When is it legitimate to start your own religion?

You can hold to your own beliefs or find new ones without having to start a religion or having anything to do with one that already exists.

Judging by all the religions that exist or have existed, it’s always legitimate to start your own religion. It’s just not ethical.

What do you believe? Anything? And what is the basis of your belief? And what does it teach you about your existence?

Figure that out, and if it makes you a better more emotionally attractive person, you may get a follower. If your belief system gives people a way to move forward in their lives, you might start a movement.

It’s always legitimate to find, define and express your own spirituality. Religion is more a social institution anyway. I know many spiritual people who advocate finding one’s own and then choosing the methaphors that really fit your experiences and perspectives. I’d say that is also compatible with the actual core of most religions, in their essence…

When is it legitimate to start your own religion?

Never, especially nowadays.

Believe in whatever you want, no need to start a religion.

Legitimacy is a meaningless word in this context. Seems to me it’s a question of motives. If yours is to be another organized religion, I suppose the time is ripe when you can convince or dupe enough suckers to see things your way.
Numbers matter. You will require enough congregants to support you in a style befitting your status as the “true and legitimate” guide to salvation

Maybe you would like Karen Armstrong’s beliefs, although I share Richard Dawkins’ view that they are equivalent to atheism in everything but name.

We sure could use a new religion or life philosophy centered on compassion and on helping those most in need, and which emphasizes our place in nature and obligation to preserve it. The belief system would say that we are indeed part of something larger, but not some abstract god but as part of the world we inhabit. Does your religion address any of these things?

Yoo don’t ‘start’ a religion. It grows organically.

Religions get started because there is a community of people with similar beliefs. They get together and codify or share a belief system, and assign certain values and actions to be common to that religion. But it evolves.

It’s not like you would wake up at 2:00am and say “gee, let’s start a religion today”.

It would be egocentric to “start a religion.” I try to share my evolving philosophy of spiritualism, and look forward to hearing from those who share my notions as well as those who dispute it. I have given thought to publishing a collection of my responses to questions asked on Fluther and other Q&A sites (clearly, I have not transcended my ego and likely never will). Some who follow my published ideas might wish to start a “religion” but I would discourage it. Religions are likely to form dogmas and a hierarchy of enforcers of orthodoxy. This is contrary to my belief that no one has the capacity to grasp the totality of cosmic wisdom and that such understanding, if possible, can only be achieved by a dynamic sharing of individual perspectives.

When you want a Clergy parking pass in NYC.

@“Yoo don’t ‘start’ a religion. It grows organically.”

Tell that to Joseph Smith and L. Ron Hubbard.

Whenever you have access to millions of babies so you can teach them that they owe their existence and everything around them to a great space beaver.

You may start your own religion when you find an idea that is profitable. Something with a “hook” that makes people not only want to believe, but to invest. Religion is a business like any other.
Check out Scientology. It’s a great, coldly calculated, business model. Honestly, I could make up better ideas, but I don’t have the drive it takes to hoodwink the initial followers.

When you don’‘t need to ask a bunch of strangers.