2026 Will be the Year of Do-It-Yourself Religion


Here is my tongue-in-cheek prediction for 2026: A best-selling book on starting a new religion will be published. An op ed in the Wall Street Journal told of the author's need to find a Catholic Church every time he moved to a new city. He wrote of the pleasure he found in the services and friendships he made in parishes. Do-it-yourself religion, he wrote, leaves a hole in the soul that requires going to a church. 

We know the Bible preaches that very idea. To properly conduct the Christian business there must be at least two people and more is even better. To not go to church is to be among the "unchurched" and this group needs help. There is an opportunity for new faiths.  

On my bookshelf is one called Church of the Giant Spaghetti Monster. As some readers may recall this book was based on a submission to a state legislative committee which wanted to require Bible training in all that state's schools. The writer created a god called the Giant Spaghetti Monster who was invisible and could do all kinds of miracles. The Monster God explained he would prefer to be visible but, for marketing purposes, he remained invisible. He had found through research that people were more likely to believe him real if he was invisible than if people could actually see him. The writer wanted the Giant Spaghetti Monster to be included in the religious training of children.

Of course, more serious efforts to start new religions happens all the time. Joeseph Smith followed the steps outlined in the Bible and had an unseen and unverified visit the God or Jesus, can't remember which, just like Jesus. Then he received some tablets like moses but, like the Ten Commandment tablets that were broken, we have not seen the ones Smith had. A few years ago, the Church of Satan was started and is having some success in "worshipping" a satirical Satan.

Home Depot has a nice advertisement for do-it-yourself home repair customers. It's "You Can Do It, We Can Help." I see an opportunity for someone to write a book and sponsor a website for those who want to start a new religion. Maybe "You Can Be a God, We Can Help" would work.


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