Religion has served as a backbone for civilization since forever. You can go back to the first civilizations, religion is part of their culture. Ancient Egyptians believed in many gods. So did Ancient Greek and Romans. Religion has continued to influence life, politics, and society since then. Now, we all know about the popular religions, right? Well, there are also not-so-popular religions.
Some might say even these strange religions have a huge following. But we want to believe these are just part of a small group.
In any case, it is interesting to see what people believe in. When someone says I do not believe in Jesus Christ, you might think of him as an atheist. But he does believe in something else, right?
The most dominant religions in the world are Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Today, we will talk about religions with a smaller following, but with a strange idea of god.
These religions might show only a minority, but they have their following. So, let’s take a look at some of the weirdest religions in the world.
Nuwaubianism
This religion started as a Black Muslim group in New York in the late 1970s. Yes, black Muslims. Since then, they have gone through many changes.
The group has had its headquarters in Putnam County, Georgia. They settled in there in 1993, but have since abandoned the place. Dwight York, their founder, remains in prison following conviction of money laundering and child molestation.
Yet, the religion endures. In one myth, the religion claims that white people got created as a race of killers to serve blacks as a slave army. Followers of Nuwaubianism believe that women existed for many generations before they invented men through genetic manipulation.
Pastafarianism
This religion founded in the United States as a social protest in late 2005, believes in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. They believe in a supernatural being that created the world 5,000 years ago. Oh, and he created the world while under the influence of alcohol.
The social movement promotes a light-hearted view of religion. But they do worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster. You can say according to them, food is a religion.
The Netherlands and New Zealand legally recognize the religion. In these countries, representatives of Pastafarianism have the authority to celebrate weddings. The first legally recognized wedding happened in April 2016.
Imagine everyone dressing up as their favorite pasta dish and shape? Now that is a sight.
Prince Philip Movement
Prince Philip has a huge influence on the world. But for a small group of people in the Yaohnanen region of the Tanna state of Vanuatu, he has an even bigger influence.
These people believe that the son of an earth spirit traveled far away across the sea to marry a powerful woman. This man would eventually return to the island.
According to their legends, the husband of Queen Elizabeth is that man. They celebrate his birthday on June 10 every year with a religious festival.
Satanism
Some people worship God and his good deeds. Others, worship Satan. Yes, there is a religion that worships Satan.
Some experts believe worshippers of Satan are spiritualists. For them, Satan is an actual deity. You can also put atheists who believe in Satan as a figure symbolizing the crisis of Faith as part of this religion.
Worshippers of Satan see him as a figure symbolizing the crisis of individualism and free will. Certain sects and parts of this religion perform criminal acts. For example, the Beasts of Satan committed murders in Italy between 1998 and 2004.
The Order of Nine Angels affirmed human sacrifice in the 1960s. The Church of Satan got established in 1966.
Church of Euthanasia
The people following this church believe in rising against the evil of exponential population growth. The sole commandment of the church is “Thous shalt not procreate”.
They identify themselves with slogans like “Eat a Queer Fetus for Jesus”, “Save the Planet, Kill Yourself”. But they do not believe in murders. Instead, they believe people should kill themselves purely by choice.
Iglesia Maradoniana
Athletes have their fans all over the world. And then some athletes have a religion and a cult following them. Have you heard the saying, Sport is my Religion? Well, for some people, that is true. The religion started on October 30, 1998, the 38th birthday of football legend Diego Maradona.
Fun fact: some Argentines did not respond kindly to the praise of Maradona. Here are the 10 rules (commandments) of the Church.
– The ball is never soiled
– Love football above all else
– Declare unconditional love for Diego and the beauty of football
– Defend the Argentina shirt
– Spread the news of Diego’s miracles throughout the universe
– Honor the temples where he played and his sacred shirts
– Don’t proclaim Diego as a member of any single team
– Preach and spread the principles of the Church
– Make Diego your middle name
– Name your first son Diego
Banana Cult
You probably think we went too far, right? Well, there are people following the banana cult. Religion and sex have a common thing. These two have worked together for the fertility of crops.
And for a religious leader in Papua New Guinea, religion and sex mean even more. This religious leader promises people that if they have sex in public, the banana harvest would increase. After all, the banana is a phallic fruit.
Presleyterian Church
We had some supernatural creatures, we had athletes, and we had food. Well, let’s move on to celebrities for a moment. We all remember Elvis Presley as the King of Rock. Since 1992, we call him St. Elvis.
According to this religion, the devotees “must look towards Las Vegas once a day and make a pilgrimage at least once in their lives to Graceland”.
The church also has 31 commandments related to the products he consumed, including peanut butter, bacon, Pepsi, El Producto cigars, and so on.
Jediism
Many people love Star Wars movies. They are among the most popular movies of all time. But then some people take that love to a whole new level. This modern religion found its inspiration in George Lucas’ Star Wars saga.
Founded in 2001, they have the Force as their deity. They believe in the essential natural energy of the universe. These people believe that the Force is a manifestation of God.
And they have their own website. The religion has no central organization, but they do have their Temple of the Jedi Order in Texas. This temple issued a code for believers titled “The 16 Teachings of the Jedi”.
The Bullet Baba’s Motorbike
We want to finish the list of strange religions with a spiritual movement. You might say this is not a religion. Well, it is strange enough to belong on our list.
The followers of this movement live in the village of Chotila in Rajasthan. They have erected a shrine for the motorcycle and its dead owner, Om Banna, on National Highway-65.
The shrine has a Royal Enfield 350 cc motorcycle as its deity along with the photo of Om Banna. We know him as Bullet Baba. He died in a road accident at the very spot.
Why do they believe in its supernatural powers? Because the day after the police took the motorbike under custody, the vehicle reappeared at the crash site.
Now, people visit the concrete pedestal where the motorbike stands covered in garlands and holy threads.
