Top 5 eccentric religions in the world.

1. The Prince Philip movement

The Yaohnanen tribe on the southern island of Tanna in Vanuatu worship Prince Philip as a god, believing him to be the son of an ancient spirit who inhabits a nearby mountain. How exactly they came to believe in the prince’s divinity is unclear, but it appears that at some point in the 1950s they merged a Christian belief in a returning messiah with the respect accorded to His Royal Highness by the British authorities in what was then the colony of New Hebrides.

Wow, so in their culture Prince Phillip is a god!. Maybe the british visited the island at some point, and left such a big impression, that this is the result of that.

2. The Jon Frum movement

Also on the island of Tanna is another cult which holds America in god-like esteem. The Jon Frum movement, which has been active since the 1930s believes an American man named Jon Frum will bring wealth to those who follow him. He is sometimes portrayed as black, sometimes as white. David Attenborough reported of an encounter: “’E look like you. ‘E got white face. ‘E tall man. ‘E live ‘long South America

I am sure the Americans, would love this one, since they hold America in a god like esteem! lol

George Lucas, the creator of the Star Wars movies, may not have anticipated that his films would create a new religion, whose adherents fervently believe in the existence of “The Force”. According to the Star Wars mythology, the Force is the energy that holds the universe together and flows through every material thing. “Real World Jedis”, as they call themselves, believe they can manipulate the Force. In 2009, Daniel Jones, founder of the Jedi church in Holyhead was banned from a Tesco supermarket in Bangor for refusing to remove his hood for religious reasons.

Another one based on pure science fiction and fantasy, much like scientology really.

4. Raelism

Founded by a French racecar driver named Claude Vorilhons, who renamed himself Rael, the Raelians believe that humans were created in an alien laboratory 25,000 years ago, that the aliens will be arriving in Jerusalem in 2025, and that Rael teaches peace and “sensual meditation”. Rael also founded Clonaid, a company that claims to have cloned a human child.

So a religion that is actually pro cloning? If true, i bet they cloned this child, to be the saviour of their religion, when the time is right, according to them.

5. The Church of All Worlds

The Church of All Worlds is a neo-pagan religion founded in 1962 by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and his wife Morning Glory Zell-Ravenheart. It was inspired by a fictional religion of the same name in Stranger in a Strange Land, a novel by Robert A. Heinlein. Recently, following in the tradition of being inspired by literature, Mr Zell-Ravenheart founded the Grey School of Wizardry, modeled on Hogwarts, the school in the Harry Potter novels.

LINK to full article.

Again, based on a fictional religion, created in a novel?

IMHO, i think most religions, not just these 5, in the world, might just be based on baseless facts, and old fables and tales. Stories that was told through the millenia, shaped, moulded and eventually came to be accepted as a way of life, or a religion.

I am sure, that as time goes on, and the hourglass fills up, that many more new religions, and cults will be formed, and followed by their brainwashed hordes.

vvv

my two favorites didnt make the list, so i must be a bit normal..lol
Discordianism and the flying spaghetti monster.
long live eris..five tons of flax..

Atheism is another religion that has surfaced in recent years, Man has decided they know everything about history and follow the premise that humans are made up of evolving DNA, This one is perhaps the most dangerous in todays time. Some of their prophets include sinister leaders such as Hitler and Stalin.

Somehow nature gave man intelligent life far above the comprehension of animals. Cant wait till animals learn to talk like us.


Great post it is entertaining to see how people flock to what they call unexplained.

why isn't Scientology on this list

The title of the article is interesting. The word "eccentric" literally means "off the center." Well, what's the "center" exactly relative to these five religions? From what point of view does one judge that these five practices are eccentric? I know the OP didn't make up that title so it's just a general question.

I expect athiests to come in here, say all religion is eccentric, then high five each other and talk about unicorns and spaghetti.

Id say religions that murder people by blowing themselves up, or beheading them because they wont convert is a lot more eccentric then anything on that list.........

Atheism is more of an absence of "religion". I'd imagine most of these were based on a center of the Major Religions of the world. Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Judaism. We must remember that Science can be equally recognized as a religion too. I think all religions are eccentric and I am not an Atheist by any means. I subscribe to a personal spirituality approach. I recognize that something is there that none of us can explain, and there must be something that set it all into motion. There is nothing to say that any one religion is correct. I don't need anyone else to tell me how to be spiritual on a weekly/daily basis. So long as I adhere to what I believe, and know that I'm doing the right thing for my fellow man.. I think I'll be happy with myself when I look into the mirror upon passing.

Those who created the major religions were very clever in placing certain mechanics in them that would create unrest. I dunno. I'm gonna stop before I get going..

reply to post by Shaiker

Atheism is another religion that has surfaced in recent years,

Atheism was born the moment someone decided to invent a God he didn't believe in so he could control other people. That's not a recent development at all.

I purchased one of Mr. Zell-Ravenheart's art pieces a while ago, a Cthulhu plaque. I did an internet search afterwards on the piece, not knowing who he was, I was pleasently surprised i contributed to an oddball new age cult.

Atheism isn't a religion, its the lack of belief in god.
Buddhism is a belief system that has no god, it is an atheistic religion.

reply to post by Segador


You dont have to have a GOD in order for it to be called a religion. Faith in something unproven makes it a religion

reply to post by DJW001


I said it surfaced in recent years. I didn't say it began in recent years. Atheism is a relatively new concept in itself but those in the past that behaved as if their was no consequence would qualify as atheist.

Originally posted by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep
I am sure the Americans, would love this one, since they hold America in a god like esteem! lol

Most Americans today actually want their leaders to step down, because they have done everything against our will. Wars, they way they handle the economy, all of it against our will and to our dissatisfaction. The American people would never have voted to give billions of dollars in bonuses to CEOs of banks. Criminals are running this country now. They are very different from the American people.