As you’re probably aware there’s much to be said about the Bible as literature, aside from any truth claims, one of the purposes of literature is to entertain, but why limit it to the Bible? Which religion do you think has or had the more entertaining stories within its canon, its scriptures, traditions?
I’m a bit of a classicist and philhellene so I think the ancient Greek pantheon has the market sown up on this count, but I’m willing to be proved wrong. Poll incoming with an exhaustive list of every religion ever practiced anywhere at any point in history!
Norse or Greek is pretty interesting, though I gave an edge to the former just because Odin’s horse is the son of Loki. Loki is the mother.
Of existing religions, probably Cao Dai because they consider Victor Hugo and Sun Yat Sen saints. Or Rastafarianism, as the central figure was a Christian (as was Sun) and bemused to find he was venerated.
C’mon, I’m sure those who are touched by his noodly appendage would agree that there’s no entertainment value to be drawn from the seriousness that is a flying spaghetti monster.
(Also I wanted to limit it to things believed sincerely, including the FSM would be rather unfair on the others, based on our criteria)
Wait; are you saying that FSM isn’t a “real” religion or something? How do you know those people don’t believe those things sincerely? Who are you to make that claim? :dubious:
In any case, it’s well known that the most entertaining religion belongs to us Subgenii.
Well, I do agree with its founder that it belongs in a science classroom just as much as intelligent design, but it’s starting off with something of an unfair advantage in the entertainment stakes.
Basically a blended form or Christianity but I would say Russian Orthodox/Original Ritual. With all the bells and all the smells and all the archaic language and practices, it is one heck of a show.
I wanted to vote for Tengrism because I’ve never heard of it but even the name entertained me…but then I saw it’s listed twice, and I don’t know which one to vote for. Now that’s entertainment!
I wouldn’t say that the Bible is the best outfitted for entertainment, but given the sheer bulk of content that has been developed by Western civilization that incorporates Christian elements, it would have to beat everything else out. Consider just this list of titles:
Perceval, the Story of the Grail
Paradise Lost
The Divine Comedy
Most of the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne
Steven King’s The Stand
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Evangelion
Oh, you want stories! I was going to say Discordianism first, but if you want something respectable, one of the dervish orders with all the whirling might be fun. For stories, I don’t know. That gets into mythology, which is different.
He’s got some interesting stories about strange religions, like his Weird Weekends series. John Safran is pretty similar (Australian, not the Everything Is Illuminated guy).
SubGenius > Discordianism. Jihad!
Dervishes aren’t a distinct religion. It’s a particular practice done by a esoteric movement (Sufi) in Islam, largely but not completely Sunni.
Another interesting one: Mandaeism. They revere lots of Biblical figures as prophets: they are cool with Adam and notably John the Baptist. But they don’t believe in Moses, Abraham, and John’s buddy Jesus.
