelligent Design: Message from the Designers,” can be downloaded in PDF format or ordered online, in print form, along with several other books on the subject. Several informational videos are also available, along with a calendar of events, a directory of national websites, newsletter, and contact information.
http://www.rael.org/
The Raelian movement in Ireland is highlighted here. Available in English, French, and Spanish, its site introduces some Irish Raelians, and presents a calendar of seminars, celebrations, and other events, new involving Raelians in Ireland, and a newsletter published only in English, and links to other Raelian online resources. A shopping area includes Raelian books, DVDs, and CDs, available for sale online.
http://ireland.rael.org/
The organization is made up of two types of members, simple members who adhere to the tenets of the Raelian philosophy, and active (structure) members who are proactive in assisting with activities and events promoting the ideologies of Raelism. Representing the movement in the United States, the organization offers a free downloadable Intelligent Design book, available in PDF format. A profile of the movement, its causes, embassy, and a calendar of events are set forth.
https://raelusa.org/
