When we say or merely hear the word ‘religion’, we tend to think about the world’s largest ones: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, that sort of thing. But were you aware that there are more than 4000 different religions across the globe? There are various sorts, ranging from smaller cults to some bigger and more organized religious communities that we haven’t even heard of. We are mostly used to religions worshipping a god, an omnipresent and omnipotent being, but the object of worship in some of these religions can range from extraterrestrial beings with superpowers, to a character from a popular movie franchise.
Asatru
The fame that recent superhero movies have accumulated makes this religion more relevant than, let us say, ten or twenty years ago; however, the roots of this religion are thousands of years old, although it was officially reinstated somewhere in the seventies. Asatru is a polytheistic religion that worships ancient Norse gods. This religion worships most of the characters from the latest Thor movie: Thor, Odin, Loki, Heimdall, and numerous others. They also have various holidays during the year, which are closely related to the change of seasons; some of them last for up to two weeks and mostly consist of preparing traditional food and decorations and singing songs dedicated to some of the deities.
Aghori
This religion comes straight from India, as it is a branch of the worshippers of the god Shiva, These worshippers are a secluded group that mostly dwells in some rural parts of India. This might be partly because of their beliefs and ceremonies that strongly contradict orthodox Hinduism; they spend time in burial grounds and meddle with human remains. They are known for spreading human ashes on their bodies after cremation, as well as for making drinking cups out of human skulls; their priests smoke cannabis in some of their rituals, as well. Devotees who belong to this religious group are also said to have mystical healing powers, due to their pure way of life and elevated spirit.
Universe People
The final religion that we are going to mention is one of a newer date, originating in the Czech Republic in the nineties. This religion is the best known UFO-worshipping religion in the country and has a worldwide reputation. Namely, the founder of this religion, a man named Ivo Benda, claims that our planet is orbited by spaceships piloted by extraterrestrial beings of superior intellect and physique, who closely monitor the progress and development of the people on Earth, and occasionally help the ones they considered good.
This religious group is also known for its attitude that modern technology, including money, is bad, and that we should stop using it altogether.
Usually, the concept of religion in the West is quite simple and straightforward, so sometimes we can err by thinking that all religions are similar. However, that is simply untrue, as we have had the opportunity to see in this text, which was supposed to provide the tiniest insight into what goes on in the minds of people all around the world.
