Raëlism

Overview

Raëlism or Raëlianism is a UFO cult religion represented by a symbol of a swastika inside of a Star of David. It was founded in the 1970s by Raël, formerly known as Claude Vorilhon, and is centered on the belief that a technologically advanced species called the Elohim created humanity. The religion supposedly had tens of thousands of members at its peak and has been met with some controversy for its former symbol, resulting in the symbol being changed in the 1990s to a Star of David with swirling inward lines. In December 2022, Ye notably posted the original symbol to Twitter after spreading antisemitic ideas during his appearance on Infowars, resulting in his second ban from the platform.

History

The new religious movement Raëlism began on September 19th, 1974, in Auvergne, France when Claude Vorilhon, known as Raël, published his book, Le Livre Qui Dit La Verité.^[1] In the book, Raël claims he was contacted by a technologically advanced alien race known as the Elohim in 1973, who supposedly created humans. Originally, Rael started the organization MADECH to promote the ideas given to him by the aliens but changed this to the Raëlian Church in 1976. As they gained followers, the movement relocated from France to Quebec, Canada.

According to Raëlism, the Elohim have been mistaken for gods all throughout history, claiming that figures including Jesus, Buddha and Muhammed are human-Elohim hybrids sent to earth to spread the news of their origins.^[2] They also believe that the bombing of Hiroshima ushered the world into an "Age of Apocalypse" where the earth is under constant threat of nuclear apocalypse. Raëlism states it is ultimately a religion based on peace that says humanity must harness new technology for peaceful purposes, upon which the Elohim will come to earth and share their technological advancements with the human race.

On Rael.org, the religion's official website, they boast support for things including the "free the nipple" movement, defending minorities, machine workers and reclaiming the swastika as a symbol of peace.^[4]

Raëlian Symbol

The original Raëlian symbol, seen as a symbol of infinity, is made up of a swastika inside of a Star of David (shown below, left). It is often worn around the necks of the religion's followers. According to Raël, the symbol was seen on the outside hull of the Elohim's spaceship, and it is said that the symbol helps followers of Raelism facilitate telepathic contact with the Elohim. In 1990, the symbol was updated to replace the swastika with a swirl by Rael allegedly at the request of the Elohim, in an effort to increase relations with Israel and show respect for holocaust victims (shown below, right). The swirl is meant to represent the swirling galaxy.^[7][8]

Human Clone Eve

In 2022, the Raëlian Church claimed to have produced the first human clone, named Eve.^[3] The claims were met with disbelief by many. 60 Minutes produced a report on this claim, which was posted to YouTube in 2021, garnering over 250,000 views in a year (shown below).

Online Presence

Memes

The Raëlian symbol has been the subject of memes throughout the 2010s for its bizarre juxtaposition between a swastika and the Star of David, often seen as two polar-opposite symbols. For example, on November 12th, 2019, a meme was posted to /r/HistoryMemes^[5] using the symbol, garnering over 47,900 upvotes in three years (shown below, left). On June 17th, 2020, a meme was posted to /r/PoliticalCompassMemes^[6] using the symbol, garnering over 3,100 upvotes in two years (shown below, right).

Kanye Posts The Raëlian Symbol

On December 1st, 2022, after making an appearance on Alex Jones' show Infowars where Kanye made several antisemitic claims, he posted a screenshot of a Photoshop window with the symbol showing, writing, "YE24." The project file is also named, "YE24," suggesting he may be using the symbol to promote his purported 2024 presidential run.

That day, Ye shared texts between himself and Elon Musk where Musk told him that posting the symbol went "too far," writing, "this is not love" (shown below). Ye pushed back against Musk's claim but Musk banned him from Twitter shortly after.

Search Interest

External References