Raelianism Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Raelianism - Research Paper Example Vorilhon, who now assumed the titular name of Rael (2006), described it as the religion of the infinite, â€Å"an atheist religion whose goals are the diffusion of the messages of demystification, given by the Elohim, to the Earth’s population, and to build an embassy where they will make official contact with the governments of the Earth† (p. 248). Based on its history, its development and its objectives, Raelianism can be considered a legitimate form of faith, regardless of the strangeness of its practices and rituals. It has persisted for decades and this alone makes the religion worth a closer look. History and Philosophy Unlike other groups, claiming to be a form of religion such as Scientology and even the Mormons, Raelianism is not overly secretive and is quite open with regards to its beliefs, rituals and history. Its beginnings, hence, is readily available to those who want to be initiated are interested to know. Its history began during that fateful day in 197 3 when Rael claimed to be driving in the middle of nowhere when the Elohim materialized. As per Rael’s account, these beings are extraterrestrials who came to the Earth and created life through scientific technologies. This was supposedly revealed to him and the responsibility to inform mankind and to prepare them to meet their makers rest on his hands. Thus, Raelianism was founded. The Raelian teachings, philosophies or what one would call catechism or dogma in the Christian religion are closely tied with existing religious texts such as the Bible. The idea is to view everything from their theoretical point of view. Here, the Christian God becomes the Elohim, a highly advanced extraterrestrial being. He was not an all too powerful omniscient or omnipresent mystical God but just an advanced race, with technological capability to design, manipulate and create life. For further insights, one could turn to the manner in which Raelian belief interpreted some parts of the biblical Genesis. Genesis 1:1 became: â€Å"In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and earth† (Rael, p. 11). The corresponding explanation revealed the framework further and to quote: Elohim, translated without justification in some Bibles by the word God means in Hebrew â€Å"those who came from the sky†, and furthermore the world is a plural. It means that the scientists from our world searched for a planet that was suitable to carry out their projects. They â€Å"created†, or in reality discovered the Earth, and realized it contained all the necessary elements for the creation of artificial life (p.11). The above example showed how Raelian belief tries to reconcile the religious texts that the world has with the concepts and artifacts of technology as we know or conceive of it today. It is not unlike rationalizing the mysteries of many religions, grounding it on scientific concepts. Eller (2007) summarized what the Raelianism stands for by saying that it is a â⠂¬Å"self-consciously atheistic religion† and that â€Å"the various world scriptures are attempts to communicate this reality but are garbled and confused† (p.268). The Elohim allegedly explained - and, therefore, such explanation became a core component of Raelian philosophy - that â€Å"the world’s existing religion were founded as a result of their direct communication with a series of human prophets for the purpose of implanting the idea of humanity’