# What's the most entertaining religion? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351 "2017-04-12T23:28:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/1 "2017-04-12T23:28:08Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/2 "2017-04-12T23:34:31Z")
Two words: flirty fishing. [Flirty fishing](https://www.google.com/search?q=flirty+fishing&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwihtMCRiqDTAhXsx4MKHahRDzMQ_AUICCgB). ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2017, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/3 "2017-04-12T23:46:11Z")
I’ll agree with you on the Greek Pantheon. You have to go quite a way to beat Homer and Hesiod. (And Ovid and Virgil added a lot, too.) ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/4 "2017-04-13T00:17:31Z")
What? No love for the Pastafarians? Or did you just lump them into New Age? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/5 "2017-04-13T00:20:19Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > What? No love for the Pastafarians? Or did you just lump them into New Age? +1 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/6 "2017-04-13T00:35:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/7 "2017-04-13T00:36:10Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/8 "2017-04-13T00:48:19Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > 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](http://www.subgenius.com). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/9 "2017-04-13T00:53:23Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 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: 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. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/10 "2017-04-13T00:54:58Z")
Satanism. An entire religion based on trolling. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/11 "2017-04-13T02:58:38Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/12 "2017-04-13T03:32:48Z")
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! ---
**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:** [April 13, 2017, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/13 "2017-04-13T03:46:43Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/14 "2017-04-13T03:48:59Z")
I saw Louis Theroux’s “My Scientology Movie” a couple weeks ago and found it very entertaining, so I voted _New Age/UFO_. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/15 "2017-04-13T03:52:34Z")
Westboro Baptist? 😛 Or Cubs fans. (dons flameproof suit) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/16 "2017-04-13T04:06:06Z")
My favorite is [Bokononism.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokononism) I voted for Norse religion, however. The tales about Loki alone beat most religions for entertainment value, especially his tug of war with a goat: > [@](#): > > After Thiazi’s death, the giant’s daughter, Skadi, arrives in Asgard demanding restitution for the slaying of her father. One of her demands is that the gods make her laugh, something which only Loki is able to do. To accomplish this, he ties one end of a rope to the beard of a goat and the other end to his testicles. Both he and the goat squawk and squeal as one pulls one way and the other pulls the other way. Eventually he falls over in Skadi’s lap, and the giantess can’t help but laugh at such an absurd spectacle. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/17 "2017-04-13T04:30:25Z")
Big Pendleton Ward fan, so for me it’s always been Wankershim. ---
**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:** [April 13, 2017, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/18 "2017-04-13T05:39:09Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/19 "2017-04-13T06:49:01Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I saw Louis Theroux’s “My Scientology Movie” a couple weeks ago and found it very entertaining, so I voted _New Age/UFO_. 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). > [@foolsguinea](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351/21 "2017-04-13T14:11:55Z")
Chose Rastafarianism because I am endlessly entertained by its language. See: > **[Dread Talk](https://books.google.com/books?id=oV4BBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA3&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false)** > > Dread Talk examines the effects of Rastafarian language on Creole in other parts of the Carribean, its influence in Jamaican poetry, and its effects on standard Jamaican English. This revised edition includes a new introduction that outlines the... > **[Iyaric](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyaric)** > > Iyaric, also called Dread Talk, is a language consciously created by members of the Rastafari movement. African languages were lost among Africans when they were taken into captivity as part of the slave trade, and adherents of Rastafari teachings believe that English is an imposed colonial language. Their remedy for this situation has been the creation of a modified vocabulary and dialect, reflecting a desire to take language forward and to confront what they see as the confusion of a corrupt an... And of course it’s inspired a lot of terrific music, unlike other entertaining minor religions like Scientology. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-entertaining-religion/784351.md?page=2)