Somebody once told me that I should never discuss Politics, Religion or Sexuality because all it does is get people upset. There is no right answer that anyone can put their finger on and countries have even gone to war over some of these things but tonight, true to form, (and sometimes I do run with scissors) I'm going out on a limb here to mention something that embodies all of these things, with emphasis on Religion and Sexuality moreso than Politics.

A report came in on the UFO UpDates List about a new religion in the fine state of Utah by a 30-year-old former graphics salesman by the name of Claude Nowell. Mr. Nowell claims that he was relaxing after work one fine day in 1975 when he was visited by some blue, hairless, otherworldly type beings. Which would suggest that either the beings were naked or they felt that it was important to tell Mr. Nowell that they had no hair on their bodies. Now, in the 10 minutes that these beings spent with Mr. Nowell, they transported him - its unclear exactly how this took place from the report - to a place where they showed him an enormous pyramid sitting on a green lawn under a blue sky filled with stars.

Mr. Nowell said that when" he came to" - this suggests that he actually was either knocked out or sleeping - he suspected one of his co-workers had spiked either his coffee or doughnut, until of course, there were more visitations by these strange blue-skinned beings.

These further visitations convinced Mr. Nowell to promulgate 'Summum', which is a belief system promoting wine-making, mummification and sexual ecstasy. Mr. Nowell has since changed his name to 'Summum Bonum Amon Ra' but prefers to go by 'Corky Ra'. I could be wrong but I'm betting he lived in California for a little while has his followers meet in - what else - a pyramid-shaped temple.

Since 1975, he claims to have given some of his teachings to some 250,000 people though it seems that nobody really knows about his religion. He claims that he doesn't keep memberships rolls or collect offerings or even accept donations. Makes you wonder how much they pay graphics salesmen in Utah, doesn't it?

Corky graduated from business and philosophy from Brigham Young University and apparently is also a former Southern California Aerobics Instructor. I told you that California was going to be in there someplace

Corky claims that he doesn't want to be thought of as a church and it is only because the Internal Revenue Service gave him that title when they applied for a nonprofit organization status that he even acknowledges it. He feels that Summum is a philosophy versus a religion but as long as the state allows him to keep his permit to make and distribute - read sell - sacramental wine, they can call them whatever they want.

The wine of course is very important to Summum. Followers use the wines, also known as 'liquid knowledge' and 'nectar publications', to enhance seven types of meditation, including the one serving Summum's paramount belief: the power of sexual ecstasy. Even I am not going to touch this one, I'm just going to let it sit there for you, okay?

With Summum, sexuality is not merely an avenue to enjoyment.

"It's there for meditation," Ra said. "But when you have that ecstasy, that's creation itself. We call it the state of becoming god. It's not something you would do at a brothel or only for procreation."

There's still more to this, including the mummification process with some 147 people who have prepaid $63,000 dollars for when they die... but I'm going to stop right here.

To be blunt, I can't say one way or the other whether Corky Ra was visited by alien beings who convinced him to start this religion and, thusfar, whether I believe his claims or not, it seems that Summum is fairly harmless and sounds like fun, with some drinking and sex going on. But anytime I hear about a religion, or cult, based on alien beings having contacted the leader, it always makes me wary of a repeat of the Heaven's Gate Incident. I don't believe there are any 'Alien Missionaries' out there but if there are and they're trying to convert us to their faith, I would think they would get more personally involved.....

But that's just my take on it.