. ▁ ▁So ▁the ▁fund ing ▁of ▁Ra ël ' s ▁races ▁which ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁came ▁mostly ▁from ▁well ▁fund ed ▁European ▁and ▁Japanese ▁people . ▁ ▁C alls ▁for ▁religious ▁and ▁tax - ex empt ▁status ▁On ▁ 7 ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁Ra ë li ans ▁began ▁implementing ▁their ▁own ▁version ▁of ▁bapt ism ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁a ▁bapt ism al ▁font ▁inside ▁St . ▁Peter ' s ▁Bas il ica , ▁however , ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁C athol ics ' ▁compla ints , ▁V at ican ▁gu ards ▁esc orted ▁the ▁Ra ë li ans ▁to ▁the ▁exit ▁gates ▁of ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁week , ▁Ra ël ▁pur port edly ▁handed ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁his ▁book ▁Le ▁Liv re ▁qui ▁dit ▁la ▁vérit é ▁to ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁the ▁Ra ë li ans ▁att ained ▁religious - cor por ation ▁status ▁in ▁Quebec ▁and ▁was ▁therefore ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁apply ▁for ▁federal ▁tax ▁exem ption ▁in ▁Canada . ▁ ▁However ▁the ▁tax ▁department ▁refused ▁the ▁application ▁since ▁according ▁to ▁them , ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁meet ▁the ▁requirement ▁of ▁relig ions ▁which ▁believe ▁in ▁trans c endent al ▁and ▁imm aterial ▁be ings . ▁ ▁Ra ë li ans ▁made ▁an ▁appeal ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁through . ▁ ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ,