How Do I Register My Own Religion

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Have you ever felt dissatisfied with existing religions? Have y'all ever become fed up with the lack of tolerance within many existing religions? If yous are inspired to create modify, you can first your own religion. It may take a lot of try to organize your religion and get it officially recognized. If it is something y'all are moved to exercise, even so, it will be very rewarding to run across your work lead to a thriving membership.

one
Write a plan. Starting a religion will crave a pregnant amount of planning. You lot can commencement past writing downward your ideas about why yous want to invent a new religion. Understanding the basic reason for your religion'due south existence will be disquisitional if you desire it to be successful. You lot may want to offset a religion:
- Because you are dissatisfied with the ones that currently exist.
- Because you are securely inspired and/or have glimpsed secret knowledge that you would like to share.
- To perform weddings and other ceremonies in your own way.
- As a joke.
- To exist critical of other religions.
ii

Develop a cosmology. If your organized religion intends to explain broad questions about the origin of the universe, the nature of reality, and the future, you will desire to develop a cosmology, which explains all of these things. Your organized religion'southward cosmology might depict things similar a creation story and projections nigh the eventual end of things. Exist as artistic or inspired as your religion calls for.^[one]

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three
Select a proper noun for your religion. The name of your religion should reverberate its purpose and foundation, then do not cull it carelessly. Think virtually the cardinal beliefs or messages of your religion, and try to reflect these in the word or phrase that volition serve every bit its proper noun. Names for religions invented in the past include:
- Discordianism
- The Church of All Worlds
- The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
- Scientology
- Eckankar
four
Develop a list of your religion's core tenets. These might explain things similar how it views relationships between people (Should you be charitable toward others? Act on your own interests?). These principles might as well contain philosophical arguments, which tin explain how your religion views the world differently than others. For instance, your organized religion's principles might incorporate arguments proving the existence of its god(southward), if whatsoever.^[2]
- If y'all desire to, write a sacred text or holy volume that explains all these things.
v

Talk to people almost your religion. In one case your religion's core ideas are worked out, y'all tin outset inviting other people to join you. Many experts advise working slowly at start. You might talk to some of your own acquaintances, and then build from there by word of rima oris. When yous take a trusted and fairly stable group, you tin can piece of work with them to develop bylaws that explain how your religion will be organized and managed.
6

Find a meeting place. Followers of your religion might start out past meeting at your home (or someone else's). As it grows, yous might look for a place that is more public, such every bit a café, a park, or somewhere else that is user-friendly. Every bit your religion grows, you may look into a more permanent coming together place, such as a rented or purchased building.
seven
Read virtually historical examples. If you are looking for inspiration while planning your organized religion, you can look into the histories of other religions. Studying the world's major religions can give you ideas, but y'all can too read virtually more recent examples of invented religions, such as:^[iii]
- L. Ron Hubbard's Scientology.
- The Church of All Worlds, inspired past Robert Heinlein's science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land.
- Discordianism, and its foundational text Principia Discorda.

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1
Learn the benefits of official recognition. Churches that are recognized equally nonprofit according to Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 501(c)(3) are automatically considered tax-exempt. You exercise non take to apply for this protection if y'all encounter the code's guidelines. This tax exemption can provide financial and legal protection to your religion, allowing information technology to practice freely according to its principles.^[4]
- Though tax exemption is automated for recognized churches, you can still employ formally for information technology. This might be a good idea if you just want to be sure your religion qualifies for this protection, or if you think that officially applying will give it some legitimacy.
- If y'all desire to apply for tax-exempt status for your faith, use IRS Class 1023-EZ.^[5]
2
See the guidelines for legally establishing a church. The IRS uses the term "church" broadly, taking it to mean any recognized religious group. The chief guidelines for recognition stipulate that any revenue the church earns may not be used to financially benefit an individual or shareholders or to influence political decision-making (lobbying). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will consider whether or not a religious group officially qualifies as a church if it meets some combination of features, including:
- Information technology has a creed and worship practices
- It has a formal leadership
- It has a clear history
- Its membership is distinct from other religious groups
- There is a recognized course of written report to ordain leaders in the religion
- The organized religion has some form of foundational texts or literary tradition
- There are recognized or regular places to worship
- The organized religion has a regular congregation and services
3

Use for a certificate of germination. A certificate of formation (sometimes chosen articles of formation) is a document used in many locations to formally comprise a religion as a legally recognized entity. It describes what a nonprofit organisation will do, how it will be managed, etc. Check your local laws to see if it is necessary to file this document.
4
Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Even if you authorize for tax-exempt status, you will want to employ for an EIN number from the IRS. This number will be necessary if your religion ever has any employees.^{[half dozen]}
- Even if your religion is taxation-exempt, yous must withhold income revenue enhancement on its employees.
5

Keep records. The tax-exempt status allows religious organizations to accept special audit protection. Yet, information technology is very important to keep excellent records of all your finances. These may include salaries, expenditures, money collected from members of your religion, etc.^[7]

1

Hold frequent services or meetings. Studies have shown that the about successful religions take congregations that come across often. If your religion has services or worship procedures, consider holding them several times a week. You lot will be more likely to increase your religion's numbers if members and potential members take the flexibility to choose when to attend services.^[eight]
2

Increment your religion's visibility. It is more important than ever to get the give-and-take out virtually your religion if you lot want to increase its members. Brand certain that your religion has active representation on all social media, brand flyers to distribute in your customs, requite abroad T-shirts, etc.
3

Create a welcoming experience. People are more than probable to become regular members of your organized religion if yous offering them a welcoming place to visit. Whatever your religious services entail, consider having them in a comfortable environment that is easily accessible. For instance, people that are intimidated by or turned off of traditional religious services might be more likely to nourish an breezy, coffee-business firm-style service.
iv
Offer lots of programs. Worshiping and increasing understanding of your religion's core tenets might exist the most of import aspects of your services. Notwithstanding, offering additional programs can increase the sense of community among your religion's members, while still keeping people shut to the religion itself. Consider incorporating activities like:
- Music for services and amusement
- Game nights
- Potlucks
- Sports
- Reading groups
- Social gatherings (youth groups, retiree meetings, etc.)
- Community service (beautification projects, prison house outreach, nutrient drives, etc.)

Add New Question

Question

How do I invent good rituals and customs that serve my faith well?

Recollect what would "fit." For instance, the Pastafarians have Ramendan, where they swallow nothing but pasta for a menstruum of time. This is due to their god being made of spaghetti and meatballs.
Question

Tin can my organized religion praise cats?

Your religion can worship/praise annihilation at all. The ancient Egyptians worshiped cats!
Question

How tin can I spread my religion to others without offending their religion?

You should just share your religion with others and try to allow them know why you believe information technology to be the right choice. If the person is rational and reasonable, that will not offend them or their religion. The simply thing that'due south offensive is insulting someone else's religion or trying to force them to follow yours without letting them decide for themselves.
Question

How would I get about starting a religion in a small boondocks?

Make a spider web page or affiche for people to see, maybe find some friends and have them join or at least spread the give-and-take of your new religion.
Question

What is the deviation between starting a religion and starting a cult?

Cutegirlcorr

Community Reply

Technically speaking, religions and cults are the same thing. All major religions in one case started as a small, close-knit group - basically a cult.
Question

How practice I call up of a name for my organized religion?

Graci Chandler

Community Answer

You lot could await at existing names and get one based of of that, or find one based off of your religion itself or your name.
Question

What are some means to become funding for my religion outside of its members?

Yous could exercise fundraising like other non-profit organizations, or observe yourself a wealthy patron.
Question

Can my organized religion praise a specific real life person without them knowing, or even without their consent?

Unless they're dead, I would probably get their consent first simply to be on the prophylactic side. Likewise, you might wan to have a look at the purple cults of Rome for examples.
Question

How many people practice I demand then I don't have to pay tax for my place of worship?

You need at least iii people to be considered a religion. One person is a thought, two is a word, iii is a conventionalities.
Question

How old practice I have to exist to apply for legal status and start a religion?

I believe in the Usa it would exist xviii-years-sometime since that's the legal definition of an adult.

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Article Summary X

If yous believe you've discovered a truth about the universe or human life and want to share it with the globe, you can showtime your own organized religion by creating a list of key tenets that explain how your followers should care for others. Cull a proper noun that reflects the message or belief of your religion. Talk to friends and acquaintances near your religion and decide on a meeting place to concur services. Keep reading for help becoming a legal, official church building and how to increase membership for your new organized religion!

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