From: Larry Hatch <larryhat@jps.net>
Date: Mon, 03 Sep 2001 15:36:21 -0700
Fwd Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2001 16:05:37 -0400
Subject: Re: Close Encounter Of The Raelian Kind - Hatch


 >From: François Parmantier <parcol@club-internet.fr>
 >To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <ufoupdates@home.com>
 >Subject: Re: Close Encounter Of The Raelian Kind
 >Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 17:06:52 +0200

 >>Date: Sat, 01 Sep 2001 08:03:05 -0700
 >>From: Larry Hatch <larryhat@jps.net>
 >>To: UFO UpDates - Toronto <ufoupdates@home.com>
 >>Subject: Re: Close Encounter Of The Raelian Kind

 >>>From: UFO UpDates <ufoupdates@home.com>

 >>>Source: The Village Voice

 >>>http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0135/segall2.php

 >>>Week of August 29 - September 4, 2001

 >>>Close Encounter of the Raelian Kind
 >>>by Rebecca Segall

 >>>Raelianism was founded 30 years ago in France by auto-racing
 >>>reporter Claude Vorilhon. Now known as "Rael", he claims that in
 >>>1973 he was approached by a four-foot-tall alien who identified
 >>>himself as one of the "Elohim" - humanoid, all-powerful
 >>>extraterrestrials who had created life on Earth through cloning.
 >>>Vorilhon was the chosen son. His single mother had been
 >>>artificially inseminated by one of their number, and he was to
 >>>prepare earthlings for the Elohim's return.

 >>Didn't some large religion [snip] ... start out
 >>with precisely the same silly rap?

[snip]

 >>Frankly, this sounds like a classic French con-artist;
 >>commercially tapping the un-met religious needs of thousands
 >>if not millions; [snip -LH]

- - -

 >Dear List members,

 >We, French, feel deeply sorry and apologize for exporting l
 >Rael to North America.

Oh heck. After exporting McDonald's Hamburgers to France,
I suppose we had it coming.

 >Claude Vorilhon is very well known in France, and not only among
 >ufologists, as a dangerous person and his group as a very well
 >organized and profitable company. Please note that he claims to
 >be the fastest religious leader thanks to his disciples who fund
 >the raelian racing car team. Unfortunately, the reality is not
 >so funny and his cloning project is worrying. So there is a need
 >to spread informations about him

Cloning requires science, not religion. I don't expect
much to come of it. -LH

 >French journalists have carried out investigations into the
 >Raelian movement and his personal story. The last one was
 >broadcast on a French TV, M6, few months ago. In this report,
 >his best old-friend testified that Rael confessed to him he
 >never saw any flying saucer and that he created the whole story.

 >Best regards to all,

 >François Parmantier

Aha! Thanks for the info, I had not heard that.

And let me make a prediction: The devoted Raeleans will
vigorously deny this confession of Rael, and his old best
friend will be portrayed as a tool to some powerful but
secret agency in league with:

(a) the devil,
(b) MJ-12
(c) the CIA or French equivalent -or-
(d) The McDonald's International conspiracy.

Once committed to insanities like Raelism, no amount
of sweet reason or logic will dislodge their beliefs.

But hey! This is religion. Its not _supposed_ to
make any sense.


Best wishes

- Larry Hatch

PS: McDonalds here puts _both_ mustard and ketchup
on the same burger, every single time. A conspiracy?
its more like a proven formula. Amazing.