Create Your Own Deity/Religion

In My Humble Opinion
1

Inspired by this thread (Atheists: What would it take for you to believe?), why don’t we inverse the question? I hope this thread idea is not essentially the same and impinging on the aforementioned thread. How would you go about creating your own deity/religion to convince, ie, sell it to people to believe and eventually aiming to convert the rest of the world to your religion? If this is a thinly veiled attempt to, to use the now a beyond pedestrian cliche term, “deconstruct” (bless Derrida and the post-modernists of 90’s…) religion, so be it.

  • I would say, first of all, we need a construct that rewards belief and create fear of/punish disbelief, a la, heaven and hell.

  • To prevent doubt, emphasis on something like “thou shall not doubt/question” is in order. It is a simple and effective mechanism to put fear into/allow zero questioning and having to actually “demo” miracles.

  • I guess we need a powerful moving “the beginning” story line that tells the existence of an almighty “omni” everything deity and how we came about?

  • We will need to convince our deity/religion is the real one or at least way better than theirs.

What else?

2

First of all, we should dump the “Heaven/Hell” aspect. People shouldn’t be good because of bribery or fear. Tell them to be concerned with the lives they’ve got-nobody knows what or if there is a “heaven”, but there sure as hell isn’t a “Hell” except for whatever we create here on Earth.
To prevent doubt? Why? There should be doubt all over the place-if something doesn’t sound right, people should correct the problem. People should be awarded for showing initiative.

3

My OP’s point is come up with a hypothetical how to create your own deity/religion and sell it.

4

with an implicit “…to Christians” because you are making certain assumptions about religion that apply to Christianity but not to religion in general, to wit:

  • Belief is central
  • The afterlife is significant
  • Religion is monotheistic

etc.

But hey, if you want to make a buck, you’ve got to know your demographic, so carry on.

5

Right… that’s just my “for example”. It’s not my intention to solely deconstruct/target “Christian” mechanism but of all religions.

And why, thank you, Dr Drake. :wink:

6

I sort of tried this idea with a thread, except mine was humorous (YMMV on whether it actually was amusing). It didn’t gain any traction, but maybe your thread will have better luck.

I think, like the bible, you have to start at the beginning. How and why did this God get this whole ball of wax going. But, it does of course, depend on who your target audience is. If you want current Christians, then obviously, it doesn’t need to stand up to scientific scrutiny, right? It doesn’t now. IMO

So, there’s my contribution. I did suggest a name for my religion. I called it multiple universalism. Or MU (pronounced moo) for short. I thought we could do a “Got MU” advertising campaign. It kind of went over like the proverbial turd in the punchbowl, but hey, I like it.

:slight_smile:

7

Like everything else you do in life, it’s like sending “message in a bottle”… chances are some sink to the bottom of some sewage channel and sometimes you actually hear something back but that should not discourage you. :smiley:

8

Nope, not discouraged. Some threads work, others don’t. My first thread here did ok, but my second one bombed. I was crushed. But I’m better now. :slight_smile:

9

I honestly think that all the ridiculous belief systems over the years have every stupid aspect covered. As far as a new one? It would have to only be for the rich. :smiley:

Some changes I would make if I were a god:

I would appear at least twice a year and converse with anyone who wants to. When I am on the surface, no one is able to lie. (so say goodbye to the churches :smiley: )

I would allow all bombs, weapons to be built and tested, but whenever they get dropped on a city, they just make a big THUD, no explosion. Although your gun works at the firing range, it won’t if aimed at people. If you still have the urge to kill with your hands, fine. You are up to judgment by your peers and laws you’ve created. I, on the other hand, don’t care since your existence never effects me.

Whoever has the urge to commit a violent sex crime, they would automatically pass out before they grabbed the intended victim and wake up 36 hours later.

I would explain that I am immortal and you (humans) remain mortal. I would explain that afterlife is a figment of human imagination and if they ever got one, it wouldn’t come from me. You are the product of a planet, I am a god. I created a planet and the planet created you.

It absolutely does not matter if you worship me. You got a planet. What else do you expect?? Cures for all your diseases? Again, these diseases wouldn’t effect me so why would I care?

I’d have to point out that never, ever in any way shape or form did I ever endorse any politician for any office.

On more of the plus side, I would have food stay fresh for months, crops grow with hardly any maintenance and anyone who gets in the way of feeding the starving, they will ALSO pass out for 36 hours like the intended rapists.

10

(OOOPS, missed edit.)

If the points I brought up become part of what you want to “sell” to people, it would really just be called the “We’re On Our Own” religion.

11

Yes, but what I was thinking was to take up a challenge to come up with a working religious construct that could rival any existing religion. I believe I muddled the OP; I was not necessarily thinking of a literally “better” religion as that would ultimately lead to your conclusion.

This is just a hypothetical exercise to see if we can create comparably believable faux deity/religion using similar mechanisms many religions use that can withstand the tests and probing just as well as any current religions.

“Thou shall not doubt” is a mechanism that makes believers be faithful without questioning. Heaven and hell concept is a fear/reward mechanism for example. Promise of after life can be seen as a mechanism of enticement.

Like I said this is an attempt to examine and lay out basic mechanisms religions use to “make one believe” and “make uncertainty certain”.

12

Actually, she’s pretty much already been defined: Aphrael.

I could really get to like her.

13

That’s the problem though. Any new religi

14

That’s the problem though. Any new religion can’t be monotheistic or polytheistic. So what’s left? Twin brother and sister?

That actually may work along the lines of the central, all powerful deities, and they’re family, so they have a strong bond.
Let’s say Furt, the brother is the strength and finances that men may be more drawn to and Shat, his sister is about life and understanding. Equal time may not be given to the shared deities, but certain gender related sacraments for men and Furt and women and Shat would be part of growing up like briss, confirmation, confession, etc.

I’m thinking along the lines of that L&O episode with Michael McKean and wife were head of a “motivational” organization where hefty contributions were expected. If you didn’t have 7 figures in your bank account, keep walking. But Furt and Shat are more “natural” and things like a Mercedes and fine china may be frowned upon in their new religion.

Still, we’d have to have a new genesis story like all the others to make people pay attention. Let’s say that Furt and Shat are “Holy Without the Burden of Parents” and thus created the universe as confused children, explaining away all the anomalies inside the universe like failed galaxies and stars exploding. They weren’t supposed to explode so soon, but since the Earthlings appreciate their combined mistakes, Furt and Shat in turn love us. So we have a shared appreciation of each other and neither side feels in fear or dominant.

Hmmmm??? Anyone?

Please delete previous post. Lost connection, but not with Furt and Shat. We are always connected. :slight_smile:

15

We can also say that wars between borders is quite common with us because we (humans) share a thin border on land much like Furt and Shat do in their sibling rivalry at times. We could even say that a male dominated society stems from Furt being too physical in his adolescent years with Shat. She cried for eons until she could show Furt how closed minded he was and thus women are more of a role model in later modern years.

Also, a BIG point, Furt and Shat did not intend to create a human, but just life in the universe. Furt and Shat could have a large book in their bible concerning apologies to us for cancer, crime, etc., because all they did was mix the chemicals before they were old enough to read.

16

Atheist Humanitarian Golden Rule-ism, with an Eye for an Eye corollary. Only this life exists, so taking the life of another is the ultimate evil. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you do ill unto others, ill shall be done unto you (via legal consequences, meaning imprisonment). But if anyone intentionally takes the life of another, then they are sentenced to death. Heavy responsibility on the preservation and prioritization of existing life. Fuck that fetus shit.

This is my take on an ideal religion. Any religion I were involved with starting would not have a deity involved. The purpose of doing no evil is because you’re a human in a human society, not because some mystical sky figure will fuckin’ spank you if you disobey him.

17

I myself worship at the altar of Caley Cuoco.

18

Regarding the OP, you have heard of Scientology, right? I mean, Hubbard flat-out ADMITS that is what he was up to.

And, whaddayaknow? It actually worked.

For other examples, look at Gardnerian Wicca and some of the other witchcraft-or-Druidic-inspired traditions.

I wouldn’t say that the GWs or the other groups are actively *trying *to convert the world, but they do have a decent following, perhaps even larger than Scientology, which IS actively trying to take over the world (or was at least intended to).
For my part, I would have a whole lot of rituals based on actual observable natural and scientific phenomenon.

We humans seem to like rituals, but basing them in fiction is a bad idea. My perfect idea falls somewhere between High Anglican church services, free-floating hippy tree-hugging, and that awe that comes from eclipses or volcanoes which then inspires actual scientific research and development.

Questioning the status quo would be the sacred duty of all people, and everyone would be expected to develop themselves in order to perform that duty at the highest possible skill-level in whatever field they choose.