Cultpunk

“Science Fiction as Scripture: Robert A. Heinlein’s ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ and the Church of All Worlds”

Click here to read Carole Cusack’s history and analysis of the Church of All Worlds, an early neoPagan religion that drew significant inspiration from Robert A. Heinlein’s science fiction classic Stranger in a Strange Land: The process of secularization, which was assumed to be the dominant model of religion in Western culture, was supposed to … Read more“Science Fiction as Scripture: Robert A. Heinlein’s ‘Stranger in a Strange Land’ and the Church of All Worlds”

VICE News reports on the Phoenix Goddess Temple

See this entry by the World Religions and Spirituality Project for more on the Phoenix Goddess Temple: At the end of the day, the case against the Temple turned on several issues: whether Elise was a “spiritual leader” or a “brothel madam,” whether the Temple “goddesses” were “priestesses” or “prostitutes,” whether “orgasm” was part of  … Read moreVICE News reports on the Phoenix Goddess Temple

“Avatar & Nature Spirituality” (2013)

Edited by Bron Taylor, the anthology Avatar and Nature Spirituality (2013) offers critical, personal, and spiritual reflections on James Cameron’s blockbuster science fiction epic via essays on the following subjects, among others: “Becoming the ‘Noble Savage’” (nature religion and the ‘other’ in Avatar) “The Na’vi as Spiritual Hunters” (a semiotic exploration) “Calling the Na’vi” (evolutionary … Read more“Avatar & Nature Spirituality” (2013)

Elevationism and the International Church of Cannabis

Denver, Colorado’s International Church of Cannabis promotes the new religion of Elevationism, on the premise that: (…) an individual’s spiritual journey, and search for meaning, is one of self-discovery that can be accelerated and deepened with ritual and mindful cannabis use. We use the sacred flower to reveal the best version of self, discover a … Read moreElevationism and the International Church of Cannabis

HuffPo’s “Create Your Own Religion Competition” (2011 and 2013)

The 2011 contest attracted over 900 entries via the Huffington Post’s comments section, of which over 100 were chosen to be featured; the 2013 iteration attracted a grand total of 3. You’ve got the long hair, the nice bushy beard, and lots of beliefs, but you don’t have the 2.2 billion adherents worldwide. Or perhaps … Read moreHuffPo’s “Create Your Own Religion Competition” (2011 and 2013)

The Church of Euthanasia: “Save the planet, kill yourself”

Founded by the Reverend Chris Korda and Pastor Kim in 1992, the Church of Euthanasia is a Dadaist quasireligion promoting environmentalism via human extinction: Prayer for a Good Death by Rev. Chris Korda Great Spirit, I am unworthy;My species has disgraced itself.Of all the species that live, or have ever lived,Mine is the lowliest.Lower than … Read moreThe Church of Euthanasia: “Save the planet, kill yourself”

Yoism: a shared vision of rational, human possibility

Founded during the mid-’90s, Yoism is described as: (…) a community of individuals united by a shared vision of human possibility. Together, we can create Heaven on Earth. Uniting Atheist, Skeptic, Agnostic, Buddhist, Pagan, Realist, Enlightenment, Humanist, Unitarian, Deist, Psychedelic, Transcendentalist, and Pantheist systems of belief to create the World’s First Open Source, Rational Religion, … Read moreYoism: a shared vision of rational, human possibility