How hard is it to start a new religion?

N

nds1

Registered Senior Member
If someone wanted to start a new religion today, and gain a mass of followers, would it be possible? How many followers would that person or group of people gain? Could someone go on Youtube and proclaim a vision they had from God, and then start a new religion based on that vision?

I wonder if new religions would still be created today if technology and communication wasn't as advanced as it is. If I lived in the early 1st century, I would have brilliantly predicted that the religion which would last the longest would be the one which occured closest to the era of technology and communications advamcement. Because as soon as that era occured, no new religion could be made since everything that happens would be recorded and on the news. If Jesus existed today instead of 2000 years ago, then having faith in Jesus would be a matter of browsing through the newspaper or watching CNN (or Fox News - ;)).
 
Lets look at two 'new' religions, .... Scientology or Mormonism as examples.

Mormonism, simply a schizm, based on Xtianity, but well managed, this is fairly easy to do, as you already have believers, they just need hijacking. David Koresh managed this trick too, so there are good working examples.

Scientology, based on his own works, this was more of a leap for L. Ron, but it's worked quite well. Heaven's Gate also managed to sell some new age mumbo jumbo, so again , good examples. These kind of show that miracles being recorded for TV are not required, and that faith is still faith, and anything can be sold to the right market, proof or no proof.

On proof and faith, I guess we don't expect people to abandon xtianity if the recently reported on coffins are those of Jesus and Mary, they will just alter their dogma.

So, what do you fancy, space age aliens etc, as the base of your new religion, or good old JC? Either will work, but the bible is public domain, so easier to rip off. I;d go with JC, plenty of mugs already out there.
 
Back in the day before advanced tech. you could probably just create your own hero and a completely new religon. You could probably even write your own scripture based on something completely different from JC.
 
Well I assume you mean a major earth(or large mass) changing religion like Christianity, Islam, etc.

Think about how hard it is to change someone's mind on this forum.

Multiply that by about a million. That's my idea of the cult of personality, debating ability, intelligence and aphorisms necessary to rock the world. Then there is classic religion's X factor. The reward for following it. It's gotta be huge, the payoff for pursuing it - positive...at least for it's own participants.
 
nietzschefan said:
Think about how hard it is to change someone's mind on this forum.
Click to expand...

You find empty, gullible minds, and fill them with crap. That's all religions do, fill people's minds with crap. You don't need to change their mind, just find some dumbass and sell them your spiel. They won't change their mind, esp if you fleece them for some dough, because they won't want to feel duped, so will stick with it.

Some of the ho's that screwed Koresh still refer to him as their god, even though he was obviously in it for the adulation and the screwing. Get people far enough in, and it's amazing what they will do. They'll let thir god screw their wife, or kill themselves a la Heavens Gate. Religious people really are very stupid.
 
phlogistician said:
You find empty, gullible minds, and fill them with crap. That's all religions do, fill people's minds with crap. You don't need to change their mind, just find some dumbass and sell them your spiel. They won't change their mind, esp if you fleece them for some dough, because they won't want to feel duped, so will stick with it.

Some of the ho's that screwed Koresh still refer to him as their god, even though he was obviously in it for the adulation and the screwing. Get people far enough in, and it's amazing what they will do. They'll let thir god screw their wife, or kill themselves a la Heavens Gate. Religious people really are very stupid.
Click to expand...

Well I don't contend that either the Heaven's gate, nor the Koresh cult were "successful". Certainly not as well as even the Aztec religion, which absolutely failed them in a like manner.

By success I mean to at least over throw what was the current status quo. Yes in my opinion that means convincing "smart" people to play ball too....if even to just be willing to control this new system. There must be advantage for them as well.
 
How hard is it to start a new religion?
In one word: charisma.

Just look at hollywood... :p

;)
 
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