# Let's start a new religion **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 24, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773 "2009-01-24T05:54:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/1 "2009-01-24T05:54:18Z")
Inspired by [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503240) thread, I’m thinking that we can produce a “How did I come to exist?” answer that is just as beautiful and amazing; but more thought provoking, than the Biblical one. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/2 "2009-01-24T10:34:49Z")
Not tonight, I have a headache. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/3 "2009-01-24T10:40:37Z")
(More an IMHO, no?) What, Zombie Jew isn’t good enough for you? I’m thinking that a cool religion would veer is away from the traditional “Good Versus Evil” and go more towards the “Shades of Grey,” maybe not even promising an afterlife. Something that isn’t binding, but isn’t too vague that it can lead to extremism. Something that will inspire people to be good, but not condemn others for not following it. Something that will inspire converts, but not lead to forcible conversions. Man, this is going to be harder than I thought. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/4 "2009-01-24T10:49:29Z")
Can we call ourselves The Transmutative Church Of The Atom? ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/5 "2009-01-24T11:08:57Z")
I have the one true religion, but I can’t tell you. You will need to pay up a couple of hundreds to pass a personality test first. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/6 "2009-01-24T11:17:14Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > I have the one true religion, but I can’t tell you. > You will need to pay up a couple of hundreds to pass a personality test first. Sorry. Ah see, but we offer a very low signing on fee(Shall we say £20?), and then you make donations by conscience. If you have a bad year you don’t pay anything. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/7 "2009-01-24T11:22:14Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Can we call ourselves The Transmutative Church Of The Atom? I dunno, do we have to bask in Atom’s glow ? ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/8 "2009-01-24T11:47:54Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I dunno, do we have to bask in Atom’s glow ? Nope, you just have to accept its presence in every aspect of your life. It doesn’t even will you to do anything; just _be you_ to the best of your ability. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/9 "2009-01-24T14:56:17Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > It doesn’t even will you to do anything; just _be you_ to the best of your ability. Lame. What’s the point of making up a religion if you can’t get a free moral pass to hurt other people? ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/10 "2009-01-24T15:00:52Z")
I’m still basking in the afterglow of Isaac Asimov’s _The Last Question_, so I’m going to submit that philosophy as my contribution. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/11 "2009-01-24T16:51:46Z")
“And, so, that is how you got \*your \*name Broken Rubber”. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/12 "2009-01-24T16:53:52Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Can we call ourselves The Transmutative Church Of The Atom? I refuse to worship Ray Palmer. He is directly responsible for what happened to poor Mary Marvel. Bastard. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/13 "2009-01-24T16:54:23Z")
My son, you need The Church of the Volcano God… [www.churchofthevolcanogod.org](http://www.churchofthevolcanogod.org) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/14 "2009-01-24T17:27:50Z")
I’m not unreligious because I think none of the existing ones are satisfactory; I’m unreligious because I don’t see any personal need for religion. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/15 "2009-01-24T17:45:27Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I’m not unreligious because I think none of the existing ones are satisfactory; I’m unreligious because I don’t see any personal need for religion. You can use it to make money, which leads in turns to hookers & blow. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/16 "2009-01-24T18:26:12Z")
> [@chacoguy420](#): > > Inspired by [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503240) thread, I’m thinking that we can produce a “How did I come to exist?” answer that is just as beautiful and amazing; but more thought provoking, than the Biblical one. Sweet another theoretical belief system based on something that may or may not be true. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/17 "2009-01-24T19:11:33Z")
Any religion that I am part of the founding committee of will have [this](http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html) as one of its canonical works. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/18 "2009-01-24T19:55:46Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > Lame. What’s the point of making up a religion if you can’t get a free moral pass to hurt other people? Hey, if “being you” involves applying electrical shocks to your sworn nemesis’ gonads, who’s going to argue ? Surely \*you \*know best. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/19 "2009-01-27T05:44:07Z")
[Google Crom](http://www.aahz.com/images/crom.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773/20 "2009-01-27T10:50:18Z")
_wanders through thread at noonday with a lighted lantern, looking for the debate_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-start-a-new-religion/482773.md?page=2)