
[[quoteright:350:[[UsefulNotes/FlyingSpaghettiMonster http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/parody-religion_FSM_by_Nivao_5374.png]]]]

[[folder: Touched By His Noodly Appendage. ]]

ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin--a made-up religion (done intentionally to not make any sense for the viewer) which exists to parody some specific existing religion, a group of religions and religious beliefs, organized religion in general, or just any kind of religious belief. Usually serves as a front on TheWarOnStraw, unless it's a someone enacting a funny GodGuise, then it's just PlayedForLaughs.

Often takes the form of a CargoCult, a GodGuise, some bizarre CrystalDragonJesus cult, or a pastiche of a RealLife religion with SerialNumbersFiledOff.

See also PathOfInspiration, which is more or less exactly this with evil instead of funny, CorruptChurch, which is against organized religion, and ChurchOfHappyology, which is a subtrope that parodies a very specific religion.

Note that all examples must be intentional.

See also: {{Anvilicious}}, ReligionIsWrong. Contrast SaintlyChurch, ReligionIsRight.



* A huge amount of those from ''ComicBook/{{Transmetropolitan}}''. According to Spider, new cults pop there every hour, therefore, any religious belief does not make any sense.
* In ''[[Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse Boba Fett: Enemy Of the Empire]]'', Boba Fett tracks the eponymous enemy to a secluded hermitage on a volcanic planet, which is home to a stereotypical crazy sect called [[spoiler:the Ancient Order of Pessimists, who are eventually wiped out by Darth Vader's Star Destroyer immediately after the High Hermit commits heresy by embracing optimism]].
** "Well, this [[TemptingFate could have ended much worse]]..."

* The movie ''Film/{{Bowfinger}}'' features a cult called Mindhead, which parodies Scientology.

* ''The Last Guru'' by Creator/DanielPinkwater has the Silly Hat Order, with a side order of Blong Buddhism.
* Chutengodianism in ''Literature/{{Godless}}'' starts as a joke by a few teenagers, but takes on a life of its own (complete with its own heretics and fundamentalists.) In the end, [[spoiler:the narrator is the only one left who still follows it--he doesn't really believe in it, but he wishes he did.]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' "Crackpot Religions" sketch.
* A tie-in book to the ''Series/MrBean'' series stated that Mr Bean had at one point followed a religion based around the "God of Lemonade."
* ''Series/ABitOfFryAndLaurie'' featured a school headmaster who, upset with the religious intolerance between his pupils, had forced them to follow his a religion of his own invention, taken by combining many different religions, and entitled "Lip-whip-whip-whip-whip".

[[folder:Video Games]]
* Xavism in ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' is a rather overt parody of the Catholic Church with elements of ChurchOfHappyology; its leader is a delusional (but well-meaning) LoveFreak who believes in the power of [[DefeatMeansFriendship blowing the crap out of someone to convert them]], all its adherents get bizarre baptismal names, and the "commandments" are all BrokenAesop versions of Christian dogma.
* ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'': Comstock's religion is based of Christianity, but it revolves around American Exceptionalism with the Founding Fathers treated as saints, and Comstock making himself as the Prophet of Columbia.

* That rabbit cult from ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup''. [[spoiler:Subverted, because there is a good reason for worship.]]
* In ''Webcomic/KoanOfTheDay'', the character of the guru often [[http://www.koanoftheday.com/27/ parodies religion]].
* [[http://www.nickyitis.com/comic/listen-up/ This]] webcomic begins a Flightarianism arc, in which the cockatoo Winston explains some of the precepts underpinning his faith.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* [[LOLCats Ceiling Cat]].

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' has recurring Robotology, Robot Judaism and The First Amalgamated Church, as well as occasionally mentioned Oprahism, Church of Trek, et cetera.
* In ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', Dawkins mentions the Flying Spaghetti Monster while talking to Mrs. Garrison during a lunch in the episode Go God Go.

[[folder:Real Life]]
* This trope was in full effect over 300 years ago: Tsar Peter the Great and his friends formed [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_All-Joking,_All-Drunken_Synod_of_Fools_and_Jesters The All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod of Fools and Jesters]] that not only practiced heavy drinking and orgies, but wore church attire and used religious titles when doing so. The pious Russians were not amused - some even proclaimed the Tsar to be Antichrist.
* FlyingSpaghettiMonster.
* Invisible Pink Unicorn as well.
* Various Cthulhu cults.
* The Church of Google.
* [[Literature/PrincipiaDiscordia Discordianism]] has been described as a "religion masquerading as a joke" or a "joke masquerading as a religion." Both are [[MindScrew correct]].
--> Discordianism is exactly as real as any other religion.
* Church of the [=SubGenius=].
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_census_phenomenon The Jedi Census Phenomenon]].
* The Last Thursdayism claims that the Universe was actually created [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin last Thursday]], and any memories or evidence of events before that were created at the same time.
** The schism known as Next Thursdayism claims that the universe ''hasn't been created yet'', and what we think is happening now is just false memories we'll have [[MindScrew once it exists]]. Of course, some might argue that both sides are heretics: The Universe was created Last ''Tuesday''.
* [[http://www.tarvu.com/ Tarvuism]], created by the guys behind ''LookAroundYou'' and just as absurd.
%%* Etceterism
* The Church of the Latter-Day Dude, or [[Film/TheBigLebowski Dudeism]].
* And [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody_religion many, many, many more]].