Raëlism is a UFO religion established in France during the 1970s. It soon spread to Quebec and then on to other parts of the world. There have been various attempts to estimate the number of Raëlians at different points.
Estimates
+ Table of worldwide membership estimatesDateEstimateScopeReference1974170WorldInternational Raëlian MovementRael: Messenger of the Elohim , The International Raelian Movement. Retrieved 1 December 2006.1975700WorldRaëlRaël, Intelligent Design19793,000WorldRaël1987-04-1620,000WorldChicago Sun-TimesGorov, Lynda, Raël is here with message from folks in space, Chicago Sun-Times. 16 April 1987. Retrieved 9 April 2007. (highlight)1990-01-0925,000WorldThe Wichita EagleRAELIANS ARE WAITING FOR THE SPACESHIPS, The Wichita Eagle. 9 January 1990 Retrieved 23 March 2007. (highlight)1992-08-2830,00040 countriesUS Raëlian MovementVolume3: Subgenius Digest V3#153 , The Church of the SubGenius. 28 August 1992. Retrieved 9 April 2007.199335,000WorldDr. Susan J. PalmerPalmer, Aliens Adored1995-05-0445,000WorldThe Miami HeraldLevine, Art, They Walk Among Us , The Miami Herald. 4 May 1995. Retrieved 13 March 2007.1996-01-1435,000WorldThe Miami Herald1997-06-1935,00085 countriesSan Jose Mercury NewsSWISS GROUP LAUNCHES FIRM TO MARKET HUMAN CLONING, San Jose Mercury News. 19 June 1997. Retrieved 5 June 2007. (highlight)1997-08-1235,00085 countriesThe New York TimesSwitzerland, a Cult Magnet, Attracts Aliens and Cloning Offers, The New York Times. 12 August 1997. Retrieved 5 June 2007. (highlight)1998-0127,00067 countriesAustralian Association for the Study of ReligionsIreland, Rowan. NEW RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS IN AUSTRALIA , Australian Association for the Study of Religions. January 1998. Retrieved 13 March 2007.199840,00080 countriesUniversity of VirginiaReligious Movements Homepage: Raelians , University of Virginia. 11 April 2001. Retrieved 4 March 2007.199840,000WorldSt. Paul Pioneer PressFLORIDA CHURCH SEEKS EMBASSY FOR SPACE ALIENS, St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved 19 August 2007. (highlight)2000-10-1050,00085 countriesThe Washington Post2001-03-1330,000World60 MinutesHuman Cloning - CBS News, 60 Minutes. 13 March 2001. Retrieved 13 April 2007.200155,000WorldDr. Susan J. Palmer2001-06-3055,00084 countriesCNN'Raëlian' biochemist insists she will clone human , CNN. 30 June 2001. Retrieved 5 June 2007200255,000WorldDr. Susan J. Palmer2002-08-1455,00084 countriesWired NewsAn Activist's Vision of Cloning, Wired News. 14 August 2002. Retrieved 5 June 2007.2002-12-2940,000WorldLexington Herald-LeaderKevles, Daniel J. RAELIAN IDEAS ARE RELATIVELY OLD HAT, Lexington Herald Leader. 29 December 2002. Retrieved 4 June 2007. (highlight)2002-12-3155,00084 countriesThe Orlando SentinelMarquez, Myriam, This earthling prefers to be grounded _ Amen!, The Orlando Sentinel. 31 December 2002. Retrieved 5 May 2007. (highlight)2002-12-3155,000WorldAP Worldstream2003-01-0355,00084 countriesAAP General News2003-01-2930,000WorldUniversity Wire2003-02-1055,00084 countriesJapan Today200365,000WorldDr. Susan J. Palmer2003-08-0360,000WorldKorea TimesJi-young, So, Raelian Cult Leader Threatens to Sue Korea Over Denied Entry, Korea Times. 3 August 2003. Retrieved 12 March 20072004-03-1660,00090 countriesFinancial TimesReading from the left, Financial Times. 16 March 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2007. (highlight)2004-03-2680,000WorldKLAS.comKnapp, George, Raëlian Leader Makes Fertile Announcement , KLAS.com. 26 March 2004. Retrieved 21 April 2008.2004-04-2360,000WorldNew Truth & TV Extra2005-03-1360,000WorldJapan TodayHornyak, Tim, [10 years after Aum sarin attacks, pseudo-religions thriving in Japan], Japan Today. 13 March 2005. Retrieved 28 December 2006.2005-05-0565,00085 countriesNBC 4'Clone Baby' & Raelians, NBC 4 Los Angeles. 5 May 2005. Retrieved 12 March 2007.2005-11-1860,00092 countriesMiddle East TimesThomas, Amelia, Raëlians want to establish ET embassy in Jerusalem , Middle East Times. 18 November 2005. Retrieved 13 March 2007.2006-06-2555,000WorldThe Daily Telegraph2006-1265,00086 countriesInternational Raëlian Movement2010-1114,192WorldIncludes only members whose identity (name) is tracedInternational Raëlian Movement (Leaked Documents)RaelianLeaks:Nov 2010 Raelian Membership & Database Published July 20172011-985,00090 countriesInternational Raëlian MovementRael Press retrieved 12 November 20122013-1290,00090 countriesInternational Raëlian Movement2017-0918,111WorldIncludes only members whose identity (name) is tracedInternational Raëlian Movement (Leaked Documents) September 2017
+ Table of regional membership estimatesDateEstimateScopeReference19954,000JapanUniversity of Virginia19954,000QuebecUniversity of Virginia199510,000EuropeUniversity of Virginia1996-01-1450MiamiThe Miami HeraldOrtega, Cristina M., GROUP SAYS ALIENS FROM OUR GALAXY CREATED MANKIND 25,000 YEARS AGO, The Miami Herald. 14 January 1996. Retrieved 13 March 2007. (highlight)1996-01-14600United StatesThe Miami Herald2001-08-0824South FloridaSouth Florida Sun-SentinelDavis, James D. UFO-based sect backs human cloning., South Florida Sun-Sentinel. 8 August 2001. Retrieved 4 June 2007. (highlight)2002-12-315,000South KoreaAP Worldstream2003-02-106,000JapanJapan TodayJapan's Raëlians hold parade to celebrate human clone births , Worldwide Religious News, Japan Today. 10 February 2003. Retrieved 10 November 2007.2003-02-1220 or moreUtahKSL-TVThey Believe in Mom, Apple Pie and Alien Creators. KSL-TV. 12 February 2003. Retrieved 4 June 2007.2003-04-041,000United StatesLas Vegas SunPratt, Timothy, National Raëlian meeting in Las Vegas draws about 50 , Las Vegas Sun. 4 April 2003. Retrieved 3 June 2007.2003-04-2050IrelandIrish IndependentWilliams, Eoghan, Green men may land on the Emerald Isle, Irish Independent. 20 April 2003. Retrieved 4 June 2007.2003-08-034,000South KoreaKorea Times2004-04-2380New ZealandNew Truth & TV ExtraCult Lures Gay Bishop into Fold, New Truth & TV Extra. 23 April 2004. Retrieved 23 March 2007.2005-05-05100Southern CaliforniaNBC 42006-06-04200AustraliaThe Daily TelegraphClones from outer space, The Daily Telegraph. 25 June 2006. Retrieved 4 June 2007. (highlight)2021-06-0827IndiaHomegrownMeet India’s ‘Raelians’ - The Cult Who Claims Aliens Created Us All
From 1980 to 1992, Raël and his movement became increasingly global. In 1980, Claude Raël's fifth Raëlian book Sensual Meditation was published and formal publication of the Raëlian Messages in the Japanese language beganHarmony Revolution, Japanese Raëlian Movement. Retrieved 2 November 2006. as part of the Raëlian mission to Japan. Two years later, Africa became another target area in the mission to spread the Raëlian messages.
References
Further reading Alexander, Brian, Rapture: A Raucous Tour of Cloning, Transhumanism, and the New Era of Immortality Basic Books, 2005. . Bates, Gary, Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection New Leaf Press, 2005. . Colavito, Jason, The cult of alien gods: H.P. Lovecraft and extraterrestrial pop culture. Prometheus, 2005. . (Also see article on Wikipedia) Edwards, Linda, A Brief Guide to Beliefs: Ideas, Theologies, Mysteries, and Movements. Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. . Genta, Giancarlo, Lonely Minds in the Universe: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Springer, 2007. . Lewis, James R., The Gods have landed: new religions from other worlds State University of New York Press, 1995. . Palmer, Susan J., Aliens Adored. Rutgers University Press, 2004. .
Palmer, Susan J., Women in Controversial New Religions, in New Religious Movements and Religious Liberty in America, ed. Derek H. Davis & Barry Hankins, p. 66. Baylor University Press, 2004. Partridge, Christopher H. UFO Religions. Routledge, 2003. . Raël, Intelligent Design . Nova Distribution, 2005. Raël, Geniocracy. The Raelian Foundation, 2004. Raël, Maitreya . The Raelian Foundation, 2003. Raël, Sensual Meditation . Tagman Press, 2002. Raël, Yes to Human Cloning: Immortality Thanks to Science. Tagman Press, 2001. ; . Shanks, Pete, Human genetic engineering:a guide for activists, skeptics, and the very perplexed Nation Books, 2005. . Stock, Gregory, Redesigning Humans: Choosing our Genes, Changing our Future. Houghton Mifflin Books, 2002. . Tandy, Charles, Doctor Tandy's First Guide to Life Extension and Transhumanity Universal-Publishers.com, 2001. . United States Congress, Medical science and bioethics: attack of the clones? Hearing before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources of the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, second session, 15 May 2002. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 2003. Government Documents. Y 4.G 74/7:B 52/7.