I would like to design the perfect religion, nothing too outlandish, I want it simple enough to appeal to most people but sophisticated enough not to laughed at, it need not be directed at any one group, ie., tall or short, fat or thin, I feel it should be inclusive of everyone, no exceptions, I don't want just stupid people, I want to give people something they can feel proud of, so I welcome all honest suggestions, what should I include or exclude?
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I am designing a new religion, any ideas?
- Thread starter royol
- Start date
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
It should outlaw all forms of bias and prejudice.
Scuba Pete
Le plongeur avec attitude...
A good project designer would resolve this: not give us some mambsy pambsy excuses. 
Are there any religious ideas or concepts that you admire? My advice would be to steal all the good ideas that other people have had and call them your own.
It worked for Bill Gates.
It worked for Bill Gates.
Scarlett Wampus
psychonaut
Royol you want to 'design' a religion? The 'perfect' religion? Don't waste your time! There are thousands upon thousands of cults and we have more than enough major world religions. If your intention is to help people in some way then just do it. If thats not your intention at all, and I have to wonder what you'd get out of starting the perfect religion, then I have some random suggestions: -
Read some of the better books on the psychology of religion. Work out what sort of things you could include for the maximum meme hooks. Don't worry if these seem primitive, the people vulnerable enough to join your cult won't care.
Read some of the better books on marketing, propaganda and manipulation. Work out how you could give your cult an appealing 'aura'. For instance, play on people's disillusionment with their lives by offering them some fad alternative. You don't have to deliver anything of real worth. Appearance is more important than substance because that's what most people care about in their own lives. They've been conditioned to do so. Glamour is the key!
Take some traditional forms of meditation, prayer or contemplative exercises. Mess with the methods only slightly but warp the symbols so it looks different. Claim your system is better than anyone elses.
Most people like feel good morality that puts them above others but not too much reality. Make sure you're seen to be clean by the standards of that populist morality so that you can take the moral high ground & turn the group mind against any bright spark free-thinkers that challenge your authority. If they've got that way they've bound to have done something that would be considered shameful.
Write a lot about your new cult. Always invent new exotic terms for old ideas. They should be dodgy and mostly defunct ideas otherwise people will realise they're not new. Make sure you publish enough books on a wide enough range of subjects that people can just buy buy buy without having to resort to literature from outside.
Give your cult a hierarchical structure with graded levels of priviledge and status so as to create a vicious pecking order. People love power games, they just can't let go once they get a taste.
I hope you've got a lot of charisma. If not, hire people who do and get a good PR department. Also, target popular musicians & actors/actresses by flattering their egos and spoiling them.
Don't sleep with members of your cult. Its far too human. No one ever forgives idols for being that. Go out with supermodels instead. You can destroy people's lives, lie to them, take their money, etc. but never let yourself be seen to be human.
Read some of the better books on the psychology of religion. Work out what sort of things you could include for the maximum meme hooks. Don't worry if these seem primitive, the people vulnerable enough to join your cult won't care.
Read some of the better books on marketing, propaganda and manipulation. Work out how you could give your cult an appealing 'aura'. For instance, play on people's disillusionment with their lives by offering them some fad alternative. You don't have to deliver anything of real worth. Appearance is more important than substance because that's what most people care about in their own lives. They've been conditioned to do so. Glamour is the key!
Take some traditional forms of meditation, prayer or contemplative exercises. Mess with the methods only slightly but warp the symbols so it looks different. Claim your system is better than anyone elses.
Most people like feel good morality that puts them above others but not too much reality. Make sure you're seen to be clean by the standards of that populist morality so that you can take the moral high ground & turn the group mind against any bright spark free-thinkers that challenge your authority. If they've got that way they've bound to have done something that would be considered shameful.
Write a lot about your new cult. Always invent new exotic terms for old ideas. They should be dodgy and mostly defunct ideas otherwise people will realise they're not new. Make sure you publish enough books on a wide enough range of subjects that people can just buy buy buy without having to resort to literature from outside.
Give your cult a hierarchical structure with graded levels of priviledge and status so as to create a vicious pecking order. People love power games, they just can't let go once they get a taste.
I hope you've got a lot of charisma. If not, hire people who do and get a good PR department. Also, target popular musicians & actors/actresses by flattering their egos and spoiling them.
Don't sleep with members of your cult. Its far too human. No one ever forgives idols for being that. Go out with supermodels instead. You can destroy people's lives, lie to them, take their money, etc. but never let yourself be seen to be human.