One of my favorites is democracy. I find the displays of loyalty they have where they self flagellate through outrage fascinating. It’s also interesting how they’ve built a whole mythos around ideals of equality and justice that the elected high priests never stop preaching about, but evidently do not follow themselves at all. I also find it insane how seriously their intellectuals take their purity wars and how viciously they denounce blasphemy for any kind of doubt they perceive over their hugely dogmatic beliefs.

Another interesting one is Empiricism, but since their apostoles seem to be unaware or unwilling to accept it being a belief system at all, rather considering it the unquestionable nature of reality itself and can get so defensive and upset when faced with other highly speculative and superstitious bliefs, I’ll just say I find its apotheotic aspirations for mankind inspiring.

Orthodox Economic theory’s intricate divination rituals and soothsaying clergypeople also wonder me, and their sacred sport of “business”, a game of complex trading systems and rule circumvention has a crazy rich pantheon of heroes, profets and deities.

Sikhism was already mentioned here. Also, Scientology. I find it quite fascinating and would love read the SciFi story behind it.

Also, all these smaller groups where something weird is behind it. Jonestown, Waco, and so on.

Zoroastrianism. I don’t know anything about it, but I should really pick up a book sometime. It’s one of the world’s oldest organized faiths, and was the state religion of ancient empires. Also, the Mazda car company is named for its god, Ahura Mazda, so that’s cool I guess.

The newest one. Politics. I find interesting how his followers believe that the world problems will be solved by politicians.

Buddhism in the sense of the actual forsaken nirvana and reincarnation aspects, but the dedication to enlightenment and what I perceive (as someone not in anyway well versed in the totality of it) as a willingness to guide and teach but not seeking to compelle others to abide by it are refreshing in the modern ‘my way or fuck you’ world.

I’ll also give a point to the church of the FSM. Not for any sense of it being realistic, but that such absurdity was originally used in a challenge to the teaching of ‘inteligent design’ by public schools in scientific classes and then people just kind of ran with it writing up a whole scripture and doctrine to go with it.

A meme comes to my mind. ‘If you need threat of eternal suffering to be a good person, then you are not a good person.’

The “you will be judged by how you treat the least among you” and “when you do good works, do it in secret” parts of Christianity are cool.

Zoroastrianism.

I read most religious texts when I was a young teen, cause I was a little nerd who loved to read and had nothing better to do.

The Vedas (Hinduism) were really intriguing. Some of their stories very much sound like a futuristic post-human society, with stuff like nuclear warfare.

Sikhism. I’ve picked it a lot in my playthroughts of Civ6 just because its icon there just looks so cool.

Taoism interests me as it’s so very non prescriptivist and the opposite of what most religions set out to do.

I don’t know enough to explain much about it, but again, that doesn’t seem to be the idea.

Anyway, that’s what interests me about it.

Not sure if this qualifies, but the Church of Scientology. Not cause I think it’s got some good points or that I vibe with any of their ideas, I just think everything about the structure to the Bridge to the mind of LRH is super fascinating

Lately it’s been Islam, because of the clean living aspect. Like they consider alcohol, cigarettes, pork, and anything bad for you a sin. And I do respect that about their religion, it’s a good value to have in your life.

I was raised Catholic, but I’ve been an atheist for—oh fuck I’m old—more than half my life. But… Monastic life seems pretty dope. Why can’t there be a secular order that’s just devoted to knowledge/contemplation for its own sake (or the betterment of humanity). I know it kind of sounds like I’m describing a university, but I mean with the personal discipline, strong communal bond, and simple lifestyle.