It was only a matter of time. We’ve seen Big Lebowski festivals and convenience stores, so someone basing a religion around it was clearly in the cards. What I did not see coming was the religion being centered in Thailand. Don’t be fatuous, CNN:

Dubbed “Church of the Latter-Day Dude,” the group also invites “mellow, unflashy chicks who hang around in their bathrobes and take baths with candles and whale sounds,” says the religion’s Dudely Lama, Oliver Benjamin. “Everyone feels oppressed by society’s pressures,” he says. “Everyone wishes they had more freedom. Everyone wishes they could be more carefree, to worry less about money and status.”

Well, there you go. At this point you’re probably thinking, “Hey, I bet the guy who created a religion based around The Big Lebowski and refers to himself as the ‘Dudely Llama’ definitely isn’t a crackpot.” NOT SO FAST, MY IMAGINARY DULLARD READER! The article is littered with wackadoo quotes by Mr. Benjamin. Meet me after the jump.

“The reason I embarked on a 10-year backpacking journey was so I could avoid being brainwashed by the machine of industry, and find the space and freedom to indulge my imagination.”

That’s ridiculous. If you made a candle called “10-year backpacking journey,” it would smell like a Phish concert mixed with a gym sock.

People who aren’t cool, ultimately go crazy, Oliver warns.

(*spends all 3rd period giving swirlies*) I AM THE SANEST MAN ALIVE!

“Ideally, we’d like to help people find ways to earn money with less work, but of course that’s always a challenge. Fifty years ago, everyone thought that robots would be doing all the work for us and people would be living lives of leisure. That this has not come to pass is surely mankind’s biggest tragedy,” Oliver laments.

“Poverty? No. World hunger? F-ck off. War? (*wanks dismissively*). Robot slaves, man.”