If you wanted to create a new religion , what would it be? Would it be a copy of one of the already existing religions? Or a non-religious religion? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Or a totally new one? Would your religion have one god or several or none? Would there be rules to follow? In that case for what purpose? Churches? Temples? Or just outdoors? Would you believe it yourself? Help me out here, because I`m starting a sect. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Hmmmm... a new religion. I won´t go to specifics, but rather tell about the nature of religion that I think would be good: Perhaps a kind of religion which would be more fitted to the society today, promoting freedom, the good of learning about the universe through sciene (not give all the answers in a tight nice package) and tolerance towards other religions and cultures. It should also promote humanism and cooperation of nations, people and different organizations. Also I think it should encourage people to find happiness through theyr work, hobbies and general way of life. Ofcourse it should also teach us to protect and embrace human life and nature. It should also perhaps inspire people to give theyr share of talent to make humanity better and it shouldn´t promote intolerance towards different minorities for example against the gay and lesbosexuals. I think that one of the most important things this new religions would teach, would be not to put good and bad into tight frames and say "this is the right way of life", but rather to inspire people to move and give theyr view of life to other people... but not to force it on other people. It should also teach people to evolve thery ideas, think about the fundamental questions of life... altough could there be a religion which would promote these things? Perhaps if it would be left wery open, there could be some form of spirit etc. which would have made the world, but it wouldn´t have given us any specific orders of how to live, but rather the freedom to live. That way it could perhaps be a religion.
Ofcourse though, that kind of religion would be used as a social tool, but for example christianity was used to justify monarchism and Japan trained zealous warrior monks... religions has always been a social tool.
Yes, that kind of religion much be like humanism... but is humanism a religion? Well... atleast there is a humanist page in beliefnet.com, but I think that humanism is more like a view to look at the world, not an actual religion. Perhaps this religion of mine would convert it into religion. But in a way, there is nothing new in my religion.
It´s hard, isn´t it? To come up with a NEW religion! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! So let´s have fun instead! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I invent a religion where everybody must wear pinkish furry hats on their heads, and always have at least one flower on their body somewhere. And every morning people must go out in the streets( or nature) and sing a song together holding hands. And after that comes the tickle -party. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! And instead of shaking hands when people meet , they must wiggle their butts instead, all to praise the great Bebelina. In my religion, I am , of course, the leader. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Bebelina, Well OK, but that is just a ritual. In Islam Moslems have to kneel down and touch their heads on the floor with their butts in the air and pray 5 times a day while facing Mecca. In Christianity there are many rituals, praying on ones knees, clasping hands while praying, singing hymns, eating bread and drinking wine while imagining you are eating a person’s flesh and drinking their blood. To have a true religion you need a supernatural element that cannot be proved. And your followers have to believe this unprovable thing so that they can call their belief faith and that will give a necessary aura of mysticism. Also if you can find some old stories that are thousands of years old and with which you can weave your beliefs to coincide with those old mythologies, then you might be able to create a sense of credibility as well. Hope that helps oh wonderful goddess. Cris
Hmmmm.... Yes, Cris that was very helpful. Some more practical aspects on how to start a religion. I guess that creating the rituals comes after that. So now I must do some research of old writings that might support my new view of it....or wait , am I now right in the middle of the " making a new religion from an old one" trap? Or should I create fake old writings, "that just have been found", and use a lie to support the progress? No, that can´t be right, it must be fair. But a supernatural element it must surely have, or else it could not be called a religion at all. Maybe I will start by concentrating in merging this dimension with the neighbour dimension , that would be supernatural enough as proof for the validity of my godly message. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Re: It´s hard, isn´t it? *Originally posted by Bebelina In my religion, I am , of course, the leader.* That's just great. The 5.5 billion non-Christians in the world all have such a religion already. Except, of course, you're not the leader, they are. *Originally posted by Cris In Christianity there are many rituals, praying on ones knees,* Where did you go to church? *clasping hands while praying,* Where did you go to church? *singing hymns,* Singing is a problem? *eating bread and drinking wine while imagining you are eating a person’s flesh and drinking their blood. * Sounds v Catholic, Lutheran or Anglican. The Bible says to drink the wine and eat the bread in remembrance, not in imagined cannibalism. And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:24,25, KJV). *Originally posted by Bebelina Or should I create fake old writings, "that just have been found", and use a lie to support the progress?* It's been done. (Mormons) *But a supernatural element it must surely have, or else it could not be called a religion at all.* There are plenty of non-supernatural religions around. Scientism, atheism, etc.
Bebelina, Probably any old scrap of a myth will do fine. Remember massive exaggeration is the usual method for extending such a story. And if someone else has already tried to use the idea then blatant plagiarism also seems to be quite acceptable. Have fun, oh holy one. Cris
Yes Tony... Try to relax and have fun for a change... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! I have been thinking about religious rituals, that they are very much like theater, trying to pretend to believe and be honest. Like rehearsed acts that are made in routin. I have always thought that rituals of any kind are ridiculous , maybe that´s because I saw through the scam a long time ago. Rituals are actually mockery/fear of the real great consciousness that we call God, or whatever we want. Don´t you think that we should invent a new name too, for God? Because the word God is so closely connected with Christianity and all the other all ready established religions. A common new name for the life-energy-love-consciousness? Doctor Robotnik, Stoneship ( my son came up with that), Hiiri.....Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! But they are sort of fun, rituals, if you recognize them for what they are, and then ignore it, and just go with the flow, like playing a game.
Tony1 can't play!!. Tony1 has a mission, to convert as many people as possible to his idiotic religious thought, he has his work cut out for him, this is a message of his right hemisphere of his brain talking to his left hemsphere of his brain the voice of which he hears he calls god. In the game, of a new religion; The "Male Ego" religion, man can have up to 5 wives, these women will do anything for him, of course this been that he can afford it, if he can afford just one, so be it, if he can afford two, well good for him and so on. LOL Only kidding women!!. Hey if he gots lots of love, why can't he just spread all his love around. LOL Some men out there can berely morally support just one!, if this kind of fella would have several wives he would be nuts!!. This will give rise to the psychiatric idustrie, new drugs of moods would be developed, to support more women, "wait theres always Prosac!!," this is helping somewhat!. LOL
No no no Godless there has already been too many sovinistic religions... time for some girl-power (darn, I gotta be a masochist for even suggesting that Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! ) Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! . What about if the bible would be replaced with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Then everyone would be trying to learn to fly! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
As a woman. I find it hard to laugh at that joke. I vote NO, for the "Male Ego" religion, but I´m sure it would get many followers, among the less developed parts of humanity.....men. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Yes, good idea. A new book as a bible. More suggestions! Seat of the soul, by Gary Zukav? Or something more metaphoric as Winnie the Pooh? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
What if bible would be replaced by "100 phrases that make you look smart", then we all would look smart and be stupid Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! As a Sid Meier´s Alpha Centauri (PC game) fan, my bible (ofcourse) is the manual of Alpha Centauri and the three novel books of Alpha Centauri, all hail to mighty Sid!! My 5-year plan ofcourse is to convert you all, Sid has never too many believer Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
*Originally posted by Cris tony1, Lighten up a bit - this isn't a serious thread. You're right, it can't be. A new religion, when there are 5 billion already, can't be taken very seriously. *Originally posted by Bebelina I have always thought that rituals of any kind are ridiculous* They are. *Hiiri* You must be a transplanted Finn living in Sweden? *Originally posted by Godless this is a message of his right hemisphere of his brain talking to his left hemsphere of his brain* Been reading some psychology books, Godless? They're pretty scientific. *Originally posted by Yang´s_Matrix What if bible would be replaced by "100 phrases that make you look smart", then we all would look smart and be stupid* But if it wasn't, then we'd look stupid and be smart.
Not long ago a bunch of Nike wearing, castrated cult members and their leader committed suicide. Some time earlier the US government took it upon themselves to burn down the compound of a cult leader, killing all inside fearing they would somehow disrupt national security. There are many UFO cults around with happily ignorant people participating in the mumbo jumbo. I even read a prophecy by some prophet who posts all his things online reading “what comes up, must come down.” If people are so gullible as to think that thoughts are directly from God, I think it would be fun to start my own cult. I doubt I should have any trouble establishing a following. The best place to start would be the most religious place nearest to home; the casinos. Those people are always praying to the gods of luck to bring them fortune. I bet there’s a market for a prophet to help them out in their little quest. “A nickel on the quarter will bring your much deserved fortune closer.” I’d wear a fancy suit and walk the isles blessing the slots. First I would have to come up with some fancy mumbo jumbo to chant as the one armed bandit was pulled. “Show me the money!” That would work. I could whip out some tarot cards to prove my divine guidence should any doubt me. “A nickle for a quarter will bring your much deserved fortune closer.” I can see it now. Hundreds of the faithful being led through the desert by my Buick Skylark. I’d stand by the door of Harrah’s and then they would drop their 20% in my coffer as they walked in. When they were all in I’d give them my blessing, “What? Are you all stupid?!”
The mumbo jumbo religion? Go for it KalvinB ! but I think many has preceeded you already, though your scam was clever. Like the Elvis-cult for example. Do chistians aknowledge Las Vegas-weddings? The super-triple-ironic-religion you are presenting I don´t believe would get many followers though, because they would not take it for real, you would be just one of the attractions in the casino. I suggest wearing a hat that blinks and makes noises on your head too, maybe like a portable roulette! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Transplanted Finn? Yes, almost, depending on how you see it. My mother is finnish but I´m born in Sweden. A game as religion? Well , the physical reality in itself is also a kind of game, but in a much larger scale. And then the soul is the player and you are charachter. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! What is Harrah? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
