My stepmom and I both really liked Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel “Dune”, and a brief mention of it over the phone sparked a thought in my head, which lead to me starting this discussion.
Many feel Dune is the best of its genre. Besides a few works by Arthur C. Clarke, it’s the only book of its kind I really got into. One of the things about it I found so compelling was the well-conceived and intricate backstory, which, like the works of Tolkien, lend a kind of historical realism to the main plot.
It’s been a while since I read Dune, but from what I remember, in the distant past (from the novel’s perspective), a huge war (the Butlerian Jihad) was fought to rid the galaxy of “thinking machines”, and a new commandment was bestowed on humanity: Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind (or something to that effect). To replace intelligent computers, various quasi-religious orders sprung up in the aftermath, and each had as one of their their primary goals the great enhancement of human cognitive (and even precognitive) abilities. Of particular note were the Bene Gesserit, a neo-Jesuit sisterhood of immense, though understated power and influence. The Bene Gesserit had been working for millenia towards one goal, even going so far as to manufacture entire religions on thousands of individual planets to help fulfil a kind of genetic prophecy: The creation, through careful selective breeding, of a super-being, a kind of messiah (which they dubbed the Kwisach Haderach, whatever the hell that means), who would have almost god-like mental and physical powers. That messiah is the book’s protagonist.
Anyway, what I find interesting about the book, in retrospect, is that while, in our present, the world’s sundry faiths tend to be rather prohibitive in regards to meddling with human biology and reproduction (at least in their most-conservative forms), the greatest religions of Herbert’s hypothetical future fully embrace cloning (esp. the Tleilaxu), genetics, refined drugs (e.g. the Spice, Melange), selective breeding, etc., as a means to fulfill their core beliefs. I can think of no major religion that, even when some sects take a liberal stance on birth control and abortion, advocates, especially as part of its core beliefs, that humans take charge of their own genetics to achieve enlightenment and/or advancement. In fact, even very liberal but devout members of, say, Christianity or Islam, tend tolook upon the prospect of human cloning and genetic engineering with grave misgivings. Besides the ethical concerns, for what appears to be most of even mainstream society, deliberately altering human nature with technology seems to be in the realm of religious taboo. It seems to rarely occur to people that using biotechnology for the purpose of transcendence could be part of God’s plan.
Then along come the Raelians. Remember them? They’re the Quebec-based cult that claimed not long ago to have produced the first human clone. Though nobody takes their claim seriously, there is little doubt the Raelians have the money and the motivation to pursue a human cloning program vigorously, should they aquire the technological know-how.
Why do they want to do this? Apparently they believe humanity was created by aliens (the “Elohim”!!), and that all our “gods” and prophets have actually been aliens in disguise, nudging our development along. Some day the Elohim will return and reveal themselves to us truly and completely; but first we must become worthy. We must do all kind of laudible things like bring about world peace, but we must also do something else: demonstrate our mental and technological advancement. The assigned task is to create another human being, as the Elohim did, and the means they wish to employ is human cloning. Once we accomplish all that, we are worthy, and the Raelian “Second Coming” will ensue.
Clearly, some significant portion of the Raelians are complete nutters, but they’re an active group, and gaining converts. I can think of no reason to dignify them with distinction from the likes of the Moonies except for one: Their key to salvation is advancing biotechnology. Though they are not to be given much credence (yet), they are fascinating in that it’s a religious cult of international note who fully embrace what is for any mainstream faith a major taboo. A proto-Bene Gesserit Order?
Discuss!