Raelism

Raelism refers to a UFO religion begun in France by former race car driver Claude Vorilhon, who renamed himself Rael. In 1974, Rael claimed to experience an alien abduction during which he learned that humans had been created scientifically by extraterrestrial overlords called "Elohim." Thus the Raelians are proponents of intelligent design, although it is not clear where the aliens themselves originated.^[1]

According to Raelian beliefs, the Elohim have been misinterpreted in world religions as creator gods. Thus the movement rejects that God or gods actually exist. Though they are technically an atheistic religion, they do not believe in evolution.

The religion made international headlines in 2002 when they claimed to have genetically engineered the first healthy, viable, human clone. Raelians do not believe in a supernatural afterlife and thus advocate human cloning and "mind uploading" as a means to ensure eternal life.^[2]

See also[edit]

• Ancient astronaut theory
• Gnosticism

References[edit]