A reporter reveals the naked truth about the Raelians' UFO religion
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The group congregated silently around the doors leading into the ballroom. All eyes looked toward the floor. We were 12 hours into the fast from food, talking, technology, sex and eye contact.
In 1973, then 27-year-old French sports car journalist Claude Vorhilon had an encounter with one of these extraterrestrial beings that changed the trajectory of his life."Listen to me carefully," said Yahweh, the alien, to Claude, who"You will tell all human beings about this meeting, but you will tell them the truth about what they are, and about what we are," the extraterrestrial said. Claude was given the name"Rael" and started spreading the message.
"He was different. He was very impressive," Houari said."You could tell something impacted him that strongly for him to say 'this is how it is and how it should be.'" Though a gentle spirit, Rael is pretty ruthless in kicking out dissidents and demarking them, Palmer said.Houari passed along the contact of his guide, Kasyo Perrier, a level four Raelian. The scale, based on each member's leadership and organizational involvement, goes up to six – with level five Raelians serving as bishops. Rael, the messenger of the Elohim, sits alone at level six.
After an impromptu dance party to"Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang, the Raelians settled in for the first teaching from Rael. He would not be joining the seminar in person. His teachings would be played on a projector screen. "As long as men can go topless," Rael said,"Women should have the same constitutional right or men should also be forced to wear something that hides their chests."
Esteban didn't seem that into it — he wasn't participating in the walking meditations, which had the Raelians slowly swaying side to side while whispering,"I am love, I am peace." When the doors to the ballroom opened, Kasyo took me by the hand to a table where I sat among eight Raelians. Each plate had an apple, and Thomas led the seminar in one final meditation before the meal.
Thomas beckoned us to keep our eyes closed, and perhaps for good reason -- watching people make out with an apple is not something you forget.The crunch of apples broke the silence of the room. In"Aliens Adored," Susan J. Palmer discovered that many guides she interviewed said that they were initially"attracted to Rael's philosophy because it bridged the gap between the Catholic otherworldly faith they knew as children and the pragmatic, scientific worldview they espoused as adults."
So, what then, attracted Esteban, the 24-year-old chemical engineer who never had much of a religious background? "I don't know why this one event stood out to me," Esteban said."I wanted to meet up with different people who had different ideas. I had these thoughts in my head, but I never found a group of people that, you know, had the same thoughts – until now.""He's a genuine person speaking from his own experience," Esteban said.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Prince Harry Delivered an Emotional Speech About Splitting From the RoyalsPrince Harry Delivers Emotional Speech About His Split From the Royal Family
Read more »
Disappeared Venezuelan legislator being held in state detention: lawyerVenezuelan opposition legislator Gilber Caro, whose whereabouts had been unknown...
Read more »
Heads of the Class: Drake Ties 'Glee' Cast for Most Billboard Hot 100 Entries EverEach act, whose success started on TV, has made 207 appearances.
Read more »
Doubts surface over Puerto Rican governor’s motivation to fire housing secretaryWhile Vázquez did not elaborate on the circumstances that led her to fire Gil Enseñat, rumors quickly circulated suggesting he was fired because of support for Pedro Pierlusi — who is running against Vázquez ahead of the elections in November.
Read more »