How to Invent Your Own Religion?

Karl Marx once remarked: "Religious is the opiate of the masses."

Indeed, before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, much of what was deemed "truth" was actually a mish-mash of religious doctrines being spouted as absolute morals and truths by the major religions in Europe, Asia and the rest of the Old World.

Things are much different now, of course. We now know for sure the Earth isn't flat, and that the planets and the Sun don't exactly revolve around the Earth, thanks to the wealth of scientific knowledge that is available to us through education and mass media.

Given the amount of scientific data today, is it possible, then, for someone with the enigma, posse, and charisma to form a whole new religion?

From the fatalistic fantasies of Jim Jones and David Koresh, to the love-inspired cults of Sai Baba, the idea that religious movements can be formed in this day and age isn't really unfathomable.

So just how does one exactly create and sustain a religion/cult?

1. WRITE A HOLY BOOK

The world's major religions need them. From the ancient Jewish torah to the Muslim Quran, the writing of holy books is of utmost importance to any religion. Failure to do so will result in a slow death of your newly-fledged religion.

A holy book will chart the destiny of your new cult. Your followers will refer to your holy book for their moments of inspiration, as well as their daily indoctrination.

When writing a holy book, here are some pointers you may want to take note of:

i. Write in a bizarre, obscure manner: When writing a holy book, you should write it in a ambiguous, vague manner. Now you may ask, why would anyone want to read something when they can't really comprehend it?

By writing vaguely, you incite interest amongst your members, since they will spend precious hours of their time decoding your "words of wisdom". In the course of time, you will be able to release your interpretations at your own pace and time, all the while toying with the emotions of your followers.

The "you are taking the verses out of context" excuse can be also deployed when detractors question the holy book.