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Because Raël preaches that there is no soul, he says the only way for Raëlians to achieve eternal life is by cloning. (The sect founded Clonaid in 1997 to offer cloning to private individuals.) When the aliens return, Raël says, Elohim technology will be used to transport an individual's personality and memories to a newly cloned body. In fact, when members join the group, they sign a waiver stating that they want a section of their skull to be removed after death to aid in the process.

"Rather than redemption in Jesus Christ, UFO religions show that there is salvation from above but it comes in the form of a spaceship," said Samples in an interview with CT. "The worldview of these groups is outlandish. Heaven's Gate showed that these religions are not just peculiar, funny, and strange—they are dangerous."

Samples, vice-president of Christian apologetics organization Reasons to Believe, said that two things make the Raëlians attractive to adherents. First, the religion has very few rules on behavior. The only demand that the aliens make on humans is that they "be happy."

Adherents are encouraged to question their values and awaken their minds to "learn to be ourselves and enjoy the here and now." Instruction in these techniques takes place at "sensual meditation" seminars.

"When it comes to sexuality, they are very liberated and promiscuous," Samples said. "Virtually any sexual encounter goes. That goes for Rael himself, who says he had sex with various alien robots. The sect is popular with young people who see this as a religion of exploration."

A second attractive trait of the sect, Samples said, is that it sees itself on the cutting edge of science. "If they are the mover and shaker behind the first cloning of a human being, that projects their idea that they are a group that makes things happen in science and technology," he told CT. "If they can overcome their cultic label, this will seem attractive to some people."

But if the cloning claims are not proven, Samples points out that a Raëlian objective is still met thanks to extensive media coverage given to their unsubstantiated claims.

"Remember: their goal is that they have this message from aliens to communicate with humanity, so they see themselves as completing the prime directive by getting people's attention," he says. "This subject is real lightning in a bottle. People are very curious, even if they think the beliefs are strange."

Todd Hertz is assistant online editor for Christianity Today.

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January (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47