Church of the SubGenius

The Church of the SubGenius is a a religion or parody religion that satirizes better-known belief systems.

It teaches a complex philosophy that focuses on J. R. "Bob" Dobbs, purportedly a salesman from the 1950s, who is revered as a prophet by the Church. SubGenius leaders have developed detailed narratives about Dobbs and his relationship to various gods and conspiracies. In its narratives, the Church presents a blend of cultural references in an elaborate remix of the sources. The group holds that the quality of "Slack" is of utmost importance, but it is never clearly defined.

Historical
The Church of the SubGenius was founded by Ivan Stang (born Douglas St. Clair Smith) and Philo Drummond (born Steve Wilcox) as the SubGenius Foundation. Dr. X (born Monte Dhooge) was also present at the group's inception. The organization's first recorded activity was the publication of a photocopied document, Sub Genius Pamphlet #1, disseminated in Dallas, Texas in 1979. The document announced the impending end of the world and the possible deaths of its readers. It criticized Christian conceptions of God and New Age perceptions of spirituality.

The SubGenius Foundation was legally formed in 1980.

Conspiratorial
The church claims it was begun in 1953 by J.R. "Bob" Dobbs, Connie Marsh Dobbs, and others. "Bob" (his name is properly rendered in quotation marks) was contacted by the god Jehovah-1. Also called JHVH-1, this is an extraterrestrial who contacted Dobbs in the 1950s. Various accounts state that the encounter occurred while Dobbs was building a television or watching late-night television.

Jehovah 1 and his spouse Eris are regarded by the Church as "relatively evil," and re classified as "rebel gods."