Post by Save Your Karma on Jul 27, 2007 15:05:26 GMT -5
Deana Kalcich
Religious Studies 481
Dr. Smith
December 06, 2006
Women’s Roles in the Raelian Movement
The Raelian movement is based upon the accounts of Claude Vorilhon who claims that while, on a walking tour through the Clermont-Ferrand volcanic mountain range in France, he had an alien encounter in which he was told that as the last of 40 prophets, he was to spread the truth. That human beings were made from alien DNA in a laboratory and implanted onto earth. Raelians believe that the only path to immortality is regeneration through science.
The Raelian movement is considered a Sex Unity group, which basically means that the group sees gender as a superficial layer that is placed through societal influences etc. upon an immortal sexless spirit. The Raelian movement believes that men and women are biological robots programmed to pleasure each other. Raelians believe that gender is an artificial construct and that all human beings are essentially androgynous. Members are encouraged to be fluid with their sexual expression, to the extent that during an annual sensual meditation workshop members are encouraged to dress up in clothes of the opposite sex to find what feels most comfortable for them. Members of this group are not bound by social gender rules. Members are encouraged not to marry, or even stay in long term relationships which lack total harmony. Women are able to abstain from motherhood, or to be a single mother and continue to be a sexual being.
Doctrines of the Raelian movement deal specifically with the problems facing people particularly within the family structure and present what it sees as a more evolved way to live. With the publicity divorce has been receiving and the supposed frequency in which divorce happens, Raelians believe the answer is simple. Don’t get married. Not only is there no pressure to get married but marriage is actually discouraged. Even long term relationships lacking “harmony” are seen as something that should absolutely be terminated. There is no negative stigma associated with being single at an older age nor is there any stigma with breaking a long term relationship. The pressure is completely taken away. Even a woman’s relationship to her child is able to be terminated. Woman are encouraged to “dump” their children if the child is causing them distress or preventing them from fulfilling themselves. It is said within the Raelian movement that the child can feel the lack of harmony and would not want it to continue, thus it is better for both woman and child if the relationship between them ceases. Both these problems, divorce and the loosening of parent-child bond, and the way Raelians view them severely undermines the trend Palmer calls “women’s triple burden.” Because women are not strictly adhered to the gender roles of wife and mother, but are actually discouraged from both practices they are free to fulfill themselves and be successful. In fact all Raelians strive to achieve worldly success through their careers and to strengthen their health, intelligence and telepathic abilities. Those goals reflect that Raelians are more concerned with their own success then that of there partner or children. It seems as though the Raelian movement responds to such social problems by dismissing them and cutting the negative connotations out of their practices.
The Raelian movement is included in Susan Jean Palmer’s book Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Rajneesh Lovers Women’s Roles in New Religions. The Raelian movement is not the movement presented in Palmer’s book that is the most empowering for women. The most empowering movement is the Rajneesh movement. The Rajneesh movement appreciates and even glorifies women. The Rajneesh see women as the “pillar of the temple”. Women are viewed as more in touch with the heart and more receptive, grounded, and less likely to get caught up in a power trip. The communes in which the Rajneesh live have made a conscious effort to eliminate sex divisions within work roles and women dominant leadership roles. Parenthood and pregnancy are discouraged because of not only overpopulation problems but also because it degrades women to a baby factory and interferes with the woman’s personal development.
The movement least empowering to women is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In ISKCON women are viewed in inferior to men physically, intellectually, and spiritually. The only way a woman can advance spiritually is through motherhood and devotion to their husbands in the tradition of Stridharma, the wifely duty of submission to the husband and the bearing of sons. The fact that women can only advance spiritually through their husbands and the emphasis on bearing male children reflects a very limiting attitude towards women. Women are fragile and need to be protected. Also the fear men have of being reborn as women and the woman’s desire to be reborn as a man to advance spiritually implies that women, left to their own devices can not reach spiritual enlightenment.
Personally none of the religious movements Palmer explores are particularly appealing. Looking for truth, none of those movements seem any more valid then any other religion out there. Also I tend to have a rather conservative view of how couples, whether hetero or homosexual, should function. I have major problems with submission and lack of commitment. As much as I would hate to admit it under different circumstances I have problems leaving my comfort zone as many of these religions initially ask you to do. These doctrines and practices may be appealing to others and whose to say they are really wrong, but I just couldn’t adapt my lifestyle and personality enough to be able to be a follower of any of them.
Religious Studies 481
Dr. Smith
December 06, 2006
Women’s Roles in the Raelian Movement
The Raelian movement is based upon the accounts of Claude Vorilhon who claims that while, on a walking tour through the Clermont-Ferrand volcanic mountain range in France, he had an alien encounter in which he was told that as the last of 40 prophets, he was to spread the truth. That human beings were made from alien DNA in a laboratory and implanted onto earth. Raelians believe that the only path to immortality is regeneration through science.
The Raelian movement is considered a Sex Unity group, which basically means that the group sees gender as a superficial layer that is placed through societal influences etc. upon an immortal sexless spirit. The Raelian movement believes that men and women are biological robots programmed to pleasure each other. Raelians believe that gender is an artificial construct and that all human beings are essentially androgynous. Members are encouraged to be fluid with their sexual expression, to the extent that during an annual sensual meditation workshop members are encouraged to dress up in clothes of the opposite sex to find what feels most comfortable for them. Members of this group are not bound by social gender rules. Members are encouraged not to marry, or even stay in long term relationships which lack total harmony. Women are able to abstain from motherhood, or to be a single mother and continue to be a sexual being.
Doctrines of the Raelian movement deal specifically with the problems facing people particularly within the family structure and present what it sees as a more evolved way to live. With the publicity divorce has been receiving and the supposed frequency in which divorce happens, Raelians believe the answer is simple. Don’t get married. Not only is there no pressure to get married but marriage is actually discouraged. Even long term relationships lacking “harmony” are seen as something that should absolutely be terminated. There is no negative stigma associated with being single at an older age nor is there any stigma with breaking a long term relationship. The pressure is completely taken away. Even a woman’s relationship to her child is able to be terminated. Woman are encouraged to “dump” their children if the child is causing them distress or preventing them from fulfilling themselves. It is said within the Raelian movement that the child can feel the lack of harmony and would not want it to continue, thus it is better for both woman and child if the relationship between them ceases. Both these problems, divorce and the loosening of parent-child bond, and the way Raelians view them severely undermines the trend Palmer calls “women’s triple burden.” Because women are not strictly adhered to the gender roles of wife and mother, but are actually discouraged from both practices they are free to fulfill themselves and be successful. In fact all Raelians strive to achieve worldly success through their careers and to strengthen their health, intelligence and telepathic abilities. Those goals reflect that Raelians are more concerned with their own success then that of there partner or children. It seems as though the Raelian movement responds to such social problems by dismissing them and cutting the negative connotations out of their practices.
The Raelian movement is included in Susan Jean Palmer’s book Moon Sisters, Krishna Mothers, Rajneesh Lovers Women’s Roles in New Religions. The Raelian movement is not the movement presented in Palmer’s book that is the most empowering for women. The most empowering movement is the Rajneesh movement. The Rajneesh movement appreciates and even glorifies women. The Rajneesh see women as the “pillar of the temple”. Women are viewed as more in touch with the heart and more receptive, grounded, and less likely to get caught up in a power trip. The communes in which the Rajneesh live have made a conscious effort to eliminate sex divisions within work roles and women dominant leadership roles. Parenthood and pregnancy are discouraged because of not only overpopulation problems but also because it degrades women to a baby factory and interferes with the woman’s personal development.
The movement least empowering to women is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In ISKCON women are viewed in inferior to men physically, intellectually, and spiritually. The only way a woman can advance spiritually is through motherhood and devotion to their husbands in the tradition of Stridharma, the wifely duty of submission to the husband and the bearing of sons. The fact that women can only advance spiritually through their husbands and the emphasis on bearing male children reflects a very limiting attitude towards women. Women are fragile and need to be protected. Also the fear men have of being reborn as women and the woman’s desire to be reborn as a man to advance spiritually implies that women, left to their own devices can not reach spiritual enlightenment.
Personally none of the religious movements Palmer explores are particularly appealing. Looking for truth, none of those movements seem any more valid then any other religion out there. Also I tend to have a rather conservative view of how couples, whether hetero or homosexual, should function. I have major problems with submission and lack of commitment. As much as I would hate to admit it under different circumstances I have problems leaving my comfort zone as many of these religions initially ask you to do. These doctrines and practices may be appealing to others and whose to say they are really wrong, but I just couldn’t adapt my lifestyle and personality enough to be able to be a follower of any of them.