What religion are people in the movie THE MATRIX?

Answer 1

BUDDHIST MYTH IN CHRISTIAN CLOTHING
The sequel to The Matrix is being keenly awaited by many of the film's fans - geeks, sci-fi addicts, as well as those who just love stylish violence. But also lining up outside cinemas will be those who see the film as a work about religion.
In a quiet moment in The Matrix, our hero Neo talks with one of his new crewmates, Cypher. Neo is still getting used to the news that all he ever knew was an illusion fed into his head by the computers who now enslave humanity, and that according to the leader Morpheus he is The One destined to deliver us.
"Did he tell you why you're here?" asks Cypher.
Neo nods.
"Jesus! What a mindjob! So you're here to save the world."
It turns out that Cypher is right on all three counts. Yes, Neo has to save humankind. Yes, it is a job for the mind over computer-simulated matter. And yes, he is Jesus.
Deeply symbolic
In most Hollywood movies it would be ridiculous to pick out hidden meanings in such throwaway lines. But The Matrix is not most Hollywood movies. Dazzled by the stupendous effects, the sci-fi story, the kung fu and the "guns, lots of guns", it is easy to miss the fact that The Matrix is also a spiritual film, saturated with religious symbolism.
Neo's mission, foretold by prophets, is to reveal the truth that will set humankind free. And if that's not messianic enough for you, he gives his life for others and then rises from the dead more powerful than ever. He even ends the movie ascending to heaven.
Then there are the little clues scattered across the film. The hull of their ship bears a plate reading "Mark III No. 11". For those who don't take a Bible to the cinema with them, Mark 3:11 reads, "Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, 'You are the Son of God!'"
Parallels
Another is right at the beginning. Neo, the ace computer hacker, hands a valuable disk over to a caller.
"Hallelujah!" is the response. "You're my saviour, man. My own personal Jesus Christ."
There is no end to the biblical parallels that have been found. There are names like Trinity and Zion. There is a baptism and a betrayal. After a while though, the parallels start to get rather debatable, and more to the point nerdish.
But where the jury is really out is on the spiritual message of the film. What does The Matrix "believe"?
Many see it as a Christian allegory, which is natural enough because it draws so much on the life of Jesus. Others question that though, because some pretty essential elements of Christianity are missing.
No God
For a start, there is no idea of sin, repentance, or forgiveness in The Matrix. Instead people just need to be liberated from illusion, which seems more Buddhist than Christian - although no allegory is perfect, so maybe we shouldn't read too much into that.
More seriously, there is no God in charge. Instead their lives are ruled by "fate". Again, this is more Buddhist than Christian, and so some scholars argue that the film is actually a Buddhist myth in Christian clothing.
Still others - and we're getting a tad obscure here for the moment - say the film is Gnostic. In the second century, many Gnostics embraced the story of Jesus, but changed the meaning. Instead of saving us from sin, he came to give us true "knowledge" which frees us from the material world.
And this issue of the material world is a crucial one. Both Buddhists and Gnostics hope to escape it into a good, peaceful, disembodied existence (or non-existence even), but when Neo escapes the Matrix he is not in Nirvana or heaven. He is in a scorched earth, far grimmer and more solid than the Matrix, and he is not supposed to escape this one, but to liberate it.
And this brings us back to Christianity again, which claims that the world is basically good, though spoiled, and should not be escaped but repaired.

Answer 2

I dont think they have a relgion in the matrix, but there are things that stand out and resemble christianity.

The fact that everyone sees Neo as "the one" and he sacrifices himself in battle to save the ones who are unplugged, is paralled to Jesus dying on the cross and saving everyone.

The architect and his world can be seen as the devil and hell, while the oracle can be seen as god. At the end of the last matrix film you see good triumphing over evil.

You also have the skeptics and the one true believer, morpheus. Not only that but the dance and feast in that last matrix film can also be paralled to the feast the people had after Moses led them to the promised land.

Answer 3

I'm not sure what the previous had to do with your question... But anyway, there are parallels with primarily Buddhism and more New Age thinking, than I necessarily think with Christianity. Breaking through the limits of the mind so that one may become unified with the creator is a big influence on both, as well as the "epiphanies" that occur one by one as Neo becomes more and more enlightened.

Answer 4

The people of the Matrix are Amricans, so we have to suupose that they are using the same religion as the Americans as %.
But, practically, they looks like atheists.

Answer 5

It has high Christian overtones, but there isn't really a religion mentioned. Neo, Trinity, Nebakaneezer.

Also it is a perfect match for Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey that mythology has been using for centuries.

Answer 6

Zen Buddism? Most New Age films adapt their ideas on Buddism like Star Wars...but I'm not really sure on matrix, it has been long time since I have watch it.

Answer 7

Keanuian

Answer 8

It's just a movie. It's just fiction...just like the 'DaVinci Code'.
Seperate the real from the unreal.....please Jim, can't u come up with a better question than that? :-) have a nice day!

Answer 9

Well to me its seems that to them religion was made up by the robots. So they don't have a religion.

Answer 10

Irreligious religion.