Cloning followup: the story seems to have descended totally into farce territory, as one might have predicted from the old background story noted up the chain in #reply-18280567 . A final roundup on Rael & associates:
First, a token real news story:
The Promise of Therapeutic Cloning nytimes.com
For all the handwringing by scientists, you might think that therapeutic cloning is on the verge of curing a disease or two.
But that is not the case.
Therein lies a familiar problem for scientists — that of treading the fine line between touting the promise of the work, at least enough to gain public support and money, and being honest enough about the hurdles that lie ahead.
Despite optimistic statements about curing diseases, almost all researchers, when questioned, confess that such accomplishments are more dream than reality.
Real scientists tend to be like that. On to the other saga:
For Clonaid, a Trail of Unproven Claims nytimes.com
Human Cloning Claim Draws More Criticism nytimes.com
Networks Say Former Editor Tried to Sell Clone 'Exclusive' nytimes.com
His most ambitious proposal, for a reality-based program on the cloning effort, was made to Fox Entertainment several months ago, an executive at the company said. He said Dr. Guillen offered to produce the program and to be its host on the air. The program, Fox was told, would begin before the births of the clones and continue beyond, according to the executive.
Fox, which is not known for squeamishness — the network has produced "When Animals Attack" and "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?" — declined, in large part because the project seemed "loaded with ethical questions" as an entertainment program, the executive said.
Scientist Halts Review of Group's Cloning Claims nytimes.com
Scientist in Clone Tests Says Hoax Is Possible nytimes.com
[ note that the "scientist" of the last two headlines is the "former editor" of the story above them. ]
The Raëlian Agenda nytimes.com
[ in which it turns out that Raël's grand ambition was to be a West Bank settler, or something ]
The aliens have made a few suggestions, including a preference for a warm-weather locale, a privacy fence (to keep prying eyes off the pool) and elegant landscaping:
During their encounter with Raël in December 1973, the Elohim specified: Have a residence built in a pleasant country with a mild climate, with seven rooms always ready to receive guests, each with a separate bathroom, a conference room able to accommodate 21 people, a swimming pool and a dining room capable of seating 21 people.
This residence should be constructed in the middle of a park and should be protected from curious onlookers. The park should be entirely surrounded by walls to prevent anyone from seeing the residence and the swimming pool. The residence should be situated at a distance of at least 1,000 meters from the walls around the park. It will have a maximum of two stories and should be screened from the outskirts of the wall by a barrier of trees and bushes.
Install two entrances in the surrounding wall, one to the south and another on the northern side. The residence will also have two entrances.
There will be a terrace on the roof where a spacecraft of 12 meters in diameter may land. Access from that terrace to the interior is essential. The air space above and around the residence should not be under direct military or radar surveillance. You will try to ensure that the land where this residence is built — if possible larger than prescribed here — is treated as neutral territory by other nations and by the nation on whose territory it is located, by virtue of it being our embassy on Earth.
Jerusalem became the natural choice.
The children of Abraham are part-descendants of the Elohim, and it was especially with them that the Elohim retained contact as a way of progressively educating the rest of humanity. That is why all the main religions are waiting for their messengers to return to Jerusalem.
Jesus, who promised to return on a cloud, Muhammad who said he would return from the seven heavens on al-Buraq, along with Moses, Buddha and all the other prophets, who are presently living with the Elohim, will return with them to the embassy as foretold. This will demystify and yet vindicate Jerusalem's spiritual role.
Jerusalem, the "city of peace," has always been the privileged point of contact between the Elohim and humanity. Solomon's Temple was the original embassy welcoming Yahweh, and the embassy which is now being prepared will be the Third Temple.
Peace in that region will be assured as people understand the origin of their religious beliefs and see their own individual prophet acting in harmony with the others. Humanity's future world government will no doubt establish itself close by, an international university will be established to pass on the Elohim's scientific and spiritual heritage and the people living in the region will have a renewed sense of purpose. Once again Jerusalem has a chance to shine and fulfill its role as spiritual center of humanity.
After some initial forays in the late 1970's, an effort to secure land and the cooperation of Israeli officials was undertaken in earnest beginning in 1990, according to a timeline provided on the Raëlian Web site. The chronology peters out in 1993, but the Raëlians — and the aliens they follow — were experts at target marketing:
December 1979: The Elohim telepathically transmit the same dream to seven people: Rabbi Israel Abou Khatzira, Rabbi Mordekhai Shaarabi, Rabbi Halberstamm, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, Professor Leon Manitou Ashkenazi, President Menachem Begin, Chief Rabbi Ouiadia Yossef. |
