New Religious Movements and Science: Rael's Progressive Patronizing Parasitism

Abstract

The article examines the concoction of religion and "science" contained in the revelation that substantiates a new religion: Raelianism, founded and led by the prophet Claude Vorilhon/Rael after having received a revelation in 1974. After a detailed examination both of Rael's prophetic message and his/the Raelians' interpretative practices, an ad hoc model is presented to describe such concoction ("progressive patronizing parasitism"), and it is compared to other models. It is in particular claimed that Rael, while seemingly talking about "science," is actually constructing a science-fictional and even pseudoscientific narrative. The article finally raises the question whether the discussion of the science-religion interaction from the viewpoint of traditional religions can be considered to be immune to the usage of such rhetorical devices.

Social Research on Science and Religion in Nordic Countries

“…New religious movements and their scientific discourses were highlighted in some publications (Rothstein ; Bjørnvig ; Bigliardi , ). However, spirituality and its connections to Asian traditions as a current European trend remained relatively invisible.…”

Raëlism: An Unconventional Religious Pathway to Transhumanism

“…The Spiritual Discourse of Transcendence Raëlism's spiritual discourse is a mosaic composed of complex elements of millenarianism, revelation, story, pseudoscience, and reinterpretation that sets it apart from other traditional theological frameworks. This unique blend contributes to Raëlism's distinct religious characteristics and differentiates it from other emerging religious movements (Bigliardi, 2015).…”

“…The very foundation of the Raëlian Movement is intricately tied to the prophetic figure of Raël and to an enigmatic event reminiscent of God's first revelation to the prophets, as relayed in mainstream religions, such as Islam. However, its religious discourse is distinguished by a series of unique features, such as the claim that the messenger in the encounter, which is the cornerstone of its belief system (Bigliardi, 2015), is defined not as an angel of God but as a member of an advanced alien species, Elohim, who have allegedly created life on earth by technological means.…”

“…The most important and essential rite performed in Raëlism involves the admission and initiation of individuals to become Raëlians. A novice to Raëlism must be baptized in an initial rite called "transmission" or "transmission of the cellular plan" (Bigliardi, 2015). The baptism ritual itself is very similar to Christian baptism in that one guide member sprinkles water onto the forehead of the new member (Hippert, 16 Nov 2023).…”

“…Raëlism regards individual and communal sexual identity as the means of spiritual enlightenment and personal fulfillment (Gregg, 2014) and, therefore, assigns particular importance to feminine and sexual issues in its ideology, tenets, social and religious activities, etc. Among new religious movements (NRMs), the Raëlian Movement is notable for its progressive and exploitative behavior, given its prophetic message and interpretive methods, which set it apart from other religious movements (Bigliardi, 2015). Specifically, Raëlism distinguishes itself through its emphasis on sexual identity, its focus on science and technology, its fierce advocacy for cloning, and its challenging stance against the beliefs and practices of the world's established religions.…”