Thursday, August 11, 2011

UFO religion membership quadruples

IRELAND’S Raelian movement has much to celebrate having quadrupled membership in just eight years.

The cult religion, whose devotees believe life on Earth was scientifically created by a species of extraterrestrials, was founded in 1974 by the "prophet" Rael. It came to Ireland in 1988.

Irish leader Moya Henderson claims Catholics who are disillusioned with the sexual abuse scandals in the Church have helped to boost numbers here from 50 to 200 since 2003.

She said many new members are attracted by the movement’s liberal views on sexuality as well as a conviction that aliens created the planet.

Ms Henderson, from Dublin, insists the Irish group does not actively recruit new followers.

"The number of Irish Raelians is growing all the time and people are attracted to us for many reasons — the UFO and science part of it, but many are Catholics who are disillusioned by what’s gone on in the Church. We haven’t any money and hotels stopped letting us give talks and seminars there a few years ago, so there’s no active recruiting from our side. What happens is that people seek us out."

The Raelians are meeting in Dublin today to celebrate their New Year — chosen by the group’s founder as an act of solidarity to the victims of Hiroshima on the same date in 1945 — by meditating at a private ceremony.

Among the topics up for discussion will be the movement’s views on cloning, which, they believe, can help humanity attain eternal life.

Raelians also want to establish life on other planets, while closer to home they hope to build a $20 million embassy, with a landing pad that would serve as a port for spaceships.