In a tongue-in-cheek jab at the widespread reverence for religion, the left-leaning aggregated blog site Huffington Post has announced a "create your own religion" competition for its subscribers. The humorous publicity stunt asks readers to submit a description of their own invented religion, which will be posted to the site to compete for followers. The religion with the most followers wins. We think this is a fantastic and lighthearted way to find out what people will say, but it forces us to wonder what people believe in their heart of hearts. While the aim of the HuffPost competition is obviously comedic, the Universal Life Church Monastery would like to know what you really think: if you could create your own religion, what kind of religion would it be?
The competition gives examples of some of the most instantly recognizable images and symbols of the world's major religions and faith traditions, asking readers how their religion would stack up with the others. Some of these religions are ancient and revered, and others, relatively novel and controversial, encouraging readers to be inventive and consider the possibilities. "You've got the long hair, the nice bushy beard, and lots of beliefs, but you don't have the 2.2 billion adherents worldwide" the description reads, alluding to the religion founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ; "[o]r perhaps you're chubby and like to sit cross-legged, but no one is making statues of you", it also reads, evoking images of the Buddha of eastern thought. Even Scientology is hinted at: "maybe you're a mediocre sci-fi writer that wants people speaking your psuedoscience [sic]". Essentially, what the competition calls on readers to do is to create a distinctive religious brand and market it as the most attractive product in order to win the most adherents.
This is all very amusing, but we at the ULC Monastery are curious about what kind of religion you would really create if you could. There are many things to take into consideration. One is the type of god or deity to be worshipped. Would your religion be monotheistic, polytheistic, atheistic, or pantheistic? Perhaps your religion would have a single male god, or perhaps a goddess. It might have a god as well as a goddess, or a trinity, triad, or similar combined form in which a single deity takes on multiple aspects. Perhaps you have no god, a gender-neutral deity, or an entire pantheon of gods. Holidays and rituals are also important, since they set aside a place and time to practice your religion. Would your sermons, worship services, and ceremonies be held inside a special building, at home, or in nature? What type of holidays would you have, what would they commemorate, and what kind of rites and sacraments would they involve? Perhaps most important of all is the set of beliefs, doctrines, and creeds that provide a foundation to your theology and a moral framework for living life. You would need to provide a statement of beliefs and policies regarding things like marriage, sex and love, salvation and atonement for sins, crime and justice, war, and the role of other religions.
Of course, these are just suggestions, and they are only the tip of the iceberg, but they are a starting point for creating your own religion. You may think you have found the perfect religion (for example, you may be loyal to the Southern Baptist Church because you were born and raised in that particular denomination), but, more often than not, an honest person will be able to name at least something about his or her religion that could be improved. We would like to know the exact parameters for your ideal religion. (There's no need to worry about winning this is not a competition, but an experiment.) Given your position as a priest or minister ordained in a nondenominational online church, what are your most cherished values? What are your beliefs about the purpose and meaning of life, and the underlying nature of the universe? Feel free to share your ideas here or on the discussion forums of the ULC Monastery.
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21 comments
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Daniel Joseph Morse
"The Church of the Infidel" a) complete and total disregard for all "higher" powers b) some things we just don't know YET - keep trying. c) logic and evidence-based reasoning d) no salvation or damnation
That's a fair beginning - it will evolve as does the human condition and thought process.
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Jason Aaron Smith
Mine is a simple one The Church of Common Sense 3 rules 1: Do more good then harm 2: make the world a better place because you exist 3: be nice
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Frederick Hensel Sr. (THE HEARTROCK GUY)
My experience has opened a visual relationship with the most upbeat, help-oriented,wisely and astutely, communicative help-mate, a super energy efficient communicator which I deem is the creator force HEART! This is not my religion other than it is my belief. This wonder will arrive on the waking edge of all your dreams and being infinite in HEART is already keeping a watchful eye on your free-will existence. Never interfering with the order of things all communication is done in puzzle form that is personal o your experience. This GREAT PAL has guided me to discover images encoded in the crystal structure of all rocks and is ready 100% to assist you if . . .if you will read each puzzle to the best of your ability to answer his/her goal infinite Heart. Puzzles always have multiple answers and the most heart is always the one deemed your important solution. He/She/IT/They are the guiding force of the 1st Church of the UPRIGHT HEARTROCK, my name for a church. There is only one tenant; All physical things are a result of Heart and applying heart in all ways is what excites the this 100% caring force. Not above a good joke, you will find it cares in every. . . every situation. You just have to figure where the love is in your dream, or rock image! Set up your own denomination. This force knows every cell and DNA in your body, the cast off DNA location . . . HEY every little ol' thing about us. It is already protecting us in life and you will see it collects images of each of us -- we're everything to this PAL-- in rocks. I know you won't beieve me, but get out your digital cameras and start taking hundreds of clos-up photos of rocks looking for faces--cartoons first-- then you will keep finding more realistic images and eventually believe.
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Josh
Oxjonism. The belief that god is in control of time and time alone. Humans are not significant at all, god sees us as we see ants. Every coincidence is a result of god creating more life so that one day a life form might be able to free him. Humans are part of this race, but we are not significant since we lack understanding.
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Cathryn
My religion is Unicus, which roughly translates to unique in Latin.
Our motto
Vosmet ipsos temptate si estis nostra optimus. Nos creare nostra Utopia.
(we are our own best selves. We create our own utopia)
Our pact (to be recited every day)
I am not perfect, and I never will be, I am one amongst billions I am not anyone special, I am not a hero, But as long as I tried my best,
I'm OK with that
Our beliefs
We are who we are. Only we can decide if we want to change that. Only we can work to change that. If we feel that we are already our best selves, that is who we are, and who we will always be. If we feel that we can do the impossible, than do it we shall. There is no limit to what we can do, only what we see as limits, with that, we do all we can to be what we feel is our best self. There is no such thing as a foolish idea or a terrible person, only what we define as such. Similarly anything can be your best self, as long as you yourself feel it is so. We create our own utopia.
Our rituals
The bag: We each have a bag we made ourselves that we bring everywhere with us. A bag so special that we are with so often that even if we lose it, we'll always find it again (no I'm serious on this one). We create the first object to be put in when we first decide to join, and are initiated when we complete it. This object shows us who we started as. Everytime we feel we have accomplished something significant, we create another object to put into the bag.
The journal: We all keep a journal, in which we write our goals, thoughts, and what we have done throughout the day. We use binders and add pages as needed, rather than having a notebook: because these things can constantly change and be added to, and using a notebook would therefore be restraining.
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yonny76
where can i join.
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M. L. Weissman
It strikes me that, of all people, poets should be able to officiate at weddings.
Therefore, I would launch a Fellowship of Poets, ordaining people who have, at least, demonstrated having been published in poetry journals, calling them Bards.
The Scriptures would be the body of poetic works from all places and times.
Rituals would be drawn from poems, "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and Thou." Performance of plays and songs could be part of the ritual aspect as well.
Beliefs would include the value of poetry as the ultimate expression of being human.
We would meet by candlelight at the dark of the Moon and read whatever verses had moved us the previous month.
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yonny76
can i join this one too.
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Benjamin Hood
The religion I've been working on is centered around the worship of Immortal beings called the Immortalis.
It is based heavily in the concept of life after death. The first generation of Immortal is were born from Cartha the personification of chaos and Odearius the personification of order.
Most Immortalis is give up their Immortal souls to become planets, stars, and galaxies.
There are also creatures which devour souls causing them to cease to exist. These are called Nearvershar.
The Spirit Realm is anchored by a part of Illusnise's soul which became a moon ever hanging in the sky.
The Spirit Realm used to be a shifting place like a dream.
Illusnise also created the female angelic beings known as the Varsharda. Which battle against the Nearvershar.
Anyways the Immortalis are
First Generation
Illusnise: Goddess of the Spirit Realm and Spirit Moon
Aer: God of peaceful death. Twin of Nier
Nier: God of violent death. Twin of Aer
Inarius: Goddess of children and childbirth. Older sister of Illusnise. Mother of second generation.
Sierthul: Goddess of life. Former Nearvershar.
Cairither: Goddess of souls. Former Nearvershar.
Starrius: God of stars. Former Nearvershar.
Yvinra: Goddess of galaxies. Former Nearvershar.
Second Generation
Laveria: Goddess of rivers. One of the five sibling goddesses of water
Ocarine: Goddess of oceans. One of the five of the sibling goddesses of water.
Rinamrin: Goddess of lakes. One of the five of the sibling goddesses of water.
Ikuro: Goddess of ponds. One of the five sibling goddesses of water.
Sperialu: Goddess of spings. One of the five sibling goddesses of water.
Tilver: Goddess of air
Burithul: God of earth
Fimaria: Goddess of fire
Ikturul: God of plants
Learvir: Goddess of animals. Mother of the third generation.
Third Generation
Rul’hul: God of science and technology.
Loreitha: Goddess of knowledge
Colverin: God of harmony.
Zeltherium: Goddess of unity
Rhiveniel: Goddess of war and battles. Connected to Rata’karia.
Hielsolle: God of peace
Pilusol: Goddess of mothers. Mother of fourth generation
Fourth Generation
Rata’karia: Goddess of warfare and weaponry. Connected to Rhiveniel.
Nearveiera: Goddess of nightmares. Twin of Neiveren.
Neiveren: God of dreams. Twin of Nearveiera
Serphsol: Goddess of fertility. Mother of fifth generation.
Fifth Generation
Velsil: Goddess of judgement.
Instil: God of healing and Medicine.
Karathul: God/Goddess of beauty.
Ilthil: Goddess of Sins.
There are a lot more Immortalis. Depending on which of the Immortalis you worship you will be going to that realm of the Immortalis of death.
You only have to worship one of the Immortalis.
You would have to not be prejudice to respect others culture and religion for that is what the Immortalis want.
Illusnise was once corrupted by the Nearvershar and lead them against there siblings allowing them to devour planets, stars, and galaxies.
However the primordial ones, her parents, cried for her and their tears purified her of the darkness of the Nearvershar.
She then created the Varshin and led them against the Nearvershar.
Afterwords she sealed most Nearvershar in the oldest stars and on the oldest planets. The seal is strong enough to be intact even after the dearth of the planet or star.
The Priests and Priestess (yes there will be Priestesses) have diffrent roles depending on which Immortalis they worship.
And that'she pretty much it, although there is a lot and I mean a lot more to this religion.
It doesn't have a name but it will just be called the Church of the Immortalis.
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parkerheller
i am with u plz give some rituals
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Sue Douglas
Mine would be a blend of gnostic christiopaginism and philosophic study and science,and Shamanism .
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Kyle Moore
I am sixteen. Honestly, I'd like to see the return to strict adherence to Christianity. I love my religion, I just don't enjoy most of the systems it is distributed through. Family Church in Lebanon, Missouri actually does a great job of keeping the bible relatable but not watered down in the least.
I'm thinking a Neo-Monastic movement. Daily clothes are like a specific style of hoodie or something with jeans and tennis shoes so kids can still be themselves and then on services or special ocassions everyone goes to traditional monastic wear similar to that of a tibetan mnk, a japanese kimono, or a jedi robe. Just an idea for a new monastic style movement.
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Lynda
My religion would be based on joy, ecstasy, fun, laughter, and delight. My experience of living here is the most desirable when in these wonderful states. Requirements for church schooling of children would be that they learn about how nature works in its very complex design,.as a continuous process all through life. Rules for living would be based pretty close to the 10 commandments. "Punishment' would be safety- isolation/strong rehabilitation. The physical church would exist in extremely well cared for Nature places where education about nature, creatures, and SOIL use is taught (and worshipped). The entrance sign would say "The Church of De-light." ( I obviously believe that when we are exposed to all the ways (God?) has created nature that the awe and wonderment brings us to an appreciation of us being a part of it and in doing so helps us hear the 'whispers' of its maker.
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Andrew Paris
I want to and hope no one copies my religion is called church of Vidji (voodoo) game w/a wide range of prophecies in Christianity like we are moving to the year of Jehoshaphat not Deuteronomy 7-11 which everyone thinks we're headed for if interested tweet me @GhemeurasDad I haven't made it my home twit address yet but is a corporate religion w/charity funds people could do business in the religion if you know how I create and become an ordained minister in it I would be grateful hopefully the Christian church would smile at its Christian prophecy alot of voodoo and Muslim has deep roots in Christianity but people making a thousand Buddha statues to line a temple per say while in churches safety could either make it for religion or sell it being Vidji game it would be business minded like Vidji games are and hide from its name and go by calling them self Christians unless CEOs wouldn't frown on it or church deeming it's prophecies almost as a Jehova's witness thing I really wish Christian church would take its happy interpretation of revelations and express it works through our Sylvia glassmans vodou visions book and mention it sometime as it wants to create a paid Renaissance saving people from free sex displays and doing this ring boxes rally is what we'd call a love in w/less drugs
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Elizabeth
Hedonism. Cause if I gotta serve it better be worth my while
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Rev. Zing Nafzinger, MA CHT RMT
The faith that I teach is called "The Green Path of Self-Mastery". This faith is based on the premise that we are energy constellations existing on multiple levels of vibratory frequency simultaneously, and limited only by our degrees of perception and consciousness. We are all One in the trinity of Energy we call Life/Light/Love or Divine Feminine/Divine Masculine/Connecting Spirit, and we live or "ground" this connection through our Mental, Emotional, and Physical Bodies. Before we are born, we choose a frequency to represent on earth, and by living this lifetime on earth, we gift this frequency to Gaia (the consciousness of Mother Earth) as an element in her expanding consciousness. It is important that each individual go "within" to connect with our spiritual inner knowing and higher perspective for guidance on living our life on this earth. This is how we connect with the Plan of Oneness that we agreed to follow before we were "born" into our earthly body. The game of life consists of re-membering who we are as spiritual beings having an earthly experience, and moving forward with the Plan we elected to manifest on the earth. Life is intended to be an experience of co-creating love, joy, and peace. Through our socialization process, we may have absorbed limiting thoughts and behaviors that need to be transcended in order to move forward with our Plan. The educational processes of the faith of the Green Path have to do with helping people transcend their limiting thoughts and behaviors and open themselves to their inner wisdom and guidance. "Self-mastery" refers to the mastery of one's lower self (body, emotions, thoughts) by one's higher Self (Life, Light, and Love). Beyond this understanding of our nature, individuals are free to choose the surroundings, teachings, form of gatherings, rituals, and dress that aid them in feeling delight in being who they are.
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Rickie L Jones
My religion would be to explore the relationship of symbols, shapes, imagining their inherent meaning. What is the inherent meaning of a spiral? Why is a spiral created from pressure? Or... the shape of a vein, a river, and a tree.. Why are the shapes of our existence common - repeated again and again? Is it because we can only recognize these shapes?.. until we defy language and believe there is knowledge other than what we see? Belief, faith, are a kind of metaphysical neurotransmitter, bringing non -existence into existence. Belief is the moment before "I am that I am" In fact, there is a lot of knowledge in the Judea Christian books, but they are not studied for knowledge, only for rhetoric. What we believe is what we will experience. The moment we believe we are experiencing more - we are.! We have faith we Can be different, we cast those nets into a future in which the past is changed in order to make way for that new future made by that new idea. quantum physics? sure
Like the job of cells, that we have a collective identity as well as a singular one. WE are alone in our function. We are aware of our place among mankind. We are a part of a larger existence we cannot comprehend. Faith is given to us, and we do not need to complicate it with ... sin, or crackers, or wars... We will have faith in the knowledge that the dichotomy of our lives is as it should be. For we live in a world of shapes, and truths we discover about the shapes help us find out way. we shape our day, our dream, our families. We perceive of shapes and assign meaning to them. For instance, the shape of the world, round, appears to us to be a straight line. The shape of time appears, to us, to be a line, a succession of events. but it is most decidedly spiral, circular, moving in circles and waves that are repeated, yet never the same. Because we live in a spiral galaxy, this is the nature of our existence. But - that is only one galaxy, there are many others. ! Nothing exists that is not used, from the grass to the seed, the cloud, us, our thoughts, our feelings, we simply cannot conceive of our place in the universe. But we have one, and we are 'speaking' to a larger form each and every day. and the stars are there for their relationship to us or we would not conceive of them, and the 'unused' brain ? It is used for what we cannot imagine, or we would not grow that brain at all. People think if they don't know it, it doesn't exist. My church would remind you that you know very little, yet have the ability to be content and to know you are no accent, all that you are is so much more than you allow yourself to become. Language is a good example of our lives. It is such a small resource for so deep and mystic expression and understanding. We think we don't know... because we cannot say it. But we Feel, and sense, that is what we have to use in place of words. Feel music. Sense future events. we can make our own ripples backwards and forwards. How would we know we changed our lives, the ripples would go in both directions. I suspect because we only think in logic, we cannot understand. We must imagine a God that is unlike people. we are made in Gods image, not the other way around. And an image, after all, is something to be contemplated. thoughts about the unveiling universe. not the glory of murder, or the preposterous idea that a body had to rise from the dead in order for God to be relevant to us.
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Daniel Haag
The religion that I would start would be awakening people to the new paradigm . Mainly it would be the study of quantum physics and how we are all creators . Where sessions would be held would be in nature and also in Temple . The congregation would be a collection of metaphysical practitioners .
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Elizabeth
Hedonism. By Paul. All things permissible in moderation
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Elizabeth
Metaphysical. Hieros games and Kama sutra
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My Religion is Superaryanism. Superaryanism is a monotheism Religion where you follow only one god and it is Aryan Vaidya (me). And if you do not, it is a sin.
I hope you follow my religion for glory and internal peace
This is a religion founded on August 22nd 2023.
In this the Prophet Aryan Vaidya has founded this religion and believes that sins are founded by the works of wrong doings
in the SuperAryanism Quota
Aryan Vaidya is the great prophet and founder of this religion and here are the 5 rules
Eating any meat or drinking on January 1st is not allowed because it is the start of the new year and a start of a new life.
No eating Meat on November 7 because it is the God's Birthday
No smoking and no drugs because it is said to cause cancer and mess up your life
4.No sex because it can cause diseases
5.Every Morning at you have to Bathe to impress the God Aryan.
And every morning you have to give water to the plants to praise mother Earth
Volunteer for the Greater good ( It does not matter if it is picking trash up or helping at community service.)
you have to clean after your self ( cleaniness)
Never waste food. Think about the poor