Starting your own religion

I've always thought about starting my own religion. Now I've discovered a "how to" manual and the rest is up to me.

Here is an excerpt.

Step 1: Finding your followers

Blurry, black and white sketches should suffice for any evidence. Remember, religion is faith, not facts.

A religion is worthless if you don't have people to worship it. Do some basic research on who you're targeting with your divine message. This step is critical; failure to optimize your gospel towards the right audience can cause your project to be dead before it can even begin conversions. According to experts, 92% of religions fail in their first year. Don't meet the same fate as them.

You'll need to determine which group of followers will benefit you most. There are four equally valid options, each with pros and cons.

Poor, powerless people

Follow in the footsteps of Jesus, for once in your life. Christianity, with its message of equality and spirituality over material wealth, has great appeal to the downtrodden.

• Advantages: There are lots of them, and they breed like rabbits.
• Disadvantages: They are, by definition, poor and powerless, so it's difficult to milk them for much.