Consistently throughout history, humans have developed complex belief systems to aid in their survival and achieve greater wisdom. At the same time, humans have developed and used humor as a multifaceted tool to provide emotional relief, bring people together, and offer social commentary. In that fine tradition, post-modern and parody religions have much to say about specific beliefs and perhaps religion in general.
Landover Baptist Church
Imagine the most outrageous-sounding fundamentalist Christian rhetoric: LGBTQ people causing God to send hurricanes, fantasy literature serving as a gateway to Satanism, demons attaching themselves to secondhand goods. Now multiply that by about 1,000, and you’ve got Landover Baptist Church.
Founded by former Liberty University student Chris Harper, Landover Baptist Church was created to lampoon Liberty’s religious subculture. Pop Matters’ Iain Ellis explains that Harper was expelled in 1989 after satirizing the school and its founder, Reverend Jerry Falwell, on his campus radio broadcasts. While initially criticizing Liberty University, Landover Baptist Church has morphed into a parody of far right-wing fundamentalism, Biblical literalism, and the authoritarian subcultures and bigotry that often accompany them. Arguably well-crafted and provocative, Landover has attracted actual fundamentalist Christians who don’t realize they’re interacting with a parody of their belief system.
Church of the SubGenius
“Are you abnormal? Then you are probably better than most people!” declares a pamphlet from the Church of the SubGenius. These words give outside observers a peek at the mentality behind the group’s genesis. Writing about a recent indie film depicting the group, Variety Magazine’s Dennis Harvey explored its origins, revealing that it began in 1979 when two Captain Beefheart fans teamed up to produce parody pamphlets based on extremist religious tracts.
Eventually, the two men renamed themselves as Dr. Philo Drummond and Reverend Ivan Stang and created the Church of the SubGenius: a collection of absurdist doctrines, pop culture references, and rants inspired by conspiracy theories. Its supreme figurehead is J.R. “Bob” Dobbs, depicted as a pipe-smoking man with a distinctively 1950s sitcom dad look. The group gained a small fanbase, which grew during the 1980s and 1990s. It primarily distributed printed materials through postal mail, including its pamphlets and manifesto.
The Church of the SubGenius isn’t defunct, but its popularity shrank during the late 1990s. Meanwhile, modern scholars aren’t exactly sure how to classify the organization. Is it a post-modern religion, a satirical pseudo-religion, a parody religion, or a complex underground subculture? Nevertheless, it still maintains a website and offers both free materials and products for purchase.
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Catholic nuns are often credited with caring for others, fighting for the underprivileged, and elevating the voices of the unheard. For San Francisco’s Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the nun’s habit is a symbol of protest. The group’s website discloses that it first became active in 1979, drawing attention when founders Ken Bunch, Fred Brungard, and Baruch Golden wore full habits through the city’s streets.
SPI has expanded through the world, with members following steps to join the order and taking on new names. Ken Bunch eventually became Sister Vicious PHB and Fred Brungard chose Sister Missionary Position. The sisters take a decidedly camp approach to protest and activism, campaigning for greater action during the AIDS crisis. Today, SPI encompasses queer and transgender people and advocates for transgender inclusion and LGBTQ civil rights. “We use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency, and guilt that chain the human spirit,” their website proclaims.
The Value of Satire in Modern Society
“The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.” This quote by Mark Twain underscores the important role that humor plays in human societies. Satire allows the exposure and critique of everything from institutions and governments to individuals and ideas. Parody religions help fulfill that purpose, prompting us to examine and challenge our beliefs.