There are an estimated 4,200 religions on our planet, so don’t feel too guilty if you’ve missed one or two during your studies. Truthfully, even the most well-versed religious fanatics would struggle to keep their scorecards up-to-date. It would require a weighty encyclopedia just to squeeze in each faith’s name, let alone detail the vast differences that justify their separate existence.
But whether you’re seeking a unique avenue to achieve enlightenment or you’re simply fascinated by the obscurity of human spirituality, here is a delightful little list for you. Let us cement some hidden cracks in your knowledge and shine a spotlight on those theologies that so many overlook. Hold onto this insight, and you’ll be the life of the party in no time!
1. Hòa Hảo (Vietnam)
At age 18, Huỳnh Phú Sổ erupted into a spontaneous prophetic speech that lasted for hours. He expanded on Buddhist principles, explaining that spiritual glorification came from within. According to Sổ, anyone could acquire the enlightenment of a monk while still contributing to society and caring for their household.
Huỳnh’s family were very concerned by this erratic behaviour, and they sent him to a psychiatric hospital. Here, he famously converted his psychiatrist into becoming a passionate supporter. And this was only the beginning.
Just over a year later, the Hòa Hảo organisation had gathered millions of devotees. They eventually turned their attention to fighting against French colonialists, transforming into a nationalist military religion. Sadly, the national independence coalition Viet Minh assassinated Sổ in 1947. He was 27 years old.
2. Janthopoyism (UK)
Janthopoyism is a branch of the pantheistic tree . It teaches us that the Universe itself is a living organism or deity. Within this philosophy, Janthopoyism notes that the Universe’s primary objective is to evolve. Hence, the best way for humanity to worship this force is to contribute unique data to the communal pool of consciousness.
One achieves this by:
- Not hindering anyone else’s timeline. Everyone’s contribution is valid from the standpoint of the collaborative picture.
- Removing the mundane lower-quality conflict from your life. That is, anything boring the Universe has witnessed multiple times before.
- Pursuing the path most in tune with the uniqueness of your personality. This means accomplishing specific goals no other mind is better equipped to conquer.
Its holy scripture, the Janthopoyism Bible, provides simple programs to realise these ambitions and can be purchased on Amazon.
3. Nuwaubian Nation (New York, USA)
Dwight York originally founded the Nuwaubian Nation as a black supremacy form of Islam. However, he gradually incorporated components from esoteric Judaism, Egyptian revival religion, and a plethora of wild conspiracy theories.
Some reported theologies include:
- Dwight is an extraterrestrial from the planet Rizq.
- The Rapture will be delivered by actual velociraptors.
- Caucasians are the devil incarnated.
- Each person has seven clones living in the world.
- The human race was once perfectly symmetrical and ambidextrous until a meteorite knocked the Earth’s axis, shifting our hearts off-centre.
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis birthed the antichrist, and Richard Nixon raised the baby.
Nuwaubian Nation lost most of its members when York was indicted of 197 counts of child molestation. It was the largest such prosecution ever directed at a single individual in the history of the United States.
4. Caodaism (Vietnam)
Caodaism is a combination of Confucianism, Taoism, Mahayana Buddhism, and even the ranking hierarchy of Catholicism.
During secret ceremonies, mediums acquire messages from the monotheistic Supreme Being. These revelations have unveiled the many ranks of sacred spirits and dimensions that a person can reincarnate into. This includes 72 planets, with Earth as the 68th. And at the top of the tallest tower is the Cao Đài, where God reigns.
According to Caodaism, every prophet from every religion was a valid visionary. Each spiritual leader was summoned to assist the world’s righteous trajectory through their distinct theologies and, therefore, must be appreciated individually. The Vietnam government didn’t like this idea and banned the practice from 1975 to 1997. However, Caodaism continues to thrive today with up to 6 million followers.
5. Atenism (Ancient Egypt)
Ancient Egypt is renowned for its expansive polytheistic pantheon of deities. However, Pharoah Akhenaten received a revelation from the sun disc god Aten, claiming itself as the Highest Being.
Akhenaten eventually declared Aten as the one true God of Egypt, banning the other idols and defacing their temples. In fact, these architectural modifications are how historians managed to reconstruct this narrative.
Atenism is now acknowledged as the world’s first monotheistic belief. Consequently, it is often hypothesised as a significant influence on Abrahamic religions. For example, a poem penned by Pharoah Akhenaten titled The Great Hymn is strikingly similar to the later Biblical Psalm 104. Judge that for yourself!
Akhenaten was the self-proclaimed mediator between ordinary civilians and Aten. Hence, when the Pharaoh died (around the mid-1330s), dedication to Aten rapidly waned. Egyptian polytheism crept back into favour until Tutankhamun completely reversed Atenism from existence.
6. Jeungsanism/Jeung San Do (Korea)
The founder of Jeungsanism, Gang Il-sun, authorised himself as the long-awaited messiah foretold by the Korean Neo-movement, Donghak. Of course, one could be forgiven for thinking he was crazy. However, he managed to convince millions of people due to his uncanny ability to predict the future while altering the outcome of that future at will.
Gang Il-sun’s work was so complex that hardly anyone understands it, still to this day. However, what we do know is that it’s a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Korean folk traditions. But above this, it heavily relied on Taoism’s interplay of yin and yang, with everything at the mercy of the cyclic Dao. Apparently, Gang Il-sun also established the Creative Government, where he held meetings with the ancestors and gods of the land.
When Gang Il-sun died in 1909, there was no clear successor. Thus, the faith split into 100 different new Korean religious denominations; each still recognising Gang Il-sun as the incarnation of the Supreme Deity.
7. Mandaeism (Palestine)
Remember the Bible? Then you may recall a Judaean holy man named John the Baptist, who is often overlooked as a hero of the New Testament. Living by the Jordan River, John washed people clean from sin, earning a mass following as we went. His reputation was so widespread that even Jesus Christ came to John requesting a baptism. Critics of Christianity point out how contradictory this event was, because if Jesus was born free of sin, why did he require a baptism?
For these reasons, the Mandaeans believe John the Baptist was the greatest and final prophet. Their sacred doctrine, titled The Mandaean Book of John, is said to be authored by the Baptist himself. Mandaeists also revere Adam as their founder, while Seth, Noah, and Shem play prophetic roles. However, figures such as Abraham, Moses, or Jesus are merely plain old priests.
There are between 60,000 to 70,000 Mandaeans alive today, mostly preaching around Australia and Sweden.
8. Church of Euthanasia (Boston, USA)
On the one hand, it’s wonderful to learn about a religion taking climate change so seriously. But on the other hand, encouraging its community to murder themselves might be a slightly questionable solution.
Founded by Chris Korda and Robert Kimberk, the Church of Euthanasia warns that extreme population reduction is crucial to rebalance the ecosystem. Their joyful slogans include:
- Save the Planet, Kill Yourself.
- Six Billion Humans Can’t Be Wrong.
- Eat a Queer Fetus for Jesus
While its advocacy for suicide is optional, it is strictly against procreation. If a member of the church births a child, they are immediately expelled. Instead, the organisation supports sodomy, abortion, and even eating human flesh as long as the person is already dead. Yikes. Their website previously included meticulous instructions to execute the above, but after legal threats, they were forced to remove the texts. Don’t try this at home, kids!
9. Pythagoreanism (Ancient Greek)
Pythagoras was a revolutionary mathematician we learned about in school. However, fewer people know he was a powerful cult leader too.
Pythagoras taught that numbers revealed the thoughts of God through mathematical ratios, sacred geometry and musical arithmetic. His principles were so advanced that they inspired Plato’s thinking, which in turn altered Western philosophy as we know it.
Beyond this, Pythagoras also implemented rigid dietary restrictions. For one example, he believed that eating animals diminished the human soul. Furthermore, one should never consume fava beans because they make you fart, which extracts the “breath of life“.
10. Dudeism (Thailand/USA)
Many films have inspired religious movements, such as Jediism from Star Wars or Matrixism from The Matrix. But none have as much practical, real-life application as Dudeism.
The philosophy was devised from the 1998 film The Big Lebowski. Followers are encouraged to abide by the way The Dude (played by Jeff Bridges) where one must “go with the flow”, “be cool”, and “take it easy”. Fulfilment can be uncovered in everyday activities, such as chilling with friends, bathing, and, perhaps most importantly, going bowling.
As many have noted, Dudeism is essentially a modern repackaging of Chinese Taoism. And, let’s be honest, the world could use more of that.
The religion’s popularity eventually reached Jeff Bridges himself, who authored a 2013 book called The Dude and the Zen Master, cowritten by Buddhist teacher Bernie Glassman.
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