# Is this fake religion any more ridiculous than real religions? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 9, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570 "2015-03-09T02:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/61 "2015-03-12T01:03:36Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > While this thread may have arrived in Great Debates under the general belief that all religion posts are either debates or witnessing, it is not going to remain in Great Debates. > As delivered, the premise was silly. > Nearly all the “serious” responses have been humorless expressions of personal opinion unsupported by facts and the rest have been attempts at humor. > Given the tone of the posts, thus far, I think it will find a better home in The BBQ Pit. > [/Moderating] _Attempts_??!? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/62 "2015-03-12T18:19:57Z")
Fake religions are better than “real” ones because fake ones haven’t killed anyone ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/63 "2015-03-12T18:41:25Z")
> [@MacTech](#): > > _ALL_ religions are completely illogical, ridiculous and insane. But all are not **equally** illogical, ridiculous or insane. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/64 "2015-03-12T18:44:01Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > But all are not **equally** illogical, ridiculous or insane. Which would be on the very low end of that scale? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/65 "2015-03-12T23:00:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Which would be on the very low end of that scale? I nominate Scientology. And not, say, Pastafarianism. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/66 "2015-03-13T02:46:16Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Fake religions are better than “real” ones because fake ones haven’t killed anyone Ever hear of Jim Jones or Heaven’s Gate? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/67 "2015-03-13T17:24:20Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Ever hear of Jim Jones or Heaven’s Gate? To be honest, I’ve always thought those were some offshoot Christianity cults. But I can amend it to: Fake religions are better because they haven’t killed that many people in comparison to traditional religions ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/68 "2015-03-13T17:28:02Z")
As an atheist, I have a hard time breaking “religion” up into fake & real categories. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/69 "2015-03-13T17:55:17Z")
Uh… Guys? When you say “fake religion,” what exactly do you mean? Surely not a religion which isn’t “believed in” by its founder - after all, both Jim Jones and the Heaven’s Gate guy died for their faith. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/70 "2015-03-13T18:27:43Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > When you can take this pebble from my hand, you will never again want for pebbles. What the hell am I gonna do with a bunch of pebbles? Can I put them on my driveway? Which reminds me; Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/71 "2015-03-13T18:36:17Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Ever hear of Jim Jones or Heaven’s Gate? I don’t think those count as fake religions. Their followers were sincere. Sincere to the point of death, in fact. Fake religions are things like Pastafarianism or The Church of the Subgenius, religions followed as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/72 "2015-03-13T18:52:31Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > Fake religions are things like Pastafarianism or The Church of the Subgenius, religions followed as a joke. Who are you to question someone’s sincerity of belief?! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/73 "2015-03-13T22:17:26Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Ever hear of Jim Jones or Heaven’s Gate? Those involved real religions. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/74 "2015-03-13T22:33:02Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > What the hell am I gonna do with a bunch of pebbles? > > Can I put them on my driveway? Why wouldn’t you put them in a bowl with milk? > [@](#): > > Which reminds me; Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? Uh-oh! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/75 "2015-03-13T22:36:22Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > Which reminds me; Why do we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway? Because we’re wild and crazy guys! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/76 "2015-03-14T03:55:48Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > To be honest, I’ve always thought those were some offshoot Christianity cults. But I can amend it to: Fake religions are better because they haven’t killed that many people in comparison to traditional religions > [@kayaker](#): > > As an atheist, I have a hard time breaking “religion” up into fake & real categories. > [@Steken](#): > > Uh… Guys? When you say “fake religion,” what exactly do you mean? > > Surely not a religion which isn’t “believed in” by its founder - after all, both Jim Jones and the Heaven’s Gate guy died for their faith. > [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > I don’t think those count as fake religions. Their followers were sincere. Sincere to the point of death, in fact. Fake religions are things like Pastafarianism or The Church of the Subgenius, religions followed as a joke. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Those involved real religions. Of course, I consider _all_ religions to be fake. It’s just that some are more fake than others. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/77 "2015-03-19T15:22:01Z")
…never mind… ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/78 "2015-03-19T15:29:03Z")
> [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](#): > > How does this square with your blathering about proof of existence of a “ghod”? :dubious: Religion is a con game. The product of the con game, manufactured and sold to the gullible, is usually a god of some kind. When I hear people definitely attribute anything to a version of “gawd says to do it”, I’ll ask them for proof of the existence of a god of any kind. If they can show any such proof, I’ll then believe that what they said was worthwhile. Since they can’t, I disregard what they say. No blathering involved. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570/79 "2015-03-22T10:08:04Z")
I think the OP’s fake religion is especially ridiculous, to the degree I even understand what he’s talking about, but a few “real” religions can be almost as bad in roughly similar ways. Any “religion” that tries to elevate a particular small thing (a given itinerant faith healer, the state of Ohio, the human race, the profit motive) to a “cosmic” importance, contrary to all perspective and logic, is pretty daft. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-fake-religion-any-more-ridiculous-than-real-religions/714570.md?page=3)