How to react when parents contact a raelian official to report and illegal activity involving a minor
As of today, the Raelians are a population of more than 55,000 people. This means a lot of people. In any population that increases there are a percentage of criminals, mentally deranged, and sick people. This is true in all communities whether Muslim, Jewish, or Christian.
But when there are cases in a religious minority that come to light, the society always attempts to emphasize the fact that the criminal belongs to this minority religion. This, for instance, was done in the past particularly with Jews. Many slaughters took place following an assault on a child by a member of the Jewish religion. People were eager to encourage the population to hate all the Jewish communities because of a crime committed by only one of their members.
There are psychiatric asylums full of mentally sick people and jails full of criminals where Jews, Christians, and Muslims are equally represented. And there will unfortunately be as many among the Raelians. Just as there are criminals and rapists among Muslims, Jews, and Christians, there will also be Raelians representing this category of people. But the fact is that when a member of one of these majority traditional religions commits a criminal act, no one questions their religious affiliation. No media would dare write: "A Jew condemned for having sex with a minor" because it would instantly result in a general and justified protest by associations who fight racial hatred and anti-Semitism. But when it involves a Raelian, the media, without any scruples, don't hesitate to mention the religious affiliation of the accused trying to sully an entire community and conspicuously encourage hatred. A recent newspaper article published in "Agence France Presse" proves this point by reporting the condemnation of 3 young Raelians who engaged in sexual acts with a minor. When a 19-year old Christian male dates a consenting 16-year old girl, (which legally speaking is also considered 'having sex with a minor'), there is no condemnation. There is only condemnation if he is Raelian, of course, otherwise there wouldn't be any room left in the jails!
If a mother calls you to report that a Raelian has committed an illegal act against her daughter (a minor), you must not justify yourself but instead always reply: "If there are Raelians committing illegal acts, they must be reported to the local authorities and let the judicial system take control" and add: "I don't know why you are telling me this. I have nothing to do with this and it's none of my business. If you think that a Raelian has committed illegal acts, report him to the local authorities and take him to court." We must absolutely stay away from justifications that could potentially turn against our community. We must also be mindful that such calls from mothers may be taped (although taping a conversation without consent is illegal) and any justification on our part could be interpreted as a condemnation of illegal behaviors from Raelians.
So we must tirelessly repeat the previous statements without elaborating unnecessarily. Then add: "If a Christian male had had this behavior with your daughter, would you call the regional Bishop or the Pope? So I don't know why you bother me with this. Raelians are adults. Free, and responsible for their actions outside the frame of our activities and these actions are none of our business." Any other attitude, such as listening to upset parents with compassion, can only put us in a situation where there is a sort of bondage in the sense of spiritual responsibility. We must not enter the ring. Our answers must be clear, cut and dry, and repeated tirelessly: "Raelians are responsible for their behavior and so should the Christians and Jews."
This 'rule' is applicable for any crime or offence. If the accused had stolen the neighbor's car, the neighbor would not be calling the Continental Guide… so why is it only when sex is involved? Moreover, the call itself is a way to insinuate that our religion is responsible for this person's behavior. We must never agree to these kinds of insinuations and always react with extreme firmness by mentioning the example of the stolen. " If this sounds illegal to you, call the authorities. Would you call me if he had stolen your car? So why call me for this? In fact, I find your call very insulting to our religion. If a Raelian commits illegal acts, take him to court. I don't even want to hear about it. You would not call your Bishop or the Pope if a Christian had robbed you, so thank you for not disturbing me with this call which implies that my religion or I am involved. We condemn any illegal activity whatsoever. Period. I have nothing else to tell you. Please contact the authorities."
To protect our respectability means not to argue but to tell people to deal with the authorities when they think an illegal activity has been committed. Without discussions or getting into the justifications. We have so many other infinitely more important things to accomplish!
Some could say: "Why has RAEL created NOPEDO to denounce pedophile Catholic priests on one hand, and on the other tells Raelian officials not to listen to parents who complain about the behavior of some Raelians who commit sexual acts with children." The difference is enormous. This actually has to do with promptly advising parents to use the judicial system for reporting any illegal acts to the authorities. This is something that the Catholic clergy has never done. The Catholic Clergy has always covered and protected pedophile priests, so numerous that individual cases cannot be sited. This will never happen with Raelians. All members of the structure have the responsibility, if they witness illegal acts involving children, to denounce the person or persons involved in such reprehensible acts and to report the incident to the authorities. We will never try to cover or protect pedophiles that would try to hide among us. Considering the importance of our mission, it is our duty to report, without hesitation, to the authorities the persons involved in these acts that we categorically condemn. This does not mean to punish them, because it is not about punishment. It is to first protect potential victims and second to treat the offenders for their illness since pedophilia is a mental disorder. Let it be said and repeated: "Pedophiles are not welcomed within our organization." And if there are any, we must hunt them down and denounce them. The Messages that we have the duty to spread are too beautiful to let our organization be sullied by the behavior of a few mentally deranged. When one of our officials files a complaint against the activities of a pedophile, we officially prove to all the slanderers that we do not tolerate this type of behavior.
This applies obviously to pedophiles… and we must define what pedophilia is: Sexuality with children. Pre-pubescent human beings, not adolescents but children. We cannot consider an 18-20 year-old young man who dates a young 16 year-old woman as a pedophile. In this case, no condemnation applies since it has to do with the love between two consenting beings, even if current laws consider this as 'sex with a minor'. Personally, this is something that I would never report and I do not encourage anyone to do so. The fact is that there are millions of teenagers in the world in this same age group who date and no one complains… except if they are members of a minority religion. In fact, in Canada (like France), where sexual maturity is 15 years old for girls and 16 years old for boys, the judge always looks at the interest and stability of the minor when there is a complaint regarding the involvement of an adult with a minor. That is, he verifies if the minor sincerely loves the adult, and, if it's the case, does not go forward with the complaint. Such legal proceedings, in a courtroom, could undoubtedly traumatize the life of an adolescent whom really is in love with an adult. In other words, Canadian magistrates respect love. This is obviously not the case in France where we have recently heard of young female adolescents being pressured, in vain, by the French justice and authorities to blame the young adults that they loved for having sex with them. And even if in court, to the great displeasure of the Republic's prosecutor, these young women stood up for their loved ones. These young adults were heavily condemned to prison terms without parole. It is obvious, in such a case, that the interests of the young 16 and 17 year old women were not considered but that the emphasis was on the 'cult' rather than the future of these adolescents who would get scarred for life. Alas, not everyone has the fortune to live in a country respectful of individuals and the psychological equilibrium of teenagers such as in Canada. We can write all the laws we want, it has been scientifically established that even if it is forbidden by law, more than 50% of teenagers less than 15 years of age, in some countries, have already lived their first sexual experience. And the age limit continues to decrease. Biological realities escape human laws.
We can always write a law to forbid the rain from falling, but it will still rain. What we need, like all the sex therapists around the world have stated, is to make sexual education courses in schools more elaborate so that these experiences do not lead to pregnancies that are never desired and to encourage the use of condoms. This is what our teachings recommend when we talk about teaching sensuality as well as sexuality to adolescents. It definitely does not encourage pedophilia or incest. When these topics are discussed by sex therapists they all agree that it is science-related. But if WE say it, it's considered an encouragement to pedophilia! We must fight against this ill-intentioned mental confusion. And the only way to fight against it is to not tolerate any pedophile in our organization and to report them all, just like we strive to denounce pedophile Catholic priests. We can criticize them only if we have swept thoroughly in front of our own door. This is what we do and must continue to do with vigilance!
Rael
But when there are cases in a religious minority that come to light, the society always attempts to emphasize the fact that the criminal belongs to this minority religion. This, for instance, was done in the past particularly with Jews. Many slaughters took place following an assault on a child by a member of the Jewish religion. People were eager to encourage the population to hate all the Jewish communities because of a crime committed by only one of their members.
There are psychiatric asylums full of mentally sick people and jails full of criminals where Jews, Christians, and Muslims are equally represented. And there will unfortunately be as many among the Raelians. Just as there are criminals and rapists among Muslims, Jews, and Christians, there will also be Raelians representing this category of people. But the fact is that when a member of one of these majority traditional religions commits a criminal act, no one questions their religious affiliation. No media would dare write: "A Jew condemned for having sex with a minor" because it would instantly result in a general and justified protest by associations who fight racial hatred and anti-Semitism. But when it involves a Raelian, the media, without any scruples, don't hesitate to mention the religious affiliation of the accused trying to sully an entire community and conspicuously encourage hatred. A recent newspaper article published in "Agence France Presse" proves this point by reporting the condemnation of 3 young Raelians who engaged in sexual acts with a minor. When a 19-year old Christian male dates a consenting 16-year old girl, (which legally speaking is also considered 'having sex with a minor'), there is no condemnation. There is only condemnation if he is Raelian, of course, otherwise there wouldn't be any room left in the jails!
If a mother calls you to report that a Raelian has committed an illegal act against her daughter (a minor), you must not justify yourself but instead always reply: "If there are Raelians committing illegal acts, they must be reported to the local authorities and let the judicial system take control" and add: "I don't know why you are telling me this. I have nothing to do with this and it's none of my business. If you think that a Raelian has committed illegal acts, report him to the local authorities and take him to court." We must absolutely stay away from justifications that could potentially turn against our community. We must also be mindful that such calls from mothers may be taped (although taping a conversation without consent is illegal) and any justification on our part could be interpreted as a condemnation of illegal behaviors from Raelians.
So we must tirelessly repeat the previous statements without elaborating unnecessarily. Then add: "If a Christian male had had this behavior with your daughter, would you call the regional Bishop or the Pope? So I don't know why you bother me with this. Raelians are adults. Free, and responsible for their actions outside the frame of our activities and these actions are none of our business." Any other attitude, such as listening to upset parents with compassion, can only put us in a situation where there is a sort of bondage in the sense of spiritual responsibility. We must not enter the ring. Our answers must be clear, cut and dry, and repeated tirelessly: "Raelians are responsible for their behavior and so should the Christians and Jews."
This 'rule' is applicable for any crime or offence. If the accused had stolen the neighbor's car, the neighbor would not be calling the Continental Guide… so why is it only when sex is involved? Moreover, the call itself is a way to insinuate that our religion is responsible for this person's behavior. We must never agree to these kinds of insinuations and always react with extreme firmness by mentioning the example of the stolen. " If this sounds illegal to you, call the authorities. Would you call me if he had stolen your car? So why call me for this? In fact, I find your call very insulting to our religion. If a Raelian commits illegal acts, take him to court. I don't even want to hear about it. You would not call your Bishop or the Pope if a Christian had robbed you, so thank you for not disturbing me with this call which implies that my religion or I am involved. We condemn any illegal activity whatsoever. Period. I have nothing else to tell you. Please contact the authorities."
To protect our respectability means not to argue but to tell people to deal with the authorities when they think an illegal activity has been committed. Without discussions or getting into the justifications. We have so many other infinitely more important things to accomplish!
Some could say: "Why has RAEL created NOPEDO to denounce pedophile Catholic priests on one hand, and on the other tells Raelian officials not to listen to parents who complain about the behavior of some Raelians who commit sexual acts with children." The difference is enormous. This actually has to do with promptly advising parents to use the judicial system for reporting any illegal acts to the authorities. This is something that the Catholic clergy has never done. The Catholic Clergy has always covered and protected pedophile priests, so numerous that individual cases cannot be sited. This will never happen with Raelians. All members of the structure have the responsibility, if they witness illegal acts involving children, to denounce the person or persons involved in such reprehensible acts and to report the incident to the authorities. We will never try to cover or protect pedophiles that would try to hide among us. Considering the importance of our mission, it is our duty to report, without hesitation, to the authorities the persons involved in these acts that we categorically condemn. This does not mean to punish them, because it is not about punishment. It is to first protect potential victims and second to treat the offenders for their illness since pedophilia is a mental disorder. Let it be said and repeated: "Pedophiles are not welcomed within our organization." And if there are any, we must hunt them down and denounce them. The Messages that we have the duty to spread are too beautiful to let our organization be sullied by the behavior of a few mentally deranged. When one of our officials files a complaint against the activities of a pedophile, we officially prove to all the slanderers that we do not tolerate this type of behavior.
This applies obviously to pedophiles… and we must define what pedophilia is: Sexuality with children. Pre-pubescent human beings, not adolescents but children. We cannot consider an 18-20 year-old young man who dates a young 16 year-old woman as a pedophile. In this case, no condemnation applies since it has to do with the love between two consenting beings, even if current laws consider this as 'sex with a minor'. Personally, this is something that I would never report and I do not encourage anyone to do so. The fact is that there are millions of teenagers in the world in this same age group who date and no one complains… except if they are members of a minority religion. In fact, in Canada (like France), where sexual maturity is 15 years old for girls and 16 years old for boys, the judge always looks at the interest and stability of the minor when there is a complaint regarding the involvement of an adult with a minor. That is, he verifies if the minor sincerely loves the adult, and, if it's the case, does not go forward with the complaint. Such legal proceedings, in a courtroom, could undoubtedly traumatize the life of an adolescent whom really is in love with an adult. In other words, Canadian magistrates respect love. This is obviously not the case in France where we have recently heard of young female adolescents being pressured, in vain, by the French justice and authorities to blame the young adults that they loved for having sex with them. And even if in court, to the great displeasure of the Republic's prosecutor, these young women stood up for their loved ones. These young adults were heavily condemned to prison terms without parole. It is obvious, in such a case, that the interests of the young 16 and 17 year old women were not considered but that the emphasis was on the 'cult' rather than the future of these adolescents who would get scarred for life. Alas, not everyone has the fortune to live in a country respectful of individuals and the psychological equilibrium of teenagers such as in Canada. We can write all the laws we want, it has been scientifically established that even if it is forbidden by law, more than 50% of teenagers less than 15 years of age, in some countries, have already lived their first sexual experience. And the age limit continues to decrease. Biological realities escape human laws.
We can always write a law to forbid the rain from falling, but it will still rain. What we need, like all the sex therapists around the world have stated, is to make sexual education courses in schools more elaborate so that these experiences do not lead to pregnancies that are never desired and to encourage the use of condoms. This is what our teachings recommend when we talk about teaching sensuality as well as sexuality to adolescents. It definitely does not encourage pedophilia or incest. When these topics are discussed by sex therapists they all agree that it is science-related. But if WE say it, it's considered an encouragement to pedophilia! We must fight against this ill-intentioned mental confusion. And the only way to fight against it is to not tolerate any pedophile in our organization and to report them all, just like we strive to denounce pedophile Catholic priests. We can criticize them only if we have swept thoroughly in front of our own door. This is what we do and must continue to do with vigilance!
Rael
Ettore on Friday 23 April 2010 - 16:13:15