How do you go about getting a new religion recognized?

Answer 1

Answer: If you can con enough deadbeats to believe in your new "religion", it will be recognised by them, but that would technically be a cult. If you are serious about it, just lead by example and if it has a good point, people will follow you. Make sure you are not re-inventing the wheel. Answer: Most jurisdictions have established protocols for establishing a new religion. Generaly it requires completion of certain paper work , a summary of beliefs (usually requires some form of deity) and payment of a fee. There are annual recertification procedures. If the religion desires to be recognized as a non-profit organizations there are tax forms to be completed

Answer 2

This will sound like hair splitting, but by the First Amendment, there is no such thing as a "Federally recognized religion".

When you hear some group like the Wiccans or the Scientologists speak of federal recognition, what they mean is that the IRS has accepted their non-profit status as a church for purposes of tax exemption.

They are not actually endorsing how sincere or insincere, legitimate or illegitimate the church is, they are only acknowledging that all paperwork requirements to gain standing under 501(c)3 have been met.

Answer 3

That depends on the country you live in, how powerful you are and how much money you have.

The US government doesn't "recognize" religions in any official manner other than, perhaps -- and I stress "perhaps" -- by the IRS granting religious groups and their legal entities tax-exempt status, pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Granting tax-exempt status, though, does not amount to official government recognition, as that phrase is most commonly understood; and, in fact, the US government officially "recognizing" any religion would, itself, be a violation of the First Amedment to the US Constitution's "separations" (of church and state) clause.

One cannot, then, create a "government recognized religion"... at least not in the United States.

There is a form a "government recognition" of religions in the military... when it comes to a person becoming a military chaplain. The US Military has official lists of recognized religions and denominations. No person may become a military chaplain unless s/he has the approval of his/her denomination; and said denomination is on the military's list of recognized religions and denominations. And any national church's or denomination's getting on that list is a big deal... takes some serious work on the part of the denomination. So I suppose that that amounts to the government "recognizing" religions, but I've always felt that if someone with enough time, energy and money challenged it in Court as a First Amendment violation, and was willing to take it all the way to the US Supreme Court, then said someone might actually win. The secular humanists (atheists) are (or at least were) in just such a battle with the military. They want to be recognized on that list so that there can be secular humanist chaplains... which, to me, seems an oxymoron, but, hey... that's just me.