The most recent addition to the world’s major religions (more than 25 million followers) was Sikhism 500 years ago. But despite social media, it takes time to build up that kind of following, and the age of the prophets never ended. The 19th century saw the birth of many smaller new religions, including Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Baha’is. And the 20th gave us Scientology.
Even today, we invent new religions that may surpass Christianity or Islam in a century. They are all a bit silly, but what religion isn't? What matters is that people take them seriously – and these 10 certainly do.
10. Matricism
Religion based on a movie, matrixism arose four years later "Matrix" — in 2003, the same year its sequels came out. While adherents known as Redpills or Pathists don’t believe we’re literally inside a simulation, they do take other clues from the films. These include a belief in the prophecy of the One (who is due to return sometime before 2199) and an acknowledgement that reality is subjective.
However, it is not a dogmatic religion; it is rather a spiritual path. Individual freedom is paramount. For example, Pathists value psychedelics as tools for exploration, and while there is a recommended reading list (including the scriptures of world religions and Doors of Perception" Huxley ), people can interpret them freely .
Two days are sacred in Matrixism: April 19 (Bicycle Day, or the day LSD pioneer Albert Hoffman first tried the psychedelic drug) and November 22 (the date of death of Aldous Huxley, C.S. Lewis, and John Kennedy in 1963). The symbol of Matrixism as a religion is the Japanese hanji, meaning “red” — ? - a reference to the liberating pill.
9. Church of All Worlds
The mission of the Church of All Worlds (CAW) is to awaken Gaia and reunite Her children. Founded in 1968 by Oberon Zell, it was the first Pagan church founded in the United States and was officially recognized by the IRS in 1970. . Strange Earth . It was the concept of the “nest,” a group of people seeking to know each other deeply, that inspired Zell to create CAW. In fact, the communities within the Church themselves are called "nests" .
Drawing on the ancient Greek mysteries of Eleusis, pagan Mayan royalty, and Zell’s own vision of Gaia as alive, CAW encompasses a variety of beliefs and practices. More important is a shared set of values, including friendship and “ancestral intimacy,” “positive sexuality,” and harmony with nature. However, there is one ritual that lies at the heart of the faith. Known as Watersharing, it symbolizes sacred bonds and our place in the web of life.
At heart, it is a hippie religion. Its mecca, where the important rituals are held, is a sprawling forest in Northern California called Annwfn ( The Other World in Welsh Mythology ).
8. Elven Spiritual Path
The Elven spiritual path draws on Tolkien's Legendarium (set in Middle-earth) and, in particular, on Elven cosmology. Its full name is Tië eldalieva (abbreviated Te), which is Elven for "Way of the Star People."
This is not a live role-playing game. Followers of the path are sincerely devoted to enlightenment on the elven terms. It is also a recognized religion with tax-exempt status. Despite this, the church (called Yana Eldalieva , "The Sanctuary of the Star People" ) is found mainly on the Internet with two different websites. But they have your calendar .
To help visitors understand the religion, the FAQ evokes the image of a tuning fork. By vibrating at the frequency of a guitar string, it causes the string to vibrate. And this “sympathetic vibration makes sympathetic resonance possible.” In practice, for Star People, this means that meditation attunes a person to the vibration of higher consciousness, opening them to resonance with their full nature.
7. Satanism
Satanism , founded by Anton LaVey in the 1960s, is surprisingly atheistic. Neither LaVey nor his followers claim that Satan exists. As LaVey himself put it, it is more of a “state of being… a way of life, a worldview, an attitude.” In fact, Satanism isn’t even diabolical. It’s more of a “celebration of itself,” offering nonreligious people a way to feel religious. So much of its appeal lies in its rituals.
Of course, Satan is heavily involved in these ceremonies, as are his cross-cultural equivalents. A list of "Hellish Names" is given in " The Satanic Bible" LaVey , and detailed instructions are given in "Satanic rituals" However, since Satanism is individualistic, rituals are free to adapt.
It’s no wonder that this individualistic religion still thrives today. Although (like all good religions) LaVey’s Church of Satan has splintered into various sects, the original is still in operation. Meanwhile, LaVey’s daughter Karla founded the Satanic Breakfast Club, which became the First Satanic Church. And then there’s Satanic Temple , which Church of Satan condemns as unsatanic (and which describes the Church of Satan as "inactive"), and Global Order of Satan , "an independent non-theistic rationalistic Satanist religious ministry" founded in 2016.
6. Ed Woodism
Official website of the church Ed Wood greets every new visitor with a pop-up: “To answer your first question, yes, we are serious!” You wouldn’t think so, despite its 3,000 subscribers. Ed Woodism, founded in 1996 by the Rev. Steve Galindo, credits the renowned science fiction writer and director (whose credits include the laughable “ Plan 9 from Space ") a kind of Christ-like savior.
In a world of “slightly offended, self-righteous, puritanical people,” followers look to Wood as a beacon of understanding and acceptance — even of what society rejects. According to the website, Wood’s example has inspired frank discussions about “sex, race, drugs, and transvestism.”
But Ed Wood is not God. For Ed Woodist, God is a film producer: he "built the sets, cast the cast, and financed our great, great movie." He just wants us to make a good movie, but he is not the director. "We are the directors of our lives."
5. Realism
Founded in the 1970s Raëlism (the International Raëlian Movement or Raëlian Church) holds that humans were not created by gods, but by extraterrestrial visitors called Elohim, which means "gods" in Hebrew. Although atheistic, Raëlians (or Raelians) revere the prophets of theistic religions—such as Jesus, Muhammad, Joseph Smith—as well as Buddha and 35 others as hybrids of Elohim and man. The fortieth and final prophet is Raël himself (Claude Forillon), the Frenchman who invented the faith.
According to the Raelians, this is the Age of Apocalypse, which began with the bombing of Hiroshima. The only way we will ever meet our creators is if we learn to use technology for good. The Elohim will not return until we do. Thus, Job Raelian Church is to spread this message and prepare for their arrival, which means creation of the Raelian embassy .
Both sexual experimentation and meditation are encouraged, as is human cloning to fulfill their destiny as immortals. In 2002, the Church actually claimed to have cloned a human being, a girl they named Eve.
4. Cosmism
Cosmicism rejects theism for its nihilistic worldview and "fear of the cosmic Void" - based on the works of Lovecraft. It is also known as the Cult Cthulhu , the oldest of Lovecraft's evil Great Old Ones, or dormant primordial gods.
While not all cultists think Cthulhu exists (as anything more than a metaphor), they all believe they have been called. The Call of Cthulhu is a personal thing that can manifest through dreams, coincidences, or simply fate or desire. But it sets one apart from the masses. According to religion website , "only a select few are worthy of the Cult and its teachings."
Another key doctrine is Ascension, the belief that within each invoked cultist is an Elder God (a benevolent ancient deity) seeking transcendence. And since Lovecraft was a science fiction writer, it’s no surprise that Cosmicism is a scientific religion, relying on multiverse theory and quantum decoherence.
3. Church of Maradona
To say that Argentine footballer Diego Maradona has a devoted fan base would be an understatement. He has religious devotees. For all his faults — drug addiction, mafia ties, etc. — he revered as a saint . In the city of Rosario, Argentina, there is even real church , dedicated to his worship. Parishioners gather to share stories of Maradona's impact on their own lives, and to celebrate his birthday (October 30) like Christmas.
In fact, Maradona’s connection to the divine goes back further than the founding of the church in 1998. Just four years after their defeat in the Falklands War, Argentina were once again battling Great Britain – this time for the 1986 World Cup. They were expected to win. And it was Maradona who scored the decisive goals, one of which earned him the nickname “The Hand of God.” He was also made a saint – the second coming of St. Gennaro – in Naples for highlighting the city’s impoverishment after joining its football team.
Despite Maradona's reluctance to be seen in this way, the Church of Maradona has half a million followers in several countries. Its entrance is surrounded by footballs in vases and covered with photographs of the man. It even has its own version of the Lord's Prayer: "Our Diego, who art upon earth / Hallowed be thy left foot / Thy magic come, / Thy goals remembered, / On earth as they are in heaven."
2. The Cult of Prince Philip Cargo
Unknown , why modernity-rejecting residents of Tanna village in Vanuatu came to pay homage to the English Queen's husband Prince Philip . But somehow they came to the conclusion that he was pale-skinned son mountain spirit. According to ancient prophecies, he was to travel to a distant land to marry a powerful woman before one day returning to Tanna. They also believe that he was the brother of the original cargo cult leader John Frum, who entered their pantheon during World War II.
Although Philip visited Vanuatu in 1974, he was unaware of his status. But when he was told, he unsurprisingly accepted it – exchanging photos and gifts with the villagers. He sent them an official photo, and they sent him a pig club. He responded by sending them a photo of himself holding it. In 2007, five villagers were invited to the UK to meet him.
But he never returned to the island.
1. Creative movement
Not to be confused with creationism: The creative movement doesn't care about dinosaur bones or evolution. All it preaches is the advancement of white people and the inferiority of "colored mongrels." It all started in 1973 with Ukrainian Ben Klassen, who wrote about his hatred of Jews and non-whites.
After his suicide 20 years later, student Matthew Hale took over. His goal was to take control of the government in order to forcibly deport all "inferior races." to Madagascar But they won't stop there; under his leadership, the Creativity movement aims to instigate a "racial holy war" similar to China's Cultural Revolution, in which any "non-white" elements of culture are destroyed. This would include rap music, which Creativity describes as "terrible."
Although it seems like just another group of racists, the movement considers itself a religion. They do not believe in God, but see whites as “nature’s supreme creation.” The movement operates in many of the most politically white countries — the United States, Russia, Australia, France, Germany, Canada, Austria, Poland, and Switzerland — and even has its own Bible. white man It also has over 30 related websites, as well as mailing lists, forums and chat rooms.
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