How Atariology Became the Dominant Religion

OCTOBER 23, 2005 - Manifesto Night - 120 Atariology manifestos written in English and French are posted in downtown Geneva, Switzerland. The Manifesto states the beliefs of followers of Atariology.

2007 - The Church of Atariology posts the offical Atariology web-page. JJ Walker, the Founder of Atariology, finances the struggling religion on his own.

October 2009 - JJ Walker gives a series of interviews with Larry King, Jay Leno, and Jimmy Kimmel. In the Jimmy Kimmel interview, JJ Walker appears to have had a spectacularly bad hair day. The embarrassment becomes a source of endless speculation in the tabloids and mimicry on YouTube.

February 2010 - Britney Spears converts to Atariology. Her conversion inspires Madonna to convert from Kabbalah to Atariology as well.

October 2010 - Victoria Beckham converts to Atariology. The web-media sites compare Atariology to Scientology, albeit favorably. The Church of Atariology becomes iconic, controversial, and the new religion of the stars.

June 2010 - Newsweek publishes the first in a series of well-received articles about JJ Walker and Atariology.

December 2010 - Atari sues the Church of Atariology for copyright infringement.

October 2011 - The Church of Atariology publishes the first volume of the New York Times Best-Seller, 'How Atariology Became the Dominant Religion'.

April 2012 - The American-British journalist, Chistopher Hitchens, releases his criticism of Atariology in a book called How Atariology Sold Out.

June 2012 - The Church of Atariology settles with Atari Corporation, and purchases the company in order to develop a perfect simulation.

October 2012 - The Church of Atariology publishes the second volume of 'How Atariology Became the Dominant Religion'.

2015 - The second cold war ends in a grand chess match between Gary Kasparov and a lifelike simulation of Bobby Fischer, developed by the Church of Atariology. The US concedes that Bobby Fischer was indeed a jerk

2020 - 'Release Day' - the 1st of December each year - becomes the first legally recognized Atariology holiday. It celebrates the annual winter birth of new games and game consoles. Arcades become popular again.

2021 - After nearing bankruptcy in pursuit of a perfect simulation, The Church of Atariology finally releases the first 'near'-perfect simulation called 'Bicycle'. The game is a critical hit.

2500 - After numerous splinters, wars, political intrigue, and long bouts of financial uncertainty, the number of members in the Church of Atariology exceeds 3 billion. This number consists of ~40% of the earth's human population (excluding Monsanto-label children). Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians make up the rest of the majority. Hinduism dies out by 2400 AD, thanks to mass conversions of Hindus to a mystical form of Atariology known as 'Karmology'.