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What do football, iPhone and Harry Potter have in common? At first glance, nothing, but if you think about it - each has a colossal army of loyal fans who devote a lot of time to their favorite thing, know everything or almost everything about even the smallest details, and, most importantly, are ready to die on this hill for their beliefs.

In other words, the same characteristics that religion had for the vast majority of mankind just a couple of hundred years ago. Remember the Crusades, religious wars and other "charms" of the Middle Ages? Yes, now religious fanaticism has significantly decreased, but worship of new idols has definitely taken its place.

This was also noticed by the topic starter of one of the threads in the AskReddit community, who just a few days ago asked the question: "What is not a religion, but people treat it with the same attention?" And so, as of today, the thread already has over 34.8K upvotes and around 27.7K different and sometimes extremely pathetic comments.

Bored Panda made a list for you that includes the most interesting and popular elements of the original thread. Sports and brands, music legends and internet traditions - all that make people worship them so devotedly. So feel free to scroll to the very end (literally everything is interesting there!), mark what you definitely agree with and, of course, don't forget to write your point of view straight in the comments!

More info: Reddit

#1

“What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) elon musk. he’s annoying, he’s not saving the world so please shut up about what a selfless person he is. he exploits his workers. stop being annoying fanboys. don’t worship billionaires

p0rkch0ps , JD Lasica Report

Nikki Sevven
Community Member
3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No one becomes a billionaire by being nice to others.

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    #2

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) The way Americans talk about their constitution is very reminiscent of religion. They worship it, but they haven't read it in a long time. Maybe never. They insist that you should respect it, even if you're not a member of the cult. They tend to assume that a justification for every opinion they have is in there somewhere. They treat the men who wrote it as if they're prophets. They can become sullen, withdrawn, or even hostile when you say it's wrong and requires serious alteration.

    Bizarre_Protuberance , fdecomite Report

    Luke Branwen
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There's even a term for that: American civil religion

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    #3

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) "Influencers"

    Electrical_Fruit_851 , Jean-Jacques Abalain Report

    #5

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Antivaxism

    Few-Author-4971 , Presidencia de la República Mexicana Report

    Tammilee Truitt
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Problem in States is when ANYTHING is made mandatory people flip out and think somehow their freedoms are being threatened.

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    #6

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Apple fandom.

    I_am_Tim_Cook , Kanesue Report

    Elea Bell
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There is nothing wrong with owning an apple product. There is a lot wrong with obsessively buying whatever new things apple comes out with. Also, Android and Apple users s******g on each other every time the topic of technology comes up is also an issue

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    #7

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Mommy groups. Started getting completely out of hand when my kids were teenagers. I'm a crunchy mom, I'm this kind of mom, or that kind of mom. Those people get rabid. How DARE YOU listen to advice given to you from a doctor about your individual child, MY group thinks "THIS". Heresy! Blasphemy! We will CRUCIFY you! They used to helpful, now they are f*****g cults.

    SubstantialPressure3 , English106 Report

    keighterz
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I learned very quickly not to ask other moms for advice, especially on the internet. Go to the experts, folks.

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    #8

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Scientology

    CatJudgement , isghoul Report

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    you THINK this gives you religion vibes??? they overtly call themselves a religion.

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    #9

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Obsession with a famous person(s).

    AscendedSpirit , hshq Report

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    #10

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Workaholism / hustle culture.

    trashpanda44224422 , Brent Ozar Report

    And i was like WTF!!
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I find this so... weird. I mean, it is cool that you work like 60 hours a week and so your boss can say bravo, but i want to work as much as i am payed, do my 8 hours a day and go and spend time with my wife, kids, friends or just by myself

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    #11

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Some MLM schemes.

    battlelevel , Eduardo Francisco Vazquez Murillo Report

    Batwench
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All MLM schemes.

    Michael Largey
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Right. A colleague of mine invited me over for dinner so she and her husband can talk to me about an "opportunity". Big red flag flopping in the breeze. I asked what sort of opportunity. She said "We can't tell you until you get here." Red flug bursts into flame with streaming rockets and sparklers. I gave her a polite, but definitive Nope. Like most rejected cultists, she stopped speaking to me, even though previously she could barely do her job without my help. So, I guess, yes, it was an opportunity for me.

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    Nicki
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The documentary about the MLM LuLaRoe is kinda... disturbing. 😳

    phoenix_rising
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What's the name of the documentary and where can I find it? My mom used to be heavily involved in Lularoe, leading me to know a lot about them, so now I'm interested

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    Amy Taylor
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My cousin is heavily sucked into one of these. I went on a youtube deep dive of anti-mlm content and it's terrifying.

    Sage Gusano
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wife got talked into going to a presentation for a "coffee company" years ago. They talked for over an hour about recruiting people under you. Not one word about selling product.

    DrLivingstonipresume
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ALL! Every. Single. One. They are all cultish and prey on the weak willed and weak minded. How it is legal for any of them to exist is abhorrent

    K Kalama
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Random guy at Borders (back in the day) asked me out for coffee. Met him at coffee place and then he walks me to the building next door to attend his Amway meeting. Excused myself to the restroom before it started and bee-lined to the closest exit. Sorry, don't know how to build pyramids.

    Hobby Hopper
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same as a pyramid scheme. Think Amway or Mary Kay.

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    StarWars Freak19
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My gay butt read this as men living men and was confused for a whole 5 seconds

    Adam L
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I got licensed in insurance and have been trying to find a company that fits my home life. I thought I had found the perfect one, until I realized that they were trying more to get me to employ people under me than actually trying to build a customer base. I am no longer working for them for this reason, plus the fact that they never truly helped me with my business, they were more focused on hiring more people themselves.

    Charles Williams
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The term "Multi Level Marketing" was developed by the pyramid scheme industry because it sounds nicer than pyramid scheme and MLM also sounds legal. An MLM is nothing but a pyramid scheme.

    Lin B
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    ALL MLM - they’re nothing but Ponzi schemes

    Wysteria_Rose
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yep, I was on this one for a while. Over $200 each buy (each month) for protein powder that just made me lose weight fast because I was starving myself on a liquid diet. Eventually couldn't even stomach the overly sweet shakes anymore; nearly threw up trying.

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    #13

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Gender ideology (aka the pseudoscience surrounding transgenderism). I say this as a trans person. If you do not follow a woke belief system to the very letter you are treated like an apostate. The left used to be very areligious but it is all spiritual gender woo woo stuff now.

    Manaxium , Mack Male Report

    InvincibleRodent
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    See, the use of the word "woke" is what concerns me in this one. Their gender identity notwithstanding, cis or trans, anyone who refers to someone as "woke" in order to dismiss them, I can't trust to comment on the issue they're talking about.

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    #14

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Disney. Especially when you go down to Florida.

    Alpha_Solid , Michael Rehfeldt Report

    keighterz
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Disney adults are weird and you cannot convince me otherwise. I have my fandoms, yes, but I'm not making a yearly trip to a special theme park like it's Mecca.

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    #15

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Brands in general. People praising Adidas, Apple, Hugo Boss, etc.

    Spaceman_Beard , adifansnet Report

    Francisco Javier Bonillo Ponce
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Companies don't want customers, they want fans who will buy anything that company sells

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    #16

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Politics

    CrunchM , Jack Report

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Definitely. "THEY" are wrong, the blasphemers. WE are the true ones. etc.

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    #17

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Fraternities and Sororities. Down to the recruitment/shunning culture

    abhiwan_kenobi , Mike Report

    The Idaho Potato
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They also can't even pronounce Greek the right way. "GGGGGAMMA", "BETA", "PHYYYYY", "DDDDELTA" (γβφδ). I may be exaggerating but still.

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    #18

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Crypto

    avellinoblvd , QuoteInspector.com Report

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No dude, crypto is as scammy and religiony as the stockmarket. Sure, some people are obsessed with it, yep. But so are stockbrokers.

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    #19

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) astrology zodiac signs

    dohrn1i , morebyless Report

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    let's see. Unscientific. Check. Magic. Check. Unfalsifiable. Check. Irrational beliefs, check. PS why are there jiggleballs there?

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    #21

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) College football

    ham_wallet998 , aaronisnotcool Report

    Bouche Clay
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think it's Alabama's state college that has an adorable pug for a mascot. I don't like football, but I love dogs.

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    #22

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Homoeopathy

    dangerus_dave , Dr Tricky Report

    Esme Weatherwax
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Also a potentially dangerous religion when the believer relies on it instead of science based medicine

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    #24

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) For many people, Coffee. Don’t deny it.

    plucky_dolphin , Camila Tamara Silva Sepúlveda Report

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Drink this, for it is my blood, saith the lord.

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    #25

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Football! Biggest sport in the world, stadiums are genuinely awe-inspiring and the atmosphere created during a game is crazy. (Edit) Okay okay... guys, I do mean FOOTBALL as that's what the vast majority of the world calls it but to allow other cultures to understand... yes, "soccer" is the biggest sport in the world.

    SurvivingWow , pbkwee Report

    Bouche Clay
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What I don't understand is why, when someone grabbed the ball and ran, the people who turned it into a new sport chose "FOOTball." Was it just that it came from football/soccer? Why didn't they call it handsball or something like that?

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    #26

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Crossfit

    LettuceGreedy9345 , Big Titan Report

    Victoria Pitt
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is the only thing that came to mind. But I think it's ok if it's treated that way, you get a community and you stay fit. Win win.

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    #27

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) iPhones, Tesla, Marvel

    CleonII , Windell Oskay Report

    Jo Davies
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Marvel is my escape from reality! Off to ComicCon Africa next weekend.

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    #28

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) The idea of a nation.

    CompetitiveSherbert7 , LEGOFIIR Report

    Luke Branwen
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nationalism, aka. the idea that you're superior because you were randomly born inside a certain set of nonexistent lines on the map.

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    #29

    Hot take: owning dogs EDIT: owning specific breeds of dogs

    baby_yoda_is_thick Report

    Becky Samuel
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The very concept of "pure-breed" dogs is a genetic disaster waiting to happen. As soon as you restrict the genetic diversity in this way, the extinction of the breed becomes inevitable. As much as people don't want to hear it, this is scientific fact. Don't even get me started on the ethics of deliberately breeding deformed animals that suffer throughout their lives in search of an aesthetic. And now we've moved on to doing the same thing to other species, like cats, rats, mice and guinea pigs. Even reptiles aren't immune to the greed and selfishness of the humans who breed them for "pretty colors".

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    #30

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Harry Potter

    StirlingBridge1297 , Elen Nivrae Report

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hmm it's just fandom. I don't find its fans that pushy.

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    #31

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Some people treat atheism like a religion. They on here trying to get converts

    Jp_gamesta , Steve Garry Report

    Tamra
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Meh, I'm atheist, but I have no desire to change anyone's mind about what they believe. As long as they extend the same courtesy to me.

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    #32

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) Owning a jeep wrangler Edit to add, I own a jeep wrangler and do 4x4 SAR for my state.

    Thatonecrazywolf , Brett Levin Report

    censorshipsucks
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    this must be an american thing. Here people are obsessed with BMW.

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    #33

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) The console wars

    CounterSYNK , Mike Carter Report

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    #34

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) In India, cricket

    Hyperion_23 , David Surtees Report

    Pumpkin Spice
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I challenge every cricket worshipper (not fans, but fanatics) to try and hit a sixer alone, no help, nothing.

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    #35

    “What Is Not A Religion, But People Treat It With The Same Attention?” (30 Answers) "I trust the science"

    WannaGetCrazy , Nenad Stojkovic Report

    Hex Gurls
    Community Member
    3 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    damn it’s giving ‘i do my own facebook research and a crazy man in the woods told me the government is trying to track me with the vaccine and i trust him more than doctors’

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