March 8, 2001 15:20: A GROUP, claiming to be devoutly Christian, is using the internet in a bid to hasten the Second Coming.

Rather than leave the timing of the prophesied return of Jesus to God, The Second Coming Project takes matters into its own hands.

The project aims to use advanced science and the DNA of Jesus Christ present in religious relics to genetically clone the Son of God.

The group is publicising its cause on www.clonejesus.com in the hope of raising enough money to embark on the project. On the website the group, in Berkeley, California, explains exactly how it hopes to achieve this miracle

It says: "Our technique is to clone Jesus by taking an uncorrupt cell from one of the many Holy Relics of Jesus' blood and body that are preserved in churches throughout the world, extracting its DNA, and inserting into an unfertilized human egg."

The plan is then to take the egg and place it in the womb of a young virgin ("who has volunteered by her own accord"), who will then give birth to baby Jesus.

But there is little time left if the birth is be on December 25, 2001, the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' birth.

"We must have a fertilised Jesus zygote no later than April 2001 if baby Jesus is to come on that date.

"We can no longer rely on hope and prayer waiting for Jesus' return. We have the technology to bring him back now."