Religions have always been the backbone of our society ever since humanity first appeared. People need to believe in something, in a divine entity that represents their values, takes care of us, and is in charge of the order of our world.
But how many religions do you actually know to exist? Because you might be familiar with the most famous ones, such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism, but there are so many others. Lesser-known religions are practiced by people from all the corners of the world, and some of them are REALLY bizarre. Are you curious to find out more? Let’s see:
Nuwaubianism
The Nuwaubians came from the Black Muslim group in New York in the 70s, and it has undercome many changes ever since. At some point, the group had established headquarters in Putnam County, Georgia, in 1993, but they have eventually abandoned them.
The founder of this group is now doing prison time, after having been convicted on money laundering and…bear with me…child molestation charges. However, Nuwaubianism still exists. According to a Nuwaubian myth, white people were created on this planet as a race of killers that was supposed to serve black people as a slave army, but the plan went wrong.
The followers of this cult believe that women were here for many generations before men were invented and that women used genetic manipulation.
Prince Philip Movement (PPM)
The prince-regent and the spouse of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was once seen as a king among some people of the Yaohnanen region of the Tanna state of Vanuatu. There are some local legends that believe that the son of an earth spirit has traveled far away across the sea just to marry a very powerful woman, and the man would one day return to the island.
Funnily enough, the reaction that the local officials had when Queen Elizabeth was visiting the area was good enough to make people believe that the prophecy is completed. Everyone supposed that this woman’s husband has to be the spirit’s son from these legends. PPM followers are celebrating the Prince’s birthday on 10 June every year, as a full-blown religious movement.
Raelism
Claude Vorilhons is a French race-car driver who started Raelism and derived it from the honorific name that was given to Vorilhons. Who gave this name to him? Well, the aliens that abducted him before to reveal the true origins of mankind, duh! Rael, as he now calls himself, was taken to a distant planet known as Elohim by these aliens, where he had the honor of meeting some great philosophers and religious thinkers throughout history, such as Jesus, Confucius, Buddha, and even Joseph Smith (the one who invented Mormonism).
He also explained that life on earth began when humans were created from alien DNA millions of years ago and that humans should expect the arrival of these aliens in Jerusalem in 2025.
Aghori
The Aghori or Aghouri is known to be a Hindu cult that has split off from the Kapalika order in the 14th Century AD. This cult is condemned by many Hindus because they have cannibalistic rituals. The followers of this cult are wearing a kapala, which is known as a cup made from a skull.
These weird people will eat anything, from rotten food to animal feces. They also perform horror and crude rituals to achieve their highest citadel of enlightenment. At the end of these rituals, they eat the decaying flesh of a human.
This cult has roots that date all the way back to ancient times. There’s an Aghori ascetic that went by the name of Kinaram and is responsible for the present-day rituals and beliefs of the cult. Its followers believe that he is a reincarnation of Lord Shiva.
Panawave
This cult is based in Japan, and it’s overall just an exceedingly weird group that’s overly scared by the presence of electromagnetic waves on our planet. According to their beliefs, these waves are to blame for climate change, environmental destruction, and illnesses.
All of this started in 1994, and there have been multiple acts that were supposed to be publicly attractive, like the 2003 abduction attempt of an Arctic seal that appeared in a Tokyo river. The group explained that electromagnetic waves’ fault for the appearance of this seal, and that returning it to the Arctic would avert an Apocalypse.
Universe People
The same as Raelism, this is another religion that believes in aliens. It all started with a Czech group that believed in extraterrestrial communications. Its founder is called Ivo Benda. According to him, aliens have many ships that are currently orbiting the Earth, led by a “king” or leader called Ashtar who watches the people of the Earth, and who’s ready to transport the good and loyal followers to another dimension. This group is especially appreciated by space tourism enthusiasts.
The Church of All Worlds
This is the largest neo-pagan religion in the world, and it was invented in 1962 by Oberon Zell-Ravenheart and his wife, Morning Glory (I’m not even kidding). He took his name from Robert Heinlein’s “Strange in a Strange Land”, and his followers were worshiping the Earth itself in the form of Gaea, but also some other gods took straight out of other religious pantheons, such as Ancient Greece.
Oberon was the head of the Church, and it went by the title of “Primate”, while its followers are known as “Waterkin”. The members of this cult are experiencing Divinity and honor their experiences, but they also respect the views of others.
Jediism
Star Wars had many fans, but do you know what else it had? A religion! Most people already know the basic tenets of the Jedi from what they’ve seen in the movies – the light side and the dark side, intangible forces that keep the universe together, and so on.
But as you probably guessed, some people took it next level. They follow these beliefs in their actual life. Jediism isn’t exactly a central organization, even if there’s a Texas-based “Temple of the Jedi Order” that issued a specific code for believers known as “The 16 Teachings of The Jedi”.
It’s probably extremely weird, given the fact that it links fictional values from a movie series but also the beliefs of Asian religions such as Buddhism and Taoism.
Creativity Movement
The Creativity Movement is basically a white separatist organization that advocates for…you probably guessed…Creativity! But in this cult, the term “creator” doesn’t refer to a deity, but to its followers themselves.
Its followers are all atheists, as there isn’t mentioned anywhere anything about deities and churches. Ben Klassen invented the cult in 1973. After his death, the cult almost died out as a religion, up until the New Church of the Creator was established 3 years later by Matthew F. Hale as its high priest, called Pontifex Maximus.
He was later incarcerated in 2003 because he plotted with the movement’s head of security, Anthony Evola, which was also an FBI informant, to murder a federal judge.
The Bullet Baba’s Motorbike
So this one’s so funny that I had a hard time writing about it! It’s not really a religion, but it’s the only spiritual movement in the world where a vehicle is the subject of idolatry. Villagers from Chotila in Rajasthan have erected a shrine for the motorcycle and the dead owner Om Banna, on National Highway-65. “Bullet Baba” is seen as a guarding angel for travelers, an angel that takes care of them and ensures them a safe journey.
The question is…what can you offer to a mechanical deity as a prayer offering? Maybe petrol? What about alcohol? Because that’s what the followers of this cult are sprinkling over Bullet Baba, which is the foremost reason for road accidents.
Aetherius Society
This cult is based on a combination between Christian dogma and Hindu, Buddhist, and Jewish beliefs, mixed with a big dose of ufology, which is the study of UFOs and extraterrestrial life, in case you wanted to Google it.
There are over 650 members in the Aetherius Society who are striving to prevent the possible annihilation of our planet. They say that many disasters have already been prevented, thanks to their prayers and “Spiritual Energy Batteries”, which are full of healing energy made by psychic abilities.
However, they’re still waiting on their “Next Master”, who might be just as well a sort of Mega Jesus who descends from the heavens in a flying saucer and has many great magical powers.
Scientology
Scientology is an extremely controversial religion that has many famous adherents, like John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and Jenna Elfman. It was started by L.R. Hubbard in 1954, and it is a religion that is studying people’s true spiritual nature and their private relationship with themselves, their families, groups, all life forms, the material and the spiritual universe, and the Supreme Being.
According to this religion, Man is an immortal spiritual being who possesses an experience that is defiant of anything that’s related to space and time. Hubbard, its founder, claimed that he managed to heal himself from war injuries, and that’s what this religion is now based upon.
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
This cult is also known as Pastafarianism, and it’s basically a mock religion that’s based on an open letter by Bobby Henderson to the Kansas School Board. He was highly recommended that the theory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster should be immediately taught in school, along with other theories of Evolution.
What’s even funnier is that Pastafarianism is legally accepted and recognized as a religion in the Netherlands and New Zeeland.
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