What do you consider the oddest religion and why?

Question

This should be interesting...don't hold it in. I want to know what religion you think is just bizarre and I want legitimate, logical reasons as to why it's that odd.

Answer 1

Any religion that stunts the God-given freedoms and rights of its people. I watched a piece on CNN yesterday regarding "honor killings", where women can be stoned and kicked to death for even speaking to another male. Parts of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Turkey, and most likely other parts of the Middle East or Asia, practice this hideous rite. I saw a video of a 17-year old, who was "turned in" by her cousin for speaking to a male. She was kicked, stoned, stabbed all over her body, while men took cell phone videos and photos while it happened. Any religion, any faith that does that is not of God. Human rights commissions and groups should step in and stop the indiscriminate killings and mistreatment of women, or of those with different sexual preferences, or because they are thought to be demonic possessed, and speak up against it or against governments who sanction those practices. It is not of God. Women and other groups deserve better from mankind, as a whole.

Answer 2

HINDUISM-

Oldest of the world's major religions. It evolved from the Vedic religion of ancient India. The major branches of Hinduism are Vaishnavism and Shaivism, each of which includes many different sects. Though the various sects each rely on their own set of scriptures, they all revere the ancient Vedas, which were brought to India by Aryan invaders after 1200 BCE. The philosophical Vedic texts called the Upanishads explored the search for knowledge that would allow mankind to escape the cycle of reincarnation. Fundamental to Hinduism is the belief in a cosmic principle of ultimate reality called Brahman and its identity with the individual soul, or atman. All creatures go through a cycle of rebirth, or samsara, which can be broken only by spiritual self-realization, after which liberation, or moksha, is attained. The principle of karma determines a being's status within the cycle of rebirth. The greatest Hindu deities are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The numerous other Hindu gods are mostly viewed as incarnations or epiphanies of the main deities, though some are survivors of the pre-Aryan era. The major sources of classical mythology are the Mahabharata (which includes the Bhagavadgita, the most important religious text of Hinduism), the Ramayana, and the Puranas. The hierarchical social structure of the caste system is also important in Hinduism; it is supported by the principle of dharma. In the 20th century Hinduism blended with Indian nationalism to become a powerful political force in Indian politics. In the early 21st century there were more than 850 million Hindus worldwide.-

Answer 3

Scientology is the oddest religion as it is not a "religion" at all.

It has won that status in court but remains a money making business organization to is very foundation and creed.

Make Money.
Make More Money.
Arrange it so people make More Money.

In the founders own directives. L R Hubert

Answer 4

Catholocism. It's history and constitution of pagan practices mixed with legitimate christianity has set-up a religious contrast unlike any in history. From its inception to this very day, catholocism has grown alongside messianic christianity in a manner figurative of the pararble of the tares and wheat.
In the land of Israel, there is a certain kind of weed that grows among wheat that when pulled by the roots and held in the hand produces a tingling, numbing sensation.Workers who harvested the wheat in those days had to painstakingly seperate the wheat form the weed.
This is exactly messianic christianity's curse today. The weeds have grown in alongside the wheat, and much mentally induced, self-intoxication has been the result.
It's not surprising that the vatican has been preaching religious "inclusion and toleration" to peoples all over the world. That is why when christians are urged to "learn about other religions and be more tolerating", I encourage them not to. It is not a sin to keep ones self seperate from the religious weeds that the vatican, and even people here in yahooanswers, keep telling christians they should be more tolerant and accepting of. The bible commands them not to, and to keep themselves seperate from them.

Answer 5

A religion found in Philippines and now scattered in USA... They believe that Christ is made with flesh but they also admit that The Word in John 1:1 is Jesus. They were also known for politics influence where the main priest appoints the politician you should vote in the election. Poor can't also join them because they ask for money every Sunday, and if you don't give it will be counted as your balance.

Answer 6

Wow, thanks VadersWife, that was the funniest answer I've read in a while. The grammar, evidence, and the fact you called evolution a religion made it one of a kind.

As for odd religions, if Scientologists really believe some of that alien stuff then they easily win:

Xenu (sometimes Xemu) is introduced as an alien ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy" who, 75 million years ago, brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft resembling Douglas DC-8 airliners, stacked them around volcanoes and blew them up with hydrogen bombs. Their souls then clustered together and stuck to the bodies of the living. The alien souls continue to do this today, causing a variety of physical ill-effects in modern-day humans. Hubbard called these clustered spirits "Body Thetans," and the advanced levels place considerable emphasis on isolating them and neutralizing their ill effects.

Answer 7

There is no compulsion in religion. Surely, the right way has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in God, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And God is All-Hearing. All-Knowing.

Answer 8

If you're including cults, it has to be those Heavens Gate idiots in San Diego who committed mass suicide about 10 years ago so their souls could rendezvous with a spaceship hiding in the tail of the Hale-Bopp Comet.

I wonder if they made it...

Answer 9

woops thougth about oldest for a second.... oldest is hinduism..... oddest has to be i think some african or island religionsn with sacrifices and wierd rituals such as throughing youself from large trees such as ppl do on vanuatu

Answer 10

I saw a documentary that included some religious sect in southern USA that handled poisonous snakes in order to show their faith in God. That seemes pretty weird to me, especially as some died doing that. The others just said that showed they didn't have enough faith!!!