Aliens Adored: Raël's UFO Religion

by Susan J. Palmer

Book Overview

Aliens Adored is the first full length, in-depth look at the Ra lian movement, a fascinating new religion founded in the 1970s by the charismatic prophet, Ra l. Born in France as Claude Vorilhon, the former race-car driver founded the religion after he experienced a visitation from the aliens (the "elohim") who, in his cosmology, created humans by cloning themselves. The millenarian movement awaits the return of the alien creators, and in the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813534763
• ISBN13: 9780813534763
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

On target for the most part

Susan Palmer is right with most of her impressions. Raelians are mostly good people being duped by a con man who isn't all bad. He gives them hope and makes them feel important with a special "mission" to save the world, and he spreads a mostly positive message that makes sense but isn't very original. As another reviewer said, Palmer did point out that Jean Sendy might have been Rael's inspiration (he claimed he learned everything directly from the ET's). But Palmer only mentioned one of Sendy's books. She didn't mention Those gods who made heaven & earth; the novel of the Bible. and she also missed The Coming of the Gods. If she had read the other Sendy books, she would see more clearly that Rael's first book is not very original at all. Palmer also calls Rael a "serial monogamist" because he has been married to the same woman for years. His past also shows long term relationships. But maybe Palmer didn't know about the inside activities of Rael's Order of Angels or the contracts some of them sign taking away their right to refuse sex with Rael whenever the "prophet" demands it. She doesn't say enough about Rael's finances and the naive members who donate their money for an embassy that will never be built. But she still gets a lot of things right. She describes some of the tactics used to recruit new members and get donations, including the last will and testaments of members leaving everything to the movement when they die. She also talks about the way Rael controls his media image and makes it seem like the world is against him. Rael's claims of "religious persecution" are perfect to keep members feeling protective of their "prophet" while they fight and manipulate the media to "help the world". Palmer doesn't believe Rael's story for a minute. She describes him as "a great artist" and he uses his members to create a fantasy world that feels better to them than reality. Raelian seminars are fun for all and seem to be largely inspired by the teachings of Indian guru Osho Rajneesh. Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously. Rael the great artist seems to take the best of whatever he can find and adds it into his "message from the ET's." The good news is that the core values and ideas are mostly good, but truth doesn't seem to matter to Rael at all. The Raelian Movement claims to have tens of thousands of members, but this is Rael's best marketing trick of all. The truth is that the Raelian Movement is very tiny, and the big numbers are pure fiction. The "prophet" teaches his PR department to lie whenever it makes his movement look much bigger than it really is. Palmer wrote that Rael is a "charismatic leader" and she is right. He can be very charming when it benefits him, and people are easily attracted to his personality. He is a bold leader who loves to push everyone's buttons while he constantly searches for the next big marketing angle. Members support him because they think they're helping the last prophet to save the world, and

Aliens? Don't think so!

I obtained this book to understand the Raelian Movement a little better, as they've had so much bad publiciity from people who are not broad-minded enough to be able to understand that "everyone of us is different". And what a great book it was - it didn't "bad-mouth" the Movement & didn't support it either. It was written in impartial terms, for which I commend its author. An interesting read for people who've only heard the negative press reports about this group. Go on, BUY IT & cast your own impartial opinions!!