A Bicycle Religion?
 

Don't ask me what inspired me to do it but one day I did a web search for "bicycle religion" and I found this:

Matrixism - The path of the One

It's a religion based on the movie The Matrix (kind of like Jediism) that bicycling plays a big part in. Riding in Critical Mass is a sacred duty and Bicycle day is one of its Holy days. I guess the bicycle represents the proper man/machine/environment relationship or something.

I figured it was a joke because its just a geocities website but it turns out the website had gotten some decent publicity in the press and in academia. See this article for references:

http://religion.wikia.com/wiki/Matrixism

So what do you think? Is Matrixism a viable religion?

Any religion that you truly believe in and motivates you is valid. It's said that Reformed Druids was started as a protest when it became a requirement for students to attend religious services. Now there is a real following. Try reading the Principia Discordia (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/ ). It reads like a joke from the late '60s but there are some serious Discordians out there (fnord). Heck, look at Scientology.

I tried to keep out a great deal of controversy but I expect this will be moved to P & R sub soon.

Yes, it is just as valid... or invalid in my opinion.

What does that mean? What's P & R?

That soon this discussion will become about what is a religion, which religion is the correct religion, is there a god or not, etc.

P & R is the "Politics and Religion" forum.

Heh-heh... I was a unit clerk while in the Killbot Factory (army), and about 1/3 of the snuffies in my unit had "The Force" or "Jedi" as their religious preference on their dogtags.
All religions are recognized by the DoD except Rastafarianism, (because of the pot apparently.)

It's not a real religion until you've got a sacred book, and you've killed people for no other reason.
~

Do remember that the catholics have a patron saint of cycling.

I don't remember seeing any bicycle in the Matrix movies

Like I said before ...

Which is totally true if you ask me.

On topic because dogs chase bikes:

Q: Did you hear about the dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac?
A: He lay awake at night wondering if there really was a dog.

http://elevengear.com/images/cotb-J.jpg

Eleven Gear, Church of the Bicycle Jersey

"Maybe you should hold forth on Sunday mornings at the front of your flock. Before the meek inherit the earth let them grovel on your wheel a bit. Halleluiah!"

The clerical collar makes the shirt.

I want a "Bob Dobbs" jersey now.

That Republic of Anaerobia team jersey looks like my style.

Behold. A new bike shall be born. It has been written.

Funny story. There is a bike shop around here called "Bike Religion". They were not allowed to have that as a sign, so now they have "Bike Shop". :rolleyes:

Why weren't they allowed to have that as a sign? What municipality is the bike shop in?

Not allowed? Please tell me that it is a copyright/brand issue. Please let that be the case. I know of one case involving a bar called Velvet Elvis until they got a cease and desist order from Elvis Presley estate.

Otherwise it's a case of some dipwad with an overly inflated idea of right and wrong and too much time on their hands to enforce it.

Check out #1 of the "Ten Commandments"!!

Religion stops a thinking mind.

Sounds like the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster...

http://www.venganza.org/

Check out #1 of the "Twenty seven Amendments"

Sounds great, I love it. Biking to me is like yoga to others .. i begin to imagine an energy ball between my hips, with my leg sockets rotating around it... just the high coming from this is a religous experience in itself. Human energy channelled effectively can be like a laser ... sometimes I imagine that I can feel the missing 7 dimensions when I'm all jacked up on biking endorphins, but thats probably just my imagination

Matrixism, like the movie, doesn't even mention God (or Gods) so it would be hard to pin a violation of Commandment #1 of 10 on them.

And with their fourth tenet Matrixism is totally in line with the spirit of Amendment #1 of 27.