Founding a New Religious Movement (NRM)

[Eddi]

First off: Happy New Year!

My Question:

How would one go about starting a New Religious Movement (NRM)?

I'm interested in finding out, but my interest is only academic, I assure you

I maintain a certain religious perspective in parallel to my actual professed belief, but this certain perspective is not manifested by any movement…

Basically: it is a religious world-view with no movement or organisation. It is merely a set of ideas which I hold due to their entertaining and intriguing nature

I’m not serious about doing so, but I’m curious by nature. I already subscribe to one of the world’s major religions and have zero plans of abandoning this for an NRM of my own making, although I have made posts in the NRM DIR on these forums about it...

Also I’m certainly not interested in founding any cult; I’m interested in founding a NRM - there is a big difference, namely cults are sinister and NRMs aren't

I have actually dreamt up some plans for it, but I will not share them here

I’d want to be a founder, not a leader, I wouldn’t want to found an organisation for me to control as a leader. That’s not what I’m about. I’m interested in truth, and spreading truth. I value truth over having power.

And I’m not interested in lording it over a group of followers, financially or sexually exploiting anyone, brain-washing people, controlling people, isolating people, ripping people off, or any of that cult stuff. People would be free to leave and it would all work democratically.

So: How might I go about founding a NRM?

Where would I begin and in what direction should I head?

And remember, I'm not asking about founding a cult...

And FYI, my interest in this is entirely academic!

 

[loverofhumanity]

Happy New Year and New Decade!

Would you be prepared to be crucified, tortured, beaten, imprisoned and exiled? All true religions must go through a stage of intense persecution but also they are founded by the will of God Who chooses a Prophet to represent Him not by men.

 

[McBell]

Never did understand why an all powerful being has to rely upon us mere mortal men and women to do everything for them...

 

[dianaiad]

First off: Happy New Year!

My Question:

How would one go about starting a New Religious Movement (NRM)?

I'm interested in finding out, but my interest is only academic, I assure you

I maintain a certain religious perspective in parallel to my actual professed belief, but this certain perspective is not manifested by any movement…

Basically: it is a religious world-view with no movement or organisation. It is merely a set of ideas which I hold due to their entertaining and intriguing nature

I’m not serious about doing so, but I’m curious by nature. I already subscribe to one of the world’s major religions and have zero plans of abandoning this for an NRM of my own making, although I have made posts in the NRM DIR on these forums about it...

Also I’m certainly not interested in founding any cult; I’m interested in founding a NRM - there is a big difference, namely cults are sinister and NRMs aren't...snip...

Oh, bushwah.

the only difference between a NRM (or traditional religious movement) and a 'cult' is whether you like/agree with it or not.

Basically, the definition of 'cult' according to the dictionary is 'a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object"

The SECOND definition many dictionaries use is: A relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister."

In other words, the definition of 'cult' in daily use is "your beliefs are funny and I don't like you."

I have heard Catholicism called a cult. Islam is called a cult. Every single Protestant group I know of has been called a 'cult' by someone. Hinduism is FULL of cults, according to those who disagree with it. Buddhism has been called 'cultish,' and so has every single belief system I know about. The word Is, in fact, a meaningless utterance that is meant, solely and only, as an insult.

Since this is true, the only way you will start a New Religious Movement is by, first, starting a cult....according to most people, and it will never be anything BUT a 'cult' according to some.

 

[columbus]

I’m interested in truth, and spreading truth. I value truth over having power.

We already have that.
The generic term is "science".
Tom

 

[Spirit of Light]

First off: Happy New Year!

My Question:

How would one go about starting a New Religious Movement (NRM)?

I'm interested in finding out, but my interest is only academic, I assure you

I maintain a certain religious perspective in parallel to my actual professed belief, but this certain perspective is not manifested by any movement…

Basically: it is a religious world-view with no movement or organisation. It is merely a set of ideas which I hold due to their entertaining and intriguing nature

I’m not serious about doing so, but I’m curious by nature. I already subscribe to one of the world’s major religions and have zero plans of abandoning this for an NRM of my own making, although I have made posts in the NRM DIR on these forums about it...

Also I’m certainly not interested in founding any cult; I’m interested in founding a NRM - there is a big difference, namely cults are sinister and NRMs aren't

I have actually dreamt up some plans for it, but I will not share them here

I’d want to be a founder, not a leader, I wouldn’t want to found an organisation for me to control as a leader. That’s not what I’m about. I’m interested in truth, and spreading truth. I value truth over having power.

And I’m not interested in lording it over a group of followers, financially or sexually exploiting anyone, brain-washing people, controlling people, isolating people, ripping people off, or any of that cult stuff. People would be free to leave and it would all work democratically.

So: How might I go about founding a NRM?

Where would I begin and in what direction should I head?

And remember, I'm not asking about founding a cult...

And FYI, my interest in this is entirely academic!

You would need a full spiritual teaching before it become a true religion or religious movement.
If you have no New teaching that is yours by cultivation. It is only a movement started by you, with no spiritual gain.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Never did understand why an all powerful being has to rely upon us mere mortal men and women to do everything for them...

Because we are human and can only be communicated to by humans. So God appoints One in human form to communicate with us.

Verily, were God the Exalted to appear in His (proper) grade and form, and in a manner befitting His Station, no one could ever approach Him or endure to be near Him. (Baha’u’llah)

 

[Darkforbid]

How would your religious be different?

 

[McBell]

Because we are human and can only be communicated to by humans. So God appoints One in human form to communicate with us.

Verily, were God the Exalted to appear in His (proper) grade and form, and in a manner befitting His Station, no one could ever approach Him or endure to be near Him. (Baha’u’llah)

Let me see if I got this right..
An all powerful being cannot communicate with humans so he chooses one human, whom he cannot communicate with, to tell the rest of the humans, whom he cannot communicate with, what he wants to communicate to humans?

 

[Eddi]

How would your religious be different?

I'm not going to go into it as I don't want to bring it into existence - I want to keep it in my imagination!

But it would feature a belief in The Demiurge

And a fresh way of relating to God

That's all I'm saying

 

[Sirona]

Spread "Love". People want to feel loved and accepted before caring about any religious details.

 

[Samantha Rinne]

First off: Happy New Year!

My Question:

How would one go about starting a New Religious Movement (NRM)?

I'm interested in finding out, but my interest is only academic, I assure you

I maintain a certain religious perspective in parallel to my actual professed belief, but this certain perspective is not manifested by any movement…

Basically: it is a religious world-view with no movement or organisation. It is merely a set of ideas which I hold due to their entertaining and intriguing nature

I’m not serious about doing so, but I’m curious by nature. I already subscribe to one of the world’s major religions and have zero plans of abandoning this for an NRM of my own making, although I have made posts in the NRM DIR on these forums about it...

Also I’m certainly not interested in founding any cult; I’m interested in founding a NRM - there is a big difference, namely cults are sinister and NRMs aren't

I have actually dreamt up some plans for it, but I will not share them here

I’d want to be a founder, not a leader, I wouldn’t want to found an organisation for me to control as a leader. That’s not what I’m about. I’m interested in truth, and spreading truth. I value truth over having power.

And I’m not interested in lording it over a group of followers, financially or sexually exploiting anyone, brain-washing people, controlling people, isolating people, ripping people off, or any of that cult stuff. People would be free to leave and it would all work democratically.

So: How might I go about founding a NRM?

Where would I begin and in what direction should I head?

And remember, I'm not asking about founding a cult...

And FYI, my interest in this is entirely academic!

I did this when I was 18. Here's a link (though strictly speaking my book is more a how-to guide for ppl wanting to figure our personal beliefs). Cool! It's on Amazon (not just Lulu)!

https://www.amazon.com/Mune-Shinri-...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1387345419

Unlike my novel which probably never make it there. Too many issues with weird paging.

Basically, if you want to be a founder but not a leader, do like I did and make a book.

 

[Samantha Rinne]

Oh, bushwah.

the only difference between a NRM (or traditional religious movement) and a 'cult' is whether you like/agree with it or not.

Basically, the definition of 'cult' according to the dictionary is 'a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object"

The SECOND definition many dictionaries use is: A relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister."

In other words, the definition of 'cult' in daily use is "your beliefs are funny and I don't like you."

I have heard Catholicism called a cult. Islam is called a cult. Every single Protestant group I know of has been called a 'cult' by someone. Hinduism is FULL of cults, according to those who disagree with it. Buddhism has been called 'cultish,' and so has every single belief system I know about. The word Is, in fact, a meaningless utterance that is meant, solely and only, as an insult.

Since this is true, the only way you will start a New Religious Movement is by, first, starting a cult....according to most people, and it will never be anything BUT a 'cult' according to some.

Actually, the definition of a cult is literally that they (1) usually have weird beliefs usually involving full activity of the religion in personal life, (2) try to entice (often with pretty people), force, or trick you into entering, and (3) try to prevent you from leaving eirher by messing with your head or actively threatening you.

 

[McBell]

Actually, the definition of a cult is literally that they (1) usually have weird beliefs usually involving full activity of the religion in personal life, (2) try to entice (often with pretty people), force, or trick you into entering, and (3) try to prevent you from leaving eirher by messing with your head or actively threatening you.

So, basically every religion...

 

[Samantha Rinne]

No, not basically every religion.

The key one is the third one.

I've been in a cult for about three days. It was scary as hell. I think the only reason they let me go was that I hadn't joined yet.

I had recently left home (which I'm told is 80% of any cult, they don't join because they agree with the religion, they join to belong with the ppl they see there, after being in broken homes or running away), and I was working at a farm hopefully for a stipend, but at least for room and board. I'm a spiritual person so I tend to go worship wherever, to try to find meaning. So I'm at this farm on the mountain side in Valley Center, CA where these guys that seem like some Dutch offshoot with their long beards and hair, building water pipes for irrigation, I'm sleeping in a yurt, eating odd square bread, I'm milking cows in the evening when I want to go to bed, and I'm eating an unbalanced diet of largely too many avocados (I think they had meat, but I can't remember). Things are already odd before they ask me about Yahshua, or have regular discussions about religion, or talk about how other Christians are false and joke about how the Mexican ppl are really saying "Hey Zeus" and the name of Jesus somehow makes this religion right or wrong. Things are already odd before the one girl there that I think is hot (who turns out married yet is being friendly in hopes I'll join) is talking about how her wedding had a "pre-enactment" showing how things would be, it being close to Easter they talk about "removing leaven from your life", they use the Bible out of context to talk especially about giving up all worldly possessions ( to mean giving to them, of course) and hating father and mother (to be loyal to the cult, of course), or watching one person burn their art because the elders didn't like and another kinda run in to the water suddenly to get baptised (my family does do emotional outbursts, so this is disturbing) and another claim to only be there because of their son being there but suddenly the elder talks to them and they convert in front of everyone. All of this is freaky enough, but if I had joined, I'd probably never be let outside the compound without being thoroughly brainwashed. I left these guys after they condemned my parents to "second death", after they tried to talk me out of leaving, and after the longest service ever (basically you don't get breakfast until we're sure you're gonna convert, but I snuck out when a child opened the doors). For contrast, I went to church that Sunday after sleeping in a campground and feeling psychologically abused, it was a really good service, and more importantly they let me leave right after.

Islam is a cult. This is not said to bash on them, it's simply a fact. If you are a Muslim woman, and you don't wear hijab, Muslim men will have something to say about your morals. If you try to leave, your family will disown you, and there might be worse coming. It is a cult, because importantly there is a sense of 24/7 religion and because leaving is difficult. Buddhism is not a cult, even though there are Buddhist monasteries and you could practice long pilgrimages, you could probably just let your hair grow out and decide you're not a Buddhist anymore and they'd let ya go. Also unlike Islam, the only ppl shaving their heads are usually the monks and nuns, but every Muslim woman wears hijab. Christianity is not a cult either, even though they have very proselytizing followers, you can be a Christmas-Easter worshiper and they typically welcome you just the same as a regular attendee. But they'd probably get called a cult to bash on them, because cult has become a bad word, even though it a specific definition.


---------------------------------

How to found a new religion:
1. Make sure it's not a cult.
2. Let followers join or leave.
3. Write a book detailing your beliefs, don't have secret beliefs or two sets (one scary and the other for new converts)
And you're done.

 

[Audie]

Because we are human and can only be communicated to by humans. So God appoints One in human form to communicate with us.

Verily, were God the Exalted to appear in His (proper) grade and form, and in a manner befitting His Station, no one could ever approach Him or endure to be near Him. (Baha’u’llah)

"God" is all powerful but he cannot make himself understood
by people ??

 

[dianaiad]

Actually, the definition of a cult is literally that they (1) usually have weird beliefs usually involving full activity of the religion in personal life, (2) try to entice (often with pretty people), force, or trick you into entering, and (3) try to prevent you from leaving eirher by messing with your head or actively threatening you.

Really?

And what official dictionary came up with that one?

Because, frankly, if it's all yours, it still boils down to 'your beliefs are funny and I don't like you." All the other add ons are things you want to add to the insult.

However, if we go with your specific definition, then there simply aren't that many cults around. How do you explain all the other groups that people call 'cult?'

 

[columbus]

(1) usually have weird beliefs

You mean, like a crucified Jew is a "Person" in a monotheistic God image? One of three, but they still claim monotheism?

Now, that's weird.

Cult like even.
Tom

 

[columbus]

How
old, populous, powerful and rich must an organization be to go from cult to religion?
Tom

 

[dianaiad]

How
old, populous, powerful and rich must an organization be to go from cult to religion?
Tom

According to those who don't agree with it, there is no such threshold for any religion to cross from 'cult' to 'religion.'

"your beliefs are funny (or weird) and I don't like you' doesn't address longevity, size or wealth.