# nationally recognised religion

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationally-recognised-religion/54098>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 12, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationally-recognised-religion/54098 "2001-02-12T02:20:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Circle-A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@Circle-A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Circle-A)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationally-recognised-religion/54098/1 "2001-02-12T02:20:42Z")

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I have a friend who claims that he has started his own religion and gotten it nationally recognised. He claims all it takes to do this is a lot of paperwork and several trips to a notary. If this is true, where can I go to get my own religion nationally recognised, and what new rights/privelages/responsibilities come with being the founder of a new nationally recognised religion?

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [February 12, 2001, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationally-recognised-religion/54098/2 "2001-02-12T02:40:07Z")

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Is this in the U.S.? I guess you just go apply at the Federal Department of Religion. They give out official certificates of “Paths to Salvation” and stuff like that. 😉

Actually, I think you’re friend set up a church that the IRS recognized as valid and granted it exemptions from certain taxes.

Or you friend could just be full of it.