What if I made my own religion?

Delta · Apr 13, 2009

So I'm sitting here at 5am studying for an exam and I'm thinking about the University's policy on religious holidays and exams. Basically if a religious holiday falls on an exam day, you can set another day to write the exam.

Half-jokingly I thought to myself... what if I made my own religion and stipulated the days I could and could not write exams? Surely they couldn't discriminate against my beliefs while allowing people of more wide-spread religions the privaledge of being exempt from exams for certain days?

This doesn't necessarily have to be about exams. How about the laws about not being able to force people to work on Sunday for example?

I guess this could be looked at as an extension to the Flying Speghetti Monster. Really though, who's to say whether or not your beliefs are important enough to warrant special privaledges?

DodgeFB · Apr 13, 2009

Delta said:
So I'm sitting here at 5am studying for an exam and I'm thinking about the University's policy on religious holidays and exams. Basically if a religious holiday falls on an exam day, you can set another day to write the exam.

Half-jokingly I thought to myself... what if I made my own religion and stipulated the days I could and could not write exams? Surely they couldn't discriminate against my beliefs while allowing people of more wide-spread religions the privaledge of being exempt from exams for certain days?

This doesn't necessarily have to be about exams. How about the laws about not being able to force people to work on Sunday for example?

I guess this could be looked at as an extension to the Flying Speghetti Monster. Really though, who's to say whether or not your beliefs are important enough to warrant special privaledges?

As the USA stands today "Obama" would make that decision here. Seems he is the smartest one ever to come this way.

The Parakeet · Apr 13, 2009

Well...you would need to actually be seen as a religion. I think the standards are different for each country. I think Britain has some very loose ones. It's 10,000 signatures and being non-profit. That's what let the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster start and I believe a Jedi Temple

.

The important thing is that they do have to recognize you. Scientology isn't granted this status in a number of European countries because of its setup.

Delta · Apr 14, 2009

The Parakeet said:
Well...you would need to actually be seen as a religion. I think the standards are different for each country. I think Britain has some very loose ones. It's 10,000 signatures and being non-profit. That's what let the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster start and I believe a Jedi Temple .

The important thing is that they do have to recognize you. Scientology isn't granted this status in a number of European countries because of its setup.

Hmm... interesting indeed. So as far as the government is concerned, you're beliefs and religion are only important if you have enough numbers. The non-profit part makes sense... even though from the looks of it, all religions are in it for the money and power in some way or another.

10,000 isn't that much though... I wonder where I'd find that information for Canada.

Glee · Apr 16, 2009

Delta said:
So I'm sitting here at 5am studying for an exam and I'm thinking about the University's policy on religious holidays and exams. Basically if a religious holiday falls on an exam day, you can set another day to write the exam.

Half-jokingly I thought to myself... what if I made my own religion and stipulated the days I could and could not write exams? Surely they couldn't discriminate against my beliefs while allowing people of more wide-spread religions the privaledge of being exempt from exams for certain days?

This doesn't necessarily have to be about exams. How about the laws about not being able to force people to work on Sunday for example?

I guess this could be looked at as an extension to the Flying Speghetti Monster. Really though, who's to say whether or not your beliefs are important enough to warrant special privaledges?

I say you should start your own religion. Who says you can't? Joseph Smith, L. Ron Hubbard, and Charles Taze Russell did. All you need is some famous people to believe you and BAM you got some followers.

Delta · Apr 16, 2009

Glee said:
I say you should start your own religion. Who says you can't? Joseph Smith, L. Ron Hubbard, and Charles Taze Russell did. All you need is some famous people to believe you and BAM you got some followers.

Haha, true, true. I'm kind of short on famous people at the moment though... actually I don't even know one famous person of whom I could persuade.

That, and I really don't have the time to create a religion... and I guess I really don't like the idea of religion either except for the benefits. It would be a non-religious religion?

DodgeFB · Apr 17, 2009

Delta said:
Haha, true, true. I'm kind of short on famous people at the moment though... actually I don't even know one famous person of whom I could persuade.

That, and I really don't have the time to create a religion... and I guess I really don't like the idea of religion either except for the benefits. It would be a non-religious religion?

That sounds like a "social club" without tax breaks.

GekiDan · Apr 17, 2009

You can make your own religion. Just strengthen your own beliefs on a single thing. Basically, you need to choose first who is your god; and what is his name and originality. And like Glee said, you need influencial people to join you, maybe you can convince Obama to join you.

Delta · Apr 17, 2009

GekiDan said:
You can make your own religion. Just strengthen your own beliefs on a single thing. Basically, you need to choose first who is your god; and what is his name and originality. And like Glee said, you need influencial people to join you, maybe you can convince Obama to join you.

Haha, well most likely I would go with a godless religion - like buddhism. A lot of people argue that buddhism isn't a religion though and rather, a philosophy or lifestyle. Of course, there are buddhists that believe in god, and there are buddhists that don't. It's nice that it leaves room for personal beliefs.

Glee · Apr 20, 2009

Delta said:
Haha, true, true. I'm kind of short on famous people at the moment though... actually I don't even know one famous person of whom I could persuade.

That, and I really don't have the time to create a religion... and I guess I really don't like the idea of religion either except for the benefits. It would be a non-religious religion?

Start a religion based off of "The Force". You'll have millions of Star Wars geeks joining, wanting to be Jedi

GekiDan · Apr 20, 2009

Glee said:
Start a religion based off of "The Force". You'll have millions of Star Wars geeks joining, wanting to be Jedi

That would be awesome. But first, you should invite George Lucas to fund and join you. He's rich and influencial. If that will become a religion, I think I'll join you there.

omej · Apr 21, 2009

Glee said:
Start a religion based off of "The Force". You'll have millions of Star Wars geeks joining, wanting to be Jedi

Inters tinglyenough, there is already such a religion, based in England I think.

Why hasn't a major religion been started recently? My theory is simple, if I went out and tried to claim to do everything Jesus did, I would be sent to a mental hospital. I'm surprised more people don't see that simple point. The fact of the matter is, we had little scientific knowledge at the time and any people who did know better were prosecuted (and also many were atheists btw).

Delta · Apr 21, 2009

omeythehomie said:
Interestingly enough, there is already such a religion, based in England I think.

Why hasn't a major religion been started recently? My theory is simple, if I went out and tried to claim to do everything Jesus did, I would be sent to a mental hospital. I'm surprised more people don't see that simple point. The fact of the matter is, we had little scientific knowledge at the time and any people who did know better were prosecuted (and also many were atheists btw).

Haha, what's funny about that is, the bible is full of stories of people getting commands from god to do this and that and the religious eat it up and love it. In reality, there is no difference between those stories, and Bush claiming that god spoke to him... or even schizophrenics claiming they are an instrument of god. I guess the only difference now we think it's crazy for various reason - knowledge of politics, biology, psychology... I wonder why people have such a hard time applying the knowledge we have now, to the stories in the bible.

GekiDan · Apr 21, 2009

Delta said:
In reality, there is no difference between those stories, and Bush claiming that god spoke to him... or even schizophrenics claiming they are an instrument of god.

Many of them even claim that they can heal certain diseases, even cancer, and they were called faith healers. I saw some of them on a tv documentary. Imagine that they can remove the tumor inside a person without any cuts and stitches. Who the hell would believe them?! But poverty makes the people believe in them. Because they normally ask only for a donation and alot cheaper than doctors.

deanhills · Apr 22, 2009

omeythehomie said:
Why hasn't a major religion been started recently? My theory is simple, if I went out and tried to claim to do everything Jesus did, I would be sent to a mental hospital. I'm surprised more people don't see that simple point. The fact of the matter is, we had little scientific knowledge at the time and any people who did know better were prosecuted (and also many were atheists btw).

Maybe it would be much better to select one of the Christian religious movements, modify them from a marketing point of view, and perhaps start an on-line religion on that basis. You could start off with a discussion group as a tool for selling it, etc. etc. :>)

Dirk · May 1, 2009

Delta said:
So I'm sitting here at 5am studying for an exam and I'm thinking about the University's policy on religious holidays and exams. Basically if a religious holiday falls on an exam day, you can set another day to write the exam.

I guess this could be looked at as an extension to the Flying Speghetti Monster. Really though, who's to say whether or not your beliefs are important enough to warrant special privaledges?

I'd quite like to postpone my English test. The FSM declared every Friday a religious holiday, so i could technically do it...

Glee · May 1, 2009

DodgeFB said:
That sounds like a "social club" without tax breaks.

Almost like Obamaism? All hail our Lord and Savior.

DodgeFB · May 1, 2009

Glee said:
Almost like Obamaism? All hail our Lord and Savior.

Oh yes!

curious · May 7, 2009

You have to be careful you don't end up in the nuthouse, though.

DodgeFB · May 8, 2009

curious said:
You have to be careful you don't end up in the nuthouse, though.

Looks like it will be the nuthouse or the poorhouse for many.

What if I made my own religion?

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